Month: June 2022

Michigan Gov. Whitmer OKs 17-Year-Olds Serving Alcohol, Swim-Up Bars

The Center Square

Gov. Gretchen Whitmer signed nine bills, including specific pieces of legislation that allow 17-year-olds serve alcohol under certain conditions, increase carnival safety requirements, and legalize swim-up bars.

“While these bills continue our record of bipartisan collaboration, Michiganders are counting on us to continue growing Michigan’s economy, creating good-paying jobs, and lowering cost for working families who are facing rising prices at the grocery store and the gas pump,” Whitmer said in a statement.

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Veteran Dave Galluch, in Pennsylvania 5th Congressional District Run, Seeks Restoration of ‘Time-Honored Traditions in American Leadership’

Bradley Vasoli

Republicans very recently used to dominate the locale composing much of Pennsylvania’s Fifth Congressional District. Geographically overlapping with much of the erstwhile Seventh District (nixed four years ago by the state Supreme Court), the Delaware-County-based territory had Republican Pat Meehan as its U.S. representative from 2011 to 2018. Before Meehan’s predecessor Joe Sestak (D) won the seat for two two-year terms, GOP Congressman Curt Weldon held it for two decades.

The district today is, well, different: Republicans’ old stronghold of Delaware County has flipped Democratic (though the GOP still fares well in some municipalities). And anyone waging a general-election campaign against Democratic Congresswoman Mary Gay Scanlon must also make inroads in south Philadelphia, Lower Merion, Upper Merion, Narberth, Bridgeport and Norristown — all places where “blue” voters have long outnumbered “red” ones. 

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Congressman Tom Tiffany Calls on the DOJ to Take Action on Crime

Cooper Moran

Congressman Tom Tiffany (R-WI-07) called on the Biden Administration’s Department of Justice to take action to limit crime in Wisconsin and across the country.

According to a letter from Tiffany and six other letters, the federal government may need to “pick up the slack” from local prosecutors that are refusing to try certain cases or are reducing recommended sentences.

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Brian Kemp Denounces Stacey Abrams’ Calls for More Government Mandates

Addison Basurto

Governor Brian Kemp condemned Stacey Abrams on Monday for her support for increased government involvement in the lives of Georgians.

“Stacey Abrams wants longer lockdowns, more government mandates, and higher taxes. Not on my watch! Join the fight for the soul of our state,” the governor said. “When Georgia was the first state to re-open, Stacey Abrams campaigned for longer lockdowns.”

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Arizona Democrats Call for Permanent Solution on 10th DACA Anniversary

Peter D'Abrosca

On the tenth anniversary of the implementation of Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA), a law that gives illegal aliens who were brought to America as children immunity from deportation, Arizona’s Democrats are calling for a permanent solution. 

Today marks the 10th anniversary of #DACA, said Rep. Raul Grijalva (D-AZ-03). “It’s a reminder that we have a moral obligation to protect Dreamers in AZ and across the nation. We must guarantee certainty for those who have known no other home but this one.”

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Congressman Chuck Fleischmann of Tennessee’s 3rd District: ‘It’s a Disaster, and We’ve Got to Take This Country Back’ in November Midterm Elections

Julie Carr

Wednesday morning on The Tennessee Star Report, host Leahy welcomed Tennessee Congressman Chuck Fleishmann (R-TN-03) to the newsmaker line to talk about what it’s like playing on the Congressional Baseball Team and the need for Republicans to take back the House and Senate in November midterms.

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Phoenix Detective Hospitalized After Being Ambushed, Shot

Cooper Moran

A detective with the Phoenix Police Department was hospitalized after being ambushed and shot by two individuals, according to the law enforcement office.

Two men, identified as Ahmani Gordon and Aaron Ware, approached the car from both sides of the vehicle and fired shots at the officer. One stood on the passenger side and the other in front of the vehicle, reportedly firing more than a dozen shots at the vehicle.

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Arizona Will Soon Prohibit Warrantless Police Searching of Painkiller Medical Records

The Center Square

Arizona law will limit police access to Controlled Substances Prescription Monitoring Program (CSPMP) data.

Gov. Doug Ducey signed a bill into law that will require law enforcement and criminal justice agencies to provide a valid search warrant to access Controlled Substances Prescription Monitoring Program (CSPMP) data from the State Board of Pharmacy (Board).

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One Out of Every Five Pregnancies Aborted in 2020

Admin

A new report reveals how the rate of abortions in the United States has risen significantly in recent years, with as many as 20 percent of all pregnancies being terminated in the year 2020 alone.

As reported by the Associated Press, the figures come from a study by the pro-abortion Guttmacher Institute, which revealed at least 930,000 total abortions in the United States in 2020. In 2017, the total number of nationwide abortions was about 862,000, which was the lowest amount of abortions since the controversial ruling in Roe v. Wade, which legalized abortion in 1973.

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Analysis: No Objective Evidence the Federal ‘Assault Weapons’ Ban Saved Lives

Admin

“For the children we can save,” declared President Biden on June 2, “we should reinstate the assault weapons ban and high-capacity magazines that we passed in 1994.” To support this claim, Biden alleged: 

And in the 10 years it was law, mass shootings went down. But after Republicans let the law expire in 2004 and those weapons were allowed to be sold again, mass shootings tripled. Those are the facts.

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Virginia Dem Introduces Bill to Hit Gun Buyers Where It Hurts

Admin

Virginia Democratic Rep. Don Beyer introduced a bill Tuesday that would levy a 1,000% tax on select semi-automatic rifles and certain ammunition magazines in response to recent mass shootings.

The proposed legislation is intended to limit the number of weapons present in American communities, including AR-15s and high-capacity magazines, Breyer said when he announced the proposal earlier this month. The bill also applies to large-capacity ammunition feeding devices.

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Republican Attorneys General, 26 of 27, Challenge New Sex-Based Discrimination Federal Guidance

The Center Square

Half of the state attorneys general in the country want the Biden administration to walk back new federal guidance on sex-based discrimination for schools and other organizations that receive federal money for food programs.

The AGs, 26 of the 27 Republicans in those offices across the country, claim in a letter to President Biden the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s guidance means states, local agencies and programs that receive federal food dollars through the Food and Nutrition Act and the Supplemental Nutritional Assistance Program could lose funding if they don’t comply, including in hiring practices.

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Commentary: Biden Is Sleepwalking U.S. into Nuclear War with Russia

Admin
President Joe Biden and Russian President Vladimir Putin participate in a tete-a-tete during a U.S.-Russia Summit on Wednesday, June 16, 2021, at the Villa La Grange in Geneva. (Official White House Photo by Adam Schultz)

Since Russia initiated its brutal and illegal invasion of Ukraine, the West has responded with a hearty bellow of “Cry Havoc! And let slip the dogs of war!” Since February 24, NATO has poured nearly all its otherwise limited surplus of weapons and diplomatic capital—as well as economic capital, especially from the United States—into propping up the Ukrainian resistance front. Due to this unprecedented level of support for Ukraine, Kiev’s forces have successfully rebuffed a Russian invasion of their historic capital and shifted the fighting over to the Russian-controlled eastern portion and the contested southern area of Ukraine. 

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Tennessee Says Students Upped English, Math Scores After 2022 Assessment

Peter D'Abrosca

The Tennessee Department of Education (TDOE) says that its students have rebounded after the COVID-19 pandemic, and that Math and English Language Arts (ELA) scores increased in the 2021-2022 school year. 

“Results from the 2021-22 TCAP assessments show that elementary students significantly improved their ELA scores and are performing at a level similar to pre-pandemic years,” said a TDOE press release. “Additionally, improved performance in math was evident for Tennessee students of all ages. Every student group showed an increase in proficiency as demonstrated on the 2022 TCAP assessments.”

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Tennessee Professional Fire Fighters Association Endorses House District 63 Candidate Jake McCalmon

Cooper Moran

Jake McCalmon, a candidate running in the GOP primary to represent Tennessee’s 63rd House District, received the endorsement of the Tennessee Professional Fire Fighters Association (TPFFA).

In a statement announcing the support, TPFFA President Matthew Tomek pointed to the businessman’s integrity and previous support of the organization.

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Tennessee Sheriff to Potential School Shooters: ‘We Will Eliminate You’

Peter D'Abrosca

After a school shooting in Uvalde, Texas sparked a conversation about school safety, a Tennessee sheriff sent a strong message to those who might consider perpetrating violence in his county’s schools. 

“Due to the recent school shootings, the latest occurring in Texas, as your Sheriff, who provides the Student Resource Deputies in each of the public schools in Putnam County, I want to provide a message to anyone thinking about committing an act of violence that would harm our children or faculty at our schools,” Putnam County Sheriff Eddie Farris said in a statement. 

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American Medical Association Students Seek to End Endorsement of Policy Asserting ‘Primary Responsibility’ for Sex Education Is the Family

Susan Berry, PhD

The nation’s future doctors who are currently members of the Medical Student Section (MSS) of the American Medical Association (AMA) have called for the organization to remove language from its current policy that states “family life education” should primarily be taught “in the home,” and replace it with language that states comprehensive sex education should be taught in schools.

According to a report at MedPage Today, during the AMA’s House of Delegates meeting in Chicago, some MSS delegates were in agreement with a representative from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and an alternate delegate physician from the California Medical Association, to promote shifting of funding away from curricula that emphasize delaying sexual activity and toward comprehensive sex education in schools at all levels.

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Tennessee Politicians Celebrate 247 Years of the U.S. Army and Flag Day

Aaron Gulbransen

June 14 marked the 247th birthday of the United States Army and Flag Day, and Tennessee’s politicians posted messages on social media marking both observances.

U.S. Senator Bill Hagerty (R-TN) shared the following message on Tuesday, “Our Nation has remained free, secure, and prosperous because of 247 years of great bravery, service, and sacrifice by our U.S. Army and its generations of selfless troops. Happy Birthday, @USArmy!”

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Court Rules in Favor of Pro-Life Advocates Opposing Planned Parenthood’s Plan to Erect Abortion Clinic Next Door to Public Charter School

Susan Berry, PhD

The DC Court of Appeals has unanimously ruled in favor of pro-life advocates in the nation’s capital in a lawsuit brought by a public charter school that objected to the group’s efforts to stop a Planned Parenthood “abortion mega-facility” from opening next door to the school.

Two Rivers Public Charter School and its board of trustees brought a lawsuit in December 2015 that alleged longtime pro-life activist Ruby Nicdao engaged in harassment and intimidation of students in her campaign to educate parents and the greater community about the consequences of Planned Parenthood’s plans to erect an “abortion mega-facility” next door to the children’s school, a press release from Thomas More Society explained.

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Marsha Blackburn Responds to MSNBC Criticism of Her Take on Higher Gas Prices

Aaron Gulbransen

U.S. Senator Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) responded to MSNBC’s criticism of her June 10 comments where she noted that Democrats have pushed higher gas prices in pursuit of the Green New Deal and transition away from fossil fuels.

Blackburn tweeted on Tuesday in response to their article, “Joe Biden’s policies have caused gas to reach over $5 a gallon. Now Biden is using his energy crisis as an excuse to implement his radical Green New Deal. This is not a coincidence. It’s intentional.”

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Al Lawson Files to Run for Florida’s 2nd Congressional District After Redistricting Fight

Grant Holcomb

Congressman Al Lawson (D-FL-5) has filed to run in Florida’s second congressional district against incumbent Rep. Neal Dunn (R-FL-2). Lawson currently holds the seat for district five, but the months-long congressional redistricting fight to preserve the boundaries of district five was secured in favor of the new maps earlier this month. Therefore, Lawson is seeking to unseat Dunn.

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) has backed the redistricting process including proposing the boundary changes for district five, claiming that it was an unconstitutional, racial-based gerrymander. District five, as of right now, snakes from Tallahassee across North Florida to Jacksonville’s northside. It comprises a majority minority district.

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Michigan Paying Two Private Companies $298,000 for Business Expansion

The Center Square

The state of Michigan will spend nearly $300,000 subsidizing two private companies in Cadillac and Fenton, claiming the subsidies will create a $7.3 million investment and create 68 jobs.

“Today’s investments by American Recreational Products and Rexair will create a combined 68 good-paying jobs for Michiganders as we continue growing Michigan’s economy and investing in every region of the state,” Gov. Gretchen Whitmer said in a statement. 

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Reduced Training to Arm Ohio Teachers Becomes Law

The Center Square

Ohio school boards can put armed teachers in classrooms with one day of training, rather than the previously required month, after Gov. Mike DeWine signed a bill in response to an Ohio Supreme Court decision.

The court’s ruling mandated teachers complete the state’s 700 hours of basic peace officer education before legally being required to carry a fireman in a school. House Bill 99 dictates a maximum of 24 hours of training, but local boards can require more.

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Minnesota Gov. Walz Appointee Reduces Bail from $5 Million to $100,000 for Man Who Shot at Police

Admin

A man who shot at police because he was “frustrated” after driving drunk with his pregnant wife in the passenger seat had his bail reduced from $5 million to $100,000.

Pablo Nava Jaimes, 30, allegedly fired at least 10 rounds at police during a pursuit while leaving a barbecue after “8 or 9 beers” on June 5, according to a criminal complaint. The report also states he “took full responsibility” for the shooting after he was apprehended.

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New Home Buying Program Is Now Open in Connecticut

The Center Square

A new Connecticut program that aids residents with down payment assistance for home purchases is now open, Gov. Ned Lamont said.

The governor announced the Time to Own program offering down payment assistance to low- and moderate-income homebuyers is now accepting applications. The program is funded with $20 million the State Bond Commissioner allocated in December 2021 to help families purchase homes.

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Georgia U.S. Senate Candidate Herschel Walker Calls on Biden to Fire Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen amid Historic Inflation

Cooper Moran

Georgia U.S. Senate candidate Herschel Walker blasted President Joe Biden, Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen, and Democratic Senator Raphael Warnock for historic levels of inflation that are crushing individuals.

Walker, who received the GOP nomination last month, called on Biden to fire Yellen for previously claiming that inflation would be temporary and not pose a severe risk to the economy.

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Judge Dismisses Request for Protective Order Against Virginia State Sen. Morrissey After Altercation with Radio Producers

Eric Burk

RICHMOND, Virginia – A Richmond District Court judge dismissed two requests for two-year protective orders against State Senator Joe Morrissey (D-Richmond), who was alleged to have threatened staff on his radio show. But hours of testimony from several witnesses were contradictory and incomplete, leaving a he-said-she-said story of an intense altercation partially supported by incomplete recordings. Delegate Tim Anderson (R-Virginia Beach) represented the plaintiffs, who presented the most significant piece of evidence: a new audio recording captured by a reporter who was nearby in the building during the altercation, but the recording didn’t capture the whole exchange, and the speech in the recording was often unintelligible. Still, the judge was able to understand at least one phrase from the recording. The judge said, “First of all, there’s no question in the court’s mind that Mr. Morrissey said, ‘I’ll knock you out.’” But the judge said that wasn’t enough to support the legal standard for a protective order — the context of the statement needs to be taken into account. Designed to Generate Controversy Morrissey’s legislative office and his legal office operate out of a small building in Southside Richmond, which also is the base for WJFN, the radio station that…

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Mastriano Proposes Allowing Permitted Teachers to Be Armed at Pennsylvania Schools

Bradley Vasoli

State Senator Doug Mastriano (R-Gettysburg) asked colleagues Tuesday to co-sponsor a bill he plans to introduce to let teachers carry guns in Pennsylvania schools. 

Under the proposal, teachers who hold concealed carry permits may be armed on school property provided they complete “a rigorous firearms course from a certified instructor.” Similar measures are now in effect in 28 states.

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U.S. Senate Candidate Blake Masters Begins to Break Away from GOP Primary Field, Latest Independent Poll Finds

Cooper Moran

Arizona U.S. Senate candidate Blake Masters is starting to break free from the crowded field and establish himself as the frontrunner, according to an independent poll from The Trafalgar Group.

The businessman secured roughly 29 percent of the support of respondents. Meanwhile, his closest competition, Arizona Attorney General Mark Brnovich took in almost 24 percent of the vote.

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Kentucky U.S. Representative Thomas Massie Blasts Red Flag Laws

Aaron Gulbransen

U.S. Representative Thomas Massie (R-KY-04) blasted red flag laws last week during floor debate on legislation pending in the U.S. House of Representatives.

In a tweet sharing his floor speech, Massie said, “A federal red flag law would create millions of second-class citizens. It won’t stop mass shooters but will deprive millions of Americans of due process and their Second Amendment rights.”

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