Category: BG-TN

Federal Subpoenas Issued In North Carolina 9th Congressional District Case

A.P. Dillon

The Public Integrity Section of the United States Department of Justice has issued subpoenas for documents related to North Carolina’s 9th Congressional District. The subpoena sent to the state’s board of election requests “all documents related to the investigation of election irregularities affecting counties within the 9th Congressional District.” The Public Integrity Section (PIN) has “exclusive jurisdiction over allegations of criminal misconduct on the part of federal judges and also supervises the nationwide investigation and prosecution of election crimes.” Kim Strach, the Executive Director of the State Board of Elections, issued a statement on the subpoena: “We support the efforts of state and federal authorities to investigate and prosecute crimes against the elections process. State Board staff are compiling records responsive to the federal grand jury subpoena and are prepared to assist federal and state prosecutors in their investigations. We hope that prosecutions in these cases will help restore voters’ confidence in our elections and serve as a strong deterrent to future elections fraud.” A grand jury subpoena as also sent to Leslie McCrae Dowless, the man at the center of the absentee ballot controversy. Dowless was arrested and charged last month with three counts felonious obstruction of justice, two…

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Millions in Fraud Missing From North Carolina Medicaid Expansion Debate

A.P. Dillon

Every major North Carolina Democrat, including Governor Roy Cooper, is focused on pushing for the expansion of Medicaid. Cooper included Medicaid expansion in his budget and in his State of the State speech. In both instances, the tax hit to North Carolinians went unaddressed by Cooper but not by state lawmakers. “Governor Cooper is pushing this idea that his Medicaid expansion proposal is revenue-neutral to the state, but that idea is just not based in reality,” said Senate Leader Phil Berger (R-Rockingham) in a press release. “There is no such thing as ‘free’ money, someone always has to pay. In this case, it’s the taxpayers in the private insurance market who at the end of the day will pay the price of this new tax to fund expansion.” Part of the argument to expand is a ‘but the other states are doing it’ argument. As of February 2019, 36 have expanded Medicaid and 14, including North Carolina, have not. What the current debate on the topic has left out is the millions of Medicaid fraud cases each year. According to the North Carolina Department of Justice, settlements in Medicaid fraud cases have totaled over $65.5 million just in the last…

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North Carolina Governor State Supreme Court Pick Keeps Court Hyperpartisan

A.P. Dillon

North Carolina Democratic Governor Roy Cooper announced the appointment of Judge Mark Davis to the state’s supreme court this week. “Right now I’m the most excited human being in the state of North Carolina to be able to join the Supreme Court,” said Judge Davis during the announcement at the Executive Mansion. “This is truly the fulfillment of a lifelong dream for me, and I feel like I have been preparing for this moment for my entire professional career,” Davis said. “I know Judge Davis is dedicated to his work and to serving the people of North Carolina, and I know he will continue to serve with distinction as an Associate Justice on the Supreme Court,” said Gov. Cooper. More on the announcement here: https://t.co/3gS1oKapfb pic.twitter.com/mPQGZyNhoC — Governor Roy Cooper (@NC_Governor) March 11, 2019 “I know Judge Davis is dedicated to his work and to serving the people of North Carolina, and I know he will continue to serve with distinction as an Associate Justice on the Supreme Court,” said Governor Cooper in a statement. The appointment of Davis keeps the state supreme court overwhelmingly partisan with six Democrats and one Republican. The maintaining of a hyperpartisan court is a…

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Ohio 6th Circuit Court of Appeals Affirms State Can ‘Defund’ Planned Parenthood

Andrew Shirley

The Ohio 6th Circuit Court of Appeals ruled 11-6 Tuesday that Ohio has the right to withhold public funds from abortion providers, most notably Planned Parenthood. On Feb. 21st, 2016, then-Republican Governor John Kasich signed House Bill 294. The bill’s intent is to prevent the use of public funds for elective (a.k.a. “nontherapeutic”) abortions. Before the law, roughly $1 million a year in state health funding went, primarily, to organizations like Planned Parenthood. This law denied that funding. Three months later,  Judge Michael R. Barrett of U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Ohio issued a restriction, preventing the law from being implemented in Ohio. He argued that if the law went into effect, it could cause “irreparable harm” to citizens who rely on non-abortion services provided by Planned Parenthood. Later, he outright declared the law unconstitutional, setting off a series of appeals. The latest of these appeals decided on Tuesday, affirmed that Ohio has a constitutional right to cut funding for Abortions. The majority opinion, written by Judge Jeffrey Sutton, noted that a state: …may choose not to fund a private organization’s health and education initiatives. Private organizations do not have a constitutional right to obtain governmental funding to support their activities. The State also…

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We Build the Wall Holds Town Hall in Cincinnati Tuesday Night

Jason M. Reynolds

We Build the Wall Inc. is holding a town hall Tuesday night in Cincinnati to share its view points about building the southern border wall. The event will be held at 7 p.m. at Hilton Cincinnati Netherland Plaza, 35 West Fifth St. The town hall will feature Brian Kolfage, Steve Bannon, Kris Kobach, Sheriff David Clarke, Angel Families and more. Doors open at 5:30 p.m. More information, including a petition, is here. Registration is here. Attendees will have to pass through a security check point with metal wands and possibly a pat down. They are asked not to bring back packs or other personal bags or luggage. The sponsors are Ohio Grassroots Rally Team, Main Street Patriots, OANN (One American News Network) and the Gateway Pundit. We Build the Wall’s website says, “We acknowledge that the federal government won’t be able to accept American Citizen donations specifically for the wall anytime soon. American citizens in the private sector are better equipped than our own government to use the donated funds to build an actual wall on the southern border.” The organization says its experienced team will build “significant segments of the wall” faster and more cheaply than the government and…

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Ohio Republicans Fight for Current Congressional Map

Andrew Shirley

A week into a trial that will determine if the Ohio congressional districts will be redrawn before the 2020 presidential election,  Ohio Republicans have the opportunity to defend their map. Monday, attorneys representing the Ohio Republicans began calling witnesses to testify that the current congressional map of Ohio was made in good faith and was not gerrymandered. The case, Ohio A. Philip Randolph Institute v. Householder was filed on May 23rd, 2018. Per the Brennan Center: The Ohio A. Philip Randolph Institute, the League of Women Voters of Ohio, and a group of Ohio residents filed suit contenting Ohio’s 2011 congressional map is an unconstitutional partisan gerrymander that violates the First and Fourteenth Amendment and Article I of the U.S. Constitution. The plaintiffs argue the map was intentionally designed to give Republicans an 12-4 advantage and entrench their power over the course of the decade. This skewed partisan advantage, the suit argues, prevents large segments of Ohio’s voters from having their votes meaningfully reflected in their congressional delegation. In the suit, the referred to the current map as “the most egregious gerrymanders in recent history.” The current district map was drawn by the Republican party in 2011, the majority party at the…

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Third Time’s a Charm: Ohio House Begins Heartbeat Bill Debate Again Tuesday

Anthony Gockowski

COLUMBUS, Ohio – The Ohio House version of the infamous heartbeat bill will get its first hearing Tuesday morning in the House Health Committee. The bill was introduced by State Reps. Ron Hood (R-78) and Candice Keller (R-53), and has 48 cosponsors. Two previous iterations of the bill cleared the Ohio House and Senate, but both were vetoed by former Gov. John Kasich. Gov. Mike DeWine, however, said in January that he would “absolutely” sign the heartbeat bill into law if it makes it to his desk. Hood, who will testify before the House Health Committee Tuesday morning, was also a lead sponsor of 2018’s heartbeat bill. After it passed the House, he called it “the vehicle that is needed to revisit Roe v. Wade.” “The House passage of the bill is a critical step in that long-awaited process. I am confident that this bill will protect tens of thousands of innocent lives with detectable heartbeats it if becomes law,” he added. The current version of the bill, HB 68, would take things one step further by establishing a Joint Legislative Committee on Adoption Promotion and Support. According to the bill, this committee would be authorized to “review or study…

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City Pages Readers Roast City Pages for Running Smear Piece on Minnesota Sun

Anthony Gockowski

City Pages, a subsidiary of The Star Tribune, recently published a story titled: “Minnesota Sun: A Republican mega-donor site masquerading as ‘local news.’” The article was based on a Snopes “investigation” of Star News Digital Media, Inc., the parent company of The Minnesota Sun as well as The Ohio Star, The Tennessee Star, and Battleground State News. On Facebook, City Pages captioned its story with a tagline of “all the right-wing propaganda that’s fit to print,” but the outlet’s own readers weren’t buying it. Many comments on Facebook pointed out the “irony” and “hypocrisy” in City Pages’ article. “So good to know that CP has Snopes for their resources,” one reader wrote. “Thank you! I never had heard of them, but I now have a news source more reliable and truthful than City Pages and MinnPost,” another added. “What about all the left-wing bulls– you guys print?” yet another asked. Others comments in response to the City Pages article included: One reader even claimed that City Pages runs ads for “hookers” in its print edition. The organization’s print edition, which is available free-of-charge at many businesses throughout the Twin Cities area, does regularly include advertisements for strip clubs and phone…

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DeWine Sends ODOT Director to Senate to Lobby for 18-Cent Gas Tax

Anthony Gockowski

COLUMBUS, Ohio – The Ohio Senate Transportation, Commerce, and Workforce Committee began hearing testimonies Monday on Gov. Mike DeWine’s demand for an 18-cent gas-tax increase. The chairman of that committee, Sen. Rob McColley (R-01) (pictured, left), however, made it clear that he and his fellow Senate Republicans oppose the 18-cent figure, and even suggested an income-tax cut to offset a gas-tax increase. But Ohio Department of Transportation (ODOT) Director Jack Marchbanks (pictured, right) said Monday during his testimony that anything less than 18-cents wouldn’t cut it, and claimed that the smaller gas-tax increase of 10.7-cents passed in the House’s version of the transportation budget last week “falls far short of Ohio’s real need.” “As you may recall, due to flat revenues, highway construction inflation, and mounting debt payments, ODOT is in jeopardy of being unable to fulfill its mission to maintain the state’s most valuable physical asset: our state highway system. The credit cards are maxed out and the long-term health of Ohio’s transportation system is now at stake,” Marchbanks said. He argued that an 18-cent increase is necessary because the “state has avoided making the difficult decision to find a long-term solution to our transportation revenue shortfall for more…

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Fifth Arrest Made In North Carolina’s 9th Congressional Ballot Case

A.P. Dillon

A fifth arrest has been made in the criminal case surrounding an absentee ballot harvesting operation in North Carolina’s 9th Congressional District. A statement by Wake County District Attorney Lorrin Freeman indicated that Rebecca Thompson was arrested on March 7th after turning herself in at the Bladen County Sheriff’s Office. Thompson is charged with conspiracy to commit felonious obstruction of justice and possession of absentee ballots. The man allegedly running the operation, Leslie McCrae Dowless, was first indicted by Grand Jury and then swiftly arrested. Dowless is charged with three counts of felonious obstruction of justice, two counts of conspiracy to commit obstruction of justice and two counts of possession of absentee ballots. Dowless, who was arrested by the State Bureau of Investigation in Bladensboro. was released on a secure bond of $30,000. Three other individuals have been arrested in connection with Dowless’ alleged absentee ballot harvesting operation. The North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation arrested Caitlyn Croom on March 3 in New Hanover County. Croom is charged with conspiracy to commit felony obstruction of justice and possession of absentee ballots. Tonia Marie Gordon and Matthew Monroe Mathis were also taken into custody March 5th Gordon turned herself in at…

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North Carolina’s 3rd Congressional Special Election Draws 26 Candidates

A.P. Dillon

Over two dozen candidates have filed for the North Carolina 3rd Congressional District’s special election. Filing closed on March 8th with a tally of six Democrats, seventeen Republicans, two libertarians and one Constitution party candidate. The Democrats considered front-runners are Richard Bew, a Retired Marine who was a pilot at the North Carolina Marine Corps Cherry Point station, and Allen Thomas, the former mayor of Greenville who currently serves as the Executive Director of the Global TransPark located in Kinston. Other Democrats in the race are Isiah ‘Ike’ Johnson, a retired Marine; Gregory Humphrey, a retired Deputy Fire Chief and Vietnam Vet; Dana Outlaw, the mayor of New Bern; and Ernest Reeves, a retired Army Captain who took on Jones in 2016 but lost big with only 32.8% of the vote compared to Jones’ 67.8%. The Republicans have 17 candidates in the running with three current state house representatives and the former vice chair of the NC GOP being considered as competitive ‘tier one candidates’. Phil Shepard is the state house representative for Onslow and Greg Murphy represents Pitt County. Both have five terms in the North Carolina General Assembly under their belts. There had been speculation that Shepard’s Onslow…

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Keith Ellison, Alleged Domestic Abuser, Celebrates International Women’s Day

Anthony Gockowski

Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison, who has been accused of domestic abuse twice, spoke Friday at a press conference to celebrate International Women’s Day. “This International Women’s Day 2019 we celebrate the passage of the ERA in the Minnesota House. Everyone should be treated with dignity and respect regardless of their sex or gender, When women succeed, America succeeds,” Ellison wrote on Twitter with a picture of him speaking to the crowd gathered. This #InternationalWomensDay2019 we celebrate the passage of the #ERA in the Minnesota House. Everyone should be treated with dignity and respect regardless of their sex or gender. When women succeed, America succeeds! pic.twitter.com/CZujNjINmn — Attorney General Keith Ellison (@AGEllison) March 8, 2019 Ellison was accused of abusing his ex-girlfriend, Karen Monahan, during his 2018 campaign for the Attorney General’s Office. The allegation nearly derailed his campaign, but it wasn’t the first time he was accused of domestic abuse. In 2005, a woman named Amy Alexander accused Ellison of domestic abuse, and there’s an alleged police record to support her allegation. A police record dating back to 2005 reveals that an “Ellison/Keith/BM/41” was reported in 2005 for assaulting a woman. Ellison was born in 1963, which means he was…

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First Medicinal Marijuana Processor To Open in Ohio

Andrew Shirley

Friday, Ohio’s state Commerce Department awarded the first medicinal marijuana processor its certificate of operation. This processor will allow medicinal marijuana to be processed, refined, and distilled into cannabis-infused products. These products include: ​oil, wax, ointment, salve, tincture, capsule, suppository, dermal patch, cartridge or other product containing medical cannabis concentrate, or usable cannabis that has been processed so that the dried leaves and flowers are integrated into other material.​ The move is a major step forward for advocates who wish to see the ubiquitous use of cannabis adopted in the Buckeye State. The process of earning this certificate from the state of Ohio is very competitive. Per the rules outlined the Ohio Medicinal Marijuana control program. “The Department received 104 processor applications. From these, the Department is authorized to award up to 40 provisional licenses.” In addition, the cost of operations is shockingly high. It costs $10,000 to apply for the initial certificate. If approved, the actual certificate costs an additional $90,000. Furthermore, to continue operations at a plant, there is an annual fee of $100,000. While these fees may seem high, relative to other business fees, one of the most appealing arguments to marijuana legalization was the idea that the drug would be taxed heavily and…

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Charges Dropped Against Christian Pastor Arrested at Mall of America

Anthony Gockowski

Ramin Parsa, a Christian pastor who was arrested at the Mall of America in August and charged with trespassing, was cleared of all charges during a court hearing Thursday. “Praise the Lord! The prosecution is suspended, no more criminal charges, pleaded not guilty. Thank you so much for your prayers. We have resolved the criminal case and the city is not going to prosecute me further, so the city is out of it,” Parsa wrote on Facebook. As The Minnesota Sun reported, Parsa runs Redemptive Love Ministries in Los Angeles, but visited Minnesota in August. While in the state, he took a trip to the Mall of America and ended up in what he has called a “random” conversation with two Somali women. As an ex-Muslim, he spoke with the two about his conversion to the Christian faith, and was reported to mall security by a passersby. He was subsequently arrested, taken to the basement of the Mall of America, and charged with trespassing. Parsa returned to Minnesota Wednesday evening ahead of his court hearing, and spoke at the Minnesota Capitol during a prayer rally hosted in support of him. “I’ve been through this before in other countries,” he said…

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Americans for Tax Reform Urges Ohio to Reject ‘Straight-Up’ Gas Tax Increase

Andrew Shirley

Grover Norquist, President and Founder of the nationally recognized Conservative taxpayer advocacy group Americans for Tax Reform (ATR), implored Ohioans Friday to reject the “straight up” gas tax currently being considered by the Ohio Legislature. In an open letter, Norquist warned; A gas tax hike does the greatest harm to households who can least afford it. Coupled with gas tax prices that have been creeping up in Ohio, a gas tax hike would have especially adverse effects on the state’s lower income earners. Additionally, the 2003 gas tax increase failed to meet revenue projections. Also consider that a state gas tax increase would counteract the benefits of federal tax reform and eat into Ohio taxpayers’ federal tax cut savings. This is one of the reasons why Congress has declined to raise the federal gas tax, despite pressure for them to do so. The bill has been a source of significant controversy, forcing a schism between many Ohio Republican legislators and the Ohio Republican Governor, Mike DeWine. While there is an overwhelming consensus that something must be done to address the rapidly decaying roads and bridges in Ohio, how best to fund these repairs is still up for debate. When DeWine first introduced House Bill 62 (HB…

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Bipartisan Bill Would End Ohio’s ‘Disastrous’ Academic Distress Commissions

Anthony Gockowski

A bipartisan bill that would overturn state takeovers of low performing local schools is set to be introduced in the Ohio General Assembly next week. Under House Bill (HB) 70, a 2015 legislation, the state superintendent of public schools is required to intervene via “Academic Distress Commissions” for “each school district that has been declared to be in academic emergency.” That bill was authorized two years after the 2013 establishment of the Lorain Academic Distress Commission for the Lorain City School District. The “ultimate goal” of the commission was to “improve academic achievement of the [Lorain City School District] to such an extent that all graduates successfully enter a career or college pathway.” The commission, as it stands, would cease to exist after Lorain City School District receives a “C” grade or better on the Ohio Department of Education’s performance index score and the value-added progress dimension for two of three school years, which it has evidently thus far failed to do. As a result, Rep. Joe Miller (D-Miller) and Rep. Don Jones (R-Freeport) are planning to introduce a bill that would overturn HB 70. “Placing these districts under state control has been a disaster. In each case, the Academic Distress…

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Democrat North Carolina Attorney General Joins Suit Against Protect Life Rule

A.P. Dillon

North Carolina’s Democratic Attorney General Josh Stein has pulled the Tarheel state into a multi-state suit challenging the Trump Administrations ‘Protect Life Rule‘ as part of Title X. “Title X clinics screen for cancer, prevent unintended pregnancies, and reduce the spread of sexually transmitted infections,” said Attorney General Josh Stein in a press release. “These are critical healthcare services that change and save lives. This proposed gag rule would prevent women in North Carolina from making the healthcare decisions that allow them to lead happy, healthy lives.” The national suit was filed March 4 by 20 other states and District of Columbia with California filing its own version. North Carolina will be the only state in the south to join the suit. The other states involved are Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, District of Columbia, Hawaii, Illinois, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, Virginia, and Wisconsin. All of the states involved have Democratic attorney generals. “North Carolina Values Coalition supports the Trump administration’s Protect Life Rule, which redirects Title X family planning program funds away from the abortion industry and bars taxpayer-funded family planning clinics from referring patients to abortion providers,” said Tami Fitzgerald, NC…

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Minnesota College That Offers Students ‘Christ-Centered’ Education Bans Pro-Life Speaker from Campus

Anthony Gockowski

The University of Northwestern in St. Paul, Minnesota prohibited a conservative club from hosting prominent pro-life speaker Star Parker for an on-campus event. The campus Young America’s Foundation (YAF) chapter invited Parker to speak on campus, but administrators alerted the group in a February 20 email that “there were quite a few concerns about Star.” “Our staff has been very adamant about bringing speakers to campus who educate and expand worldviews, but we really don’t bring speakers who radically hold beliefs that UNW as a whole would not agree with,” an administrator wrote to YAF Chair Haley Tschetter. The school describes itself as a “Christ-centered liberal arts university” that is “grounded first and foremost in the truth of the Bible.” In its email to Tschetter, the university goes on to explain that “in the past” it has generally “stayed away from sensationalized speakers.” “Again, it may be different if we were able to bring a panel and provide a variety of thought, but in the past UNW has stayed away from sensationalized speakers. I foresee us continuing to do this,” the email states. “After reviewing some of Star’s material online we didn’t feel she was a good fit for our…

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Ohio Judge Recommends Resignation for Disgraced ‘Gang of Five’ City Council Members

Andrew Shirley

County Judge Robert Ruehlman called on five Cincinnati City Council members – all Democrats – to resign Thursday following revelations the group, the so-called “Gang of Five” violated several Ohio Sunshine Laws. On April 9, 2017,  a conservative watchdog group filed a startling lawsuit. Mark Miller, Ohio citizen and treasurer of the Coalition Opposed to Additional Spending and Taxes (COAST) was accused Cincinnati Councilman P.G. Sittenfeld, Wendell Young, Chris Seelbach, Tamaya Dennard and Greg Landsman, (all Democrats) of “attempting to decide matters of great public import behind closed doors and in secret communications, and subverting the public’s right to know and understand the actions of its public officials.” According to court documents, per Ohio law: Article II § 5 of the City Charter of the City of Cincinnati declared that “[t]he proceedings of the council shall be public,” and that “[t]he council shall keep a journal of its proceedings which shall be a public record.” Likewise, R.C. § 121.22(C) requires that “[a] 11 meetings of any public body are declared to be public meetings open to the public at all times,” and further declares that “[t]he minutes of a regular or special meeting of any public body shall be promptly prepared, filed, and…

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Former Grand Wizard of the KKK David Duke Calls Ilhan Omar the ‘Most Important Member of the U.S. Congress’

Anthony Gockowski

Former Grand Wizard of the KKK David Duke called Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-MN-05) the “most important member of the U.S. Congress” in a Thursday tweet. Duke’s statement comes amid a tumultuous week for the House’s Democratic majority, which struggled to unite around a resolution condemning Omar’s anti-Semitic comments. As The Minnesota Sun reported Wednesday, House Democrats were prepared to vote on a resolution that was drafted in response to Omar’s controversial comments, but the vote ultimately fell apart after Omar’s progressive allies rallied to her defense. Now, Democratic leaders have prepared a new resolution that broadly condemns all forms of hate, which was overwhelmingly passed late Thursday afternoon. Throughout the affair, Duke, a fervid anti-Semite, praised Omar for her criticisms of the Israeli state. “Ilhan Omar is now the most important member of the U.S. Congress,” he wrote on Twitter. “I made this provocative statement cause the worst enemy of the USA, Europeans, and the Middle East and the whole world and true peace are the Zionist tyrants who rule media and politics. Sadly, this 100lb girl has more guts than any white member of Congress.” https://twitter.com/DrDavidDuke/status/1103766675223130112 Omar’s Minnesota colleagues struggled to navigate the debate, and some, such as Sen.…

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Court of Appeals Grants Stay Request By North Carolina Lawmakers On Lower Court Ruling

A.P. Dillon

The North Carolina Court of Appeals has granted a stay of a Wake County Judge’s ruling pending review of the Writ of Supersedeas filed this week by state lawmakers. The order from the Court of Appeals grants a stay motion requested by filed by Speaker Tim Moore and Senator Pro Tem Phil Berger and the ruling by Wake County Judge Bryan Collins is temporarily suspended. The order also says that the court will consider the Writ of Supersedeas “upon the filing of a response to the petition” or no response is filed in the proper time frame. March 1, Superior Court Judge George Bryan Collins, Jr. ruled that two out of four state constitutional amendments passed by North Carolina voters in 2018 were invalid because the State Legislature was itself “illegal.” “An illegally constituted General Assembly does not represent the people of North Carolina and is therefore not empowered to pass legislation that would amend the state’s constitution,” Collins wrote in his ruling. “Although the ruling only directly invalidates the two laws that were challenged in the suit, under Judge Collins’s theory every act passed by the General Assembly between June 5, 2017, and December 31, 2018, is invalid,” says…

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Minnesota’s State Attorney General Ellison and Department of Human Rights Sue Plasma Center for Denying Transgender Donor

Anthony Gockowski

The Minnesota Department of Human Rights and Attorney General Keith Ellison filed a lawsuit Thursday against CSL Plasma for turning away a transgender donor. According to a press release, Alice James, a biological male, began donating plasma in 2011 at the company’s collection center in Duluth, but was required to list their biological sex on an intake form. James, however, refused, and continued to identify as female on all company forms. Then, in June 2015, James was told by an employee that CSL Plasma did not allow transgender individuals to donate and prohibited James from making any further donations. As a result, James filed a discrimination complaint with the Department of Human Rights, which found “probable cause” that CSL Plasma discriminated against James in violation of the Minnesota Human Rights Act. “Refusing to allow James to donate her plasma solely based on her gender identity is unlawful and constitutes a clear violation of the Minnesota Human Rights Act. Our agency is committed to ensuring that the civil rights of all Minnesotans, including transgender and gender nonconforming individuals, are upheld so they can thrive and succeed,” Deputy Commissioner Irina Vaynerman said Thursday. The lawsuit, filed in Minnesota’s Fourth Judicial District Court…

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Klobuchar Regrets Lack of ‘Due Process’ in Al Franken Controversy

Anthony Gockowski

In a recent interview with Rolling Stone, Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) reflected back on her handling of the sexual harassment allegations against her ex-Senate colleague, Al Franken. Klobuchar, now a presidential candidate, said it “really wasn’t that close a call” when she decided not to speak out against Franken, unlike many of her female colleagues. “We had long talks during that time period, including that day. And I always believed—maybe naively, given what happened—that it would go through the ethics committee. I still believe that was the right thing,” she said. “For some of these things, there should be due process, and I felt like this was one of them.” The three-term Minnesota senator also opened up on her viral exchange with Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh during his confirmation hearings, which many now describe as her ticket to the spotlight. “I really just wanted to get him on the record and answer the question, as opposed to just rage,” Klobuchar said, referencing when she asked Kavanaugh if he’d ever blacked out while drinking. “The click that went on in my mind was, ‘I am not going down there with you. I am going to take the keys away from…

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Ohio Federalism Committee Convenes to Discuss Government Overreach

Andrew Shirley

COLUMBUS, Ohio— The Federalism Committee of the Ohio House of Representatives convened its Wednesday session with an unusual goal: debate and discuss the 10th amendment, the limits of state sovereignty, and the greater philosophies that underpin the constitutional system. The spirited session began with guest Michael Maharrey of the Tenth Amendment Center briefing the committee members, along with a crowd of roughly forty attendees, on his analysis that the federal government has grossly overstepped its constitutional limits, specifically the tenth amendment. Per the center’s site: The Tenth Amendment makes explicit two fundamental constitutional principles that are implicit in the document itself. The federal government is only authorized to exercise those powers delegated to it. The people of the several states retain the authority to exercise any power that is not delegated to the federal government as long as the Constitution doesn’t expressly prohibit it. He asserted that the federal government, through a myriad of abuses, including warrantless monitoring of citizen communications and unrestricted warfare, has greatly violated the sovereign rights of the states. He claimed that the states have the right to combat these abuses by several measures, the most powerful of which is nullification. The organization outlines this process as follows: Madison gave…

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Ex-Muslim Turned Christian Pastor Speaks at Minnesota Capitol Ahead of Court Hearing

Anthony Gockowski

A group of Minnesotans gathered at the State Capitol Wednesday night to host a prayer rally for Pastor Ramin Parsa, who was arrested at the Mall of America in August on charges of misdemeanor trespassing. As The Minnesota Sun reported in November, Parsa visited Minnesota in August and was invited by one of his hosts to see “the biggest mall in North America.” While there, Parsa said he “randomly ran into some Somalis, we had a random conversation.” “They asked me where I’m from. I told them and the conversation led to whether I was Muslim or not. I replied, ‘I used to be but I’m a Christian now,’” he said. Parsa claims that “another woman who was not part of the conversation went and complained to the security,” and he was ultimately charged with trespassing. Parsa, who runs Redemptive Love Ministries in Los Angeles, returned to Minnesota Wednesday evening ahead of his Thursday morning hearing. His supporters organized a prayer rally Wednesday night at the State Capitol where Parsa spoke about the religious persecution he’s experienced in other countries. “I’ve been through this before in other countries,” he said during the rally. “The only thing that made me sad…

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Three More Arrests in North Carolina’s Ninth Congressional District Case

A.P. Dillon

There have been three more arrests in the current criminal case involving absentee ballot harvesting in North Carolina’s 9th Congressional District. According to a press release by the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation, Caitlyn Croom was arrested on March 3 in New Hanover County. Croom has been charged with conspiracy to commit felony obstruction of justice and possession of absentee ballots. On March 5, Tonia Marie Gordon and Matthew Monroe Mathis were also taken into custody and charged with felonious obstruction of justice and possession of an absentee ballots. Mathis was also charged with falsely signing the certification on an absentee ballot. Gordon turned herself in at the Bladen County Magistrate’s office and Mathis was arrested by the Sampson County Sheriff’s office. Rebecca Thompson, who also was indicted, has not yet been arrested. Last week, the man allegedly running the operation, Leslie McCrae Dowless, was arrested for three counts of felonious obstruction of justice, two counts of conspiracy to commit obstruction of justice and two counts of possession of absentee ballots. Dowless was arrested by State Bureau of Investigation Agents in Bladensboro and a secure bond of $30,000 was set. After several days of evidentiary hearings last month, North Carolina…

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Illegal Immigrant With Criminal Record Sexually Abused Minnesota Senior Center Patient

Anthony Gockowski

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) revealed Wednesday that a 23-year-old man accused of sexually abusing a resident of a St. Cloud senior center is in the country illegally. ICE issued an immigration detainer and administrative arrest warrant against Jesus Manzanilla-Alvarado after responding to a call from St. Benedict’s Center where he was employed. Manzanilla-Alvarado later admitted to having sexual contact with a female resident in the home over a period of two weeks. According to a criminal complaint filed against Manzanilla-Alvarado with the Minnesota Department of Health and obtained by The St. Cloud Times, he spent an “inordinate amount of time with” the woman and was accused of touching her genitals while masturbating. Manzanilla-Alvarado faces charges of gross misdemeanor mistreatment of residents or patients, and gross misdemeanor criminal sexual abuse of a vulnerable adult by a caregiver. If convicted and sentenced, Manzanilla-Alvarado would likely face deportation after he’s released. But according to ICE spokesman Shawn Neudauer of the agency’s St. Paul field office, this isn’t the first time Manzanilla-Alvarado has faced criminal charges. In fact, he has a “criminal history” that includes “numerous misdemeanor convictions,” Neudauer told The Minnesota Sun. One of those convictions seems to include a 2015…

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Given $17.5M Tax Break to Bring Jobs to Tennessee, AllianceBernstein Now Pushes New York Policies

A.P. Dillon

AllianceBernstein, a money management firm given $17.5 million in tax breaks and incentives to relocate its headquarters to Nashville, has already begun to push New York City style policies at the state’s legislature. The Tennessee Department of Economic & Community Development announced in May of 2018 that AllianceBernstein would its corporate headquarters from Manhattan to Nashville.  The move is set to happen in 2020 and is supposed to bring 1,050 jobs to Nashville, but the company is already inserting itself into local politics. This week, The COO of Alliance Bernstein and several LGBTQ organizations came in opposition to three bills they allege discriminates against LGBTQ individuals. “AB chose to move to Tennessee because we believe it is a welcoming state that is focused on growing jobs, incomes and the tax base, which will improve lives for all Tennesseans,” AllianceBernstein COO Jim Gingrich said in a statement. “We believe strongly in the need for continued investments in education, safety, infrastructure for all,” Gingrich said. “The bills being debated in the current session of the legislature send a clear message to certain constituencies that they are not welcome.” The bills being opposed by AllianceBernstein include a public indecency law, an adoptions law, and protections for a business’…

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DeWine’s First State of the State Address Focuses on Long Term Plans for Ohio

Andrew Shirley

COLUMBUS, Ohio– Tuesday, Ohio Republican Governor Mike DeWine addressed a joint session of the Ohio legislature in his first State of the State Address. While he covered several topics ranging from workforce development to infrastructure repair, the speech’s main focus was three key points; the gas tax, greater protections for children, and environmental action. Prior to his remarks, DeWine was asked what, specifically, he would address. He did not mention the raising gas tax. However, almost half of the speech he gave focused  directly or indirectly on the necessity of doing just that. He stated: These are the essential facts: Our counties, cities, villages, and townships have seen their resources for road and bridge repairs dwindle and dwindle over the years. A dollar of gas tax in 2005—the last time the gas tax was raised—now only buys 58 cents worth of road and bridge repairs. And our local partners—townships, villages, cities, and counties—have received no relief for 14 years. Each year, their infrastructure degrades more and more. Each year, they fall further and further behind. And each year, their roads and bridges get less and less safe…by requesting $1.2 billion dollars to fill the budget hole and meet existing needs, let me assure you…

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North Carolina Lawmakers File Writ to Stop a Ruling Blocking Amendments Passed By Voters

A.P. Dillon

State lawmakers have now filed a 32-page Writ of Supersedeas after a motion for a stay was rejected. A Writ of Supersedeas is a legal filing, similar to a stay of proceeding, which suspends a trial court’s judgment until an appeal is heard. “More than two million North Carolinians had their votes suppressed on critical issues of election integrity and the income tax cap for their families,” Speaker Moore said in a statement. “The Court of Appeals should reverse this outrageous decision as soon as possible to restore the people’s confidence that their voices matter and cannot be invalidated by a single judge who disagrees with their decision,” said Moore. On March 1, Superior Court Judge George Bryan Collins, Jr. ruled that two out of four state constitutional amendments passed by North Carolina voters in 2018 were illegal because the State Legislature was itself “illegal.” “An illegally constituted General Assembly does not represent the people of North Carolina and is therefore not empowered to pass legislation that would amend the state’s constitution,” Collins wrote in his ruling. “The trial court became perhaps the first court in the country to invalidate legislation based on the theory that a state’s legislative branch…

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Columbus Democratic Mayor Backs Governor DeWine’s Gas Tax

Andrew Shirley

COLUMBUS, Ohio– In a statement made via a Facebook Video, Columbus, Ohio’s Democratic Mayor Andrew J. Ginther announced that he is backing DeWine’s 18 cent gas tax hike. The mayor said he is backing the bill because: It will help us increase our funding for infrastructure in Columbus neighborhoods by 19 million a year. We think that’s worthwhile because we know infrastructure is really about people; opening up jobs and opportunities for others in the community to share in our prosperity. House Bill 62 (HB 62), which would create the transportation budget for the 2020-2021 biennium, includes the 18 cent gas tax increase and is currently being reviewed by the House Finance Committee. Governor DeWine made the case Tuesday in his State of the State Address for the necessity of the bill, stating: Mr. President, Mr. Speaker, Members of the General Assembly—our families should not be driving on roads that are crumbling and bridges that are failing. I appeal to you—as legislators, as fathers and mothers, as sons and daughters—help us fix this! The state has avoided its responsibility for too long—and now is the time to act. As previously reported, 30 percent of all roads are in “poor or mediocre condition.” DeWine dedicated almost half of his hour-long address to…

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House Dems Plan Vote on Resolution to Formally Condemn Ilhan Omar’s Anti-Semitism

Anthony Gockowski

Democratic lawmakers are preparing to formally denounce Rep. Ilhan Omar’s (D-MN-05) anti-Semitic comments in a House resolution set to be voted on Wednesday. Omar once again found herself at the center of a controversy after video leaked of her making anti-Semitic comments at a Washington, D.C. coffee shop. “I want to talk about the political influence in this country that says it is OK for people to push for allegiance to a foreign country. I want to ask why is it OK for me to talk about the influence of the NRA, of fossil fuel industries or Big Pharma, and not talk about a powerful lobbying group that is influencing policies?” Omar said during an event at Busboys & Poets. Steve Hunegs, executive director of the Jewish Community Relations Council of Minnesota and the Dakotas, said he was “dispirited and appalled that Rep. Omar would traffic in yet another antisemitic trope.” “As the ADL helpfully explains on its website, the antisemitic allegation often referred to as the ‘dual loyalty’ charge, ‘alleges that Jews should be suspected of being disloyal neighbors or citizens because their true allegiance is to their coreligionists around the world or to a secret and immoral Jewish…

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Popular Minnesota Gun Control Group Makes ‘Dubious’ Claim That It Is ‘Nonpartisan’

Anthony Gockowski

A representative from Moms Demand Action sat down with Esme Murphy on WCCO Sunday morning where she repeatedly claimed that the gun-control group is “nonpartisan.” Moms Demand Action is a national organization with chapters in states all across the country that are pushing for gun-control measures, such as the red-flag bill and universal background checks bill that recently cleared the Minnesota House Public Safety Committee. In Minnesota, the organization is often credited for helping flip the Minnesota House from Republicans to Democrats during the 2018 midterm election. “I think I told you last year that if our leaders didn’t pass gun safety legislation then we would elect leaders who will, and that’s exactly what we did. We are just thrilled that the Minnesota House now has a majority that’s committed to taking action to save lives, and they’ve already done that by passing both criminal background checks and red flags out of the public safety committee,” Erin Zamoff of Moms Demand Action told Murphy. She went on to note that “the Minnesota House and the governor are making this a priority in 2019,” and warned the Minnesota Senate that “it’s in their interest to get on board.” “We’re a nonpartisan…

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What to Expect from Ohio Governor DeWine’s State of the State Address

Andrew Shirley

COLUMBUS, Ohio — Ohio Republican Governor Mike DeWine is scheduled to give his first State of the State Address Tuesday, but don’t expect any major revelations from it. In an interview last week, the first term governor stated, “I don’t think you’ll find any great surprises,” adding: We’re going to talk about the things that we’ve been talking about — early childhood development. We’re going to talk about the lead paint problem. We’re going to talk about public health issues. We’re going to talk about early childhood education, the drug problem. While these points have shaped his tenure as Governor thus far, there are two areas he did not note but are likely be addressed. The 18 cent gas tax outlined in his proposed Department of Transportation budget has been controversial at best. Should it pass, there will not be an incremental introduction of the tax. Instead, the entire 18 cent hike will go into effect immediately. Although there is a bipartisan consensus that something has to be done about the severe underfunding of road and bridge repair, the amount and effects have been called into question. The Ohio Speaker of the House, Republican Larry Householder recently stated: So the situation that we’re in…

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Minnesota’s Governor Tim Walz Commits to 100 Percent Clean Energy By 2050 Despite Struggles During Polar Vortex

Anthony Gockowski

Gov. Tim Walz (D-MN) announced a proposal to make Minnesota a 100 percent clean energy state by 2050 at a press conference Monday morning. “Today I’m excited to be here to propose our One Minnesota path to clean energy—a set of policy proposals that will lead Minnesota to 100 percent clean energy in the state’s electrical sector by 2050. There’s a lot of reasons to be excited about this. Minnesota’s known as a national leader in setting and achieving clean energy goals. There’s now an opportunity to take this leadership to a new level,” Walz said to applause. He said his proposal would build on the success “that Minnesota’s achieved in reducing dependence on fossil fuels, increasing the use of clean energy, promoting energy efficiency, and lowering greenhouse gas pollution produced by the electrical sector.” “The proposal establishes a new standard that requires all electric utilities in Minnesota to use only carbon-free energy resources by 2050, while allowing each utility the flexibility to choose how and in what ways they meet the standard,” he added. Walz also claimed that his proposal would “ensure local hiring and require living wages,” but didn’t elaborate any further. “I have been absolutely clear on…

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Ohio Joins Multiple States in Temporarily Halting Executions, Bringing the Future of Capital Punishment into Question

Andrew Shirley

COLUMBUS, Ohio — In late January when Ohio Republican Governor Mike DeWine halted all executions statewide, Ohio inadvertently joined a growing list of states that are reexamining capital punishment. Currently, eight states have official holds on all executions. Half of these states, Arizona Louisiana, Montana, and Oklahoma were halted as the result of a court order. The other half, Colorado, Oregon, Pennsylvania, and now Ohio have had moratoriums on executions imposed by their respective governors. When these states are combined with the twenty states that have outlawed capital punishment, for the first time in decades, a majority of the states in the Union are not currently practicing the death penalty. While reasons vary as to why each of the eight states placed their respective holds on capital punishment, the overwhelming majority had one thing in common: complications with drugs used in lethal injections – most notably Midazolam. Most of the drugs that are commonly used in lethal injections are high doses of routinely prescribed drugs. Midazolam is used in countless medical procedures, mostly surgical. In 2013, states began using the anesthesia as the first part of a three-drug cocktail in lethal injections across the country. The drug has now been linked to numerous instances of botched or extremely…

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Special Election Date Set for North Carolina 3rd Congressional District

A.P. Dillon

The date has been set for the special election being held in the 3rd Congressional district of North Carolina. North Carolina’s Democratic Governor Roy Cooper issued a Writ of Election which set the date of July 9, 2019, for the special election. Absentee voting for the special general election will start May 24th. “People in eastern North Carolina need a voice in Congress,” Gov. Cooper said in a statement. “We’re moving ahead so they can choose their new representative quickly.” A primary date of April 30th and Absentee ballot voting for the primary is slated to start March 15th. If a primary runoff situation arises from July 9 election, the special general election will be pushed back to September 10, 2019. Candidates have until March 8th to file to run for the seat. The seat had been held for fourteen years by Republican Walter Jones who passed away February 10th. On January 2nd, Jones indicated that he would not be running again in 2020 and later that month it was announced he had entered into Hospice care. North Carolina Republican Party’s Vice Chairwoman Michele Nix was the first to file for the seat, but others are now lining up. State…

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Klobuchar Jokes About Eating Salad With ‘a Bit of Scalp Oil and a Pinch of Dandruff’

Anthony Gockowski

Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) spoke Saturday night at the esteemed Gridiron Club dinner in Washington D.C. where she attempted to joke about the recent stories detailing her abusive behavior towards her staffers. The New York Times reported February 22 that, in one instance, Klobuchar berated a staff member who forgot to bring a fork on board their 2008 flight from D.C. to South Carolina. Fork-less, the Minnesota senator grabbed a comb from her purse and began eating her salad with it. Predictably, conservative Twitter had a field day with the bizarre incident, which Klobuchar tried to joke about during Saturday’s event. “How did everyone like the salad? I thought it was OK, but it needed just a bit of scalp oil and a pinch of dandruff—would be a little better,” she told the crowd, according to CNN. The Times article was just the latest in a series of stories alleging that Klobuchar is a demeaning and abusive boss. The Minnesota Republican Party released a statement in response to the allegations. “The record shows that while Senator Amy Klobuchar represents Minnesota, she clearly doesn’t fit the ‘Minnesota Nice’ persona,” Minnesota Republican Party Chairwoman Jennifer Carnahan said in early February. “Last year,…

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Report: Ohio Job Growth Strong in 2018

Andrew Shirley

Friday, Ohio’s private economic development corporation, JobsOhio, released their annual report for 2018. The report assessed current projects,  jobs created, jobs maintained, and lastly, capital investments. By these metrics, 2018 appeared to be a strong year for Ohio. However, there are qualifiers to their findings. Overall, by JobsOhio assessment, the organization was involved in 266 projects across Ohio. This is actually a small decrease from previous years. In 2016, the organization was involved in 284 projects and 272 in 2017. However, the payroll and jobs created from these projects are significantly higher. The total payroll for 2018 $1.3 Billion with 27,071 new jobs created. Both of these figures represent significant jumps. While the report does not list the number of jobs lost or why the number of projects decreased, it does list the number of jobs retained. In total, 69,905  were retained in 2018, for a total payroll value of $4.2 Billion. Capital investment remained constant with last year at $9.6 Billion. It should be noted that the job numbers for 2018 reflect future jobs and spending commitments which means that, when the projects are launched, the actual numbers could vary significantly. According to the report, the majority of these new jobs were made in…

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Minnesota House Bill Would Require Businesses That Contract With State Government to Have Affirmative-Action Policies

Anthony Gockowski

A new bill in the Minnesota House would require any business that contracts with the state government to demonstrate that it has affirmative-action policies in place. “For all contracts for good and services in excess of $100,000, no department or agency of the state shall accept any bid or proposal for a contract or agreement from any business having more than 40 full -time employees within this state on a single working day during the previous 12 months, unless the commissioner is in receipt of the business’ affirmative action plan for the employment of minority persons, women, and qualified disabled individuals,” House File (HF) 1736 states. The bill was introduced February 27 by Rep. Rena Moran (D-St. Paul), but currently has no co-sponsors. It goes on to state that no department or state agency is allowed to contract with a business unless an “affirmative action plan has been approved by the commissioner,” and a “receipt of a certificate of compliance” has been issued by the commissioner. The bill would further allow commissioners of state agencies to void contracts if a business has failed to “implement or make a good faith effort to implement an affirmative action plan.” Additionally, HF 1736…

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North Carolina Governor Signs Law to Keep Court of Appeals Seats at 15

A.P. Dillon

North Carolina’s Democratic Governor signed a bill into law which will keep the state’s number of Court of Appeals judges at 15. “A strong and unbowed, independent judiciary that works as part of our system of checks and balances is critical to our democracy and freedom,” said Cooper in a brief statement. Roy Cooper signed off on Senate Bill 75, which repeals a 2017 law (S. L. 2017-7) which would have reduced the Court of Appeals judgeships beginning whenever a vacancy was created until 12 judges remained. “On or after January 1, 2017, whenever the seat of an incumbent judge becomes vacant prior to the expiration of the judge’s term due to the death, resignation, retirement, impeachment, or removal pursuant to G.S. 7A-374.2(8) of the incumbent judge, that seat is abolished until the total number of Court of Appeals seats is decreased to 12.” Senate Bill 75 passed quickly and almost unanimously through both sides of the General Assembly, save for a single ‘nay’ vote in the House. The bill was filed on the 18th and Governor Cooper signed it on the 27th. The first vacancy that would have reduced the appeals court was set to happen in late March.…

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Diocese of Columbus Releases Long Awaited List of Accused Clergy

Anthony Gockowski

The Diocese of Columbus released its long-awaited list of clergy credibly accused of abusing a minor Friday. In a letter issued by Bishop Frederick F. Campbell, the diocese exposed the names of 35 clergy members with ordinations to the priesthood or diaconate dating as far back as the 1930s. Several of the accused are already deceased, but many of them were removed from ministry and are still alive. “I share with the faithful of our diocese sorrow, sadness, and anger over such behavior. I apologize to all victims and their families. The Diocese of Columbus is committed to maintaining a safe environment for all children and youth, and I am hopeful that the release of this information will help restore the confidence of all faithful in the Church and its clergy,” Campbell said in his letter. According to Campbell, the list was compiled after diocesan staff reviewed the files after nearly 2,000 clergy members dating all the way back to 1868. The diocese counted as a “credible allegation” any that was “more likely than not to be true” after review of the available information. “Factors considered in making this determination included the details provided by the accuser; corroborating evidence; sincerity;…

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Wind Turbines Are Programmed to Shut Off During Extreme Cold in Minnesota

Anthony Gockowski

The Minnesota Public Utilities Commission called the heads of the state’s energy and electric companies to a hearing Thursday to discuss their shortfalls during January’s polar vortex. Representatives from Xcel Energy, Centerpoint Energy, and Great Plains Gas were all in attendance. Of particular concern was Xcel’s request that its 460,000 gas customers lower their thermostats to 63 degrees to prevent additional outages. Things got so bad in Princeton, Minnesota that some residents were forced to leave their homes after Xcel cut service to more than 100 customers. “It was 30-something below zero and it doesn’t take long, so it started to get cold in there really fast when the furnace went out and there was no other way to heat it,” Princeton resident Andy Ekker told Fox 9. “That’s the frustration with these utilities. It’s I can’t shop around. I mean, you’re stuck with the company you get and that’s it. And they have all the control and all the say.” During Thursday’s hearing, the state’s utilities executives revealed that most wind turbines are completely shut down when temperatures plummet to 20 below, The Star Tribune notes. The turbines are actually programmed to turn off during subzero temperatures to avoid…

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Red Flag Bill and Universal Background Checks One Step Closer to Becoming Law in Minnesota

Anthony Gockowski

DFL lawmakers are closer than ever before to passing multiple gun-control bills in Minnesota as a Republican-controlled Senate stands in the way. A universal background checks bill and a “red flag” law both advanced out of committee this week. The former was approved by the House Public Safety Committee late Wednesday night in a 9-7 vote, while the latter was approved the following morning in a 10-7 vote. House Speaker Melissa Hortman, who made gun control a top priority heading into the 2019 session, said that “it’s just a different moment in our history,” and she’s “hoping that the Minnesota Senate is ready to acknowledge that and take action.” The bills in question are House File 8 and House File 9, among the first bills introduced this session by DFL legislators. HF 8 would mandate “criminal background checks” for all firearms transfers, requiring a “permit to purchase” for all purchases and transfers from anyone. It would also raise the minimum age to purchase a gun to 21. HF 9 allows law enforcement and family members to petition a court to “prohibit people from possessing firearms if they pose a significant danger to themselves or others.” That bill lays out a number…

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Report: One in Three Children Enter Foster Care Due to Parental Drug Abuse, Ohio Rate Jumped 29 Percent

Andrew Shirley

A report released Tuesday by the nonprofit Child Trends revealed that for the sixth consecutive year, 2017 saw a significant rise in the number of children entering foster care due to parental drug abuse or drug seeking behavior. According to the report, 131 out of every 100,000 children in America ends up in foster care because one or both of their parents’ behavior in connection to drug use, representing a “5 percent increase from the previous fiscal year and a 53 percent increase since FY 2007.” The study ascertained the findings by combining statistics from several organizations and government agencies, most notably the National Data Archive on Child Abuse and Neglect (NDACAN), an initiative U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and Cornell University. The HHS also provides their own statistics through the Children Bureau. Lastly, the Annie E. Casey Foundation, a privately funded nonprofit, also provides data on children and families throughout the country. In addition, the study also found that “six states and territories – Puerto Rico, Wyoming, New York, South Dakota, Wisconsin, and Ohio – saw the largest rate increases.” Of all fifty states, Puerto Rico, and the District of Columbia, 17 states and territories saw rate decreases, 3…

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Prime Minister Trudeau Faces Calls to Resign Amid Growing Scandal

Anthony Gockowski

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is facing calls to resign after ex-attorney general Jody Wilson-Raybould testified that she was pressured to obstruct a criminal prosecution into one of Trudeau’s favored companies. In a hearing Wednesday before the House of Commons Justice and Human Rights Committee, Wilson-Raybould said she faced “a consistent and sustained effort” by many people in Trudeau’s administration, including the prime minister himself, to help construction firm SNC-Lavalin evade corruption charges. “Within these conversations, there were express statements regarding the necessity for interference in the SNC-Lavalin matter, the potential for consequences, and veiled threats if a DPA [Deferred Prosecution Agreement] was not made available to SNC,” she told the committee, noting that the agreement would’ve helped SNC-Lavalin officials avoid jail time in exchange for a hefty fine. “The Prime Minister asks me to help out—to find a solution here for SNC—citing that if there was no DPA there would be many jobs lost and that SNC will move from Montreal,” Wilson-Raybould said of a meeting she had with Trudeau. She said things went on like this for a period of four months between September and December of 2018 before she was ultimately forced out of her role. “In…

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Walz Will Reexamine Budget Proposal ‘Line By Line’ After Forecast Comes Up $492 Million Short of Previous Estimates

Anthony Gockowski

Gov. Tim Walz (D-MN) will have to reexamine his budget proposal “line by line” after Thursday’s budget forecast came up $492 million short of November’s estimated $1.5 billion surplus. It’s only been nine days since Walz unveiled his first budget proposal for the 2020-2021 biennium, which capped out at $49.5 billion. But after Thursday’s announcement, Walz will need to do some trimming. “Minnesota’s budget and economic outlook has weakened since November. The projected balance for the upcoming biennium is $1.052 billion, which is $492 million less than the November forecast,” Minnesota Management and Budget revealed in a press release. “Slower projected economic growth and lower observed collections compared to prior estimates result in a reduced revenue forecast throughout the budget horizon,” it adds. During a Thursday press conference, Walz acknowledged that he’ll need to “go back through line by line” with his commissioners, but insisted that “today’s forecast validates the approach we proposed in our One Minnesota budget.” “Our budget looks to the future—with investments in education, health care, and community prosperity—and that’s exactly what we need to do when facing slower economic growth,” he wrote on Twitter. Today's forecast validates the approach we proposed in our #OneMinnesota budget. Our…

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Ilhan Omar Says She’s Been Accused of Anti-Semitism ‘Because I’m Muslim’

Anthony Gockowski

Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-MN-05) is now suggesting that she’s been accused of anti-Semitism “because I’m Muslim.” As was widely reported, Omar faced significant backlash earlier this month after she suggested that Jewish money is influencing bipartisan support of Israel—a variation of a common anti-Semitic trope. She eventually issued an apology, called “lame” by the president, but is now claiming she was criticized for her comments because she’s Muslim. “But I think the theme here is because I’m Muslim. You know, there have been many members within journalism, within politics, within all kinds of aspects of our society who have spoken about the kind of influence that AIPAC [American Israel Public Affairs Committee] has on Congress and on our foreign policy. No one calls them anti-Semitic because they are Jewish but when it comes to someone like me, even the slight mention of them…,” she said before being cut off in an interview on the The Intercept’s Deconstructed podcast. She then repeated those claims during a Wednesday town hall at Busboys and Poets in Washington, D.C. with Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D-MI-13) and other progressive colleagues. “What I am fearful of is that because Rashida and I are Muslim that a lot…

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Democrat Cummings Stands By Republican Meadows After Colleague Makes Racist Insinuations

A.P. Dillon

Democrat Representative Elijah Cummings stood up for his Republican colleague Mark Meadows of North Carolina after Rashida Tlaib (D-Michigan) made overtures in her remarks that Meadows was a racist. Tlaib’s remarks came during a hearing where former Trump lawyer Michael Cohen was giving testimony. Opening statements at the hearing from both Representatives Jim Jordan (R-Ohio) and Jody Hice (R-Georgia) pointed out that Cohen was headed to jail, in part, because he had lied to Congress. During that testimony, Cohen repeatedly claimed Trump had made racist remarks, yet could produce no corroborating evidence or recordings. In her comments during the hearing, Tlaib referred to the presence of Lynne Patton at the hearing as a “prop” which was a “racist act.” Patton was at the hearing of her own accord to refute Cohen’s claims. “Just because someone has a person of color, a black person, working for them does not mean they aren’t racist,” said Rep. Rashida Tlaib ( D-Michigan). “And it is insensitive … that someone would even say … the fact that someone would actually use a prop, a black woman, in this chamber, in this committee, is alone racist in itself.” Patton is a long-time friend of the Trump…

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Taxpayer Funded Minnesota State Arts Board Paid Artist $10,000 to Paint Picture of Trump Groping Lady Justice

Anthony Gockowski

The taxpayer-funded Minnesota State Arts Board shelled out $10,000 to a local artist who used the money to paint a seven-foot-tall picture of President Donald Trump groping Lady Justice. As part of the Minnesota State Arts Board FY 2018 grants program, Shafer artist Jim Denomie created a series “of large paintings in response to Standing Rock and other contemporary events from a Native American perspective.” Minnesota Public Radio recently sat down with Denomie for an interview to discuss his completed series of paintings, which includes a more than seven-foot-tall painting called “Standing Rock 2016.” In that picture, Trump is seen groping a topless Lady Justice while four men in suits stand watching. “I’ve learned over my experience making paintings especially about important events that I receive information from the spirit world,” Denomie told MPR. “It comes to me from somewhere, I don’t know exactly where—but I often come away from these paintings with a better understanding of the story of the events.” His paintings are currently on display at the Bockley Gallery in Minneapolis, which says of Denomie’s paintings: “With this body of work, Denomie has cast his discriminating eye onto real-world events, specifically the Dakota Access Pipeline controversy and…

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