Category: BG-TN

North Carolina Lawmakers File Motion to Block Ruling That Would Overturn New Constitutional Amendments

A.P. Dillon

North Carolina state lawmakers have filed a motion to stay a ruling made this past week that invalidates two constitutional amendments passed by voters in 2018. The motion, filed by House Speaker Tim Moore (R-Cleveland) and Senate Pro Tempore Phil Berger (R-Rockingham), calls into question the logic of the ruling, its impact on elections, election law, voting districts, and past laws such as budgets. “The precedent created by this decision casts doubt on even more laws and causes public confusion,” the motion says. Last Friday, 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. A press release by the office of Senator Phil Berger blasted Collin’s ruling. The press release states that Collins’s decision “tosses aside the will of more than two million voters” who cast a ballot for the voter ID amendment. The statement says the same disenfranchisement applies to those who cast a ballot…

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North Carolina Deputy State Superintendent Headed for Florida Department of Education

A.P. Dillon

Deputy State Superintendent Dr. Eric Hall is leaving the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction (NCDPI) for a new job in Florida schools. Hall will be taking the role of Chancellor for Innovation at the Florida Department of Education in March. According to a press release by NCDPI, Hall’s new job includes overseeing the implementation of things such as “workforce and computer science education, expanding school choice and K-12 standards.” “Throughout his career, Dr. Hall has shown his dedication to student success and to using innovative strategies to spread that success in support of public schools,” said Florida Commissioner of Education Richard Corcoran in the statement. “I thank Superintendent Johnson for his gracious support of Eric’s career and family and am happy to welcome Eric home to the Sunshine State.” “This is an unbelievable opportunity to continue to work at the state level,” said Dr. Hall. Hall said he was looking forward to working in Florida and that both Gov. DeSantis and Commissioner Corcoran have great ideas and a great vision for education in the state. “I think the thing I am most proud of is to be able to really work and build good, strong teams,” said Hall about…

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Man at Center of North Carolina Ballot Harvesting Investigation Indicted and Arrested

A.P. Dillon

A Grand Jury in Raleigh, North Carolina indicted the man at the center of an absentee ballot harvesting scheme in the state’s 9th Congressional District. Leslie McCrae Dowless has been indicted on three counts felonious obstruction of justice, two counts of conspiracy to commit obstruction of justice and two counts of possession of absentee ballots. A secure bond of $30,000 was set for Dowless and the next court date is set for today, February 28. Dowless was arrested by State Bureau of Investigation Agents in Bladensboro on Wednesday, not long after the indictment was made public. The Grand Jury indictment says Dowless illegally took the ballots of, but not limited to, Mary Alice Davis, Sondra Kaye Deaver, and Jabril Baker. The indictment document states that Dowless “unlawfully, willfully, and feloniously, did with deceit and intent to defraud, obstruct public and legal justice” by turning in ballots in such a way as to make it seem like the process had been legal. The indictment document states Dowless did “unlawfully, willfully, and feloniously, conspire with others” whom the indictment names as Kelly Hendrix and Rebecca Thompson. Both women testified during the evidentiary hearings held by the North Carolina State Board of Elections…

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Ohio Farmer Sues After Lake Erie Bill of Rights Easily Passes

Anthony Gockowski

Toledo voters overwhelmingly approved of the controversial Lake Erie Bill of Rights during a special election Tuesday night, but a local former has already filed a lawsuit against it. According to the Toledo Blade, voters approved of the referendum by a 61-39 margin. As The Ohio Star reported Tuesday, the measure extends legal rights guaranteed under the Ohio State Constitution to the body of water. “Since all power of governance is inherent in the people, we, the people of the City of Toledo, declare and enact this Lake Erie Bill of Rights, which establishes irrevocable rights for the Lake Erie Ecosystem to exist, flourish and naturally evolve,” the referendum states. University of Toledo law professor Ken Kilbert called the referendum “unprecedented,” but predicted that it “may well suffer the fate of defeat in the court.” On Wednesday morning, not even 24 hours after the referendum passed, Wood County farmer Mark Drewes filed suit against the Lake Erie Bill of Rights. The lawsuit argues that the Lake Erie Bill of Rights “violates federal constitutional rights, including equal protection, freedom of speech, and is unenforceable for its vagueness,” according to a press release from the Ohio Farm Bureau Federation. “Mark’s farm is…

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Toledo Ballot Proposition Would Extend Legal Rights of Constitution to Inanimate Body of Water

Anthony Gockowski

Voters in Toledo, Ohio went to the polls Tuesday to decide the fate of a “Lake Erie Bill of Rights” ballot proposition, which would extend the legal rights of the Ohio Constitution to an inanimate object. The referendum is the result of a years-long effort to clean up Lake Erie that begin in 2014 after more than 400,000 Toledo residents were told to stop drinking their tap water. According to Michigan Public Radio, a “bright green mass” called cyanobacteria encircled portions of the lake and produced a toxin known as microcystin, which can cause rashes, liver damage, and vomiting if consumed. If passed, the referendum would likely be struck down in the courts, but its placement on the ballot marks an “unprecedented” development nonetheless, according to University of Toledo law professor Ken Kilbert. “This is pretty unprecedented in the U.S. with respect to providing standing or rights for an inanimate object,” Kilbert told ABC 13. “I think it does have some legal flaws and may well suffer the fate of defeat in the court.” Markie Miller of Toledoans for Safe Water said her group will rework the wording of the document and work to get it replaced on the ballot…

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Tina Smith Calls Protections for Newborn Babies ‘Inappropriate Medical Treatment’

Anthony Gockowski

Sen. Tina Smith (D-MN), a former Planned Parenthood executive, is proudly defending her vote against a bill that would protect babies who survive botched abortions. “Colleagues, that’s what this bill does. It would give the politicians in this room the power to make medical decisions for women and their families. This bill intimidates providers and forces physicians to provide inappropriate medical treatment, even when it’s not in the best interest of the patient or her family,” Smith said during a Senate floor debate Monday. Lawmakers shouldn't dictate what doctors can or cannot do to deliver the best medical care for women. We need to continue to trust women & their doctors. I took to the Senate floor today to talk about this, & I will continue to make my voice heard for women in MN and our nation. pic.twitter.com/9bwJYRBoyT — Senator Tina Smith (@SenTinaSmith) February 25, 2019 She went on to argue that the bill, if passed, would “put doctors in an untenable position” of being forced to decide between following “the law” or their “code of professional ethics.” “Colleagues, let’s get out of the business of dictating medical care for women. Let’s continue to trust women and their doctors,”…

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North Carolina Superintendent of Schools Rolls Out ‘NC 2030’ Plan

A.P. Dillon

Last week, North Carolina Superintendent of Schools Mark Johnson rolled out “NC 2030,” which is a plan to make the state the “best place to learn and teach by 2030.” “By 2030, North Carolina can be the best place to begin school, the best place to learn and the best place to teach,” Johnson said in a press release. “Today we present an ambitious but achievable plan to get there. Our educators are doing their part. It will take innovation and leadership to make it happen.” The NC 2030 plan will be measured by increasing activity in four areas: Expanding Pre-K opportunities for 4-year olds Fourth graders reading on grade level Students who, after graduation, are on track to their chosen, fulfilling career Recruits to education professions and educators remaining in N.C. public schools Increasing pre-k slots, reducing testing, increasing so-called ‘personalized’ learning, and an emphasis on “Career pathways” were included in the detailed list of Johnson’s legislative priorities. Missing from NC 2030 is the full discontinuation of the Common Core State Standards, which Johnson campaigned on in 2016. What Johnson does suggest is dismantling just the use of Common Core Math: Allow a working group of districts to opt out…

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ACLU of Minnesota Sues School District for Preventing Trans Student from Using Boys’ Locker Room

Anthony Gockowski

The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) of Minnesota announced Monday that it has filed suit against Anoka-Hennipen School District 11 for preventing a transgender student from using the boys’ locker room. At a press conference Monday hosted by Gender Justice, who’s partnering with the ACLU on the case, ACLU Staff Attorney David McKinney (pictured above) argued that the district’s actions violated “the Minnesota Human Rights Act and the rights of equal protection and due process under the Minnesota State Constitution.” According to McKinney, his client, who was referred to as N.H., joined the boys’ swim team at Coon Rapids High School and used the boys’ locker room with his teammates “without any complaints and without any problems.” “But then the school board got involved, and prohibited him from using the same boys’ locker room that he had used for months,” McKinney said, noting that N.H. was told he would “be disciplined” if he used the boys’ locker room again. “They segregated him from his classmates, and forced him to use a changing facility that no other student had to use. This degrading treatment made him feel unwelcome and alone. The teenage boy who had been doing well academically and socially…

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Google Wants 20 Years of Tax Breaks for Central Minnesota Data Center

Anthony Gockowski

Google wants 20 years’ worth of future tax breaks with a value of up to $15 million for a data center the tech giant plans to build in central Minnesota. Google plans to build the $600 million data center in Sherburne County on 300 acres owned by Xcel Energy. According to MPR News, filings submitted to the Minnesota Public Utilities Commission by Google estimate that the project will create 2,300 temporary construction jobs, and at least 50 permanent jobs. Becker Mayor Tracy Bertram noted that the tech jobs at the data center would have an annual payroll of $4 million, and said the data center will produce $7 million in economic activity per year. As such, Google asked Sherburne County and Becker city officials for property tax breaks for 20 years, which would save the company roughly $15 million. “This will generate a lot of economic activity that will benefit not only the city and the county, but also the state and the region,” Sherburne County Administrator Steve Taylor said. Taylor expects that county commissioners will be open to the request, but will be holding hearings in March to convince the public. The tax abatement would save Google between $7…

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With Surgical Precision, Judge’s Ruling Disenfranchises Millions of North Carolina Voters

A.P. Dillon

Friday, a Wake County Superior Court judge’s ruling involving state constitutional amendments has left half of North Carolina’s voters disenfranchised. 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 suit Collins ruled on specifically only sought to invalidate only two of four passed amendments. The case was brought by the Southern Environment Law Center on behalf of the NC NAACP and an affiliated legal group called “Forward Justice.” According to state and federal records, Forward Justice only recently obtained 501(c)3 status had previously been named Southern Strategy Project and Southern Justice. “We are delighted that the acts of the previous majority, which came to power through the use of racially discriminatory maps, have been checked,” said Rev. Dr. T. Anthony Spearman of the NC NAACP. Responses from state leaders were swift, calling the ruling outrageous and a clear act of ‘judicial activism’. “We will…

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Nearly 700 Bills Are Under the Control of One DFL Rep in the Minnesota House

Anthony Gockowski

There are currently 690 bills in the Minnesota House that have been referred to the House Ways and Means Committee, whose Democratic chairman can move bills between subcommittees with just his signature. As The Minnesota Sun previously reported, the Democratic-controlled House kicked off the 2019 session by passing a set of temporary rules. Under these rules, Rep. Lyndon Carlson (D-Crystal), chair of the House Ways and Means Committee, can move bills between subcommittees with just a memo instead of sending them back to the House floor. During the 2019 session, Carlson will have 21 subcommittees, called “divisions” in Minnesota, under the control of his Ways and Means Committee. His signature, rather than a vote, will be the deciding factor in moving bills between divisions. As of February 21, 1595 bills were introduced in the House, and 690 were referred to the powerful Ways and Means Committee. That means 43 percent of all bills are moved between subcommittees at the discretion of Carlson. In a February 21 memo, for instance, Carlson referred 84 different bills to 16 different divisions in one memo alone. He has issued 14 similar memos so far this session. “If we adopt these temporary rules without this…

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DFL Bill Would Require Minnesota Public Schools to Teach About ‘Relationships Involving Diverse Sexual Orientations and Gender Identities’

Anthony Gockowski

A DFL-backed bill on “sexual health education” in the Minnesota House would require public-school teachers to discuss “healthy relationships, including relationships involving diverse sexual orientations and gender identities.” House File (HF) 1414 was introduced February 21 and referred to the Education Policy Committee. It would mandate that the commissioner of the Minnesota Department of Education, in “consultation with the commissioner of health and other qualified experts,” identify “one or more model comprehensive sexual education programs for elementary and secondary school students.” This “model program” must “include medically accurate instruction that is age and developmentally appropriate” on a number of topics, including “consent, bodily autonomy, and healthy relationships, including relationships involving diverse sexual orientations and gender identities.” The bill defines “consent” as the “affirmative, conscious, and voluntary agreement to engage in interpersonal, physical, or sexual activity.” It would also require teachers to touch on topics such as “abstinence and other methods for preventing unintended pregnancy,” as well as “the relationship between substance use and sexual behavior and health.” Under HF 1414, school districts and charter schools would be required to implement a “comprehensive sexual health education program” based on the “model program” outlined above by the 2020-2021 school year. Implementation of…

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Study: After a Generation Lost to the Opioid Epidemic, Ohio is Among the Few Hardest Hit to See Signs of Recovery

Andrew Shirley

According to a study released Friday, Ohio is among the 8 states with the highest overall rates of opioid-related deaths in the 18-year span from 1998-2016. However the study also suggests that among those states hardest hit, Ohio is seeing a drop in opioid-related deaths in 2018. Connecticut, Illinois, Indiana, Massachusetts, Maryland, Maine, and New Hampshire all joined the Buckeye State in having opioid rates that doubled every three years from 1998-2016. Only two states, Florida and Pennsylvania, and the District of Columbia had a higher increase in death rates, doubling every two years, yet still were surpassed in total deaths. Overall, in the United States opioid overdose deaths have quadrupled in that time period. The study found that by far, one of the greatest contributors to the startling rise was the proliferation of synthetic opioids. These are most forms of opioids produced commercially, specifically for pain relief. Fentaynl and Methadone were among the most common to be responsible for overdose-related deaths. In 12 states, more than 10 out of every 100,000 people died from synthetic opioid-related deaths. The study also called the opioid epidemic “one of the largest health crises facing the United States,” adding: Opioid-related deaths in the United States have increased more than…

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Judson Phillips Commentary: The Tea Party Ten Years Later

Admin

by Judson Phillips   On February 27, 2009, something happened that confused Washington, the media and the political establishment. All across America, rallies broke out. They were called Tea Party rallies. The beginning The spark that launched the rallies was Rick Santelli’s rant from the floor of the Chicago Mercantile on February 19, 2009.  Santelli was ranting about a government bailout of bad mortgages and said, they might have a “Chicago tea party.” Within hours, rumor began spreading about “tea party” rallies to be held.  I emailed Michelle Malkin, the great conservative writer, and asked her if she knew of one being organized in Nashville.  She said no, then said, “why don’t you organize it?” Within a day, I was participating in a nightly conference call, organized by Chicago activist Eric Odom and now Tennessee Star Editor, Michael Leahy.  On these calls, the planning of the first rallies happened. The left has pushed a lot of myths, about the origin of the Tea Party movement.  It was just a group of activists, no more than twenty initially, who responded to the spark that Rick Santelli had inadvertently given.  There were no Koch representatives involved, nor were there any people from…

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Minnesota Gun Owners Caucus Rallies at the Capitol Amid Renewed Gun Control Efforts

Anthony Gockowski

The Minnesota Gun Owners Caucus hosted a rally at the State Capitol Saturday to “defend the Second Amendment” and take a stand against gun-control legislation making its way through the House. “Michael Bloomberg’s out-of-state gun control agenda is already out in full force during the 2019 legislative session after spending more than $1 million electing an anti-gun majority in the Minnesota House of Representatives,” the Minnesota Gun Owners Caucus said in a press release. “We need to keep up the pressure all throughout session to stop gun control in its tracks.” Senate Majority Leader Paul Gazelka (R-Nisswa) spoke to the crowd gathered in the Capitol rotunda and pledged to fight gun-control legislation in the Senate. “I can tell you with confidence that even though the governor and the Democratic House wants universal background checks, it ain’t gonna happen. And I can tell you that the crazy red flag laws that they have that will pass out of the House and the governor would sign, the Senate Republicans and a handful of Democrats in the Senate will stop it,” he said. “On my watch, the Minnesota Senate will protect the 2nd Amendment. We will not allow red flag or universal background…

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Ohio Department Of Transportation Introduces Comprehensive Gas Tax that Could Increase Every Year

Andrew Shirley
Gas up

Friday, Ohio Department of Transportation Director Jack Marchbanks formally introduced the proposed 2020-21 Biennial Budget. House Bill 62 (HB 62), the budget’s formal designation, includes an 18-cent gas tax increase. While lower than some reports have suggested, the proposed tax will give Ohio one of the highest gas tax rates in the country. In addition, it contains a provision that could raise gas taxes even higher in the coming years. The 18 cent tax would go into effect immediately upon passage. When measured against other states, this is an exceptionally aggressive approach. When Nebraska voted to raise its takes, it did so in increments of 1.6 cents per year. A more incremental approach could ensure Ohioans don’t face “sticker shock” at the pump. The bill would also tie the gas tax rate to the Consumer Price Index (CPI). At the start of every fiscal year, the tax will be reexamined and if the CPI has increased, the tax will increase with it. While it would ensure that road repair is adequately funded, there is a significant drawback. As written, the law does not stipulate that the gas tax would decrease, should the CPI decrease. if the Ohio economy faces a sudden hardship or enters a recession, Ohioans would…

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Minnesota Republicans Continue Pro-Life Push With Several Pieces of Legislation

Anthony Gockowski

Several pieces of pro-life legislation have been introduced by Republicans in both the Minnesota House and Senate. While they all face uphill battles against a Democratic-controlled House and a progressive in the Governor’s Mansion, pro-life leaders think that at least some of the measures should attract bipartisan support. Senate File (SF) 1168 and House File (HF) 1108, for instance, would require physicians to allow women seeking abortions to first see ultrasounds of their children. “Ultrasound imaging provides women with factual medical information,” Minnesota Citizens Concerned for Life (MCCL) Legislative Director Andrea Rau said of the companion bills. “When people are better informed, they make better decisions that result in fewer regrets. Women deserve the chance to decide for themselves whether or not to see their child,” Rau added. According to MCCL, the bills are “completely mainstream legislation,” since 28 other states already have similar provisions written into their informed-consent laws for abortions. The Minnesota Legislature did pass an ultrasound bill in 2018, but it was vetoed by former Gov. Mark Dayton (D-MN). A second set of companion bills would prohibit abortions from being performed after 20 weeks of pregnancy, which is when “scientific evidence shows that unborn children can feel…

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Ohio Workers Injured on the Job Will No Longer Be Prescribed Oxycontin

Anthony Gockowski

The Ohio Bureau of Workers’ Compensation voted Friday to no longer prescribe the powerful opioid Oxycontin to workers injured on the job. According to a Friday press release from the BWC, Chief Medical Officer Terry Welsh recommended that the drug be phased out of the organization’s formulary (a list of drugs the BWC will cover when prescribed), and the Board of Directors voted in favor of following his directive. Oxycontin will be replaced with Xtampza ER, which Welsh called “an equally effective but harder-to-abuse drug.” “Xtampza is a sustained-release form of oxycodone, like Oxycontin, but it utilizes a unique abuse-deterrent technology that makes it difficult to manipulate—crush, snort or inject—for aberrant use,” Welsh elaborated. “Thanks to technology, this just seems like the next responsible step to protect our injured workers from potential addiction and overdose death to dangerous drugs.” Oxycontin will be phased out of BWC’s system staring July 1, a move that also follows the recommendation of BWC’s Pharmacy and Therapeutics Committee. The establishment of that committee was one of several precautionary steps the BWC took to “mitigate the opioid epidemic’s impact on Ohio’s workforce,” the press release states. Gov. Mike DeWine (R-OH) applauded the BWC’s decision, calling it…

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Walz’s Budget Calls for $700,000 in Additional Funding for His Own Office

Anthony Gockowski

Gov. Tim Walz’s (D-MN) proposed budget for the 2020-2021 biennium calls for a $700,000 increase in funding for his own office to help with “outreach and engagement efforts.” “The Office of Governor Tim Walz and Lt. Governor Peggy Flanagan recommends a $700,000 FY 2020-2021 biennial General Fund increase to fund a new office of Public Engagement in the Governor’s Office,” the budget proposal states, noting that the funding would amount to a 9.7 percent increase. According to the proposal, the increased funding would help respond to the “large volume of mail, email, telephone calls, and constituent visits.” On average, the budget estimates that the Governor’s Office receives “over 125,000 constituent contacts per year.” “The Office does not have the current capacity to provide additional reactive and proactive outreach and engagement efforts, which are critical to Governor Walz and Lt. Governor Flanagan’s vision for One Minnesota,” the budget claims. As such, Walz’s first budget proposes creating a new “Office of Public Engagement,” whose “primary responsibility is to connect with Minnesotans across the state to make government inclusive, transparent, accountable, and responsible.” “The Office of Public Engagement helps open the two-way dialogue, ensuring that the issues impacting our state’s proud and diverse…

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North Carolina Attorney General Won’t Detail ‘Serious Concerns’ About Trump Border Declaration

A.P. Dillon

North Carolina’s Attorney General Josh Stein has “serious concerns” about President Trump’s National Emergency Declaration – but his office won’t detail them. Stein won’t be entering into the 16 state coalition suing President Trump over the move. Instead, a statement from Stein was tweeted by the official North Carolina Department of Justice account that said he has “serious concerns” about the declaration and are reviewing it. .@JoshStein_ : "I have serious concerns about the legality of President Trump’s emergency declaration. We are reviewing the order, and in particular any effects on North Carolina military installations. We will not hesitate to take action if we conclude it is necessary.” — NC Attorney General (@NCAGO) February 19, 2019 Battleground State News reached out to the North Carolina Department of Justice (NCDOJ) for clarification on the Attorney General’s specific “serious concerns.” In our questions to the NCDOJ, we asked about the 31 active National Emergencies that have been declared since 1979. 10 of them were enacted under President Obama. Our research found no “serious concerns” lodged by Mr. Stein as a legislator or since taking office as Attorney General, so we asked for details of what his current “serious concerns” with the Trump…

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Wisconsin Dem Stands Outside ICE HQ Asking for Response to His FOIA Request

Anthony Gockowski

Wisconsin Democratic Rep. Mark Pocan (D-WI-02) recently stood outside U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) headquarters asking for answers about a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request he submitted. Pocan claims the request was filed in October 2018 and sought information on the “arrests of 83 individuals in Wisconsin,” who were presumably arrested and deported by ICE. “More than four months after submitting my request, the agency is clearly using delays as an effort to hide something. While we will not know until the agency provides the information, I have reason to believe that the data on the arrests will show that ICE has targeted immigrants with no prior criminal record to stoke fear in our community,” Pocan said in a recent press release. According to Pocan, ICE claims it has responded to his request on two occasions, but those responses were allegedly just acknowledgments of his request. “Despite multiple meetings, letters, a FOIA request, and unannounced visits to the agency’s office, ICE will not provide information regarding communication with local law enforcement officials and information about whether the arrested individuals held criminal records,” he said. Frustrated with the delay, Pocan recently stood outside ICE’s headquarters in Washington, D.C., where…

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Archbishop Joins DFL Legislators at Capitol in Push to Provide Driver’s Licenses to Illegal Immigrants

Anthony Gockowski

House DFL legislators joined community organizers Thursday for a press conference to call for providing driver’s licenses to all Minnesotans, “regardless of immigration status.” House Majority Ryan Winkler (D-Golden Valley) was accompanied by colleagues Rep. Aisha Gomez (D-Minneapolis), Rep. Rod Hamilton (D-Mountain Lake), and others in unveiling House File (HF) 1500 at the press conference. “A person is not required to demonstrate United States citizenship or lawful presence in the United States in order to obtain a noncompliant driver’s license or identification card,” that bill states, and has 31 House co-authors. At Thursday’s crowded press conference, Winkler said House Democrats are “committed to getting this done this year,” saying Minnesotans need to be “firmly on the side of decency and dignity for human lives.” Rep. Aisha Gomez, an author of the bill says “This is truly a community effort. This is a coalition. When we stand together, we do work that is more powerful. We do work that reflects the realities that Minnesotans are living with.” #mnleg pic.twitter.com/bCHnNdX4iE — Minnesota House DFL Majority (@mnhouseDFL) February 21, 2019 “This is not a long shot. This has been an issue for far too long,” he added. Gomez called the “Freedom to Drive”…

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OIG Report Finds FHFA Director Mel Watt of North Carolina Guilty of Sexual Misconduct

A.P. Dillon

A report released by an Inspector General’s Office (OIG) has concluded that the Federal Housing and Finance Agency’s Director Luther Melvin “Mel” Watt is guilty of the sexual misconduct complaint filed against him. “We found that the FHF A Director violated Section 702 when he attempted to coerce or induce the PMO Manager to engage in a personal relationship with him by suggesting or implying he would use his official authority to assist her in attaining an executive position with FHFA,” the report says. “We find that there are no circumstances under which it would be appropriate for the head of FHFA to induce a subordinate female employee to meet with him alone, in his apartment, for a conversation in which he professes his attraction for that employee and holds out opportunities for the employee to serve in specific executive positions over which he exercises total control.” Mel Watt, a life-long Democrat, was appointed as Director of the Federal and Finance Agency (FHFA) in 2015 by former President Barack Obama. Prior to his appointment, Watt was a Congressman for North Carolina’s 12th district for 11 terms and spent two years as a senator in the state’s legislature. Watt has denied…

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St. Paul, Minnesota’s Black Dog Cafe Regularly Hosts Trump Resistance Groups for Political Events

Anthony Gockowski

St. Paul’s popular Black Dog Cafe regularly hosts resistance groups formed in response to President Donald Trump’s 2016 election for political events. A collection of groups calling themselves “The MNLeg Coalition” meet once a month for a “Third Thursdays” event that provides the “progressive-values loving community” a chance to “come together, socialize, strategize, learn, and recharge to continue the good fight for justice and equality in Minnesota.” The coalition says that it is “made up of political resistance groups that started after the 2016 election.” According to the group’s website, at least four of these gatherings have taken place at Black Dog Cafe, including a February 21 event on “climate policy in Minnesota.” “Climate policy in Minnesota is having a moment—and not a moment too soon. Come hear from a range of experts and activists on the statewide movement to save our climate. Learn more about what’s at stake, what’s next, and what we can do locally to stop the damage being done to our climate,” a mailer for Thursday’s event states. Speakers included activists from the 100 Percent Campaign, a group seeking 100 percent renewable energy in Minnesota, as well as MN350, whose representative spoke on resisting the Enbridge…

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Minnesota State Rep Introduces Bill to Increase Criminal Penalties for Hate Crime Hoaxes

Anthony Gockowski

A Republican lawmaker plans to introduce legislation in the Minnesota House to increase the criminal penalties for hate-crime hoaxes in response to the ongoing controversy surrounding “Empire” star Jussie Smollett. Rep. Nick Zerwas’ (R-Elk River) proposed bill would elevate the false reporting of a hate crime to a gross misdemeanor punishable by up to one year in jail or a fine of up to $3,000, or both. Current Minnesota law categorizes providing false information to law enforcement officers as a misdemeanor. “Hate crimes are among society’s most heinous and despicable acts. Those that commit bias-motivated crimes deserve to be punished to the fullest extent of the law,” Zerwas said Wednesday. “Unfortunately, false claims of victimization distract from genuine episodes of violent bigotry and discrimination. My bill is a reasonable step to help deter individuals from filing false police reports and to make sure that we devote law enforcement’s limited resources to investigating and prosecuting legitimate bias-motivated crimes.” In a Wednesday press release, Zerwas said he was motivated to introduce his legislation after reports indicated that the highly-publicized hate crime against Smollett was likely a hoax. As The Minnesota Sun reported, Chicago police suspect that Smollett paid the two perpetrators to…

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Michigan Governor Costs Town 250 Jobs After Blocking Immigrant Detention Center

Anthony Gockowski
Whitmer MI Capitol overcast

Gov. Gretchen Whitmer (D-MI) recently blocked the sale of a former state prison set to be used as an immigrant detention center. According to The Associated Press, Whitmer prevented the sale from moving forward after Immigration Centers of America, the sole bidder for the property that has been closed since 2009, couldn’t guarantee that it wouldn’t house adults separated from their children. “The governor believes that building more detention facilities won’t solve our immigration crisis, and she also believes that separating families doesn’t reflect our Michigan values,” a Whitmer spokesperson explained. The sale of the Deerfield Correctional Facility in Ionia, Michigan was allowed to move forward under Republican Gov. Rick Snyder’s administration. Rep. Thomas Albert (R-86), whose district includes the correctional facility, has repeatedly criticized Whitmer’s decision to block the sale. “I would really like to know what the governor’s plan is to bring 250 well-paying jobs to Ionia and how she plans to clean up the long-vacant former prison property. The sale of this blighted property has been in the works for well over a year and the governor’s heavy-handed rejection came days before the sale was to be finalized,” Albert said in a statement on Facebook. “It’s obvious…

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Ohio Governor DeWine to Announce Gas Tax Hike

Andrew Shirley

At an annual forum sponsored by the Associated Press, Ohio Republican Gov. Mike DeWine announced Wednesday he intends to formally recommend raising the current gas tax. The recommendation will come as he introduces his first two-year transportation budget Friday. Despite appointing an Advisory Committee on Transportation Infrastructure Issues specifically to explore alternative solutions to simply raising the gas tax, the governor made it clear he felt there was no real alternative. He did make a point to say the hike is “just to keep us where we are today and with the ability to do some safety projects that absolutely need to be done.” It can be inferred from this statement that his intention is to raise the gas tax enough to not let the state’s road and bridge repair funding deficit get worse than it currently is. This suggests that the tax hike would be more modest relative to addressing the full scope of road and bridge repair needed in Ohio. Currently, there is a $1 billion gap in funding. The current state tax on gas in Ohio is 28 cents per gallon. However, when combined with federal and local taxes, the total amount climbs to just about 46.5 cents per gallon.…

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Governor Walz’s $49 Billion Budget Proposal Will Make Minnesota a ‘Cold California’

Anthony Gockowski

Gov. Tim Walz (D-MN) unveiled his highly anticipated budget proposal for the 2020-2021 biennium at a press conference Tuesday afternoon. When all is said and done, the two-year budget registers at $49.5 billion with no cuts to any existing spending. “I’ve often said that a budget is far more than a fiscal document; it’s a moral document. This budget reflects the morals and values of the people of Minnesota. This is the budget that Minnesotans voted for in historic numbers in November,” Walz said during his lengthy address.   Walz said his proposal prioritizes three core areas: education, health care, and “community prosperity.” For the first, Walz proposed a three percent followed by a two percent increase in education spending, which is roughly $523 million more. “While some schools have turf fields and a stadium, another school is trying to pass a referendum to fix a leaky roof,” he said. “As a former teacher, I’ve seen firsthand the power of investment in a child.” He went on to lay out a number of health care proposals, including a “OneCare Minnesota” public buy-in option, and the continuation of the two percent provider tax, which Republicans would like to let expire at…

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Is One Labor Union Killing the Ohio Lordstown Plant?

Andrew Shirley

An ongoing feud between one labor union and an automaker may cost thousands of jobs in Lordstown, Ohio. The Lordstown Assembly Complex in Lordstown, Ohio has been the lifeblood of that town since 1966. Currently, the factory is owned and operated by General Motors, while the workforce is represented by the United Automobile Workers, an international worker’s labor union. In late November, GM announced that the factory, along with four others in the US, would close in 2019. In the months following the announcement, there has been a furious battle to save the plant in any capacity. Very early on in the effort, then-outgoing Governor John Kasich, made it clear that the future of the plant would be with an “alternative” to GM. This statement seemed to make it clear that that was no chance GM would keep the plant open while indicating that the only future for the facility would be with another company. Kasich then began reaching out to Tesla Motors CEO; Elon Musk who expressed interest in Tesla acquiring the plant. For months, this was as far as the public knew negotiations had gone. Then, in January, GM CEO Mary Barra revealed that there were no ongoing negotiations with Tesla for a…

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Bill Typo, If Unchanged, Would Make Felons Out of Half A Million Ohioan Gun Owners

Andrew Shirley

Ohio Gun Owners, a citizens’ Second Amendment advocacy organization, discovered Thursday that House Bill 228 (HB 228) would make many widely-used firearms illegal throughout Ohio. The bill’s current language defines illegal “dangerous ordnance” as: (7) Any firearm with an overall length of at least twenty- six inches that is approved for sale by the federal bureau of alcohol, tobacco, firearms, and explosives under the “Gun Control Act of 1968,” 82 Stat. 1213, 18 U.S.C. 921(a)(3), but that is found by the bureau not to be regulated under the “National Firearms Act,” 68A Stat. 725 (1934), 26 U.S.C. 5845(a). This section of the bill, however, should have been included in a section that defines what weapons do not count as “dangerous ordnance.” This makes it highly probable that those who drafted the legislation simply placed this passage in the wrong section. If unchanged, the bill would mistakenly ban hundreds of common weapons, including AR-15’s and shotguns with pistol grips because of what appears to be a clerical error. It would also make felons out of hundreds of thousands of legal gun owners in Ohio. The bill’s primary sponsors are Terry Johnson (R-90) Sarah LaTourette (R-76). Neither legislator has issued a statement on the bill. As…

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Congressman’s Passing Leaves Big Shoes to Fill in North Carolina’s 3rd District

A.P. Dillon

The passing of Walter Jones (R-NC-03) has left some big shoes to fill for whoever runs for the seat. On Jan. 2nd, Jones had stated that he would not be running again in 2020 and later that month it was announced he had entered into Hospice care. Jones has apparently been battling with an undisclosed illness. ​“Congressman Jones was a man of the people,” said the statement released by his office. Jones, who spent fourteen years representing North Carolina’s 3rd Congressional district, was well-liked by his constituency and won his races by large margins when challenged. The 3rd Congressional is considered a solid ‘red’ or safe Republican district, but in the current political climate that could change. His successor will have a lot to live up to and likely a very crowded battle to fight. So far, the rumor mill in Raleigh has potentially a dozen or so Republicans jockeying to run for the seat. North Carolina Republican Party’s Vice Chairwoman Michele Nix was one of the first names to pop up and, in fact, she is running. Nix filed her statement of candidacy for the North Carolina 3rd Congressional seat with the Federal Election Commission (FEC) last Friday under…

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After Missing Deadline, North Carolina Turns Over Smaller List of Voter Records

A.P. Dillon

After missing a January deadline to turn in voter records requested in two subpoenas by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), North Carolina officials have turned over a smaller list of voter records. Upon missing the deadline, state lawmakers sent a letter to Attorney General Josh Stein urging his office’s compliance with the subpoenas. According to a letter sent by the Kim Strach, the Executive Director of the North Carolina State Board of Elections (NCSBE), voting records for just 789 individuals will be turned over. “Now, the Attorney General’s office has directed the State Board to acquire the records associated with 289 individuals who were previously registered in counties within the Eastern District,” Strach’s letter reads. “These records will be transmitted to the U.S. Attorney’s Office in response to the Subpoenas. It is our understanding that this limited production is all that is required at this time.” The letter goes on to detail that the NCSBE will be pulling records from multiple counties in order to comply with the subpoenas. According to Strach’s letter, “two-thirds of the prior registrants were already inactive in 2017.” In addition to the 289 individuals, the letter also says that approximately 500 individuals statewide who resided…

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St. Paul City Council Ordinance Would Ban Restaurants From Using Non-Biodegradable Containers

Anthony Gockowski

A new proposal being considered by the St. Paul City Council would outlaw non-biodegradable takeout containers in city restaurants by 2021. According to The Pioneer Press, the proposal was conceived by council member Mitra Nelson, who lamented the fact that “restaurants are putting a lot of packaging out there that isn’t compostable, isn’t recyclable, and it’s filling up our landfills.” The idea was first brought to the St. Paul City Council in 2017, but was tabled for future consideration. This time around, Nelson and her colleague Jane Prince plan to coordinate two years of outreach to small businesses to help implement the ban. Some ideas being considered include group purchasing of biodegradable containers, and grants provided through Ramsey County and Washington County to help businesses pay for the containers. But Liz Rammer, president and CEO of Hospitality Minnesota and the Minnesota Restaurant Association, opposes the idea. “We have concerns that the city of St. Paul has not addressed the significant cost increases that will impact small businesses through such a ban,” she said. As The Pioneer Press’ Fred Melo notes, the ban would be the latest in a number of ordinances affecting small businesses in the city, including: a $15…

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Minnesota Activist Groups Protest Trump’s ‘Fake National Emergency’ Across the State

Anthony Gockowski

Resistance groups across the state organized protests Monday against President Donald Trump’s national emergency declaration. The statewide protests were part of a national grassroots effort to oppose the president’s “fake national emergency.” According to USA Today, rallies took place all across the country, many of which were organized in conjunction with MoveOn.org. “We’re mobilizing rapid-response events on President’s Day against Trump’s fake crisis and racist deportation force and to stand with immigrant, Muslim, and black and brown communities to stop Trump’s dangerous and illegal power grab,” MoveOn.org explains. A map of events provided by MoveOn.org shows that at least five protests happened across Minnesota, including ones in the Twin Cities, Mankato, Rochester, Winona, and Alexandria. The Minnesota Sun found that these protests were organized by a somewhat covert protest group called “Indivisible Minnesota,” which consists of affiliate groups like “Indivisible MN-03” and “Indivisible St. Peter and Greater Mankato.” “If progressives are going to stop Trump, we must stand indivisibly opposed to him and the members of Congress who would do his bidding,” a Facebook description of Indivisible Minnesota states. One of Monday’s protests took place outside of Sen. Amy Klobuchar’s (D-MN) Minneapolis office, according to a statement from Indivisible MN-03.…

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Ohio Attorney General: Negligence Leaves One Patient to Rot at Whetstone Gardens and Care Center

Andrew Shirley

A Grand Jury in Franklin County has indicted seven nurses – formerly employed by Whetstone Gardens and Care Center in Columbus – on a litany of charges surrounding the mistreatment of multiple nursing home patients in 2017. Six employed nurses and one contracted nurse practitioner have been indicted on 34 separate changes. The charges include involuntary manslaughter, gross patient neglect, patient neglect, tampering with evidence, and forgery. The most extreme offense was a result of a patient developing “serious wounds on his body progressing to gangrenous and necrotic tissue.” This was a direct result of not maintaining the most basic levels of resident care.  The staff took no measure to address this and the resident died of septic shock shortly after developing these conditions. A second patient also suffered direct physical harm. To hide the negligence, the nursing staff “repeatedly” documented treatments that were never actually provided to the patients. In a public statement Attorney General Yost stated; This case goes to the heart of protecting the unprotected,…These victims were completely dependent on others for day-to-day care, which their families trusted Whetstone Gardens to provide. Instead of providing that care, evidence shows these nurses forced the victims to endure awful mistreatment and then lied about it. This…

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For North Carolina, The Border Wall Is a $2.5 Billion a Year State Emergency

A.P. Dillon

President Trump has declared the nation’s southern border a national emergency after Democrats on Capitol Hill refused to negotiate on building the border wall. The cost of not building the wall for the country is high – both in actual dollars and in criminal activity. It’s also staggeringly high for the states, in particular, California and battleground states like North Carolina. For these states, the annual cost is in the billions. The financial burden on the taxpayer is enormous and spans every area of possible spending from healthcare to education. In 2017, it was reported by the Federation for Immigration Reform that approximately 12.5 million illegal aliens and 4.2 million children of illegal aliens were costing taxpayers just under $135 billion a year. The report puts the cost of states of Texas, New Mexico, California, and Arizona to patrol their portions of the border at $490,780,000 annually. According to the Federation For Immigration Reform’s report, illegal aliens were only contributing around $18.9 million to the tax base, which when subtracted from the $135 million cost, leaves taxpayers on the hook for around $116 million. That translates to approximately $8,075 per illegal alien and citizen child prior to taxes paid, or…

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Sherrod Brown Breaks from Beto Signialing a Divide on Border Wall

Andrew Shirley

It appears there’s a new buzzword in the ongoing debate over the border wall. Sunday, when asked how he felt about former congressman, and potential 202o presidential candidate Beto O’Rourke’s proposal to destroy all existing barriers on the Mexico-US border, Ohio Senator Sherrod Brown refused to concur with his potential 2020 opponent, citing the need for border security, just not a “long wall.” The term “long wall” seems to be the latest pivot for Democrats who have vehemently opposed President Donald Trump’s planned border wall, yet concede that border security needs to exist. This could be the beginning of the latest divide from within Democratic ranks. While no “long wall” currently extends over the entire length of the 2,000-mile border between Mexico and the U.S., there are almost 600 miles of fences, walls, and other barriers that are currently standing. Some of these barriers go back to the Clinton Administration. The majority of these walls were built specifically in areas with high concentrations of drug trafficking, human trafficking, and illegal entry and assist the understaffed border security agents. Former congressman O’Rourke has asserted that walls kill more people than they save, noting; We know that walls do not save lives. Walls end lives,…In the last ten years,…

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Minnesota’s Met Council Approves $4 Million in Funding for Shared Electric Cars

Anthony Gockowski

The Twin Cities Metropolitan Council announced Friday that it has approved roughly $200 million in funding for transportation projects across the region, including $4 million for a new shared electric-car program. According to a press release, the Met Council allocates roughly $200 million to local transportation projects through its “Regional Solicitation” process every two years. During this funding cycle, the Met Council selected 57 projects across 37 different cities throughout the metro area. One of the most talked about projects is a $4 million partnership with HOURCAR, a car-sharing service that will install electric vehicles and charging stations near transit stops in the Twin Cities. “The City of St. Paul submitted the proposal featuring a fleet of all-electric vehicles and its network of charging stations. This unique project partners with HOURCAR, is supported by Xcel Energy and aims to reinvigorate car-sharing in the Twin Cities,” a press release explains. St. Paul Mayor Melvin Carter said that “expanding access to electric vehicle transportation will help create a more connected St. Paul,” and will “significantly boost our work to build a sustainable future for our children.” “This project does not just benefit HOURCAR members. By reducing vehicle emissions and congestion, this project…

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Was Ilhan Omar Scheduled to Speak Alongside Anti-Semite from Islamic Relief USA?

Anthony Gockowski

Rep. Ilhan Omar’s (D-MN-05) communications director is denying reports that his boss was scheduled to speak alongside Islamist Relief USA’s Yousef Abdallah, a flagrant anti-Semite. The Jerusalem Post first reported that Omar would be keynoting Islamist Relief USA’s upcoming fundraiser for Yemen taking place in Tampa, Florida. Abdallah was allegedly listed as a speaker for the event, and images screen captured by The Post show that he was. Abdallah has shared several anti-Semitic posts on his social media account, as documented by the Middle East Forum’s Islamist Watch Blog. In one case, Abdallah shared a “very beautiful” story about the killing of “more than 20 Jews.” He’s referred to Jews as “stinking,” and liked another comment that called for “revenge on the damned rapists Zionists.” The story was quickly picked up by several national outlets, including Washington Examiner and The Daily Wire, and came amid reports about Omar’s own anti-Semitic comments. A spokesperson for Omar, Jeremy Slevin, took to Twitter to deny the reports that Omar would be speaking alongside Abdallah. “He was never scheduled to speak with the Congresswoman. The flyer is inaccurate,” Slevin wrote on Twitter. “Yousef Abdallah will not be speaking or attending the event with Rep.…

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Rep. Angie Craig Issues Joint Letter to Trump Admin to Oppose Funding of Christian Foster Agencies

Anthony Gockowski

Rep. Angie Craig (D-MN-02) recently issued a joint letter to Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar in response to his department’s decision to allow a South Carolina foster-care agency to refuse housing children with same-sex couples. In January, Azar granted a waiver to Miracle Hill Ministries, a Christian agency that requires foster parents to be Christian and of the opposite sex. President Donald Trump said during last week’s National Prayer Breakfast that his administration would continue to provide agencies such as Miracle Hill Ministries with federal funding so that they can “help vulnerable children find their forever families while following their deeply held beliefs.” Craig and fellow LGBTQ colleague Rep. Sean Maloney (D-NY-18) sent a letter to Azar on February 13 to protest his decision. “We write to you to express strong opposition to a waiver you department granted to South Carolina from nondiscrimination requirements for its state-contracted child welfare agencies,” the letter begins. “This harmful decision allows federally-funded child welfare agencies in South Carolina to discriminate on the basis of religion—an egregious violation of the very principles our nation and our child welfare system were founded upon.” The letter was co-signed by 95 House members, and concludes by…

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North Carolina Economic Report Highlights $150 Million Revenue Surplus, ‘Solid Employment and Wage Growth’

A.P. Dillon

In the most recent N.C. Consensus Revenue Forecast, the Tarheel state boasts a revenue surplus of $150 million as well as “solid employment and wage growth.” “Results for the public and private sector are what really matter,” State House Speaker Tim Moore (R-District 111) said in a statement. “People are paying lower taxes in North Carolina and benefitting from a smart approach to state government and economic growth.” Highlights from the report: General Fund revenue is expected to increase by $1.7 billion and reach $25.8 billion by the end of FY 2020-21 Consistent, solid economic growth will continue throughout the upcoming biennium FY 2018-19 collections are expected to be above the budgeted amount by $150.8 million (0.6%) Stable, modest growth is expected to continue during the upcoming biennium General Fund revenue is forecast to increase by 2.2% over the amount collected in FY 2017-18 Employment should increase during both years of the 2019 biennium The state’s economy has made steady gains since the end of the Great Recession in 2009 by adding 75,000 to 95,000 jobs per year Strong sales tax growth; Partial credit is given to the June 2018 U.S. Supreme Court ruling (Wayfair) about online sales tax collection…

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Half-a-Million Low-Income Ohioans With Suspended Licences Could Be Eligible for Relief With New Program

Andrew Shirley

For many low-income Ohioans who have lost their drivers licenses for minor or unintentional offenses, there is no greater frustration than paying your debt to society, only to be denied your ability to drive legally because you can’t afford a government fee. Thankfully, relief is in sight for thousands of these individuals. House Bill 336 (HB 336), passed late last year, officially went into effect January 31. The bill established the Reinstatement Fee Amnesty Initiative, a six-month program intended to reduce or waive reinstatement fees in certain conditions. This program could remove a tremendous burden for more than 400,000 Ohioans. To even be considered for the program, the charge that led to the loss of your license cannot involve “alcohol, a drug of abuse, combination thereof, or a deadly weapon.” In addition, the individual must have completed any and all court requirements related to the offense beyond the fee. This could be anything required by the court from a mandatory driver’s improvement program to community service. Lastly, it must be at least 18 months since the end of any court-ordered suspension. This program, however, will only wave all fees in specifics instances. If an individual completed all of the above requirements and can prove that they are “indigent,” in a state of…

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Wisconsin Legislators Spent Two Days Debating About Colin Kaepernick

Anthony Gockowski

Wisconsin legislators spent Tuesday and Wednesday arguing over whether or not ex-NFL star Colin Kaepernick’s name should be included in a resolution honoring Black History Month. According to The Capital Times, the Wisconsin Legislature’s Black Caucus had included Kaepernick’s name in a ceremonial resolution, which honored African Americans who have “made measurable differences in their respective communities.” Republicans objected to his inclusion on the list, and instead put forward an alternative resolution that didn’t include his name. That resolution, which ultimately passed along party lines, replaced Kaepernick with the state’s first black lieutenant governor and first black secretary of state, among others. “The Wisconsin Legislative Black Caucus unanimously agreed upon the names to honor in our resolution. It is beyond disappointing and offensive that Wisconsin Republicans are choosing not to respect the leadership of Wisconsin’s Legislative Black Caucus on this issue,” Rep. Shelia Stubbs (D-Madison) said. State Sen. Lena Taylor (D-Milwaukee) criticized her Republican colleagues for telling “the entire country” that a “white Republican legislator” is “best suited to decide for African Americans what we should value, who we should honor.” “You don’t have to understand. It’s not your lens. It’s not your story. It’s ours. Who are you to…

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Minnesota GOP Has Harsh Words for Walz After Pipeline Appeal: ‘This Is a Big Mistake’

Anthony Gockowski

Republican members of the Minnesota House and Senate called a joint press conference earlier this week to condemn Gov. Tim Walz’s (D-MN) decision to re-appeal the Enbridge Line 3 pipeline replacement project. “The science is sure that this would be environmentally much safer to replace a 51-year-old pipe with a new pipe, so on every issue there he was wrong,” Senate Majority Leader Paul Gazelka (R-Nisswa) said in response to Walz’s announcement. “Lawsuits and appeals do not have to be part of the process, and normally shouldn’t be part of the process.” Walz announced Tuesday morning that he would refile an appeal against the controversial project after an appeal submitted by his predecessor, former Gov. Mark Dayton (D-MN), was dismissed by the Minnesota Court of Appeals. “Walz and [Lt. Gov. Peggy] Flanagan are the only ones left in the state that need clarity on this project. It has met every test,” Gazelka added. “Delays are not fair to the workers that want these jobs. Frankly, Gov. Walz, on this issue you’re not listening. This is an issue we’ve had a lot of conversation about. It needs to go forward, and there’s a lot of people that are very upset that…

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Youth Activists Call for ‘Minnesota Green New Deal,’ Pressure Walz to Petition Line 3

Anthony Gockowski

Several youth activism organizations gathered at the Minnesota Capitol Monday to protest the Enbridge Line 3 pipeline and call for a “Minnesota Green New Deal.” “We are changing the political landscape in Minnesota and although there is much more work to be done, we are so proud of what we have done. Youth voices matter, and we will continue to make that very clear to our state leaders this session,” a group called “Minnesota Can’t Wait” said in a statement. Video from Monday’s demonstration shows dozens of youth activists gathered in the State Capitol, holding signs that say, “We elected you, meet with us,” and “Minnesota Green New Deal.” “Even though they are not here right now, we’re going to make sure that they hear our message and that they hear our words, because they have to listen to us as public servants serving the state of Minnesota,” one speaker said during the event, referring to Gov. Tim Walz (D-MN) and Lt. Gov Peggy Flanagan (D-MN). The following morning, Walz announced that he would refile an appeal against the Enbridge Line 3 replacement project, as The Minnesota Sun reported. “We are extremely glad that the governor has acknowledged the importance…

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Omar Uses Backlash Over Anti-Semitic Comments to Ask for Donations

Anthony Gockowski

Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-MN-05) is running an advertisement on Facebook asking for donations in response to the criticism she received for making anti-Semitic comments. “Stand with Ilhan. We will not be silenced,” the advertisement states and quotes President Donald Trump calling for Omar’s resignation. https://twitter.com/RubensteinAdam/status/1095880581848666113 As The Minnesota Sun reported, Trump said Omar should resign from Congress during a Tuesday cabinet meeting. “One other thing I want to say is that anti-Semitism has no place in the United States Congress, and Congresswoman Omar is—terrible what she said. And I think she should either resign from Congress, or she should certainly resign from the House Foreign Affairs Committee,” Trump said. “What she said is do deep-seated in her heart that her lame apology—that’s what it was, it was lame, and she didn’t mean a word of it.” His comments came in response to widespread backlash Omar received after she suggested that Jewish money is influencing bipartisan support of Israel. “The notion that wealthy Jews are controlling the government is a longstanding anti-Semitic trope and one of the pillars of modern anti-Semitism, a retread of ideas spread by bigots from David Duke to Louis Farrakhan,” the Anti-Defamation League said in a statement.…

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Democrat Governor Roy Cooper On $15 Minimum Wage: ‘Admirable Goal’

A.P. Dillon

North Carolina’s Democratic Governor Roy Cooper recently said that a $15 minimum wage is an ‘admirable goal’, however, wants to see “how high we can get it.” WRAL reported: Gov. Roy Cooper called Wednesday for an increase in North Carolina’s minimum wage and said it need not be the $15-an-hour phase-in many Democrats have called for. “We need to work with the General Assembly to see how high we can get it,” Cooper told WRAL News. “$15 is an admirable goal.” According to the WRAL report, Governor Cooper made these remarks “in a morning speech to the AFL-CIO and from a brief conversation with WRAL News afterward.” The report by WRAL also states that Cooper “endorsed, in broad strokes,” the AFL-CIO’s legislative priorities and that he said that the AFL-CIO’s priorities list “align with the mission” he has established. It’s unclear exactly what “mission” Cooper is referring to, however, a set of incremental wage hikes he appears to endorse combined with the tax hikes he has called for would likely torpedo the promises made in his “jobs plan.” “What we need is a leader with a laser focus on creating good paying jobs and lifting wages,” Cooper’s campaign website reads.…

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Minnesota Bills Would Create Grant Program to Make ‘School Climate and Curriculum More Inclusive’

Anthony Gockowski

A set of companion bills were introduced in the Minnesota House and Senate last week that would establish “Inclusive School Enhancement Grants” to make “schools’ curriculum and learning and work environments more inclusive.” House File (HF) 824 and Senate File (SF) 1012 were introduced Feb. 7, and referred to their respective education policy committees. Of the four sponsors of the Senate version of the bill, just one is a Republican, while three of the 20 sponsors of the House bill are Republicans. Under the bills, the commissioner for the Minnesota Department of Education would be required to “establish a grant program” to support “collaborative efforts to make school climate and curriculum more inclusive and respectful toward all students, families, and employees, especially those of diverse racial and ethnic backgrounds.” “The grant program must provide funding that supports collaborative efforts to make schools’ curriculum, and learning and work environments more inclusive and respectful of students’ racial and ethnic diversity and to address issues of structural inequities in schools that create opportunity and achievement gaps for students, families, and staff who are of color or who are American Indian,” the bills state. Grant recipients would be required to submit an annual report…

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Governor DeWine Creates Task Force to Tackle the Over 300,000 Open-Warrants Issued in Ohio

Andrew Shirley

Thursday, Ohio Governor Mike DeWine signed Executive Order 2019-10D and officially established the Governor’s Warrant Task Force. The special committee has a wide mandate to investigate, analyze, and suggest solutions to Ohio’s deeply burdened and onerous open-warrant backlog. The move is the first step to fulfilling one of DeWine’s campaign promises. According to a recent study by the Columbus Dispatch, Ohio has more than 300,000 open arrest warrants. of these, 23,000 involve some form of violent act or weapons abuse. These numbers are so overwhelming that there is no effective way to analyze or, more importantly, prioritize which warrants should take the highest priority. This means that the most dangerous repeat violent offenders are buried beneath more ubiquitous and benign repeat parking offenders. The governor noted in his statement: New warrants are issued every day in this state, piling on top of a growing backlog of old unserved warrants. It is simply impossible for law enforcement to keep up, which threatens the safety of our residents and communities. I’m asking members of this task force to take a good look at this problem and identify options for improving this overwhelmed system. The task force is comprised of more than twenty members from a wide array of disciplines,…

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Omar Doesn’t Let Witness Respond to Attack During Hearing

Anthony Gockowski

Twitter was abuzz Wednesday afternoon after Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-MN-05) got in a heated exchange with Elliot Abrams, the special envoy to Venezuela. “I don’t understand why members of this committee or the American people should find any testimony that you give today to be truthful,” Omar said to Abrams, who pleaded guilty in the 1980s to withholding evidence from Congress about his involvement in the Iran-Contra affair. He was later pardoned by President George H.W. Bush. “If I can respond to that. It was an attack,” Abrams replied, but was cut off by Omar who said she reserves “the right” to her time. “That was not a question. Thank you for your participation,” Omar said. “On February 8, 1982, you testified before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee about U.S. policy in El Salvador. In that hearing, you dismissed as communist propaganda report about the massacre of El Mozote, in which more than 800 civilians, including children as young as two-years old, were brutally murdered by U.S.-trained troops. During that massacre, some of those troops bragged about raping a 12-year-old girl before they killed her. You later said that the U.S. policy in El Salvador was a fabulous achievement. Yes…

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