Political Wire: ““He can’t feed his people. It’s a communist country, so he can’t feed his people, so they need more farmland.” — Sen. Tommy Tuberville (R-AL), quoted by 1819 News, explaining why he thinks Vladimir Putin invaded Ukraine.”
“‘Blood Red’: How Lopsided New District Lines Are Deepening America’s Divide”
NY Times: “Representative Dan Crenshaw was tagged as a rising Republican star almost from the moment of his first victory: A conservative, Harvard-educated, ex-Navy SEAL who lost his right eye in Afghanistan, he bucked the 2018 suburban revolt against Donald J. Trump to win a House seat in the Houston suburbs. Mr. Crenshaw won again…
Right-Wing State Senator Aims to Drastically Cut PBS Funding in AR
AR Times: “Sen. Dan Sullivan (extremist R-Jonesboro) filed legislation today to punish Arkansas PBS, which he thinks is left-wing. It’s his own hand-crafted budget bill for the education channel. The budget approved by the Joint Budget Committee, but to date falling short of the 75 votes needed for passage in the House, contains about $14.5 million in two…
“Texas kicks off 2022 midterms with primaries featuring battles for attorney general, U.S. House”
Chicken Fried Politics: “Voters in Texas kick off the 2022 midterm elections with the nation’s first party primary Tuesday, featuring a pitched battle among Republicans for attorney general, the last pro-life Democratic in the U.S. House trying to hang on to his South Texas seat, and two House Republicans facing primary challenges for not being…
TX Lt Gov. Aims to End Tenure at State Schools
TX Observer: “On Friday, Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick announced he would seek to abolish tenure for professors at Texas’ public universities, the latest in an ongoing GOP attack on public education. “What we will propose to do is end tenure, all tenure for all new hires,” said Patrick, whose proposal would eliminate tenure for new…
Guilty of Being Hateful: Arbery’s Murderers Convicted of Hate Crimes
NY Times: “A jury on Tuesday found the three white Georgia men who murdered Ahmaud Arbery guilty of a federal hate crime, determining that they were motivated by racism when they chased the 25-year-old Black man through their neighborhood. The case was one of the most high-profile hate crime trials in years, and came after…
“Decision in Arkansas case could limit lawsuits under Voting Rights Act”
Chicken Fried Politics: “Can private groups and individuals who believe their electoral prospects are harmed by new political maps bring suit in federal court under the Voting Rights Act? For more than 50 years, the answer to that question has been yes. But a federal judge in Arkansas has come down on the other side,…
“Texas could be an unlikely model for Democrats on voting rights”
MSNBC: “In the midst of the ongoing debate over Republicans’ siege on voting rights in states they control, here’s an unconventional suggestion: Democratic state legislators should take a page from the Republican playbook and empower private citizens to sue people who are “aiding and abetting” voter suppression efforts…. While personally I believe this law is…
“Alabama DHR sends $12.6 million in bonuses to 10,000 child care workers”
AL Political Reporter: “More than 10,000 Alabama child care workers are receiving bonuses totaling $12.6 million following the first round of Child Care Workforce Stabilization grants from the Alabama Department of Human Resources. The second round runs from Feb. 28 through March 18. DHR awarded grants to 1,278 child care providers who applied in December…
“Florida representative proposes requiring schools to out LGBTQ kids to their parents — even if it puts them in danger”
Popular Information: “Florida’s “Don’t Say Gay” bill, which is scheduled for a floor vote in the Florida House today, would create a hostile environment for LGBTQ students. The bill prohibits any discussion of “sexual orientation or gender identity” through the third grade and any discussion “that is not age-appropriate or developmentally appropriate for students” in other grades….