Atlanta-Journal Constitution: “Georgia voters would be required to make copies of their photo ID and mail them to election officials twice before being allowed to cast an absentee ballot, according to a bill introduced Wednesday. The legislation, Senate Bill 29, would create a photo ID requirement for voting outside of polling places in Georgia. Voters would…

The Hill: “Former Rep. Beto O’Rourke (D-Texas) said this week he is considering a 2022 gubernatorial run, setting up a potential challenge against incumbent Texas Gov. Greg Abbott (R).  “It’s something I’m going to think about,” O’Rourke told Buzz Adams on Texas radio station KLAQ on Monday. O’Rourke went on to hit Abbott’s handling of the coronavirus pandemic,…

The Progressive Pulse: “Republican appointees to the State Board of Education (SBE) fired a volley of criticism at the state’s new social studies standards Wednesday, charging that the language in the revision is “divisive” and “politically charged.” Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson led the attack, doubling down on complaints he made earlier this month about the new standards, which the state board could approve next week. “I do not like the tone of…

AP: “On a vote of 24-9, three Republicans joined the chamber’s Democrats in advancing a resolution censuring Amanda Chase, a senator from suburban Richmond who is seeking the GOP nomination for governor. The vote followed a long debate that featured scathing rebukes from Chase’s colleagues on both sides of the political aisle. Chase then launched into a…

AL Political Reporter: Is Trump a great President, or one of the greatest Presidents? Alabama Republicans are deciding now: “The resolution as written includes the line: “President Donald J. Trump was one of the greatest and most effective Presidents in the 245-year history of this Republic.” The resolution cites several of what Republicans view as…

Yallitics: [podcast] “Let the warning above be your preview as to what the Lincoln Project now thinks about Senator Ted Cruz.  In this episode of Y’all-itics, co-founder Rick Wilson joins the Jasons to talk about how the group is now actively working against the Texas Republican.  The group says Sen. Cruz is part of the…

TX Observer: “In 1972, the U.S. Supreme Court declared the death penalty unconstitutional on the grounds that it was cruel and unusual punishment, leading to a nationwide lull in executions—that is, until Texas pioneered a new, less-dramatic method with the veneer of a medical procedure that the courts could stomach: lethal injection. Since 1976, the year…

AL Political Reporter: “The Alabama Department of Corrections on Monday announced the deaths of three additional incarcerated people who tested positive for COVID-19 before death.  Those deaths bring the state’s total to 57 incarcerated people. ADOC on Jan. 15 announced that an employee at the Bullock Correctional Facility died after testing positive for COVID-19, bringing workers’ deaths…

WaPo: “Sanders is a viable candidate only because of her role with Trump. Only 38 years old, she was a political consultant to numerous Republican campaigns before she joined the Trump White House. She has never run for office, and she has never served in government in a policy-related role. Even though she is the…

WUNC: “Jeff Jackson, a Charlotte business attorney, Afghan war veteran and National Guard soldier, unveiled his bid, saying he is committed to “honest and decent politics” and “working people and working families.” Jackson, 38, is the second Democrat to enter the race to succeed three-term Republican Sen. Richard Burr, who is not seeking reelection. Erica…