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☆ DeSantis wants to eliminate in-state college tuition for undocumented students and beneficiaries of the Obama-era DACA program
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-10 | by ( Sarah Al-Arshani | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Ron DeSantis wants to repeal their access to in-state tuition rates for undocumented students. At least 12,000 DACA recipients benefit from in-state tuition in Florida. Ron DeSantis's extensive immigration reform legislative package, undocumented students could lose access to in-state tuition rates. The legislation would repeal a 2014 law that gave undocumented students and beneficiaries of the Obama-era Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, which protects those who came as children from deportation, access to in-state tuition rates. DeSantis' proposal has garnered pushback from business groups, who say the move is not only "unfair" but could hurt the workforce.

☆ Ouster of Black TN lawmakers 'deeply anti-democratic' -analyst
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-10 | by ( Reuters Editorial | ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

PoliticsOuster of Black TN lawmakers 'deeply anti-democratic' -analystPostedImani Perry, Professor of African American Studies at Princeton University, says the expulsion of two Black Tennessee lawmakers from the state House of Representatives sets a dangerous political precedent in states where Republicans hold overwhelming majorities in the legislatures.

REUTERS/Karen Pulfer FochtApril 9 (Reuters) - Two Tennessee Democrats who were expelled from the Republican-dominated state House of Representatives last week over their participation in a gun control protest said on Sunday that they hoped to soon reclaim their seats. Metro Council Member Kevin Rhoten said on Twitter that he had been bombarded with emails since Thursday asking him to vote to appoint Justin Jones for the District 52 seat, and that he planned to do that. "I would be honored to accept the appointment of the Shelby County Commission and to run in a special election," Pearson told NBC on Sunday. Videos posted to Twitter showed the two Black lawmakers, Representatives Jones and Pearson, shouting through a bullhorn on the House floor, saying "No action, no peace!" Only two other Tennessee state representatives have been expelled by their colleagues since the Civil War era: one in 1980 for soliciting a bribe in exchange for blocking legislation and another in 2016 after being accused of sexual misconduct by numerous women.

☆ A Tennessee RNC member says vote to expel 2 Democratic lawmakers over a gun control protest hurt the GOP brand: 'You've energized young voters against us'
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-09 | by ( John L. Dorman | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

A Republican National Committee member told The Times that ousting 2 Democratic lawmakers "didn't help" the GOP. Tennessee state Reps. Justin Jones and Justin Pearson were removed from their positions by the GOP-led House. Brock argued that the party should have considered arguments from the lawmakers over gun reform. "You've energized young voters against us. Both Jones and Pearson can be reappointed to their seats, but special elections will also have to be set by the governor.

☆ CNN's Van Jones presses a GOP state lawmaker on the Tennessee House voting to expel 2 Black Democratic legislators over their push for gun restrictions: 'Why are you being so unreasonable?'
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-09 | by ( John L. Dorman | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Van Jones last week pressed a Tennessee Republican over his caucus voting to oust two Democratic lawmakers. "You have not done this to anybody except for two people in 200 years," Jones told state Rep. Jeremy Faison. The GOP-led state House took the action after then-Reps. Jones and Pearson led a gun reform protest from the floor. Faison said he felt as though House Republicans followed the proper protocol. State Rep. Gloria Johnson, a white lawmaker who also joined the gun reform protest, was not expelled by House Republicans and remarked last week that "it's pretty clear" why she was spared.

☆ Opinion: Texas judge’s stunning ruling caps extraordinary week
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-09 | by ( ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +17 min

We’re looking back at the strongest, smartest opinion takes of the week from CNN and other outlets. Tennessee legislators targeted three members of the state House for joining a gun control protest in the chamber, expelling two young Black men while failing to oust a 60-year-old White woman. (He gave the Biden administration a week to appeal the ruling before it goes into effect. Thus, the week that began with Trump facing a judge in Manhattan ended with a Trump-appointed judge overturning more than two decades of medical practice. “They go far too fast to be safe on the sidewalk” and aren’t right for bike lanes or roads either.

☆ Harris backs expelled Tennessee lawmakers, chides Republicans for ousting them
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-08 | by ( Cheney Orr | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

Republicans who control the Tennessee House of Representatives on Thursday expelled two young Black lawmakers who last week led protesters into the well of the House floor, while a resolution to remove a white representative came up one vote short. The Republicans ousted Justin Pearson, 28, of Memphis, and Justin Jones, 27, from the Nashville area. They staged the protest for gun reforms following the March 27 shooting at a Nashville school that killed three 9-year-old students and three adults. With a 75-23 advantage over Democrats in the House, Tennessee Republicans took the extraordinary measure to expel their Democratic colleagues, citing their disruption of orderly House business. Just two state lawmakers had previously been expelled since the U.S. Civil War.

NASHVILLE, Tennessee, April 6 (Reuters) - Republicans in control of the Tennessee House of Representatives expelled two Democratic representatives on Thursday for breaking decorum during a gun control demonstration at the statehouse last week in the wake of the latest school shooting. The resolution to oust a third Democratic member who stood with them during the protest on the House floor, Gloria Johnson, a white woman, came up one vote short. That protest came four days after a Nashville school shooting killed three 9-year-old children and three school staff members. [1/10] Protesters gather in the Tennessee State Capitol in Nashville, Tennessee, U.S., April 6, 2023. Johnson, Jones and Pearson have said that taking part in the protest was within their First Amendment rights - the constitutional right to freedom of speech.

[1/2] A sign urging voters to reject a state constitutional amendment declaring there is no right to abortion is seen during the primary election and abortion referendum at a Wyandotte County polling station in Kansas City, Kansas, U.S. August 2, 2022. Opponents say the bill undermines the will of Kansas voters who in an August statewide referendum rejected by nearly 60% a state constitutional amendment that would have declared there was no right to abortion. A similar bill failed in Kansas in 2019 after its Republican supporters narrowly failed to get the two-thirds majority needed to overcome Kelly's veto in the state House. The Kansas legislature earlier this week approved a bill creating new punishments for doctors accused of not providing sufficient care to infants that are delivered alive during an abortion. The bill has veto-proof majorities in both houses, but it could still be challenged and overturned in court.

☆ Harris chides Tennessee Republicans for ousting state lawmakers
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-07 | by ( Cheney Orr | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

The Republicans ousted Justin Pearson, 28, of Memphis, and Justin Jones, 27, from the Nashville area. They staged the protest for gun reforms following the March 27 shooting at a Nashville school that killed three 9-year-old students and three adults. [1/7] U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris speaks during an address after the Tennessee House of Representatives voted to expel two Democratic members, representatives Justin Pearson and Justin Jones, for their roles in a gun control demonstration at the Tennessee State Capitol, in Nashville, Tennessee, U.S., April 7, 2023. With a 75-23 advantage over Democrats in the House, Tennessee Republicans took the extraordinary measure to expel their Democratic colleagues, citing their disruption of orderly House business. Just two state lawmakers had previously been expelled since the U.S. Civil War.

☆ A white Tennessee lawmaker survived expulsion while 2 young Black lawmakers lost their seats for protesting gun violence. She says the result 'might have to do with the color of our skin.'
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-07 | by ( Cheryl Teh | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

A white lawmaker in Tennessee survived a vote to expel her but two Black lawmakers lost their seats. But the motion to expel Rep. Gloria Johnson failed 65-30, falling short of the two-thirds majority required to remove her. Meanwhile, two Black lawmakers — Rep. Justin Pearson and Rep. Justin Jones — were expelled with 69-26 and 72-25 votes respectively. Johnson, Pearson, and Jones have been known to protesters in Tennessee as the "Tennessee Three," per NBC News. "Two young Black lawmakers get expelled and the one white woman does not?

☆ Tennessee Republicans expelled two Democratic legislators who protested with anti-gun activists in the House
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-06 | by ( Madison Hall | Azmi Haroun | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Republicans in the Tennessee legislature just expelled a member for leading a gun reform protest in the House of Chambers. The Tennessee House of Representatives voted 75-25 on Thursday to expel state Rep. Justin Jones. The Tennessee House voted 75-25 on Thursday to expel Jones, with Rep. Justin Pearson also expelled after a 69-26 vote, according to CNN. Only two members of the Tennessee House have been expelled over the last 157 years. President Joe Biden addressed the Tennessee House leadership's focus on expelling the three, calling the move, "undemocratic."

Florida currently has a law banning abortions after 15 weeks of pregnancy, which is being challenged in court. Republicans in the state House of Representatives and Senate filed concurrent bills last month to restrict the procedure further, starting at six weeks of pregnancy. With Republicans controlling the legislature and governorship in Florida, a six-week ban is likely to become law. The fate of the legislation also depends on how the state supreme court rules in a challenge of the 15-week ban. A six-week ban would restrict abortion access across the U.S. South, where most other states have already banned the procedure at early stages of pregnancy.

☆ What’s the Matter With Arkansas?
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-22 | by ( William Mcgurn | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Arkansas is “the reddest state not only in the South but in the entire nation.” So declared the chairman of the state GOP at the 2020 Republican National Convention, just before the Arkansas delegation cast its votes for Donald Trump. Arkansas went for Mr. Trump by nearly 2 to 1 in both 2016 and 2020. Both of its U.S. senators and all four representatives are Republicans. In November, Republicans added to their already comfortable majorities in the state House and Senate. In that same election, Sarah Huckabee Sanders trounced her Democratic opponent and was elected governor.

☆ A Republican lawmaker asked a lesbian colleague if she was a 'pedophile' during a debate over an equity and inclusion bill
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-22 | by ( Joshua Zitser | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

A Republican lawmaker asked a lesbian colleague if she was a "pedophile" on Friday. The comment was made during a Rhode Island State House hearing on an equity and inclusion bill. During the hearing, Rep. Robert Quattrocchi, a Republican, raised his concerns that the bill was "very, very broad." "First, I want to point out that pedophile is not a sexual orientation," Kislak responded, adding that it was "really offensive." Kislak said that the interaction was an "example" of why the House needed to be discussing equity.

REUTERS/Monicah MwangiNAIROBI, March 20 (Reuters) - Kenyan police fired tear gas and arrested several senior opposition politicians as hundreds of people protested against President William Ruto, the high cost of living and claims of cheating in last year's election. Raila Odinga, who lost to Ruto in August's poll, has urged nationwide protests as he attempts to harness dissatisfaction with the president. Police officers in riot gear fired tear gas at hundreds of rock-throwing protesters in the capital Nairobi's vast Kibera slum, who chanted: "Ruto must go." They also used tear gas to disperse demonstrators trying to gather in the Central Business District, from where Odinga has called for a march toward the president's State House residence, Reuters reporters said. In the western city of Kisumu, an Odinga stronghold, police fired barrages of tear gas in the direction of protesters who had started fires in the road, footage on Citizen TV showed.

REUTERS/Thomas MukoyaNAIROBI, March 20 (Reuters) - Kenyan police tear gassed the leader of the opposition on Monday and arrested senior lawmakers in his parliamentary faction, as protesters took to the streets to march against President William Ruto and the high cost of living. Police officers in riot gear fired tear gas at hundreds of rock-throwing protesters in the capital Nairobi's vast Kibera slum, who chanted: "Ruto must go." We've had enough," said one protester, who asked not to be identified, as tear gas swirled around her. Police used tear gas and a water cannon to prevent Odinga's convoy from driving towards the president's State House residence to deliver a petition. Tear gas engulfed the vehicle as he spoke, calling for protests every Monday until the cost of living comes down.

☆ Grand jury in Georgia heard recording of Trump call to state House speaker -report
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-16 | by ( Eric Beech | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

The existence of such a recording, or that it was played for the 23-member special grand jury during the course of its eight-month investigation, has not been previously reported. Ralston and other state legislative leaders never called a special session, and the Georgia House speaker himself testified before the special Fulton County grand jury in July 2022, according to local media accounts. The George elections grand jury also is known to have examined a previously disclosed call Trump made on Jan. 2, 2021, to then-Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger falsely claiming that the November election results were fraudulent. That report, submitted to the Fulton County district attorney in January before the panel was dissolved, included who the grand jury recommended should be indicted. The special grand jury, unlike a regular grand jury, was not empowered to issue indictments, only recommendations, and the decision on whether to press charges ultimately rests with the district attorney, Fani Willis.

☆ Sen. Warren urges Fed Chair Powell to recuse himself from review of Silicon Valley Bank collapse
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-14 | by ( Chelsey Cox | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

WASHINGTON — Sen. Elizabeth Warren on Tuesday pushed Fed Chair Jerome Powell to remove himself from the central bank's review of the Silicon Valley Bank collapse, accusing him of allowing dangerous practices that helped to cause its failure. The Massachusetts Democrat contended Powell's "actions to allow big banks like Silicon Valley Bank to boost their profits by loading up on risk directly contributed to these bank failures." "For the Fed's inquiry to have credibility, Powell must publicly and immediately recuse himself from this internal review," Warren said in a statement. "The events surrounding Silicon Valley Bank demand a thorough, transparent, and swift review by the Federal Reserve," Powell said in a statement Monday. The agency created the Deposit Insurance National Bank of Santa Clara to hold the insured deposits from SVB.

☆ North Carolina lawmakers intervene to defend abortion pill restrictions in case testing FDA power
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-10 | by ( Spencer Kimball | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

North Carolina has divided government. Stein told North Carolina lawmakers the FDA determined that restrictions like those in North Carolina unduly burden patients' access to a safe and effective drug. A federal judge on Friday allowed North Carolina lawmakers to defend restrictions on the abortion pill mifepristone, after the state attorney general declined to do so. The abortion pill has become the central flashpoint in the battle over abortion access since the Supreme Court overturned Roe. Democratic attorneys general have asked a federal judge in Washington state to declare the remaining FDA restrictions on mifepristone unconstitutional.

☆ Exclusive: As 2024 election approaches, White House jumps into states' abortion battles
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-06 | by ( Nandita Bose | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +7 min

The previously unreported, behind-the-scenes effort has caught the attention of state lawmakers for the level of support offered by the administration. In some cases, the White House is leaning on key lawmakers in states with important abortion-related legislative fights this session. North Carolina is a special focus where the White House thinks it has the opportunity to fend off restrictions, one of the White House officials said. Republicans have largely shrugged off White House efforts at beating back efforts to limit abortion rights. The White House sees three different approaches to defend abortions rights and has broken down states into what they call either "battleground," "extremist" or "proactive" states, White House officials and advisors say.

March 3 (Reuters) - Republican-backed bills introduced in legislatures in several U.S. states target the use of a planned merchant code for credit card transactions at gun retailers that is intended to detect suspicious firearms and ammunition sales. read moreMajor credit and debit card companies have committed to using the "merchant category code" for gun sellers, a development welcomed by gun control advocates who call it an important new tool for investigating suspicious purchases. FLORIDAA bill introduced in Florida is meant to prohibit banks and other companies in the payment-settlement process from assigning the code "separately from general merchandise or sporting goods retailers." The bill passed the state House of Representatives on Feb. 9 and is under consideration in the state Senate. West Virginia's bill was passed by the state House of Delegates on Feb. 3 and awaits further action in the state Senate.

☆ Supreme Court signals it could sidestep ruling in major elections case
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-02 | by ( Lawrence Hurley | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

WASHINGTON — The Supreme Court on Thursday sought additional briefings in a major elections case from North Carolina, signaling it could sidestep a ruling on a broad theory that could upend election law nationwide. The brief court order asked the parties involved to file new court papers on the impact of recent actions by the North Carolina Supreme Court. The case before the justices, argued in December, concerns whether the North Carolina Supreme Court had the authority last year to throw out Republican-drawn congressional districts. Since then, the North Carolina Supreme Court has flipped from Democratic to Republican control and the new majority has moved to revisit some of the earlier rulings. Oral arguments in the North Carolina court are scheduled for March 14.

☆ Ohio Democratic Sen. Sherrod Brown, who'll likely face a tough reelection fight in 2024, says he won't 'run from Biden': 'I run my own race, and my own brand'
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-26 | by ( John L. Dorman | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Sen. Sherrod Brown told Politico he was "fine" with Biden running on the same ballot as him in 2024. Brown is seeking a fourth term in the Senate and has carved out a unique appeal among Ohio voters. And despite President Joe Biden's eight-point statewide loss to former President Donald Trump in 2020, Brown told Politico he was "fine" running alongside the president on the same ballot should the commander-in-chief seek reelection next year. So, I'm not going to run from Biden," Brown told Politico. In the 2018 Senate race, when Brown defeated then-GOP Rep. Jim Renacci, the senator won 98% of Democrats, 56% of Independents, and 11% of Republicans, per CNN exit polling.

Former U.S. President Donald Trump speaks during a campaign stop to unveil his leadership team, at the South Carolina State House in Columbia, South Carolina, U.S., January 28, 2023. A Georgia grand jury looking into possible election meddling by former President Donald Trump said "one or more witnesses" may have lied under oath and urged prosecutors to pursue criminal indictments in those cases. The special grand jury also found no significant fraud in Georgia's 2020 presidential election won by President Joe Biden, according to portions of the final report on its monthslong investigation unsealed Thursday. He added: "The President participated in two perfect phone calls regarding election integrity in Georgia, which he is entitled to do." Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis will determine whether to charge Trump or anyone else in the case.

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