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☆ Transgender Lawmaker Sues Over Removal From Montana House Floor
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-01 | by ( Jacey Fortin | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

The NewsA state representative in Montana asked a court on Monday to allow her to return to the House floor for the rest of the state’s legislative session, arguing that her First Amendment rights had been violated after an escalating standoff over her remarks on transgender issues. Representative Zooey Zephyr, a Democrat from Missoula, was barred last week from participating in deliberations in the House chamber after she made impassioned comments in opposition to a ban on hormone treatments and surgical care for transgender minors. The bill, which passed, has since been signed by Gov. “I’m determined to defend the right of the people to have their voices heard,” Ms. Zephyr, who is transgender, tweeted on Monday when announcing her lawsuit, adding that the rights of her 11,000 constituents had also been violated. Four of them were also named as plaintiffs in the lawsuit, which was filed by the American Civil Liberties Union of Montana and other lawyers.

☆ Montana state Rep. Zooey Zephyr is suing the state in an emergency attempt to reverse her censure
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-01 | by ( Madison Hall | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Montana state Rep. Zooey Zephyr is suing the state, House speaker, and sergeant-at-arms. download the app Email address By clicking ‘Sign up’, you agree to receive marketing emails from Insider as well as other partner offers and accept our Terms of Service and Privacy PolicyDemocratic Montana state Rep. Zooey Zephyr is suing the state, the speaker of the Montana House, and the state sergeant-at-arms in an emergency attempt to reverse the stipulations of her recent censure. By enforcing this action, the Montana House has denied representation and voice to me and all of my fellow constituents in House District 100." The Montana House's vote to censure Zephyr arose after a group of protestors filled the gallery of the Montana House and interrupted business with chants after Montana House Speaker Matt Regier refused to recognize Zephyr on the floor. While Zephyr can't speak on the House floor due to her censure, she's had time to speak to constituents in Missoula, who showered her with support upon her recent return to the district.

CNN —From statehouses to the presidential campaign trail, Republicans are escalating their political attacks on transgender people – a reflection of what they see as a cultural fight their base is eager to wage. And in recent days, those attacks have turned into new forms of mockery and political retribution, as Republicans seek to turn transgender rights into a flashpoint by seizing on social media controversies and exercising their rule-making power in statehouses where they hold large majorities. “A lot of young trans people are worried that their medication is going to get pulled,” she said of legislation targeting health insurance coverage for gender-affirming care. Transgender rights activists protest outside the House chamber at the Oklahoma State Capitol in Oklahoma City on February 6, 2023. That is not a transgender person,” Haley said of Mulvaney as the crowd nodded.

☆ Montana governor signs bill banning transgender medical care for youths
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-29 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

April 28 (Reuters) - Montana's governor on Friday enacted a Republican-backed ban on gender-affirming medical care for transgender children, days after a transgender lawmaker protesting the bill was barred from the floor of the state legislature, sparking a national furor. The legislation, Senate Bill 99, passed the House of Representatives three days later, and Republican Governor Greg Gianforte signed it into law on Friday. Republican House leaders initially reacted to Zephyr's floor statements by turning off her microphone. White House spokesperson Karine Jean-Pierre on Thursday called the Montana Republican House action against Zephyr a "denial of democratic values". The Tennessee lawmakers were promptly reappointed to their seats by their county legislatures and earned a trip to the White House.

☆ Opinion | A Sinister New Page in the Republican Playbook
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-29 | by ( Jamelle Bouie | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

On Tuesday, I wrote about the Republican effort to limit the reach and scope of initiatives and referendums as another instance of the party’s war on majority rule. One thing I wanted to include, but couldn’t quite integrate into the structure of the column, was a point about the recent use of legislative expulsion to punish Democratic lawmakers who dissent from or challenge Republican majorities. We saw another example this week, in Montana, after State Representative Zooey Zephyr, a transgender woman, spoke out against a bill that would ban gender-affirming care for minors. In Nebraska, a Democratic lawmaker is being investigated by an ethics panel for a conflict of interest regarding her filibuster of another bill to ban gender-affirming health care for minors. She has a transgender child.

The Republican-led state is currently enforcing a near-total abortion ban, with exceptions for rape, incest or the life of the mother. NORTH CAROLINA: House Republicans have introduced a bill to ban abortion from conception, except to preserve the life or health of the mother. The Senate tabled discussion of a near-total abortion ban on Thursday after it had been approved by the House. PROTECTIONSCALIFORNIA: A Democratic state senator has introduced a bill to protect doctors who prescribe medication abortion pills to patients in other states. ILLINOIS: Democratic Governor J.B. Pritzker in January signed a law protecting abortion providers and out-of-state patients from legal attacks waged by other states.

☆ Ron DeSantis: Florida GOP lawmakers clear path for governor to run for president without resigning
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-28 | by ( Steve Contorno | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

CNN —Florida lawmakers gave final passage Friday to a measure that clears a path for Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis to run for president without resigning from his current job. The legislation approved Friday exempts “any person seeking the office of President or Vice President of the United States” from the resign-to-run law. “I can’t think of a better training ground than the state of Florida for a future commander in chief,” Republican state Rep. Tyler Sirois said. This is not be the first time that Florida lawmakers have voted to amend the resign-to-run law to help clear a path for a governor to reach the White House.

Kids in Hammond, Indiana, are forced to climb over and through stopped trains block their way to school. Jamie Kelter Davis for ProPublicaState lawmakers have tried to curb blocked crossings by restricting the lengths of trains. Spielmaker, the Norfolk Southern spokesperson, said: "We work with first responders on a daily basis to assist however we can. A favorable court opinion could allow other states to finally enforce their laws on blocked crossings. Among those who hope to voice their concerns about the blocked crossings are rail workers themselves who worry about the kids.

☆ DeSantis threatened to put a prison next to Disney, but it may not be as scary an idea as he thinks — and in fact small Florida towns could probably use it way more
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-26 | by ( Kelsey Vlamis | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

But it's unclear how much, if at all, a prison would actually impact Disney. A prison could also bring jobs to small towns that don't have a local employer as large as Disney. Ron DeSantis's threat to put a state prison next to the "Happiest Place on Earth" may not be as menacing as he thinks. But it's unclear how much a state prison close to Disney would actually impact the resort and theme park. As for how a prison could impact Disney World, she speculated that the primary factor would be how it impacts the company's brand and tourists' perception of safety.

April 26 (Reuters) - Walt Disney Co (DIS.N) sued Florida Republican Governor Ron DeSantis on Wednesday, asking a court to overturn state efforts to control the Walt Disney World theme parks and intensifying a battle between a global entertainment giant and a potential White House contender. A DeSantis spokesman called Disney's action "an unfortunate example of their hope to undermine the will of Florida voters." Disney also argues it was denied its First Amendment rights to free speech. State Republicans last year targeted Disney after it publicly clashed with DeSantis. But before the takeover by DeSantis' appointees, Disney pushed through changes to the special tax district agreement that limit the board's action for decades.

☆ Montana's House just voted to censure its first openly transgender lawmaker after protests and days of not letting her speak
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-26 | by ( Madison Hall | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

The Montana House of Representatives voted to censure its first transgender legislator. State Rep. Zooey Zephyr was censured days after protestors interrupted the legislature because the House speaker wouldn't recognize her on the floor. In doing so, Zephyr will not be allowed on the House floor or gallery for the remainder of the legislative session. State Rep. SJ Howell, a Democratic legislator who is nonbinary, spoke in support of Zephyr on Wednesday and said the protests on Monday were unsurprising. Now, after Zephyr's censure, a similar problem could occur for Montana Republicans as Zephyr increasingly gets placed into the spotlight.

☆ GM to end production of electric Chevy Bolt, its first mass-market EV, later this year
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-25 | by ( Michael Wayland | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Steve Fecht for ChevroletDETROIT – General Motors plans to stop production of its electric Chevrolet Bolt models by the end of this year, CEO Mary Barra told investors Tuesday when discussing the company's first-quarter earnings. The Chevy Bolt EV and EUV, a larger version of the car, make up the vast majority of the company's electric vehicle sales to date. General Motors CEO Mary Barra unveiled the Chevrolet Bolt electric vehicle during the 2016 Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas. But Bolt sales never caught on as well as many executives hoped, as EV sales overall remained minuscule outside of Tesla . The Vermont State Police released this photo of the 2019 Chevrolet Bolt EV that caught fire on July 1, 2021 in the driveway of state Rep. Timothy Briglin, a Democrat.

☆ The Hot Issue Bedeviling Arizona’s New Governor: Tamales
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-25 | by ( Jack Healy | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Critics said her veto would hurt the working-class immigrants that Ms. Hobbs had championed during her campaign. “That is just absurd.”Ms. Hernandez said she felt personally connected to the issue. “She used to be the Cake Lady,” Ms. Hernandez said. We wouldn’t have been able to put food on the table. Several tamale vendors said they would gladly register with the state if they could.

☆ Seven arrested for protesting a Montana legislative session where GOP prevented a transgender legislator from speaking on the floor
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-25 | by ( Madison Hall | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Montana's House speaker has repeatedly refused to recognize state Rep. Zooey Zephyr on the House floor. After the House speaker forbid her from speaking on Monday, Zephyr's supporters interrupted the legislative session with chants. Seven of the protestors were arrested, and a group of Republicans are calling for her to be disciplined. As the Montana state legislature debated a bill banning youth access to gender-affirming care in mid-April, Zephyr had harsh words for the Republican-led body. And while a formal censure has yet to occur, Montana House Speaker Matt Regier has repeatedly refused to recognize her to speak on the floor since she chastised the body.

☆ Losing Ballot Issues on Abortion, G.O.P. Now Tries to Keep Them Off the Ballot
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-23 | by ( Kate Zernike | Michael Wines | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Mr. King has joined a lawsuit seeking to strike down the new restraints on ballot initiatives in Arkansas. The chief sponsor of the measure, State Representative Mike Henderson, did not respond to phone and email requests for comment. Legislatures began accelerating bans and other restrictions on abortion beginning a decade ago, after Republicans took control of more statehouses. It was among the first states to attempt a so-called heartbeat law, banning abortion after roughly six weeks of pregnancy, when many women do not realize they are pregnant. (That law passed in 2019 and went into effect after Roe was overturned but has been temporarily blocked by a state court.)

☆ The upcoming North Carolina gubernatorial election could be another flashpoint in the nation's sharply divided politics
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-23 | by ( John L. Dorman | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

North Carolina GOP Lt. Gov. The 2024 gubernatorial race could feature two major forces in North Carolina government — Democratic state Attorney General Josh Stein and Republican Lt. Gov. "I'm running for governor because we the people of North Carolina need someone who understands us," he told his supporters. Roy Cooper has been an institution in North Carolina Democratic politics. North Carolina State Treasurer Dale Folwell is already in the race, and former Rep. Mark Walker is expected to enter the contest soon.

☆ Montana's House speaker is preventing a transgender legislator from speaking about bills on the House floor
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-21 | by ( Madison Hall | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

The Montana House speaker is now refusing to recognize her until she apologizes for her speech. "It is up to me to maintain decorum here on the House floor to protect the dignity and integrity, and any representative I don't feel can do that will not be recognized," the speaker said. Her attempt to speak, however, was futile after House Speaker Matt Regier refused to recognize her. That evening, the Montana Freedom Caucus published a letter to Twitter misgendering Zephyr and calling for the Montana House of Representatives to censure her. Moving forward, Zephyr said she'd continue to show up and advocate for her constituents, even without the ability to speak on the House floor.

☆ Desantis Vs. Disney: What it means for business in Florida
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-21 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

In this videoShare Share Article via Facebook Share Article via Twitter Share Article via LinkedIn Share Article via EmailDesantis Vs. Disney: What it means for business in FloridaFlorida state Rep. Anna Eskamani, who represents Orlando, joins 'Squawk Box' to discuss the latest battle between Florida Governor Ron DeSantis and Disney.

☆ Trump operatives considered using breached voting data to decertify Georgia's Senate runoff in 2021, text messages show
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-21 | by ( Zachary Cohen | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +11 min

It’s unclear what if any evidence he has in his possession related to the Coffee County breach. Penrose and Logan were also named in a state-level criminal investigation in Michigan alleging they participated in a conspiracy to seize voting machines there. A local election official helped them gain access to sensitive voting data which they downloaded onto a portable hard drive. Bundren was part of the team enlisted by Trump’s lawyers to find evidence of widespread voter fraud after the 2020 election. Bundren helped oversee the multi-state push to access voting machines on behalf of the Trump legal team, according to several documents obtained by CNN.

☆ Montana Republicans are trying to censure a transgender legislator for castigating them about a bill banning gender-affirming care for minors
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-20 | by ( Madison Hall | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Democratic Montana Rep. Zooey Zephyr is the state's first openly transgender legislator. Following her speech, Montana's Freedom Caucus demanded Zephyr be censured. Additionally, the caucus also misgendered Zephyr, the first openly transgender member of the Montana legislature, in the letter. House Minority Leader Kim Abbott, in a statement to the Helena Independent Record, admonished the Montana Freedom Caucus for disrespecting her colleague. "I stand by my accurate description of the devastating consequences of banning essential medical care for transgender youth," Zephyr wrote.

☆ Anheuser-Busch facilities face threats after Bud Light backlash
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-20 | by ( Danielle Wiener-Bronner | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

New York CNN —Several Anheuser-Busch facilities received threats last week, a company spokesperson confirmed, following weeks of backlash against Bud Light because it sponsored two Instagram posts from a transgender woman. Mulvaney’s timeline shows one previous post that is also marked as a Bud Light partnership. Siegfried Anthony/STAR MAX/IPx 2023/APMulvaney is among many social media personalities that Bud Light partners with, Anheuser-Busch said in a statement to CNN last week. “F**k Bud Light, F**k Anheuser-Busch,” he said. Anheuser-Busch (BUD) is set to report its first-quarter financial results, including revenue, on May 4.

☆ Fact Check-Kansas trans sports bill does not authorize ‘genital inspections of children’
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-19 | by ( Reuters Fact Check | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

Reuters reported on March 9 (here) that the Kansas Republican legislature passed a bill banning transgender athletes from competing in female school sports if they were born male. The bill banned transgender girls and women from female sports teams in public elementary schools, middle schools, high schools, and colleges, and from private school teams that compete against public schools. Bill HB 2238 (here) restricts “participation on women’s teams to female students” and provides a basis for legal action if the act is violated. Nothing in the bill specifies how the biological sex of the students is to be determined. The Kansas bill HB 2238 does not contain any reference to genital inspections of student athletes, nor does it specify how state education groups should implement the new law restricting participation in girls’ sports teams.

☆ Ron DeSantis allies on Disney oversight board threaten company with taxes, rate hikes and affordable housing
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-19 | by ( Steve Contorno | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

“It really is shameful what Disney tried to do,” board chairman Martin Garcia said. However, Disney in February reached agreements with the outgoing board that seemed to render the body powerless to control the entertainment giant. Garcia said that the agreements went unmentioned by a representative for Disney when the two sides met soon after DeSantis appointed the new board. “Our board truly wished to work with Disney,” Garcia said. The board plans to vote at its April 26 meeting to void the previous agreements reached with Disney.

April 19 (Reuters) - Florida Governor Ron DeSantis' new oversight board has discovered another "11th hour agreement" that allows Walt Disney Co (DIS.N) to set its own utility rates at its Orlando theme parks, the board's chairman said on Wednesday. A Disney subsidiary, which provides utility services to the central Florida district that includes the Walt Disney World Resort, negotiated an agreement in February to extend its contract through 2032, Chairman Martin Garcia said at a public meeting. "Last Friday afternoon I learned for the first time about one of these new 11th hour agreements entered into between Disney and the district. "We'll have to evaluate the legality of that agreement, that essentially enables Disney to set their utility rates. The board was established to provide state oversight of a special district around Walt Disney World.

☆ The Florida legislature swoops in to try to help DeSantis wrestle power back from Disney World
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-18 | by ( Kimberly Leonard | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

The GOP-controlled legislature introduced an amendment to take away Disney's control over its land. Ron DeSantis seize back control of the board that oversees Walt Disney World's special tax district. The amendment aims to nullify Disney's actions from February, in which the mega-corporation stealthily rendered toothless a board DeSantis appointed to make decisions about its land. At that time, DeSantis said, the group would also work separately to void the Disney loophole that stripped them of their power. Unlike rival parks Universal Studios and Sea World, Disney doesn't have to run their plans by zoning commissions or building-inspection departments.

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