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☆ 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.

☆ 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.

☆ 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.

☆ The GOP risks blowing its 2024 chances by enlisting fringe pols and pushing issues normal voters don't care about
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-08 | by ( Madison Hall | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

The New York Times reported Trump wanted to hire far-right xenophone Laura Loomer to his campaign. The potential hire shows how far the Republican Party has moved from the median voter. It's just another example of how out of touch the Republican Party has become with the average voter. The Republican Party has yet to win the popular vote in presidential elections since 2004. Should the party keep hiring oddballs and pursuing culture war issues while failing to address substantive issues affecting the country, it's unclear that will change.

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.

☆ Rep. Gloria Johnson, who survived GOP's push to punish her, says it's 'pretty clear' why she was spared but 2 Black Democratic lawmakers were thrown out
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-07 | by ( Rebecca Cohen | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Rep. Gloria Johnson said it's "pretty clear" why two Black lawmakers were expelled from Tennessee's House of Representatives. Republicans kicked out Reps. Justin Pearson and Justin Jones on Thursday night. Last Thursday, Johnson, along with Reps. Justin Pearson and Justin Jones, interrupted a House session to protest gun violence in the state. The Tennessee House voted 72-25 to expel Jones, with Pearson also expelled after a 69-26 vote, according to CNN. Johnson said both Jones and Pearson were spoken to "in a demeaning way" during Thursday's vote.

☆ North Carolina Democrat Changes Parties, Upending State Politics
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-06 | by ( Jennifer Calfas | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

State Rep. Tricia Cotham announcing her decision to switch parties on Wednesday. A North Carolina lawmaker who was elected as a Democrat in November moved across the aisle, creating a Republican supermajority in the state legislature with the power to override the Democratic governor’s vetoes. State Rep. Tricia Cotham said Wednesday she was the subject of what amounted to bullying from her Democratic colleagues. She said she now finds the party unrecognizable.

☆ Baltimore Archdiocese Long Failed to Protect Children Abused by Catholic Priests, State Report Says
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-06 | by ( Scott Calvert | Jon Kamp | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

An investigation of the Archdiocese of Baltimore is the latest effort to document clerical sexual abuse in the U.S.BALTIMORE—Scores of priests and other people affiliated with the Archdiocese of Baltimore sexually abused hundreds of children over more than 60 years, and church officials often protected the perpetrators while keeping their crimes a secret, Maryland’s attorney general said in a new report. Wednesday’s report from Attorney General Anthony Brown alleges that 156 people—including priests and archdiocese personnel—abused more than 600 youths, causing lasting psychological trauma for survivors.

☆ Why Amazon quashed an Oregon bill that aimed to curb data center emissions
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-06 | by ( Annie Palmer | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

On what was recently farmland, Amazon data centers have been built as close as 50 feet from residential houses in the Loudoun Meadows neighborhood on January 20, 2023, in Aldie, VA. Amazon's opposition to the clean energy measure is at odds with its broader push to improve its environmental impact. Amazon says it's on a path to using 100% renewable energy across its business by 2025, and is the largest corporate buyer of renewable energy. Experts have said the nation's out-of-date electrical grid remains a barrier to accelerating the transition to clean energy sources. Amazon has pledged to get all of its data centers running on renewable energy, but it has yet to divest completely from fossil fuels.

☆ Tennessee Republicans likely to expel three Democratic lawmakers from statehouse
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-06 | by ( Brad Brooks | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/3] Rep. Justin Pearson, Rep. Justin Jones, Rep. Gloria Johnson People hold their hands up as they exit the House Chamber doors at the Tennessee State Capitol Building, in Nashville, Tennessee, U.S. April 3, 2023. April 6 (Reuters) - Republicans who control the Tennessee House of Representatives will vote on Thursday on whether to expel three Democratic members for their role in a gun control demonstration at the statehouse last week. Three Democratic lawmakers stood on the House floor and used a bullhorn to lead protesters in chanting demands for stricter gun laws. The expulsion vote is likely to easily pass in the Republican-dominated House and lead to the ouster of Rep. Gloria Johnson, Rep. Justin Jones and Rep. Justin Pearson. Republicans Rep. Andrew Farmer, Rep. Gino Bulso, and Rep.

☆ 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."

☆ Getting a new passport takes longer than you think these days. Here's what you should know about getting yours faster.
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-06 | by ( Jordan Hart | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

The US Department of State reports wait times of up to 13 weeks for a passport. As of now, the processing time for a new passport or a renewal is estimated at 10-13 weeks, according to the State Department. The State Department is facing "unprecedented demand" for passports, Secretary of State Antony Blinken said, according to CBS News. The April estimate for expedited passport processing, which will cost you an extra $60, is about 7-9 weeks, the agency says. On its site, the State Department acknowledges extended wait times for calls about passport issues, and offered processing options for applicants.

Here is a snapshot of pending and passed legislation seeking to restrict or protect access in 2023. KANSAS: Although Kansans voted in favor of state abortion rights on a ballot measure last year, the Republican-led state Senate has passed a prohibition on prescribing abortion pills via telemedicine. The Republican-led state is currently enforcing a total abortion ban, with exceptions for rape, incest or the life of the mother. MONTANA: The Republican-led state Senate has passed a bill seeking to overturn a 1999 state Supreme Court ruling that found that the state constitution protected a right to abortion. SOUTH CAROLINA: Despite the fact that the state Supreme Court recently struck down a six-week abortion ban in a 3-2 vote, Republicans have introduced a near-total abortion ban and a six-week ban this year.

☆ A North Carolina Democrat's shocking party switch may hand complete power over to the state's Republicans, report says
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-05 | by ( John L. Dorman | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

A North Carolina lawmaker is expected to switch parties in what would be a stunning turn of events. It would give the GOP a supermajority, meaning they could override the Dem governor's vetoes. As of March 2023, Cooper had issued 75 vetoes — more than all previous North Carolina governors combined — since taking office six years ago, according to The Assembly NC. From 2005 to 2009, Jerry Meek, whom Cotham married in late 2008, was the chair of the North Carolina Democratic Party. According to the North Carolina political blog Watauga Watch, Cotham and Meek are no longer married.

☆ A conservative candidate for Wisconsin's Supreme Court used his concession speech to trash the liberal competitor who beat him, saying she wasn't a 'worthy opponent'
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-05 | by ( Nicole Gaudiano | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

A failed conservative candidate for Supreme Court in Wisconsin may have won his bid for sorest loser. Dan Kelly slammed his liberal rival Janet Protasiewicz as not a "worthy opponent." Wisconsin's Democratic Party Chair tweeted a clip of the speech, saying Kelly has "no grace." "I wish that in a circumstance like this, I would be able to concede to a worthy opponent," said Kelly. Wisconsin Democratic Party Chair Ben Wikler tweeted a clip of the speech, saying Kelly has "no grace."

☆ A Tennessee legislator facing expulsion from the House for protesting gun violence during a session says other lawmakers have done much worse and weren't immediately punished
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-04 | by ( Rebecca Cohen | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

One of the lawmakers facing expulsion told Insider that past legislators in the Tennessee House have done much worse than what they did but were not immediately punished for their actions. "It's unprecedented because we have had disruptions bigger than that where no one was even reprimanded," Rep. Gloria Johnson told Insider Tuesday. "I knew we were breaking a House rule, and I know there is a consequence for breaking a House rule," Johnson told Insider. Rep. Justin Pearson, Rep. Justin Jones, Rep. Gloria Johnson People hold their hands up as they exit the House Chamber doors at the Tennessee State Capitol Building, in Nashville, Tennessee, U.S. April 3, 2023. "I want to stop the guns before they ever get to the schoolhouse doors," Johnson told Insider.

☆ With abortion in the balance, Wisconsin voters to choose new high court judge
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-04 | by ( Joseph Ax | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

[1/9] Supporters of Wisconsin Supreme Court candidate Daniel Kelly cheer during a campaign event the night before Wisconsin's Supreme Court election, in Waukesha, Wisconsin, U.S., April 3, 2023. Abortion has dominated the campaign, with the court expected in the coming months to decide whether to uphold the state's 1849 abortion ban. The state's Democratic attorney general, Josh Kaul, has challenged the statute's validity in a lawsuit backed by Democratic Governor Tony Evers. "Judges are supposed to wear a black robe, but she's made clear she'll be wearing a blue robe," said Mark Jefferson, the state Republican chair. "What we are seeing in this race is an indication that this is a new era for state Supreme Court elections," he said.

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis speaks during an event on his nationwide book tour at Adventure Outdoors, the largest gun store in the country, on March 30, 2023 in Smyrna, Georgia. Disney didn't immediately respond to a request for comment about DeSantis' desire for a probe. The agreement was signed on Feb. 8, the day before the Florida House voted to put DeSantis in charge. The Florida governor took aim at Disney after the company publicly balked at Florida's HB 1557 law early last year. HB 1557, dubbed by critics as the "Don't Say Gay" bill, limits early education teachings on sexual orientation or gender identity.

☆ Bicyclists are getting killed on American streets, and they want Congress to fix it
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-01 | by ( Eliza Relman | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

They're asking for e-bike tax credits and road safety funding, among other things. He's brought that message to Minnesota and federal lawmakers as part of his pro-bicycle advocacy for the last 20 years. This week, bike advocates from all 50 states descended on DC as part of the League of American Bicyclists' National Bike Summit. My kids tease me — please teach me how to ride a bike,'" Grilley said. Lindsey Nicholson/Getty ImagesElectrifying bike transportAdvocates for e-bike tax credits say they reduce the number of car trips people take, cutting emissions and congestion, and boosting public health.

☆ Idaho bill would ban minors from travel for abortions without parental consent
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-31 | by ( Sharon Bernstein | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

The bill would also allow a man who impregnates a woman - including rapists - as well as other family members to sue abortion providers. Idaho already bans almost all abortions, but the state borders Washington, Oregon and Montana, which allow them. "There's no way this bill is constitutional," Gibron said, citing protections in the U.S. constitution for interstate travel. Adults who help girls obtain surgical or medication abortions without parental consent would face a minimum of two years in prison if convicted. The bill initially excluded cases where the pregnancy was the result of rape, but was later amended to remove that language.

☆ A Texas House committee hearing was derailed after prank names like 'Connie Lingus' and 'Anita Dickenmee' were called for public comment
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-31 | by ( Aditi Bharade | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

A Texas House committee meeting on March 29 took an unexpected and hilarious turn. The meeting went awry when people submitted prank names like "Anita Dickenmee" and "Holden Middick." What about Anita Dickenmee? This is the second time in the last month that state legislators have been pranked by people at House committee meetings. At a meeting in Florida last week, Florida Republican Will Robinson Jr. read out names like "Anita Dick" and "Holden Hiscock."

NASHVILLE, Tennessee, March 30 (Reuters) - Protesters flooded Tennessee's statehouse on Thursday to demand lawmakers stiffen gun laws following a school shooting in Nashville that left six people dead, three of them 9-year-old children. Demonstrators held aloft placards reading "No More Silence" and "We have to do better" while chanting "Do you even care?" In the latest incident, the shooter killed three pupils and three staff members at Nashville's Covenant School. Republican lawmakers in Tennessee this week delayed hearings on gun legislation that would expand access to firearms. [1/5] Counter protesters hold anti-trans signs outside the Tennessee State Capitol to call for an end to gun violence and support stronger gun laws after a deadly shooting at the Covenant School in Nashville, Tennessee, U.S. March 30, 2023.

☆ Disney blocks Ron DeSantis' Florida power play with a royal family clause
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-30 | by ( Sarah Whitten | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Disney used a legal clause that name checks King Charles III to apparently thwart Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis' attempt to strip the company of its self-governance power in the state. For nearly a year, state legislators, encouraged by DeSantis, have sought to exert more control over the company's Florida-based theme parks by passing a bill that would dissolve Disney's special tax district. DeSantis also wanted to rename the area the Central Florida Tourism Oversight District and plant a new board to oversee it. As part a 30-year development agreement, Disney no longer needs board approval to build high-density projects or buildings of any height and can sell or assign development rights.

☆ Disney's Florida surprise: an end run around DeSantis
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-30 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/2] People gather at the Magic Kingdom theme park before the "Festival of Fantasy" parade at Walt Disney World in Orlando, Florida, U.S. July 30, 2022. Florida lawmakers passed a bill in February giving Governor Ron DeSantis effective control over a board that oversees municipal services and development in a special district that encompasses Walt Disney World resort. "It completely circumvents the authority of this board to govern," board member Brian Aungst Jr. was quoted as saying. Disney's then-chief executive officer, Bob Chapek, publicly voiced disappointment with the measure, saying he called DeSantis to express concern about it becoming law. In a move political observers viewed as retaliation for Disney's criticism of the Parental Rights in Education Act, Florida lawmakers passed legislation that ended Disney's virtual autonomy in developing 25,000 acres in central Florida where its theme parks are located.

☆ School Choice on the Florida-Georgia Line
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-26 | by ( The Editorial Board | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Georgia and Florida are prosperous neighboring states with GOP Governors and legislatures. But the Sunshine State is far ahead on school choice for students, and it may expand that lead this month if Peach State Republicans fumble on the issue. Florida has long been a leader on K-12 choice, vying with Arizona to offer the most expansive options in the nation. On Thursday Florida caught up with Arizona’s universal education savings account program by making its existing school choice offerings available to any student in the state. The state Senate voted 26-12 for the bill.

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