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☆ Democrats Are Trailing Everywhere But at the Ballot Box
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-16 | by ( Susan Milligan | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +6 min

Democrats scored a big win in New York on Tuesday, and the numbers were extremely encouraging for the party. Across the country, Democrats are winning special elections and overperforming in elections they have predictably lost. And it's fueling optimism among Democrats looking at a challenging election year for both the White House and Congress. Last month, Democrats picked up a critical state House seat in Orlando, Florida – an important indicator of political mood in the I-4 corridor, home to many Hispanics. That doesn't necessarily translate into support for Biden, experts note, since the president often polls lower than Democrats running for lower office.

Persons: Joe Biden, Tom Suozzi, Republican Mazi Pilip, George Santos, Jim McGovern, they've, Donald Trump, Grant Reeher, Reeher, Tuesday's, Yemi Mobolade, Donna Deegan's, Jim Prokopiak, Republican Candace Cabanas, Trump, Biden, Suozzi, – Organizations: Democratic, Republican, GOP Rep, White House, Biden, Syracuse University, Republicans, Senate, GOP, Gallup, Democrats, New York, Siena, Trump, New, Democratic National Committee, Biden's, Palmetto State Locations: New York, Washington, Massachusetts, Colorado Springs , Colorado, Jacksonville , Florida, U.S, Virginia, New Jersey, Kentucky, Orlando , Florida, Pennsylvania, Oklahoma, New Hampshire, South Carolina, In Nevada

Democrat Tom Suozzi flipped a New York congressional seat blue Tuesday night, narrowing the GOP's already razor-thin majority in the House and boosting the spirits of Democrats fretting about President Joe Biden's strength in the fall elections. A centrist Democrat, Suozzi was seeking to get back the job he had before he left to run, unsuccessfully, for the gubernatorial nomination in 2022. Suozzi also faced an electorate unhappy with Biden in general and, in particular, the influx of immigrants over the border. A little-known Nassau County legislator, Pilip is a registered Democrat who was running on the Republican and Conservative Party lines. Democrats also scored a big win in Pennsylvania on Tuesday night, retaining control of the state House with Jim Prokopiak's unexpectedly lopsided victory over Republican Candace Cabanas.

Persons: Tom Suozzi, Joe Biden's, Republican Mazi Pilip, ” Suozzi, ”, Biden, Donald Trump, Alejandro Mayorkas, impeaching, – Suozzi, Democratic Sen, Claire McCaskill, Suozzi, George Santos –, Santos, –, Grace Meng, Pilip, Jim Prokopiak's, Republican Candace Cabanas Organizations: Associated Press, Suozzi, Republican, Nassau, Nassau County Republican, Congressional, Republicans, Homeland, Democratic, MSNBC, Democrat, –, Democratic New York Rep, Conservative Party, Nassau County Republicans, Democrats Locations: York, Nassau County, Israel, Gaza, New, New York, impeaching Mayorkas, Pennsylvania

Johnson isn't buying arguments from the bill's Republican backers that she didn't inspire the proposed change to a longstanding law. Republican state lawmakers who favor the ban have argued that winning twice often means abandoning the lower office, creating a costly special election. Johnson narrowly escaped expulsion last year for her role in a pro-gun control protest inside the Tennessee House chamber. Republican lawmakers are considering changes that target Jones and Pearson, too. In California, a judge ruled Republican state Assemblymember Vince Fong could run for Congress and reelection to his state seat at the same time.

Persons: Johnson, David Hawk, Republican Sen, Marsha Blackburn, “ That’s, Ron DeSantis, Rand Paul, Paul, Sen, Cory Booker, Paul Ryan, Mitt Romney's, Joe Lieberman, Al Gore's, Blackburn, Gloria Johnson, ”, Abigail Sigler, Blackburn's, she’s, Randy McNally, Justin Pearson, Justin Jones, Pearson, Jones, Vince Fong, State Shirley Weber, Marc Levy, Adam Beam, Sean Murphy, Amy Beth Hanson, John Hanna Organizations: Republican, National Conference of State Legislatures, Republican Gov, Republican U.S, Sen, Kentucky GOP, Democratic, Former U.S . Rep, statehouse, Covenant, Tennessee, Congress, State, Democrats, Associated Press Locations: Tennessee, Knoxville, Kentucky, Montana , Kansas, Oklahoma, Arizona , Florida, Hawaii, Georgia, Texas, Florida, New Jersey, Wisconsin, U.S, Connecticut, Washington, California, Pennsylvania, Harrisburg , Pennsylvania, Sacramento , California, Oklahoma City, Helena , Montana, Topeka , Kansas

Special elections Tuesday could provide a high-stakes assessment of how suburban voters feel about the border, abortion rights, the two leading presidential candidates and whether the House of Representatives should be led by Democrats or Republicans. In another race, to fill a vacant seat in the Pennsylvania General Assembly, Democrat Jim Prokopiak is in a close race against Republican Candace Cabanas. But it’s the New York race that has the attention of election-watchers because of its amplified importance in the closely divided House of Representatives. Should Democrats prevail in the toss-up election, they'll flip the seat held by Santos and give themselves some momentum heading into November. Pilip has cast Suozzi as weak on border security, a powerful issue in a state where migrants have been transported after coming over the southern border.

Persons: George Santos, Democrat Jim Prokopiak, Republican Candace Cabanas, Santos, Don Levy, Tom Suozzi, Mazi, Levy, Pilip, Suozzi, Bill Cunningham, Tom Bonier, Bonier, Cunningham, Joe Biden Organizations: Democrats, Voters, Republican, Assembly, Democrat, York, GOP, Siena College Research Institute, Democratic, Rep, Federal, Commission Locations: , New York, Pennsylvania, York, New York

Michelle Lujan Grisham has advocated for a more robust spending package, a 10% annual spending increase that would shore up housing opportunities, childhood literacy and health care access. Senate budget amendments apply $75 million in state matching funds to the effort. Under another $1.5 million budget provision, New Mexico would for the first time help compensate landowners and agricultural producers when wolves are confirmed to have killed livestock or working animals. The fund underwrites an array of conservation programs at state natural resources agencies, from soil enhancement programs in agriculture to conservation of threatened and big-game species. The Legislature's budget bill would place $512 million in the trust.

Persons: Michelle Lujan Grisham, Sen, George Muñoz, ” Muñoz, Biden, ”, Nathan Small Organizations: SANTA FE, Texas, New, New Mexico Gov, Democratic, Gallup, ” Locations: SANTA, New Mexico, Las Cruces

HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) — The resignation of a Republican lawmaker in the previously deadlocked Pennsylvania House of Representatives has put the balance of power back to Democrats, ahead of a special election next week for another vacant position. A Democrat's resignation last year had the House deadlocked at 101-101, and a special election next week will fill that vacancy. Photos You Should See View All 21 ImagesThe resignation queues up another special election for the chamber, which will be scheduled as early as two months from now. Next week’s special election in Bucks County, for a seat that has historically favored Democrats, will now either strengthen Democrats’ hold, or return the chamber to a deadlock until the election for Adams’ seat. In a statement, a spokesperson for the Speaker of the House said information about the election would be forthcoming.

Persons: Joe Adams, Pike, ”, Josh Shapiro, Adams ’, Donald Trump, Adams Organizations: Republican, Pennsylvania, Representatives, Democratic, Gov, Democrat, Republicans, ’ Locations: HARRISBURG, Pa, Pike, Wayne, Pennsylvania, Bucks County

☆ Nikki Haley goes after Trump and Biden as ‘grumpy old men’ even as she courts older voters in South Carolina
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-06 | by ( Aaron Pellish | Kylie Atwood | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +16 min

But the Haley campaign is also courting the support of South Carolina retirees, a growing portion of the Republican primary voter pool. She said on Twitter that this was her first Christmas card when she announced she would be running for the South Carolina state legislature. Nikki Haley/Twitter Haley celebrates with her family after being elected governor of South Carolina in November 2010. Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images Haley and her family walk back into the South Carolina State House after her inauguration in 2011. Demetrius Freeman/The Washington Post/Getty Images Haley visits a farm during a campaign stop in Grand Mound, Iowa, in September 2023.

Persons: Hilton, Nikki Haley, ” Haley, Donald Trump’s, Trump, Joe Biden, Haley, Maureen Bulger, intently, ” Bulger, “, ”, Biden, NBC’s, Ron DeSantis, Anna Memmo, it’s, ” Memmo, Ray Makalous, he’s, ” Makalous, Laura Holtzman, “ Trump, ” Holtzman, ” ‘, ’ Haley, aren’t, Larry Greenwold, ” Greenwold, Greenwold, he’d, Travis Dove, Michael, Nalin, Rena, Twitter Haley, Gerry Melendez, AP Haley, Chip Somodevilla, Tim Dominick, Getty Images Haley, Mitt Romney, Justin Sullivan, Alex Wong, Michael Haley, Rainier Ehrhardt, Jaswinder Singh, Narinder Nanu, Bobby Jindal, Jindal, Win McNamee, Sean Rayford, Saul Loeb, Mike Pence, Drew Angerer, State Rex Tillerson, Matthew Rycroft, Boris Johnson, Bryan R, Smith, Raad Adayleh, Brendan Smialowski, Spencer Platt, Evan Vucci, Kevin Lamarque, Don Bolduc, Brian Snyder, Jonathan Ernst, Jake Tapper, Will Lanzoni, Demetrius Freeman, Rachel Mummey, Jonathan Newton, Ed Spears, Spears, ” Spears, Carol Carty, ” Carty, “ It’s, that’s, “ I’ve, Trumper Organizations: , South Carolina CNN, South, Republican, Census Bureau, Biden, Hilton Head, New, Democratic, Republican Party, Trump, Florida Gov, Washington Post, Monmouth University, United Nations, CNN, State House, New York Times, Twitter, AP, Capitol, South Carolina State House, Getty Images, Conservative Political, Conference, Army National Guard, Getty, Louisiana Gov, National Governors Association, Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church, United Nations Security Council, UN, State, British, Norwegian Refugee Council, Gali Tibbon, UN Security, West Bank, The United States, Anadolu Agency, Republican National Convention Locations: , South Carolina, South Carolina, New Jersey, United States, New Hampshire, Trump, Iowa, Virginia, Hilton Head, Kansas, New York, CNN’s New Hampshire, Columbia , South Carolina, Afghanistan, Amritsar, India, AFP, Charleston , South Carolina, Columbia, State, Syrian, Jerusalem, Gali, Kuwait, Gaza, Londonderry , New Hampshire, Des Moines , Iowa, Grand Mound , Iowa, Miami

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — One year after passing a law that allows Ukrainian immigrants on humanitarian parole to receive driver’s licenses, Indiana lawmakers are trying to repeal it after a federal judge recently ruled that the law must extend to all parolees. A group of Haitian immigrants living in Indiana under the same federal designation sued the state over the law, saying it was discriminatory and unconstitutional. The American Civil Liberties Union of Indiana and the National Immigration Law Center are representing the Haitian immigrants in the ongoing lawsuit, which seeks to permanently undo the Ukrainian stipulation. Gavin Rose, senior staff attorney with the ACLU of Indiana, told The Associated Press it's not clear how the suit would be affected if the bill, House Bill 1162, becomes law. “I think that status is being granted to people that we would have problems with.”The bill passed 89-8 in the Republican-controlled state House without debate and now advances to the state Senate.

Persons: Gavin Rose, Bill, ” Rose, Jim Pressel, Matt Lehman, “, ” Organizations: INDIANAPOLIS, —, American Civil Liberties Union of Indiana, National Immigration Law, ACLU, Associated Press, Senate, Republican Locations: Indiana, U.S, Ukraine, Ukrainian, Haiti, United States

SANTA FE, N.M. (AP) — A second defendant has pleaded guilty to federal charges in connection with a series of drive-by shootings at the homes of state and local lawmakers in Albuquerque after the 2022 election, the FBI and U.S. Attorney's Office announced Friday. Demetrio Trujillo pleaded guilty to criminal conspiracy, election interference and firearms-related charges, officials said. Raul Bujanda, special agent in charge of the FBI Albuquerque field office, announced the developments in a news release. Demetrio's son Jose Louise Trujillo previously pleaded guilty to illegal use of a firearm in connection with the shootings, as well as fentanyl possession with the intent to distribute. No one was injured, but in one case bullets passed through the bedroom of a state senator’s 10-year-old daughter.

Persons: —, Demetrio Trujillo, Raul Bujanda, Solomon Peña, Peña, Donald Trump, Demetrio's, Jose Louise Trujillo, Alexander Uballez Organizations: SANTA FE, FBI, Attorney's, Federal, Republican, Democratic Locations: SANTA, Albuquerque, FBI Albuquerque, U.S, New Mexico

Presumptive Medicaid eligibility during pregnancy would be based on questions about income, asked by health care providers such as employees of county health departments. In Mississippi, Medicaid coverage for pregnant women 19 and older is based on income. Mississippi Medicaid coverage is available to all income levels for those who are pregnant and younger than 19. Democratic Rep. John Hines Sr. of Greenville said earlier eligibility for Medicaid coverage during pregnancy could help the state in recruiting OB-GYNs. In 2023, Mississippi extended postpartum Medicaid coverage from two months to a full year, with Republican Gov.

Persons: JACKSON, “, Missy McGee, McGee, John Hines Sr, Hines, Tate Reeves, Michael Goldberg Organizations: Medicaid, Mississippi, of Health, Democratic, OB, Senate, Republican Gov, Associated Press Locations: Miss, Mississippi, Hattiesburg, U.S, In Mississippi, Greenville, Louisiana

☆ Trump's early organizing across the South is paying off as he faces off against Nikki Haley
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-31 | by ( John L. Dorman | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

The Trump campaign shrewdly worked to gain the backing of top Republicans early in the 2024 race. Former South Carolina Gov. AP Photo/Matt KelleyBy courting Republicans early, Trump essentially created a sense of inevitably around his campaign among many GOP voters, a significant impediment for Haley. DeSantis was once seen as a major threat to Trump's hold over the South, but the Florida governor didn't even make it to the South Carolina primary. Trump now leads Haley among potential GOP primary voters 81%-18%, according to the latest Morning Consult tracking poll.

Persons: shrewdly, Trump, Nikki Haley, —, Donald Trump, Henry McMaster, Sen, Lindsey Graham, Carolina Sen, Tim Scott, Ron DeSantis, Graham, Haley, It's, Gov, Dan Patrick, Ken Paxton, Wesley Hunt, Sid Miller, Greg Abbott, Joe Biden's, Trump's, Matt Kelley, DeSantis, didn't, House . Alabama Sen, Tommy Tuberville, He's, They're Organizations: Trump, Service, South Carolina State House, GOP, Gov, Florida Gov, Former South Carolina Gov, McMaster, Texas ., Texas . Texas Republicans, Republican, AP, South, Alabama Republicans, House . Alabama Locations: Carolina, Florida, Iowa, Texas, Texas . Texas, California, South Carolina, Alabama , Arkansas, North Carolina, Tennessee, Georgia, Mississippi

The candidates are looking to replace two Democratic representatives who stepped down last year after winning mayoral races in their hometowns. That eliminated the Democrats’ two-seat majority in the state House, and the chamber has been stuck in a 54-54 deadlock since, with minimal voting activity this year. Both the 13th and 25th districts have historically voted Democratic, making Xiong and Herzberg the favorites to win the April 16 general election. Gretchen Whitmer and cruised to victory over two other Democratic candidates, including former state Rep. LaMar Lemmons III. Herzberg beat out four other Democratic candidates, including one that had been endorsed by Whitmer.

Persons: Mai Xiong, Peter Herzberg, Xiong, Ronald Singer, Herzberg, Josh Powell, Gretchen Whitmer, LaMar Lemmons III, Whitmer Organizations: — Democratic, Representatives, Republican, Democratic, Westland City Council, 13th, District, Democratic Gov, Rep Locations: LANSING, Mich, Detroit, Michigan, Macomb County, Westland, 25th

Missouri Republicans have been trying for years to make it harder to amend the constitution. State Sen. Bill Eigel, a member of the Freedom Caucus, said the hope is for Republican Gov. The standoff ended Tuesday morning, with Freedom Caucus members allowing a confirmation vote on several gubernatorial appointees they had been blocking. Senate leaders said the disruptions by the Freedom Caucus only delayed action on the very policies those members support. Speaking to hundreds of allies who gathered in the Capitol halls to show their support, Freedom Caucus members lauded the end of the filibuster as a win.

Persons: State Sen, Bill Eigel, Mike Parson, ” Eigel, Eigel, Sen, Mary Elizabeth Coleman's, Pro Tem Caleb Rowden, ” Rowden, Denise Lieberman, ” Organizations: JEFFERSON CITY, Missouri Senate, Republicans, Caucus, Missouri Republicans, State, Freedom Caucus, Republican Gov, Republican, Ohio Republicans, Missouri, Legislature, Pro, ”, ” Missouri Voter Protection Locations: Mo, Missouri, Ohio, ” Missouri

“Here in Florida, you’ve had a real dose of Trumpism,” Biden told donors in nearby Jupiter, Florida where Trump owns a golf course. “You’re the reason Donald Trump is a defeated president,” Biden said to the attendees. Along with North Carolina, Florida is a state Biden lost in 2020 but which his campaign sees as a pickup opportunity. It’s a very tall order for the Biden campaign. The president lost Florida voters 65 and older to Trump by 10 points in 2020, a wider gap than his 5-point deficit nationally.

Persons: Biden, Donald Trump, Joe Biden’s, you’ve, ” Biden, ”, “, hadn’t, Trump’s, Republican megadonors, Nikki Haley, Biden’s, he’ll, Trump, MAGA, GOP Sen, Rick Scott, Ron DeSantis ’, Joe Biden, Joe Raedle, DeSantis, Donna Deegan, Nikki Fried, Fried, Tom Brenner, Democratic handwringing, That’s, Barack Obama, Bill Clinton Organizations: Trump, ” Air Force, Palm Beach International, Republican, Palm Beach, South, GOP, Republicans, Democrats, ., Sunshine State, Florida voters, Social Security, Medicare, Gov, University of Tampa, Democrat, Jacksonville, Florida Supreme, Florida Democrats, CNN, Democratic, Democratic Party, South Carolina's, State Fairgrounds, Reuters, ”, NBC News Locations: Jupiter, Miami , Florida Florida, Florida, Jupiter , Florida, New York, Palm, Palm Beach, South Carolina, Miami, North Carolina , Florida, Lago, Los Angeles, Columbia , South Carolina, Iowa

Circuit Court of appeals denied the request for the case to go before the full 8th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals after a panel ruled 2-1 last year that only the U.S. attorney general can enforce Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act. Political Cartoons View All 253 ImagesThe 8th Circuit ruling applies only to federal courts covered by the district, which includes Arkansas, Iowa, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota and South Dakota. “The decision by the Eighth Circuit to not revisit the case is a serious blow to the rights of Arkansas voters," Holly Dickson, executive director of the ACLU of Arkansas, said in a statement. The Arkansas lawsuit challenges the state House redistricting plan, which was approved in 2021 by the all-Republican state Board of Apportionment.

Persons: weren't, ”, David Stras, Donald Trump, Holly Dickson, ’, Tim Griffin, “, Arkansans, Griffin, Steven Colloton, Colloton, George W, Bush, Barack Obama, ” Colloton, Lavenski Smith Organizations: —, U.S, Supreme, Circuit, The, Arkansas State Conference NAACP, Republicans, American Civil Liberties Union, Eighth Circuit, Black, Republican Locations: The Arkansas, Arkansas, Arkansas , Iowa, Minnesota , Missouri , Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota, Southern

☆ South Carolina lawmaker Brandon Guffey is suing Instagram after his son died by suicide
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-30 | by ( Faith Karimi | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

CNN —About two weeks after his oldest son’s funeral, South Carolina state house Rep. Brandon Guffey says he received a private Instagram message with a laughing emoji. Then Guffey and his younger son began to get messages demanding money in exchange for nude photos of his late son. South Carolina State Rep. Brandon Guffey in an undated photo with his wife, Melissa, and their sons, Gavin, 17, Coen, 16, and Callahan, 4. Minutes before he died by suicide in July 2022, Gavin Guffey sent his brother and friends this text message. South Carolina state Rep. Brandon Guffey, right, has lobbied hard for tougher penalties for sextortion scammers.

Persons: Brandon Guffey, Gavin Guffey, Guffey, Gavin, Melissa, Coen, Callahan, they’ve, Gavin Guffey texted, Gavin texted, Henry McMaster, scammers, Brandon Guffey “, ” Guffey, “, ”, ‘, “ Meta, It’s, ” Douglas DePodesta, ” Gavin Guffey, Jordan DeMay, Ryan Last, sextortion scammers, I’m, they’re, “ They’re, he’s, He’s Organizations: CNN, Meta, South Carolina State Rep, Gov, FBI, United States Attorney’s Office, Western, Western District of Michigan, Facebook, Rep, sextortion, Communications Locations: South Carolina, “, Rock Hill , South Carolina, Venmo, Memphis, United, Western District, Nigeria, Marquette , Michigan, San Jose , California

Utah's governor signed a bill into law Tuesday that makes the state the latest to prohibit diversity training, hiring and inclusion programs at universities and in state government. The measure signed by Spencer Cox, a Republican who previously said he supported the idea, had cleared the state House and Senate by wide, party-line majorities. The measures have a heavy focus on higher education, but Republicans are also sponsoring ones that would limit DEI in K-12 schools, state government, state contracting and pension investments. They include measures to reverse Florida’s recent ban on DEI in higher education and measures to require considerations in the K-12 school curriculum. Republican-led Florida and Texas were first to enact broad-based laws banning DEI efforts in higher education last year.

Persons: Utah's, Spencer Cox, Cox, vetoing, We’ve, ” Cox, Keith Grover Organizations: Republican, Associated Locations: Washington, New Jersey, Florida, Texas, Iowa, Oklahoma

“This has to do with following state funds,” said Republican Sen Matt Brass of Newnan. But the committee can't directly sanction Willis, and Democrats denounced it as a partisan attempt to try to play to Trump and his supporters. People can already be prosecuted for making false statements to Georgia lawmakers. Those are among the criminal charges that Rudy Giuliani and some others face for the false claims they made to Georgia lawmakers in late 2020. Most of the top supporters are Republican lawmakers who also publicly backed Trump's efforts to overturn Georgia's 2020 election results, including Republican Lt. Gov.

Persons: Fani Willis, Donald Trump, ”, Republican Sen Matt Brass, Brian Kemp, Willis, “, Democratic Sen, David Lucas, Trump, Michael Roman, Nathan Wade, Ashleigh Merchant, Roman, Wade, Martin Luther King Jr, Wade —, —, Republican State Sen, Brandon Beach, Rudy Giuliani, Joe Biden, Georgia's, Burt Jones, Jones, “ I’ve, ” Jones, I’ve, ” Kemp, Josh McLaurin, ” McLaurin Organizations: ATLANTA, —, Democratic, Republican, Trump, Republican State, ”, Republicans, Democrats, Gov, New Locations: — Georgia's, Fulton County, misspent, Macon, Atlanta, Miami, San Francisco, Brandon, Alpharetta, Georgia, New Hampshire

Haley’s campaign leaned into those attacks Thursday, releasing T-shirts emblazoned with the words“Barred. “We need to unite around our eventual nominee, which is Donald Trump,” Republican National Committee Chairwoman Ronna McDaniel said Tuesday on Fox News. In the final days before the GOP primary there, Trump paraded a series of South Carolina Republican officials onstage at his rallies, including Gov. Worst of all, no one returned my calls.”Fundraising dried up, and Haley’s campaign directed most of its funds to TV. “Any other person probably would have just quit and caved in there, but she knew that South Carolina needed her,” Ballentine said.

Persons: Nikki Haley, Donald Trump’s, Haley, Trump’s, Trump, ”, Joe Biden —, Donald, ” Haley’s, —, he’s, “, “ Nikki ‘ Birdbrain ’ Haley, ” Trump, MAGA, ” Haley, Nimarata Nikki Randhawa, “ Nikki ”, Michael Haley’s, Barack Obama, Hussein, Donald Donald Trump, Jabin, Biden, — Trump, Donald Trump, Ronna McDaniel, Dave Bossie, I’m, ” Trump’s, Henry McMaster, Gov, Pamela Evette, South Carolina Sen, Tim Scott —, ” Scott, Pope, ” Pope, Reid Hoffman, Dmitri Mehlhorn, ” Mehlhorn, Biden’s, ’ Haley, Nathan Ballentine, “ She’s, David Goldman, –, Mark Sanford –, he’d, ” Ballentine, Sarah Palin, McMaster, she’d, hasn’t, Chip Felkel, it’s, Felkel, you’ve, ” Felkel, Schouten, Jeff Zeleny, Ebony Davis, Daniel Strauss, Kristen Holmes Organizations: CNN, Former South Carolina Gov, Republican, Republicans, Trump, New Hampshire —, Palmetto State, New Hampshire, Republican Party, True American Patriots, United Nations, Fox News, Washington Post, GOP, ” Republican, RNC, South Carolina Republican, Gov, Senate, North Carolina Republican, “, LinkedIn, Haley, PAC, SFA, Inc, New, SC, Super, Biden, – South Carolina Gov, South, South Carolina GOP Locations: New Hampshire, North Charleston, South Carolina, New, Nashua , New Hampshire, Maryland, North Carolina, Columbia , South Carolina, Argentina, Carolina

Mike DeWine’s veto of a bill that would bar transgender minors from receiving puberty blockers, hormone therapy or gender transition surgery. The move by the Republican-controlled state legislature comes less than four weeks after the Republican governor’s veto. For Ohio residents, that means that only transgender minors who have already begun transition care treatments will be able to receive them. Last year, at least 20 states, all with Republican-controlled legislatures, passed bans or restrictions on gender transition care for young people. Before 2023, only three states had passed restrictions on gender transition medical care for minors, according to a New York Times analysis.

Persons: Mike DeWine’s, DeWine’s Organizations: Republican, Senate, Ohio, Williams Institute, New York Times

A combative Nikki Haley brought her presidential campaign back to South Carolina on Wednesday after a disappointing defeat the night before in New Hampshire, and told a boisterous crowd in a cavernous ballroom in North Charleston that she would fight Donald J. Trump for the Republican nomination. “The political elites in this state and around the country say we just need to let Donald Trump have this,” she told her supporters, who were jeering at the idea. We’ve got 48 more.”Nowhere is more immediately important than South Carolina, where she served two terms as governor before being tapped to serve as Mr. Trump’s first ambassador to the United Nations. But just because it’s her home state does not mean it is friendly territory. As she made her case for pressing on, the former president significantly consolidated his support.

Persons: Nikki Haley, Donald J, Trump, Donald Trump, ”, We’ve, Trump’s, it’s, Haley Organizations: Republican, United Nations, Republican National Committee Locations: South Carolina, New Hampshire, North Charleston

The state House will be tied 54-54 until at least April, when special elections for two open seats are set to be held. "We will build a Michigan where if you get knocked down, you have the support you need to get back up. Political Cartoons View All 253 ImagesMuch of work highlighted in Whitmer's speech aligned with the key issues that national Democrats are stressing ahead of the November election. It remains to be seen how soon, if at all, Whitmer's initiatives will be brought before state lawmakers. Democrats are expected to win both seats easily, which would allow them to push through their agenda beginning in late April.

Persons: Gretchen Whitmer, ”, Whitmer, “, Joe Biden's, Matt Hall, Aric Nesbitt Organizations: —, Democratic Locations: LANSING, Mich, — Michigan, State, Michigan

BISMARCK, N.D. (AP) — A former North Dakota lawmaker is running for the state's only seat in the U.S. House of Representatives. Republican Rick Becker, a plastic surgeon in Bismarck, announced his campaign on Monday. Republican U.S. Rep. Kelly Armstrong, an attorney and former state senator, said earlier this month that he is running for reelection to the seat he first won in 2018. “It's not so much a matter that I'm interested in tearing him down, it's simply I present an option for voters," Becker said. Becker also is leading a proposed 2024 ballot initiative to eliminate local property taxes.

Persons: —, Rick Becker, Republican Sen, John Hoeven, Katrina Christiansen, Kelly Armstrong, Trygve Hammer, Becker, Armstrong, “ It's, it's Organizations: N.D, North, U.S . House, Representatives, Senate, Republican, Republican U.S . Rep, Bastiat Caucus, Trump Locations: BISMARCK, North Dakota, U.S, Bismarck

ATLANTA (AP) — With a runup in home values sparking higher property taxes for many Georgia homeowners, there is a groundswell among state lawmakers in this election year to provide relief. Political Cartoons View All 253 ImagesIn Texas, voters in November approved a plan cutting property taxes by $18 billion. Pennsylvania is using lottery proceeds to cut property taxes and subsidize rent for seniors and people with disabilities. That owner would have paid more except for a $950 million property tax rebate championed by Gov. More than $2 billion in property value in Columbus is shielded from taxation by homestead exemptions which don't allow for any rise in value.

Persons: Jon Burns, Newington, ”, Jared Walczak, Chuck Hufstetler, Bill, I’ve, Hufstetler, Burt Jones, It's, Atlanta Sen, Jason Esteves, Esteves, Burns, Shaw Blackmon, Kathleen, That's, Suzanne Widenhouse, Brian Kemp, Widenhouse, ” Widenhouse Organizations: ATLANTA, Georgia's, Republican, Tax Foundation, Democratic, Finance, Rome Republican, Associated Press, Georgia Department, Revenue, Georgia counties, Association of, of Georgia, Gov, Atlanta Locations: Georgia, Texas, Kansas, Colorado, Pennsylvania, California, Muscogee County, Columbus

Over 100,000 people have used such “same-day registration” in North Carolina during each of the last two presidential election years, so slight adjustments in the closely divided state could make a difference in this November's elections for president, governor and other statewide positions. Early in-person voting — and thus same-day registration — for the March 5 primaries begins Feb. 15. Giving people only one chance to verify by mail would be a “substantial burden on same-day registrants who cast a ballot,” Schroeder said. Schroeder acknowledged there are legitimate interests in using address verification to promote preserving the integrity of the election process and instilling voter confidence. But he wrote the plaintiffs have shown the “precise interests asserted in this case likely do not outweigh the substantial burden on the rights of same-day registrants who cast a ballot.”In 2020, about 2,150 same-day registration applicants in North Carolina failed the address verification.

Persons: District Judge Thomas Schroeder, Roy Cooper's, Schroeder, George W, Bush, ” Schroeder, Tim Moore, Grey Mills, “, mailer, ” Organizations: —, North, District, Republican, Assembly, Democratic Gov, Democratic, . Postal Service, Grey, State Board, Democratic National Committee, Democratic Party Locations: RALEIGH, N.C, North Carolina, U.S

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