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☆ Colorado Republicans reckon with string of major electoral losses as Democrats strengthen their hand in the onetime GOP stronghold
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-20 | by ( John L. Dorman | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Colorado Republicans are reckoning with an increasingly Democratic tint of the Western state. Republicans lost the Colorado Springs mayoralty this week, a stunning blow for the state party. Independent candidate Yemi Mobolade easily defeated former Colorado Republican Secretary of State Wayne W. Williams in a May 16 runoff election for the mayoralty of Colorado Springs, a longtime conservative stronghold. "I think it's literally demographics are the hugest reason why Colorado is shifting more blue. The people moving into our state are by and large more liberal, and the people leaving our state are by and large, more conservative," former state Republican chair Kristi Burton Brown recently told The Hill.

☆ Disney can play Scrooge with Florida
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-19 | by ( Lauren Silva Laughlin | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

NEW YORK, May 18 (Reuters Breakingviews) - Walt Disney (DIS.N) isn’t mickey-mousing around. Disney’s threatened retreat from the state is meaningful, and it can get worse for the state’s leader, Governor Ron DeSantis. But overall, Disney is one of the largest employers in Florida, and a massive contributor to the tourism economy. Follow @thereallsl on TwitterCONTEXT NEWSWalt Disney is cancelling plans to build a nearly $1 billion corporate campus, according to an email to employees on Thursday. Disney parks chief Josh D'Amaro said "changing business conditions" prompted Disney to reconsider its 2021 plan to relocate employees.

☆ Breakingviews: Disney can play Scrooge with Florida
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-19 | by ( Lauren Silva Laughlin | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

CNN —North Carolina’s Republican-led General Assembly moved Tuesday to ban most abortions after 12 weeks, voting to override a veto from Democratic Gov. The state House voted 72-48 along party lines hours after the state Senate voted 30-20 to do the same. A three-fifths vote in both chambers, where Republicans hold supermajorities, was needed to override the governor’s previous rejection of the measure. “We are going to have to kick it into an even higher gear when that veto stamp comes down. Cotham, who had campaigned in favor of abortion rights as a Democrat and sponsored legislation earlier in the legislative session to codify Roe v. Wade, was one of the Republicans who voted for the abortion ban.

☆ Atlanta Prosecutors Drop Effort to Remove Defense Lawyer in Trump Inquiry
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-10 | by ( Richard Fausset | Danny Hakim | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +4 min

The Georgia investigation could potentially result in another state-level criminal indictment of Mr. Trump, following his indictment in New York in early April. Ms. Willis indicated late last month that any indictments, initially anticipated in May, would not come until mid-July at the earliest. Ms. Willis also said at the time that Ms. Debrow was representing people who were making accusations against another one of her clients, amounting to an untenable conflict. He was, for a time, Ms. Debrow and Ms. Pierson’s client, but is now represented by Ms. Pierson and another lawyer. Both Ms. Pierson and Ms. Debrow have been paid by the state Republican Party.

☆ GOP turns on Texas lawmaker investigated for having sex with a teenage intern after he resigned but didn't apologize
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-09 | by ( Katie Balevic | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Rep. Bryan Slaton, 45, resigned after a Texas House investigative committee recommended he be expelled. The committee said Slaton had sex with a teenage intern and then pressured her and others to keep the conduct a secret. Some of Slaton's fellow Republicans expressed outrage at his conduct and his resignation, which notably lacked an apology, according to the Texas Tribune. Texas House of Representatives. Slaton also asked a fellow lawmaker to "support" him and keep the situation a secret, the investigation report said.

☆ DeSantis collects wins as Florida Legislature caps whirlwind session, teeing up possible White House bid
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-05 | by ( Kevin Breuninger | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +10 min

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis speaks during a conference titled "Celebrate the Faces of Israel" at Jerusalem's Museum of Tolerance, on April 27, 2023. Measures like the restrictive abortion law DeSantis signed could help him in a GOP primary, but may reduce his appeal in a general election. Lawmakers have also passed multiple measures that could help clear DeSantis' path to the White House, if and when he decides to run. "The entire session was focused on Governor DeSantis' run for president," said Jim Clark, a University of Central Florida senior lecturer and political commentator, in an interview. On top of those issues, DeSantis in March waded into the "school choice" debate by signing a bill expanding Florida's school voucher system.

☆ Opinion | A Hot Mess in the Georgia Republican Party
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-01 | by ( Michelle Cottle | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +2 min

At what point does this party become mostly a bastion of wingnuts, spiraling into chaos and irrelevance? Just cast your eyes upon Georgia, one of the nation’s electoral battlegrounds, where the state Republican Party has gone so far down the MAGA rabbit hole that many of its officeholders — including Gov. The backstory: Some Republican incumbents took offense last year when the Georgia G.O.P.’s Trump-smitten chairman, David Shafer, backed Trump-preferred challengers in the primaries. (Mr. Trump, you will recall, was desperate to unseat several Republicans after they declined to help him steal the 2020 election.) “That’s a burn that’s hard to get over,” says Brian Robinson, a Republican strategist who served as an adviser to former Gov.

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.

☆ 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.

☆ 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.

☆ Trump holds wide lead over DeSantis among Georgia GOP voters in a 2024 primary poll despite the ex-president's endorsement flops against top state Republicans last year
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-15 | by ( John L. Dorman | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Donald Trump holds a wide lead over Ron DeSantis in a new Georgia GOP presidential poll. Trump led DeSantis 51%-30% with all candidates in the race and led 51%-41% in a one-on-one matchup. Ron DeSantis of Florida in a recent 2024 presidential poll of Georgia Republican voters. The results show the ex-president's continued dominance over the party despite his high-profile endorsement misfires against GOP Gov. In a poll conducted by the School of Public and International Affairs at the University of Georgia, Trump led DeSantis 51%-30%, with 4% backing former Gov.

April 11 (Reuters) - Florida Governor Ron DeSantis's newly formed oversight board is seeking to assert control over development in two cities where Walt Disney World Resort is located, the latest twist in a battle for authority over the company's Florida theme parks. A resolution, seen on Tuesday by Reuters, would give the Central Florida Tourism Oversight District board the power to review and evaluate development in the 25,000-square acres of property in and around Walt Disney Co's (DIS.N) theme parks. The district would hold "superior authority and control" over planning, zoning and other land use in the cities of Bay Lake and Lake Buena Vista, under a Florida law that formed the state-appointed oversight board. A spokesperson for Lake Buena Vista and Bay Lake did not respond to Reuters' request for comment. A spokesperson for the oversight board referred inquiries to an attorney, who was not immediately available for comment.

☆ 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."

☆ 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.

☆ 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.

☆ Why Barack Obama, Hillary Clinton, and other major Dems are going all out for a state Supreme Court race in Wisconsin
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-24 | by ( Nicole Gaudiano | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Stakes are high in an April Supreme Court election in the battleground state of Wisconsin. Normally, you wouldn't see high-profile figures like former President Barack Obama and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton weighing in on an upcoming state Supreme Court election. That's nearly double that of the previous record for a state Supreme Court seat. Wikler said the results could affect control of the US Congress, the Supreme Court, the White House in 2024. The state Democratic Party is helping fund Protasiewicz's campaign while other Democratic power players are working to drive interest in the race.

☆ Florida drag queen says DeSantis-backed anti-LGBTQ laws are 'exactly what we were taught about in schools about how the Nazis rose to power'
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-17 | by ( Chris Panella | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

A Florida drag queen compared legislation targeting LGBTQ issues backed by Gov. Other drag queens and local politicians called the administration's efforts "fascism." Florida doesn't feel like home, one drag queen saidAdrien, who was born and raised in South Florida, is now an Orlando-based drag queen and said recent anti-LGBTQ political shifts make the state feel like it's no longer home. 'Those safe spaces will go away'Jason DeShazo is president of Rose Dynasty Foundation Inc. and performs as drag queen Momma Ashley Rose. And both drag queens say they'll still perform.

☆ DeSantis' hand-picked Walt Disney World oversight board meets for the first time
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-08 | by ( Dawn Chmielewski | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

REUTERS/Octavio JonesMarch 8 (Reuters) - A new board controlling Walt Disney World's special taxing district in Florida will meet for the first time on Wednesday, as Governor Ron DeSantis' hand-picked group gets ready to end the entertainment giant's "corporate kingdom." Nothing in the language of the legislation creating the Central Florida Tourism Oversight District gives the board of supervisors authority to direct Walt Disney Co's (DIS.N) content. "The District board members are now in place and will be examining all of the needed actions to get back on track," Bryan Griffin, a spokesman for the governor, said on Tuesday. Legislators in Florida passed a bill in February giving DeSantis effective control over a board that oversees municipal services and development in a special district that encompasses Walt Disney World resort. “Shameful to see Disney continue to use children as pawns to advance their WOKE political agenda,” Ziegler tweeted.

☆ Texas congressman who broke with GOP is censured
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-04 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

That independent streak includes opposing a sweeping House GOP immigration proposal over the U.S.-Mexico border, which includes a large portion of his South Texas district. Gonzales was defiant before the vote and did not attend the meeting of Texas GOP leaders and activists in Austin. "The Republican Party of Texas would be wise to follow his lead and do some actual work." Last year, former Texas GOP Chairman Allen West stepped down from the job to mount a faint primary challenge against Republican Gov. The state party in 2018 also censured a former moderate Texas House speaker who opposed bathroom restrictions for transgender people.

☆ How Trump allies and wealthy donors helped to fuel the GOP fight against ESG investing platforms
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-01 | by ( Brian Schwartz | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +8 min

The conference was organized by the conservative leaning State Financial Officers Foundation, a tax exempt 501(c)(3) nonprofit group that does not publicly disclose its donors. Members of the State Financial Officers Foundations are all powerful state Republican officials, many of whom have scrutinized ESG practices or pulled back billions of dollars from investing firms. A representative for the State Financial Officers Foundation did not return a request for comment. Some of those organizations participated in a similar State Financial Officers Foundation gathering in Washington D.C. in November 2022, according to an agenda. One of the organizations that attended last February is the 1792 Exchange, a nonprofit sponsor of the State Financial Officers Foundation.

[1/3] A Walt Disney World photographer holds a Pride rainbow-coloured Mickey Mouse cutout before the "Festival of Fantasy" parade at the Walt Disney World Magic Kingdom theme park in Orlando, Florida, U.S. July 30, 2022. REUTERS/Octavio JonesFeb 27 (Reuters) - Florida Governor Ron DeSantis on Monday signed a bill that asserts state oversight on the land surrounding Walt Disney World, dramatically changing a special tax district that for half a century allowed Walt Disney Co (DIS.N) to operate with a high degree of autonomy. “The corporate kingdom finally comes to an end,” DeSantis said during a press event at Lake Buena Vista in Orlando. In March, Disney’s then-chief executive officer, Bob Chapek, publicly voiced disappointment with the bill limiting LGBTQ discussion in schools, saying he called DeSantis to express concern about the legislation becoming law. Disney World is the largest employer in central Florida with close to 75,000 employees and drew 36.2 million visitors in 2021, according to the Themed Entertainment Association.

☆ Georgia special grand jury wants multiple indictments for Trump's efforts to overturn 2020 election: 'It's not rocket science'
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-21 | by ( Jacob Shamsian | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

The Georgia special grand jury that probed efforts to overturn the 2020 election wanted criminal charges against multiple people. Its forewoman told The New York Times "it's not rocket science" when asked if Trump was on the list. Fulton County DA Fani Willis must now decide whether to bring criminal indictments to a regular grand jury. Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis empaneled the special grand jury between May and January. The special grand jury did not have the power to bring criminal indictments but created a report with charging recommendations.

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