RandySF
RandySF's JournalWisconsin Democracy Campaign: Statement on Republicans asking Supreme Court to reconsider redistricting case
“Today’s filing is a desperate attempt by partisan right-wing politicians to avoid accountability and maintain their ill-gotten power by any means necessary. When they want to pass a bill quickly, they have, and they should now focus on introducing and passing fair maps, as the Court clearly indicated the Constitution requires.”
https://www.wispolitics.com/2023/wisconsin-democracy-campaign-statement-on-republicans-asking-supreme-court-to-reconsider-redistricting-case/
Dems Target GOP State Lawmakers With Jan. 6 Credentials
In Donald Trump’s Republican Party, being in Washington on Jan. 6, 2021, is far from a mark on a candidate’s record—it’s more like a credential.
Among GOP state lawmakers, plenty today can boast that they participated in Jan. 6 events. And boast they do.
Michigan state Rep. Angela Rigas described being on the Capitol grounds that day as a “highlight of my life.” David Eastman, an Alaska state representative, called it “an immense privilege” to be in Washington for Trump’s last ditch effort to stay in power. And for the true MAGA climbers, like Arizona state Sen. Anthony Kern, moving past police barricades at the Capitol and allegedly using campaign funds to attend the insurrection were far from career-ending scandals.
In fact, a little J6 cred, it turns out, can go a long way; Kern recently announced a 2024 congressional bid.
https://www.thedailybeast.com/dems-target-gop-state-lawmakers-with-jan-6-credentials
Out-of-state, conservative organizations lead charge to ban ranked choice voting in Ohio
A Senate committee heard from supporters last week of a measure effectively banning ranked choice voting in the state. The measure is bipartisan — proposed by Sens. Theresa Gavarone, R-Bowling Green, and Bill DeMora, D-Columbus. But its public backers so far are mostly conservative and right-wing groups.
Only three organizations showed up in person — Opportunity Solutions Project, The Heartland Institute and The Honest Elections Project. But the Trump-aligned administration in-waiting, America First Policy Institute, submitted written testimony as did the Heritage Foundation.
Notably, no local governments in the state currently use ranked choice for their elections. Although a handful of Ohio cities used it briefly in the early 1900s, there’s no groundswell of local elected leaders calling for its return.
Under the Senate proposal, any municipality that did so would lose its share of the local government fund — a vital source of revenue.
https://ohiocapitaljournal.com/2023/12/29/out-of-state-conservative-organizations-lead-charge-to-ban-ranked-choice-voting-in-ohio/
Chorus grows to remove Karamo as Michigan GOP chair
A growing number of Michigan Republican leaders are calling on their embattled state party chair Kristina Karamo to resign or be removed, as her most outspoken critics seek to set a vote to force her from the role.
Eight of 13 Republican congressional district party chairs asked Karamo to resign in an open letter published Thursday.
“Please put an end to the chaos in our party. Please have the grace, courage, and love of our state to accept the fact that at this most critical time in our nation’s history, the Michigan Republican Party needs someone else in leadership,” the letter states. “Someone who can unite the entire party, raise the funds needed to run the party, and help our candidates win.”
The letter was signed by the Republican party chairs in congressional districts 1, 2, 5, 7, 8, 10, 11 and 12.
https://www.mlive.com/politics/2023/12/chorus-grows-to-remove-karamo-as-michigan-gop-chair.html
Justice explains why he opposes Louisiana Supreme Court redistricting map
Five of the Louisiana Supreme Court’s seven elected justices went public this week with their support of a proposal to redraw their districts. One of those who isn’t on board is now explaining why.
Associate Justices Willie Crain, James Genovese, Piper Griffin, Jefferson Hughes and Jay McCallum sent a letter Wednesday to the next governor, attorney general and legislative leaders endorsing their proposed map that creates a second majority-Black state Supreme Court district. The signatures of Chief Justice John Weimer and Associate Justice Scott Crichton were not on the letter.
In a separate letter sent Thursday to incoming state leaders, Crichton said he doesn’t oppose a second majority-minority district but objects to how it “obliterates” District 2, which he represents. The district’s current boundaries span northern Louisiana from its western to eastern borders. The proposed revisions would move District 2 toward the northeastern corner of the state and then have it reach southward along the Mississippi River.
Crichton will turn 70 years old, the mandated retirement age for Louisiana judges, in June and cannot run for reelection after his term ends Dec. 31, 2024. He said in his letter, a copy of which the Illuminator obtained Friday, that some 500,000 voters in his district will be disenfranchised for two years. Under boundaries the five justices propose, they will be moved into two new districts and have no representation on the court from Jan. 1, 2025, until elections are held in the two other districts for justices whose terms expire Dec. 31, 2026.
https://lailluminator.com/2023/12/29/louisiana-supreme-court-2/
AZ: GOP bid to block 'dark money' disclosure in 2024 fails
A judge on Friday refused a bid by Arizona Republican legislative leaders to block an anti-dark money law that voters passed in 2022, concluding that their claims that the new state law is unconstitutional don’t pass muster.
House Speaker Ben Toma, R-Peoria, and Senate President Warren Petersen, R-Gilbert, filed a lawsuit in October alleging that Proposition 211 is unconstitutional because it violated legislative authority. They asked the court to immediately block the law so it could not be used to unveil the sources of campaign spending in the upcoming 2024 election that would have remained anonymous in previous years.
Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes, Secretary of State Adrian Fontes and the Citizens Clean Elections Commission, which is charged with enforcing the dark money disclosures, all defended the new law.
More than 70% of voters approved of Proposition 211, also known as the Voters Right to Know Act, which requires any person or organization making campaign media expenditures of more than $50,000 to statewide elections or $25,000 to local elections to disclose the original source of any contributions totalling more than $5,000.
https://www.azmirror.com/blog/gop-bid-to-block-dark-money-disclosure-in-2024-fails/
Judge Blocks Most Of An Iowa Law Banning LGBTQ+ Topics In Schools
DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — A federal judge on Friday temporarily blocked key parts of an Iowa law that bans some books from school libraries and forbids teachers from raising LGBTQ+ issues.
Judge Stephen Locher’s preliminary injunction halts enforcement of the law, which was set to take effect Jan. 1 but already had resulted in the removal of hundreds of books from Iowa schools.
The law, which the Republican-led Legislature and GOP Gov. Kim Reynolds approved early in 2023, bans books depicting sex acts from school libraries and classrooms and forbids teachers from raising gender identity and sexual orientation issues with students through the sixth grade. Locher blocked enforcement of those two provisions.
The judge said the ban on books is “incredibly broad” and has resulted in the removal of history volumes, classics, award-winning novels and “even books designed to help students avoid being victimized by sexual assault.” He said that part of the law is unlikely to satisfy the constitution’s requirements for free speech.
https://www.huffpost.com/entry/judge-blocks-iowa-lgbtq-book-ban_n_658f5eaee4b0cd3cf0e56779
Maine secretary of state says she's received threats after removing Trump from state ballot
Maine’s secretary of state said she has received threats in the wake of her decision to remove former President Trump from the ballot under the 14th Amendment on Friday.
“I was prepared for the possibility of threats, and I really appreciate law enforcement and the people around me who have been incredibly supportive of my safety and security,” Shenna Bellows (D) said during a Friday appearance on CNN. “My safety and security is important, so is the safety and security of everyone who works with me and we have received threatening communications.”
“Those are unacceptable,” Bellows continued.
On Thursday, Bellows said she had concluded the former president “over the course of several months and culminating on January 6, 2021, used a false narrative of election fraud to inflame his supporters and direct them to the Capitol to prevent certification of the 2020 election and the peaceful transfer of power.” Bellows’ decision made Maine the second state to take such an action, after the Colorado Supreme Court last week via a 4-3 ruling.
https://thehill.com/regulation/court-battles/4382309-maine-secretary-of-state-says-shes-received-threats-trump-ballot/
Ohio Ballot issues had a big year in 2023. What might be coming next?
COLUMBUS, Ohio – With Ohio approving abortion rights and recreational marijuana proposals in November, challenging national perceptions of Ohio in the process, could we be in for an era of progressive ballot issues?
Republicans have warned of a tidal wave of left-wing policy ideas that could be coming to Ohio after they failed in August to convince voters to make it harder for the public to change the state constitution, and then saw Ohioans subsequently approve both ballot issues by wide margins in November.
“There’s a lot of bad ideas coming our way,” Secretary of State Frank LaRose, the U.S. Senate candidate, said at a Republican event in November.
Democrats, meanwhile, have been emboldened by the wins. They say it changed the narrative about Ohio in the eyes of the kinds of people who bankroll ballot issues.
https://www.cleveland.com/news/2023/12/ohio-ballot-issues-had-a-big-year-in-2023-what-might-be-coming-next.html
What ballot questions could South Dakotans vote on in 2024?
The November 2024 election is set for Tuesday, Nov. 5 – nearly 11 months away. Currently, there are eight possible 2024 ballot measures approved by the South Dakota Secretary of State’s office to collect signatures. The possible ballot measures are:
Constitutional amendment establishing a right to an abortion in the state.
Constitutional amendment to create top-two primary elections.
Constitutional amendment limiting state lawmakers to a maximum of 16 years of service.
Constitutional amendment to stop the sales tax on groceries.
Constitutional amendment to prohibit the South Dakota Legislature from amending or repealing any passed ballot measure for seven years.
Initiated measure to stop the sales tax on groceries.
Initiated measure to legalize marijuana for people age 21 and older.
Initiated measure to repeal South Dakota’s current medical marijuana program.
https://www.keloland.com/keloland-com-original/what-ballot-questions-could-south-dakotans-vote-on-in-2024/
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