Judge's order exempts Texas women with complicated pregnancies from state abortion ban

A Texas judge on Friday issued a temporary exemption to the state’s abortion ban that would allow women with complicated pregnancies to obtain the procedure and keep doctors free from prosecution if they determined the fetus will not survive after birth.

State District Court Judge Jessica Mangrum of Austin wrote that the state’s attorney general cannot prosecute doctors who, in their “good faith judgment,” terminate a complicated pregnancy. Mangrum outlined those conditions as a pregnancy that presents a risk of infection; a fetal condition in which the fetus will not survive after birth; or when the pregnant person has a condition that requires regular, invasive treatment.

Last month, the court heard from three women who testified against Texas’ abortion ban, describing how delayed medical care impacted their pregnancies. The women are suing the state over the law, seeking to clarify when a medical emergency justifies an abortion. Currently, the law allows termination of a pregnancy if the mother’s life is in danger.

Although the state is expected to appeal, the temporary injunction will stand until the lawsuit against Texas is complete unless a higher court intervenes. The ruling suggests patients with complicated pregnancies can seek abortions in the state without prosecution of those who aid in and perform the procedure. A trial to determine the issue, clarifying when a medical emergency justifies an abortion, has been scheduled for March 25.




https://www.texastribune.org/2023/08/04/texas-abortion-ban-lawsuit/

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NYC: Acting Supreme Court Judge Rachel Freier garners support from Brooklyn's clerical leaders

Acting Supreme Court Judge Rachel Freier is striving to focus her life and career on bringing communities together on the state Supreme Court.

Judge Freier began her journey as a civil court judge, elected by an overwhelming majority in 2016. In 2022, she was appointed acting NYS Supreme Court justice in Brooklyn, making her the first Hasidic woman to hold a public office in the U.S.

Now, Judge Freier is seeking to continue her role, running to be elected as Brooklyn’s Supreme Court judge.

Judge Freier’s Brooklyn-wide Supreme Court campaign, which emphasizes fairness for all Brooklynites, civil rights for all women, and social justice for all people, seeks to prioritize the ideas that unite people, instead of what divides them.

“I believe in tying communities together. Our nation has a rich tradition of people from all backgrounds joining as one in the fight to ensure civil rights and social justice for all people,” Freier explained at a recent campaign event. “As a Jewish woman, I’m extremely proud that people of my faith marched, protested and died in the civil rights movement, joining leaders like Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and many others in the struggle for freedom and equality.”




https://politicsny.com/2023/08/04/acting-supreme-court-judge-rachel-freier-garners-support-from-brooklyns-clerical-leaders/

What to know about mail-in voting in Pennsylvania in 2023

Registered Pennsylvanians planning to vote by mail ahead of the Nov. 7 general election can already begin requesting their ballots.

The process can be completed at the election office for the voter's county of residence or online through the Pennsylvania Department of State, according to commonwealth employees. Voters must provide the last four digits of their Social Security number or their Pennsylvania driver's license or Pennsylvania Department of Transportation ID number if applying online.

Here are a few other things to know about voting by mail.

Voters will not receive their ballots until they are finalized at the county level. The Pennsylvania Department of State estimates that mid-September will be the earliest voters can expect to receive their mail-in ballot.




https://www.goerie.com/story/news/politics/elections/state/2023/08/04/pa-mail-in-voting-2023-faq/70463504007/

PA: Vote Mama PAC (D) Endorses Council Rock School Board Candidates

Council Rock Democratic school board director candidates Tracey Osecki and Kimberly Winnick received endorsement from Vote Mama PAC on Monday.

Both Winnick and Osecki are part of the Together For Council Rock slate running for director seats in the upcoming November election.

Through donations, mentorships and endorsements, Vote Mama, founded by Liuba Grechen Shirley, is committed to empowering moms in politics by upending the structures that disadvantage women.

Shirley, who experienced the difficulties of juggling politics and parenthood first-hand in her run to represent New York’s 2nd Congressional District, was the first woman to petition and win FEC approval to allow the use of campaign funds for payment of child care in 2018. “Our babysitter is just as integral to our team as my campaign manager,” she told CNN.

Osecki said her family moved to the Council Rock area in Bucks County because of the schools and because she wants her children to have a first-class education. She noted it is hard to ignore neighboring districts that have been overtaken by far-right extremists.




https://buckscountybeacon.com/2023/08/vote-mama-pac-endorses-together-for-council-rock-school-board-candidates-osecki-and-winnick/

PA-HD21: For third time this year, special election will decide control of Pa. House

Voters in Allegheny County will choose between a Democrat with experience in economic and workforce development and a local Republican committee chairperson to fill the seat recently vacated by former Democratic state Rep. Sara Innamorato.

Democrats have tapped Lindsay Powell, the director of workforce strategies for the Pittsburgh-based nonprofit economic development organization, InnovatePGH. Powell, who lives in the Lawrenceville neighborhood of Pittsburgh, is also a member of the city’s Urban Redevelopment Authority.

The Republican nominee is Erin Connolly Autenreith of Shaler Township, where she serves as chairperson of the township Republican Committee. Autenreith is a realtor and touts her decades-long career in sales as preparation to serve as a lawmaker.

For the third time since the start of the current legislative session, the special election set for Sept. 19 will determine control of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives, as Democrats attempt to regain their one-seat majority.

Innamorato, who was reelected to a third term in the House last year, resigned last month to pursue election as the Democratic nominee for Allegheny County executive. The district includes Millvale, Etna, Shaler Township, Reserve Township and part of Pittsburgh.




https://www.penncapital-star.com/campaigns-elections/for-third-time-this-year-special-election-will-decide-control-of-pa-house/

North Dakota lawmakers eye Minnesota free tuition program that threatens enrollment

North Dakota lawmakers and higher education leaders are beginning to chart a path for how to respond to neighboring Minnesota's upcoming program that will offer income-based free tuition to thousands of students.

Higher education leaders on Wednesday detailed the situation to an interim legislative panel. A state senator also presented a bill draft proposing a North Dakota program similar to Minnesota's North Star Promise.

North Star Promise takes effect in fall 2024. It will cover undergraduate tuition and fees at the state's public post-secondary schools for Minnesota residents whose family income is under $80,000, after they have used other sources of financial aid.

North Dakota higher education leaders are worried about losing Minnesota students. About 1,400 of them at five eastern North Dakota schools could be eligible for North Star Promise. Minnesotans make up nearly half the student body at North Dakota State University in Fargo, the No. 1 out-of-state choice for first-year Minnesota students.




https://www.mprnews.org/story/2023/08/04/north-dakota-lawmakers-eye-minnesota-free-tuition-program-that-threatens-enrollment

WI: Statement of Supreme Court Justice Rebecca Dallet regarding transparency and account

PRESS RELEASE

MADISON, Wis. – Justice Rebecca Frank Dallet made the following statement today:

“The majority of justices on the Wisconsin Supreme Court voted today to advance a
number of transparency and accountability measures. First, we have made a series of
rules and operating procedures changes to make Court decision-making more inclusive,
timely, and responsive.

“Second, we are committed to making all orders more readily accessible on our website.
Third, we have voted to re-open our administrative conferences. And fourth, we will be
announcing the creation of a bipartisan task force to study the issue of recusal and to
present us with recommendations.

“This initial series of actions is intended to be a first step in making our court more
accessible and more accountable to the people of Wisconsin.”




https://www.wispolitics.com/2023/justice-dallet-statement-of-supreme-court-justice-rebecca-dallet-regarding-transparency-and-accountability-measures/

RI-01: Voter registration deadline is Sunday

Planning to vote in the Sept. 5 primary for Rhode Island’s 1st Congressional District? Sunday, Aug. 6 is the registration deadline for the first-leg of the special election to replace David Cicilline, who stepped down at the end of May.

It is also the final day voters can change party affiliation for the primary. If you are affiliated with a specific political party, you may only vote in that party’s primary.

Twelve candidates are running in the Democratic primary and two Republican candidates will square off in their party’s race.

Unaffiliated voters, also known as independents, can vote in either party’s primary, but automatically become affiliated with either the Democrats or Republicans for that election. Independents can change their status back to unaffiliated by completing a form before leaving the polls, or so at a later date.

To register to vote or switch party affiliation, visit your local board of canvassers’ office or go online at vote.ri.gov.





https://rhodeislandcurrent.com/2023/08/04/cd1-voter-registration-deadline-is-sunday/

RI: Campaign finance violations are soaring. Here's why that's not a bad thing.

Think of Rick Thornton like a financial detective.

As campaign finance director for the Rhode Island Board of Elections, Thornton devotes his days to combing through stacks of spending and fundraising reports for candidates, political action committees and ballot question advocacy groups, cross-checking those accounts with bank statements for potential errors or red flags.

And these days, he’s finding problems a lot more often.

Indeed, the $13,150 in fines candidates paid to the election board in 2022 for campaign finance mistakes (not counting late fees) is more than triple the amount paid the year prior, according to data obtained by Rhode Island Current. With another $5,000 in finance violations paid through July of this year, 2023 is also poised to show a larger increase than in years past.

At face value, this might be cause for alarm. But Thornton sees it as a good thing; it means his three-person team is getting better at sniffing out rulebreakers.



https://rhodeislandcurrent.com/2023/08/04/campaign-finance-violations-are-soaring-heres-why-thats-not-a-bad-thing/