Iowa GOP lawmakers to pass new abortion ban on July 11

Governor Kim Reynolds has called a special session of the Iowa legislature for July 11, “with the sole purpose of enacting” new abortion restrictions. The move suggests Republicans will approve something comparable to the 2018 law that would ban almost all abortions after about six weeks, with very limited exceptions, rather than a total ban preferred by some GOP lawmakers.

The Iowa Senate approved the 2018 abortion ban along party lines. Of the six Iowa House Republicans who voted against that legislation, only one (State Representative Jane Bloomingdale) still serves in the legislature. Most of the 64 current House Republicans had not yet been elected to the body during the 2018 session. However, I expect nearly all of them will support a six-week ban, as will their Senate GOP colleagues


https://heartlandsignal.com/2023/07/06/bleeding-heartland-iowa-gop-lawmakers-to-pass-new-abortion-ban-on-july-11/

MI-07: Former state Sen. Curtis Hertel (D) files to replace Slotkin in Congress.

NE-02: Why this Nebraska district will host an even bigger barn-burner in '24

Democratic state Sen. Tony Vargas announced Wednesday that he'd seek a rematch against Rep. Don Bacon, the Republican who beat him 51-49 in last year's expensive campaign for Nebraska's 2nd District. Vargas, who is the son of immigrants from Peru, would be the first Latino to represent the Cornhusker State in Congress. He currently faces no serious intra-party opposition as he seeks to avenge his 2022 defeat, and unnamed Democratic sources also the Nebraska Examiner they don't expect that to change.

This constituency, which includes Omaha and several of its suburbs, favored Joe Biden 52-46, but the four-term Republican has been tough to dislodge. Vargas and his allies ran ads last year emphasizing Bacon's supports for a bill banning abortion nationally after 15 weeks, something the congressman tried to pass off as a moderate option. The GOP, meanwhile, hit back with commercials accusing Vargas of voting "to release violent prisoners." Vargas, who favored bipartisan legislation that would have made prisoners eligible for parole after two years instead of halfway through their term, responded by stressing his support for law enforcement, but it wasn't enough.

Bacon's profile has risen nationally since that tight win, and he's emerged as one of Speaker Kevin McCarthy's most outspoken allies. The Nebraskan made news during the speakership vote when he suggested that members of both parties could unite behind one candidate as a "last resort," arguing that such an outcome would be the fault of "six or seven" far-right Republicans. Bacon has continued to denounce his colleagues in the Freedom Caucus, but while he continues to muse, "I'm of the position that at some point we gotta just do coalition government with the Democrats and cut these guys out," he's yet to take any obvious action to actually make that happen.

A few other things will be different for the 2024 cycle. Vargas' Republican colleagues in the officially nonpartisan legislature passed a bill in May banning abortion after 12 weeks. Vargas, who opposed the measure, used his kickoff to emphasize how he'd "work to protect abortion rights" in Congress. But rather than try to downplay the issue, as many other Republicans have, Bacon has responded by claiming that Vargas "wants zero restrictions" on the procedure. (Vargas argued last year that "elected officials like me should be playing absolutely no role" over women's health decisions.)



https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2023/7/6/2179474/-Morning-Digest-Why-this-Nebraska-district-will-host-an-even-bigger-barn-burner-in-24

MS-GOV: Brandon Presley pushes Gov. Reeves to call special session for ballot initiative

GRENADA — Brandon Presley, the Democratic candidate for governor, over the weekend urged Republican Gov. Tate Reeves to call lawmakers back into a special session to restore the state’s ballot initiative process.

“He should have called a special session before the taillights of the legislators ever left the Capitol,” Presley told reporters.

Legislative leaders for the second straight year failed to reach an agreement on how to restore the state’s ballot initiative, leaving voters without a way to bypass political power and directly put an issue on a statewide ballot.

Regular legislative sessions in Mississippi typically run from the beginning of January through the beginning of April. After lawmakers adjourn the session, they cannot consider any new bills until the next year, unless the governor calls them into a special session.

Reeves’ office did not respond to a request for comment if he intended to call a special session over the initiative, but he has previously said that he supports efforts to restore the initiative.


https://www.djournal.com/news/state-news/brandon-presley-pushes-gov-reeves-to-call-special-session-for-ballot-initiative/article_81b9adb2-fd56-55c5-80bc-0fbffdbc35bf.html

Judge rejects request for forensic audit of 2020 election in Pa. county

WILLIAMSPORT – There will not be a forensic audit of the 2020 general election in Lycoming County as sought by two members of the conservative Patriots organization.

County Judge Eric R. Linhardt on Wednesday dismissed the complaint in which Richard Houser and Catherine Burns contended there was evidence of fraud, irregularities and violations of the Election Code.

They also claimed the county commissioners and director of elections Forrest K. Lehman failed to adequately investigate their claims of election fraud in the county.

In his ruling, Linhardt pointed out there is no provision in the state Election Code compelling the board of elections through an independent third party to conduct the audit that was requested.

The judge further found that Houser and Burns did not strictly adhere to the statutory requirements for contesting an election after the results are certified.





https://www.pennlive.com/elections/2023/07/judge-rejects-request-for-forensic-audit-of-2020-election-in-pa-county.html

With lawsuit dismissed, Pa. Republicans file appeal to try and overturn mail-in voting law

Unhappy with their latest legal setback in trying to have Pennsylvania’s mail-in voting law thrown out, Republicans are now appealing to the state Supreme Court.

On June 27, a state Commonwealth Court judge denied the request of 14 current and former GOP legislators to invalidate Act 77, which 11 of them supported when it passed in 2019.

As the Associated Press reported last week, the courtroom loss was just the latest by Republicans trying to overturn mail-in voting that former President Donald Trump has attacked with election fraud lies since he lost the state to President Joe Biden in 2020.

Gov. Josh Shapiro’s administration has said that more than 7.5 million Pennsylvanians have voted by mail over the past three years.

The 14 Republicans had argued in their lawsuit that Act 77 should be tossed because two previous court decisions triggered a provision that voids the law if any requirements are invalidated by a court.

In this case, the law requires that voters hand date the outer envelope of their mail-in ballot so that it is valid, but Republicans had claimed that two previous court rulings that refused to enforce that requirement activated the provision to throw out the entire law.




https://www.pennlive.com/news/2023/07/with-lawsuit-dismissed-pa-republicans-file-appeal-to-try-and-overturn-mail-in-voting-law.html

A Big Difference from 2020

Thomas Edsall: “One of the most significant developments in the run-up to the 2024 presidential election has emerged largely under the radar. From 2016 to 2022, the number of white people without college degrees — the core of Donald Trump’s support — has fallen by 2.1 million.”

“Over the same period, the number of white people who have graduated from college — an increasingly Democratic constituency — has grown by 13.3 million.”



https://politicalwire.com/2023/07/06/a-big-difference-from-2020/

WI: Tony Evers vetoes DEI-related UW System position cuts in state budget

Gov. Tony Evers vetoed a Republican attempt to eliminate 188 UW System jobs related to diversity, equity and inclusion Wednesday, cuts that were intended by GOP lawmakers to curb DEI efforts on campuses across the state.

The action from Evers was one of 51 partial vetoes the governor made to a Republican-authored state budget proposal passed along party lines by both chambers of the Legislature last week. The budget includes a separate provision to pull out $32 million from the UW System budget, roughly the amount the UW System spends on DEI efforts, and require it be spent on efforts to bolster the state's workforce. The budget is now law after being signed by Evers on Wednesday.

The 188 positions can be used by the UW System for any purpose, Evers said, meaning that they do not necessarily need to be used to bolster diversity efforts on campus.

Even still, the governor derided weeks of Republican attacks on campus DEI efforts.



https://captimes.com/news/education/tony-evers-vetoes-dei-related-uw-system-position-cuts-in-state-budget/article_6e5232d1-9a61-5972-9036-9328dcb83a14.html

Wisconsin's Democratic governor guts Republican tax cut, increases school funding for 400 years

MADISON, Wis. (AP) — Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers signed off on a two-year spending plan Wednesday after gutting a Republican tax cut and using his broad veto powers to increase school funding for centuries.

Evers angered Republicans with both moves, with some saying the Democratic governor was going back on deals he had made with them.

He got creative with his use of the partial veto in this budget, which is the third passed by a Republican Legislature that he’s signed.

Evers reduced the GOP income tax cut from $3.5 billion to $175 million, and did away entirely with lower rates for the two highest earning brackets. He also used his partial veto power to increase how much revenue K-12 public schools can raise per student by $325 a year until 2425.

Evers took language that originally applied the $325 increase for the 2023-24 and 2024-25 school years and instead vetoed the “20” and the hyphen to make the end date 2425.

Evers, a former state education secretary and teacher, had proposed allowing revenue limits to increase with inflation. Under his veto, unless it’s undone by a future Legislature and governor, Evers said schools will have “predictable long-term spending authority.”



https://apnews.com/article/wisconsin-budget-university-cut-income-tax-9d37d68e8f312d6721b9f6d00d4d9fef

NYC's mayor has found his archrival. His name is Brad Lander.

Several times over the last year, Adams has launched into diatribes against the city comptroller, a little-known position outside the five boroughs that commands expansive oversight powers over the executive branch. During his 1.5 years in office, Lander has served as a rhetorical counterbalance to City Hall messaging and penned reports highlighting shortfalls in governance. Last week, he released his first major audit of the administration.

The mayor has not been a fan. While unveiling the city’s $107 billion budget last week, Adams went out of his way to needle the Brooklyn progressive. And during a media briefing weeks before that, he lit up New York City political Twitter by mocking Lander with an unflattering impersonation.

The episodes have cast the progressive ombudsman of city government as the moderate mayor’s archrival — even as Lander has been cautious in his approach. And the increasing tension is setting up a broader collision course between the left and center factions of the local Democratic Party.

“If Brad Lander decides to really go to war with the mayor, he can be so much more aggravating to him,” Chris Coffey, a Democratic political strategist who worked for former Mayor Michael Bloomberg, said. “On the flip side, Brad makes a pretty good punching bag for a mayor who is at times at odds with the organized left.”





https://www.politico.com/news/2023/07/06/nyc-eric-adams-brad-lander-00104669