RandySF
RandySF's JournalLouisiana governor could hire university system presidents under proposal
The Louisiana Legislature is considering a bill that would give Republican Gov. Jeff Landry and his successors unprecedented power over higher education: the ability to directly hire university system presidents.
Senate Bill 462 by Sen. Valarie Hodges, R-Denham Springs, gives the governor the authority to appoint chairs and other officers for hundreds of boards and commissions as long as he sends notice to the affected groups within 180 days of taking office.
The provision in Hodges’ bill that allows the governor to appoint officers of the boards is of concern to higher education leaders, as state law defines university system presidents as officers.
“There shall be a president of each public postsecondary education system, who shall be the executive officer of the postsecondary system and shall serve as secretary to the system’s governing board and its executive committee and standing and special committees,” the law reads.
https://lailluminator.com/2024/05/01/louisiana-governor-could-hire-university-system-presidents-under-proposal/
SD: Group submits abortion-rights ballot petitions as opponents pledge legal challenge
SIOUX FALLS — The group leading the effort to put abortion rights on South Dakota’s November ballot said Wednesday it was turning in far more petition signatures than required, while an opposition group said it will challenge the legitimacy of the petitions.
The ballot-question committee proposing the measure, Dakotans for Health, held a press conference attended by about 50 people Wednesday morning at a Sioux Falls library before driving the petitions to the Capitol in Pierre. The deadline to submit the petitions is next Tuesday.........
The Legislature passed a law in March allowing petition signers to withdraw their signatures after the fact, and anti-abortion activists are conducting a coordinated signature-withdrawal effort.
The Secretary of State’s Office said it does not have a count on the number of withdrawal requests received so far. The office stores the requests until a court challenge is filed against the validity of the petitions, in which case the withdrawal requests would become part of the challenge.
https://southdakotasearchlight.com/2024/05/01/group-submits-abortion-ballot-petitions-as-opponents-pledge-legal-challenge/
Arizona Senate passes bill to repeal Civil War-era abortion ban
PHOENIX — The Arizona Senate has signed off on a bill to repeal an abortion ban dating back to the 19th century.
Two Republicans, T.J. Shope and Shawnna Bolick, sided with Democrats on Wednesday to deliver enough votes to pass House Bill 2677, which would repeal a law that would only allow abortion in circumstances that would save a woman's life.
While explaining her vote, Bolick described herself as pro-life and recalled personal pregnancy stories to make the point that "not every pregnancy is the same."
Republicans complained about how the bill was quickly fast-tracked through the legislative process after the Arizona Supreme Court recently decided that the 1864 abortion law could be reinstated.
https://www.12news.com/article/news/politics/arizona-senate-passes-bill-repeal-1864-abortion-ban/75-c1decb98-b688-4ac6-8f97-bae65652b371
MO: Workers advocacy group to turn in petition signatures for minimum wage increase, sick leave.
JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (KMIZ) A group that advocates for workers' benefits plans to submit a petition with over 200,000 signatures to the Secretary of State's Office on Wednesday.
Missourians for Healthy Families and Fair Wages says it gathered over 210,000 signatures to provide Missouri workers with paid sick leave and an increase in minimum wage.
Under this petition, Missouri workers would earn one hour of paid sick leave for every 30 hours worked. In addition, businesses with 15 or fewer workers would be required to provide five sick days a year. Businesses bigger than that would have to provide workers with seven days per year of paid sick leave. The petition allows employees to take sick leave for themselves to care for a family member.
The other part of this petition would raise the minimum wage for the next two years. On New Year's Day 2025 the new minimum wage would be $13.75. In 2026 it would rise to $15. Under this petition, the minimum wage would continue to increase annually based on the cost of living.
https://abc17news.com/politics/your-voice-your-vote/2024/05/01/workers-advocacy-group-to-turn-in-petition-signatures/
Senate filibuster of taxes that fund Missouri Medicaid clears 25-hour mark
A filibuster blocking renewal of taxes essential to funding Medicaid passed 25 hours this morning as a small group of Republicans held the Missouri Senate floor demanding action on other bills.
Five members of the Missouri Freedom Caucus tried four times to amend the bill, failing each time when their proposals were tabled during overnight action. As the 24-hour mark passed at 10:30 a.m., state Sen. Rick Brattin of Harrisonville was holding the floor on the fifth attempt to change the bill, to shorten the sunset when taxes would expire.
The stakes are enormous.
The first is the $1.4 billion generated by the taxes on hospitals, pharmacies, nursing homes and ambulance services, which is used to match approximately $2.8 billion of federal funds in the Medicaid program
https://missouriindependent.com/2024/05/01/senate-filibuster-of-taxes-that-fund-missouri-medicaid-clears-25-hour-mark/
AZ: MAGA state senators are squealing like stuck pigs because they know the 1864 abortion law is about to be repealed.
Watch the show live:
https://www.azleg.gov/videoplayer/?clientID=6361162879&eventID=2024051013
Abortion Is Now Almost Completely Banned In the South
Florida’s six-week abortion ban took effect today.
That means abortion is now either banned or severely restricted in nearly the entire southern United States.
North Carolina, which has a 12-week abortion ban, is not a practical option for many patients due to a mandated 72-hour waiting period.
The only Southern state with no gestational limits on abortion is Virginia.
It’s certain this will cause massive implications for reproductive care across the South.
The political implications are still to be determined.
https://politicalwire.com/2024/05/01/abortion-is-now-almost-completely-banned-in-the-south/
Miami commissioners to vote on agreement ending redistricting saga with new map
MIAMI – Three weeks after a federal judge struck down Miami’s city commission map, ruling it was unconstitutionally racially gerrymandered, the groups that sued the city over its redistricting announced Wednesday that they’ve reached an “expected final agreement” with city officials to implement new boundaries and end the legal saga once and for all.
The American Civil Liberties Union, which represented the plaintiffs in the case, issued a statement announcing the settlement Wednesday, which it says “unifies neighborhoods across the city” that were “divided along racial lines” in the struck-down map, including Coconut Grove.
U.S. District Court Judge K. Michael Moore, ruling on April 10, said “Miamians suffered” after the city perpetuated “serious harms” under the struck-down map.
“The agreement secures a fair map for the rest of this decade and proposes lasting reforms to the city’s redistricting process that will be submitted to the voters in a charter referendum,” the statement reads.
https://www.local10.com/news/local/2024/05/01/miami-commissioners-to-vote-on-agreement-ending-redistricting-saga-with-new-map/
NY-26: Democrats Massively Overperform In Special Election Triumph
Timothy Kennedy, a Democratic New York state senator, has won the special election for the Congressional seat vacated by the retired Democrat Brian Higgins.
Kennedy easily defeated his Republican opponent Gary Dickson for New York's 26th district seat, which includes Buffalo and Niagara Falls.
While Kennedy's victory was widely anticipated in the left-leaning district, the vote margin between both candidates was much larger than forecast.
Kennedy won by more than 36 percentage points—a massive performance by the Democratic Party. The Cook Political Report, an independent newsletter that analyzes elections and campaigns, had expected Kennedy to win the seat by 9 percentage points.
https://www.newsweek.com/democrats-win-new-york-special-election-timothy-kennedy-gary-dickson-1895916
London mayoral election race electrified by final poll showing Sadiq Khan lead over Susan Hall smallest so far
London’s mayoral race was electrified in its last 48 hours by a final poll showing Sadiq Khan’s lead over Susan Hall closing to the smallest since their campaigns started.
The Savanta survey for the Centre for London put the Labour mayor on 42 per cent and Tory candidate 32 per cent.
The gap of ten percentage points is down from 13 points in a Savanta poll published last week.
Chris Hopkins, political research director at Savanta said: “Our final poll before Londoners choose their next Mayor suggests that the race has tightened in the last few days before polling day.
https://www.standard.co.uk/news/politics/london-mayoral-election-race-latest-poll-sadiq-khan-susan-hall-b1154884.html
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