U.S. State News Catch-All
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theel4life
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We deserve it as a country. We are so fucking dumb.
Mulberry Heel
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Two things: I'm not really sure that NC qualifies as "divided control" given that our GOP state legislature keeps taking more and more power away from the executive branch and delegating it to themselves. It's getting to the point that we have more like 2.5 branches instead of 3, and instead of each branch having equal powers and being able to block the others we now have one clearly dominant branch - the legislature - with the judicial branch second and executive branch a distant third.
And second, this is not an accident, but the result of a long-range plan created by Republicans over 15 years ago to seize power in state governments, as they realized that in our federal system of government that state governments have enormous power. And so they have developed a very effective system: once they take over a state legislature they immediately begin working to so entrench themselves in power that it becomes nearly impossible for voters to remove them. In NC Republicans have gerrymandered legislative districts to the point that NC Democrats would need to win landslides by absurd margins (60%+) just to win a bare majority. And they also begin to consolidate more and more power in branches and agencies of state governments that they control. And it's all been brilliantly effective, and Democrats nationally were caught completely unprepared. Below is a link to a superb 2011 New Yorker article, entitled "State for Sale", that laid out what was happening in NC and would happen nationally. And so here we are.
Link: State for Sale
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Republicans attempt power grab in Minnesota
GOP lawmakers are trying to unseat an elected representative and force appointments through without a quorum.
www.motherjones.com
Republicans Attempt Power Grab in Minnesota
GOP lawmakers are trying to unseat an elected representative and force appointments through without a quorum.
"Legislative business in Minnesota’s 2025-2026 state House session began Tuesday at noon Central Time; or perhaps it hasn’t begun at all. It depends whom you ask.
The 66 members of the Democratic–Farmer–Labor Party (DFL)—Minnesota’s affiliate of the national Democratic Party—elected to the lower chamber did not show up Tuesday; these Democrats argue that work can’t begin until after a January 28 special election takes place to fill an open seat in a blue district.
With that seat unfilled, the Republicans lead the chamber 67-66. It’s a temporary advantage the party has vowed to use to try unseating Democratic state representative Rep. Brad Tabke, which could help them cement the GOP’s interim edge for the remainder of the term. Perhaps more importantly, Republicans used the Democrats’ absence on Tuesday to vote in a Republican House speaker.
Whether that stealth vote for House speaker was legal is an open question: Minnesota’s secretary of state, the state legislature’s presiding officer, had already concluded legislative business for the day on account of the DFL absences—which prevented Republicans from meeting the quorum threshold of 68 members. Republicans ignored the secretary and held the speaker vote anyway. On Tuesday evening, the secretary of state said he intended to challenge the speaker vote in court.
Minnesota Democrats’ dilemma is much broader than control over one seat or a brief period in the minority. If the Republicans’ speaker vote is deemed lawful, they’ll have control over committee leadership and the speakership—and thus legislative priorities—for the next two years, even if the chamber becomes tied after the blue district’s special election in two weeks. On a broader scale, Democrats say that Republicans’ proceeding without a quorum is a continuation of the national party’s efforts to disenfranchise voters, such as through Donald Trump’s 2020 election denialism, as well as recent efforts by North Carolina’s conservative state Supreme Court majority to unseat a Democrat elected to the bench. ..."
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(Continued)
" ... Republicans did not win a majority of Minnesota’s state House seats in November. Instead, each party won 67 of 134 seats, which was expected to result in the DFL and Republican parties governing through a power-sharing agreement. (The Minnesota state Senate, which is evenly split 33-33 due to a recent death, is using a similar governing structure until their own January 28 special election.)
But over the last three months, two Democrats’ state House seats have come under scrutiny. Democrats (temporarily) lost the first seat due to their own unforced error. In one liberal district, Democrats elected a representative who had not met a requirement to live in the district for at least six months prior to the general election. After a December court ruling, that representative resigned. Though the party is likely to regain the seat after the special election, bringing the House split back to 67 legislators per party, insiders say it would take a true majority of 68 or more members to change the leadership structure.
The other seat at issue is that of incumbent Rep. Tabke, a Democrat who won by 14 votes. After the election, officials discovered they’d accidentally discarded about 20 absentee ballots before counting them, putting Tabke’s win on hold. But on Tuesday morning, a court upheld his win, after hearing testimonies from multiple Tabke voters whose ballots were thrown out. “Brad Tabke remains the candidate with the most votes legally cast,” the judge wrote. “This election is not invalid.”
Still, state Republicans say they do not yet recognize Tabke’s win, and may try to force another special election, this one in a competitive district that could net them another seat. Rep. Lisa Demuth, the GOP lawmaker ostensibly voted House speaker, said in a statement that the state’s constitution empowers each legislative chamber to judge election returns, and that the party will “evaluate this lengthy ruling and consider options in the coming days.” ..."
" ... Republicans did not win a majority of Minnesota’s state House seats in November. Instead, each party won 67 of 134 seats, which was expected to result in the DFL and Republican parties governing through a power-sharing agreement. (The Minnesota state Senate, which is evenly split 33-33 due to a recent death, is using a similar governing structure until their own January 28 special election.)
But over the last three months, two Democrats’ state House seats have come under scrutiny. Democrats (temporarily) lost the first seat due to their own unforced error. In one liberal district, Democrats elected a representative who had not met a requirement to live in the district for at least six months prior to the general election. After a December court ruling, that representative resigned. Though the party is likely to regain the seat after the special election, bringing the House split back to 67 legislators per party, insiders say it would take a true majority of 68 or more members to change the leadership structure.
The other seat at issue is that of incumbent Rep. Tabke, a Democrat who won by 14 votes. After the election, officials discovered they’d accidentally discarded about 20 absentee ballots before counting them, putting Tabke’s win on hold. But on Tuesday morning, a court upheld his win, after hearing testimonies from multiple Tabke voters whose ballots were thrown out. “Brad Tabke remains the candidate with the most votes legally cast,” the judge wrote. “This election is not invalid.”
Still, state Republicans say they do not yet recognize Tabke’s win, and may try to force another special election, this one in a competitive district that could net them another seat. Rep. Lisa Demuth, the GOP lawmaker ostensibly voted House speaker, said in a statement that the state’s constitution empowers each legislative chamber to judge election returns, and that the party will “evaluate this lengthy ruling and consider options in the coming days.” ..."
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“… Over the course of his political career, 25 states have voted for Trump in all three of his presidential campaigns. That’s the most states either party has won in three consecutive presidential elections since 38 states backed Reagan in 1980 and 1984, and his vice president and successor, George H.W. Bush, in 1988.
… Trump’s two wins (and one defeat) haven’t approached the heights Bush and especially Reagan reached in their consecutive victories: Trump has won the national popular vote only once (and has never crossed 50%), while Bush and Reagan crossed that threshold each time, with Reagan even nearing 60% in 1984.
But Trump has surpassed Reagan and Bush in consolidating the Republican dominance down the ballot in the states he’s solidified at the presidential level.
In the 25 states that have voted for Trump three consecutive times, Republicans now hold 22 of the governorships and 24 of the state legislatures; Nebraska, where the legislature is technically nonpartisan but effectively under GOP control, is the sole exception. Most remarkably, the GOP now holds all 50 US Senate seats, and Democrats none, in the 25 states that backed Trump in 2016, 2020 and 2024. …”
… Trump’s two wins (and one defeat) haven’t approached the heights Bush and especially Reagan reached in their consecutive victories: Trump has won the national popular vote only once (and has never crossed 50%), while Bush and Reagan crossed that threshold each time, with Reagan even nearing 60% in 1984.
But Trump has surpassed Reagan and Bush in consolidating the Republican dominance down the ballot in the states he’s solidified at the presidential level.
In the 25 states that have voted for Trump three consecutive times, Republicans now hold 22 of the governorships and 24 of the state legislatures; Nebraska, where the legislature is technically nonpartisan but effectively under GOP control, is the sole exception. Most remarkably, the GOP now holds all 50 US Senate seats, and Democrats none, in the 25 states that backed Trump in 2016, 2020 and 2024. …”
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Continued
“… The Trump 25, as these states might be known, cut a distinctive and consistent profile. Compared with the other 25 states, the three-time Trump states generally have fewer immigrants and more White Christians; fewer college graduates and more rural residents; fewer people employed in information-age computer, science and engineering jobs and more in manufacturing. The Trump states generally have more families with young children, but also more kids without health insurance, more kids in poverty and more teenage births.
In the Trump years, these states have become virtually impenetrable for Democrats. Democrats can still win the White House without carrying any of the Trump 25 states because these states award a total of 235 Electoral College votes, still well short of the 270 required for election.
But all projections indicate the Trump 25 states are likely to add more Electoral College votes after the 2030 census, perhaps substantially. And even in the meantime, many Democrats agree the party cannot achieve any durable hold on power in either the White House, the House or especially the Senate if it effectively concedes half the country to the Trump-era GOP. …”
“… The Trump 25, as these states might be known, cut a distinctive and consistent profile. Compared with the other 25 states, the three-time Trump states generally have fewer immigrants and more White Christians; fewer college graduates and more rural residents; fewer people employed in information-age computer, science and engineering jobs and more in manufacturing. The Trump states generally have more families with young children, but also more kids without health insurance, more kids in poverty and more teenage births.
In the Trump years, these states have become virtually impenetrable for Democrats. Democrats can still win the White House without carrying any of the Trump 25 states because these states award a total of 235 Electoral College votes, still well short of the 270 required for election.
But all projections indicate the Trump 25 states are likely to add more Electoral College votes after the 2030 census, perhaps substantially. And even in the meantime, many Democrats agree the party cannot achieve any durable hold on power in either the White House, the House or especially the Senate if it effectively concedes half the country to the Trump-era GOP. …”
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Continued
“… The Trump era in presidential politics has sorted the states into three clearly demarcated buckets.
Nineteen states have voted against Trump in each of his three campaigns, a list that includes the three West Coast states, New Mexico and Hawaii; 10 Northeastern states from Maryland to Maine; Illinois and Minnesota in the Midwest; and Virginia and Colorado, two prosperous states at the forward edge of the burgeoning information economy. These states, plus the District of Columbia, offer a combined 226 Electoral College votes, though Republicans usually peel off one of them in Maine, which awards some of its electoral votes by congressional district.
Six states have flipped at any point in the three races: Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin voted for Trump in 2016, switched to Joe Biden in 2020 and then reverted back to Trump in 2024; Nevada voted for Clinton and Biden before falling to Trump last November. Those states offer another 77 Electoral College votes.
… since 2016, Trump has shifted almost all of these states even further to the right. In 2024, he soared past 54% of the vote in every Trump 25 state except North Carolina, the only state among them that Democrats tried to be competitive in at all. (And even in North Carolina, he won an unexpectedly comfortable 183,000-vote victory.) …”
“… The Trump era in presidential politics has sorted the states into three clearly demarcated buckets.
Nineteen states have voted against Trump in each of his three campaigns, a list that includes the three West Coast states, New Mexico and Hawaii; 10 Northeastern states from Maryland to Maine; Illinois and Minnesota in the Midwest; and Virginia and Colorado, two prosperous states at the forward edge of the burgeoning information economy. These states, plus the District of Columbia, offer a combined 226 Electoral College votes, though Republicans usually peel off one of them in Maine, which awards some of its electoral votes by congressional district.
Six states have flipped at any point in the three races: Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin voted for Trump in 2016, switched to Joe Biden in 2020 and then reverted back to Trump in 2024; Nevada voted for Clinton and Biden before falling to Trump last November. Those states offer another 77 Electoral College votes.
… since 2016, Trump has shifted almost all of these states even further to the right. In 2024, he soared past 54% of the vote in every Trump 25 state except North Carolina, the only state among them that Democrats tried to be competitive in at all. (And even in North Carolina, he won an unexpectedly comfortable 183,000-vote victory.) …”
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Florida Legislature defies DeSantis on illegal immigration as Republican foes assert power
House Speaker Danny Perez and Senate President Ben Albritton pushed back in a way the governor hasn’t seen before.
"Gov. Ron DeSantis suffered a stunning defeat courtesy of his own party Monday as the Legislature refused to hold a special session dealing with immigration and ballot initiatives that he forced on their chambers, instead quickly gaveling out.
But the lawmakers didn’t head home. Instead, they pivoted to hold their own special session — where they passed other measures on illegal immigration.
The swirl of moves on Monday is the biggest defeat DeSantis has faced since dropping out of the Republican presidential primary a year ago. Over his time in office, DeSantis has become arguably the most powerful governor in Florida state history, bending the Legislature to his will time and time again, including on redistricting and on an overhaul of Walt Disney World’s special tax district.
“Sometimes leadership isn’t about being out front on an issue,” said Senate President Ben Albritton. “It’s actually about following the leader you trust. I trust President Trump. And I trust Florida law enforcement.”
The legislative leaders didn’t stop there: The state House then voted unanimously to override one of DeSantis’ budget vetoes from last year that reinstalled $57 million for legislative support services that both chambers use to pay for tech expenses, joint committees, the Office of Economic and Demographic Research and legislative auditors. The override also passed the state Senate almost unanimously.
... Albritton and Perez are the new leaders of their respective chambers at a time when DeSantis has only two years left in office. They said Monday that they didn’t support some of the measures the governor had called for, including imposing criminal penalties against law enforcement officers who didn’t help with deportation efforts or making it more difficult to send money abroad.
“President Trump clearly has the situation under control and is leading from the Oval Office,” Albritton said. “I want to be careful not to undermine any of President Trump’s plan. I won’t stand for that.” ..."
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Republican-led states rush to align with Trump's MAGA agenda
GOP governors and state lawmakers are proposing their own DOGE-like commissions and advancing hard-line immigration bills.
Republican-led states rush to align with Trump's MAGA agenda
GOP governors and state lawmakers are proposing their own DOGE-like commissions and advancing hard-line immigration bills.
www.nbcnews.com
“… The most recent example came in Oklahoma, where Republican Gov. Kevin Stitt on Monday issued an executive order to create a “Division of Government Efficiency” (called DOGE-OK) within the state’s agency in charge of human resources and information technology.
A press release from Stitt said the agency would be designed to “focus on eliminating wasteful government spending, improving efficiency, and ensuring taxpayer dollars are being used effectively across state governments.”
Stitt’s office said the Oklahoma division will be led by a “chief DOGE advisor,” an unpaid position that reports directly to the governor. A Stitt spokesperson didn’t respond to questions from NBC News about who was being tapped to fill that position.
In New Hampshire, Gov. Kelly Ayotte similarly signed an executive order the day she was sworn in last month to create a “Commission on Government Efficiency” (COGE).
Ayotte’s commission is composed of 15 members appointed by her and legislative leaders, and will be charged with submitting to her “proposals to streamline government, cut inefficient spending, and find the most efficient ways to serve the people of New Hampshire.” The commission so far includes a former governor, current and former state lawmakers and some local business leaders.
Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds and Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry, both Republicans, have also signaled their desire to move forward with DOGE-like apparatuses. Reynolds has said she intends to launch a DOGE task force in Iowa, while Landry signed an executive order in December to create a “Fiscal Responsibility Program” with goals similar to Trump’s DOGE.
Plus, several Republican-led legislatures in states that have a Democratic governor — including Wisconsin, Arizona and North Carolina — have recently launched state legislative committees that are in line with DOGE. Republican lawmakers in Idaho, Texas, Kansas and Missouri have also said they were planning to introduce proposals to create similar committees. …”
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Continued
“…
Oklahoma's state superintendent, Ryan Walters, who oversees the State Board of Education, last week approved new rules requiring all families enrolling children in public schools to provide proof of their U.S. citizenship.
The new rules — if approved by the governor and the state Legislature — would require public school districts to track students who cannot verify their immigration status and report those figures to state officials.
That would, in effect, help create a new state-run system to help track undocumented people in the state — and could advance local elements of Trump’s mass deportation push.
“You have to have the data around where your kids are coming from. We will make sure that President Trump and his administration have this information,” Walters said at a meeting of the Oklahoma State Board of Education last week.
Critics argue that the action would almost certainly violate a 1982 Supreme Court ruling that found the government cannot prevent children of undocumented people from attending public schools. …”
“…
Oklahoma's state superintendent, Ryan Walters, who oversees the State Board of Education, last week approved new rules requiring all families enrolling children in public schools to provide proof of their U.S. citizenship.
The new rules — if approved by the governor and the state Legislature — would require public school districts to track students who cannot verify their immigration status and report those figures to state officials.
That would, in effect, help create a new state-run system to help track undocumented people in the state — and could advance local elements of Trump’s mass deportation push.
“You have to have the data around where your kids are coming from. We will make sure that President Trump and his administration have this information,” Walters said at a meeting of the Oklahoma State Board of Education last week.
Critics argue that the action would almost certainly violate a 1982 Supreme Court ruling that found the government cannot prevent children of undocumented people from attending public schools. …”
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Wisconsin Supreme Court says swing state’s embattled elections chief can remain in post
A unanimous Wisconsin Supreme Court has ruled that the swing state’s nonpartisan top elections official can remain in her post despite not being reappointed and confirmed by the state Senate.
apnews.com
"A unanimous Wisconsin Supreme Court ruled Friday that the swing state’s nonpartisan top elections official, who has been targeted for removal by Republican lawmakers over the 2020 presidential election, can remain in her post despite not being reappointed and confirmed by the state Senate.
Republicans who control the state Senate tried to fire Wisconsin Elections Commission Administrator Meagan Wolfe in 2023, leading the commission to sue in an effort to keep Wolfe on the job.
The state Supreme Court on Friday upheld a lower court’s ruling in Wolfe’s favor. The 7-0 ruling means that Wolfe can remain in her position and not face a confirmation vote by the Republican-controlled Senate.
The court said that no vacancy exists and, because of that, the elections commission “does not have a duty to appoint a new administrator to replace Wolfe simply because her term has ended.” ..."
Mulberry Heel
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Yeah, good luck with that. I think the time of the DeSantis family in politics is drawing to a close. Ron really blew his chance at the nomination and I don't see his wife winning anything higher than maybe a US House seat, if that. And since she probably regards that as beneath her she'll run for Governor or US Senate and likely will crash.