Poli Alert Politics & Civics

Ashley Murray, Michigan Advance A national “Parents Bill of Rights” is headed for a full U.S. House vote after the House Committee on Education and the Workforce early Thursday approved the measure designed to empower parents to inspect books and other teaching materials in schools. Lawmakers on the committee debated …

Julia Conley, Common Dreams Led by ranking member Rep. Jamie Raskin, Democrats on the U.S. House Oversight and Accountability Committee this week warned that Republicans doubled down on “a dangerous lie” when they refused to back a statement denouncing white supremacy. Raskin (D-Md.) was joined by all 20 Democrats on …

Jennifer Shutt, Florida Phoenix The divided 118th Congress approved its first bill Friday, after lawmakers in both the House and Senate voted unanimously to send President Joe Biden legislation that would require declassification of intelligence on the origins of COVID-19. The four-page bill, which the House voted 419-0 to clear, would …

Mark Satta, Wayne State University On March 2, 2023, Tennessee became the first state to enact a law restricting drag performances. This law is part of a larger push by Republican lawmakers in numerous states to restrict or eliminate events like drag shows and drag story hours. These legislative efforts …

Caitlin Sievers, Arizona Mirror March 9, 2023 Gov. Katie Hobbs has issued her 16th veto, nixing a bill that would have banned the teaching of critical race theory in Arizona schools. The measure, Senate Bill 1305, would have prohibited public K-12 schools in Arizona from a wide range of race-related …

Jacob Fischler, Ohio Capital Journal The CEO of Norfolk Southern, the railroad operating the train that last month derailed and spilled toxic chemicals in East Palestine, Ohio, apologized for the derailment at a U.S. Senate hearing Thursday, but declined solicitations to endorse a bipartisan rail safety bill. Norfolk Southern CEO …

Jennifer Shutt, Iowa Capital Dispatch President Joe Biden’s budget request for the upcoming fiscal year asks Congress to boost funding for defense and domestic programs and levy a 25% minimum tax on billionaires, setting up a significant contrast with House Republicans, who hope to cut spending to last year’s levels …

Commentary Vanessa Gallman, Kentucky Lantern The fallout of the 2020 Breonna Taylor killing by police, resulting from an invalid warrant, made clear that the Louisville police department has serious problems in management and training. But a two-year federal investigation into the department exposed the depth of the bullying and overall …

Mitch Perry, Florida Phoenix Saying that it’s the time to address the housing crisis in Florida, the state Senate unanimously passed a more than $700 million affordable housing package on Wednesday, on the second day of the 2023 regular legislative session. The measure, called the Live Local Act, has been considered …

Quentin Young, Colorado Newsline Jenna Ellis, the Colorado attorney who was former President Donald Trump’s senior legal advisor as he tried to overturn his 2020 election loss, has been censured by a Colorado judge for misconduct. The public censure order was signed Wednesday by Presiding Disciplinary Judge Bryon M. Large, …

As right-wing politicians and pundits continue to peddle lies and conspiracies related to the January 6, 2021 attack on the U.S. Capitol by supporters of then-President Donald Trump, Democratic Maryland Congressman Jamie Raskin on Wednesday delivered a passionate rebuttal of Republicans’ “nonsense.” Speaking on the House floor, Raskin asserted that …

After Fox News‘ Tucker Carlson falsely dismissed the January 6, 2021 attack on the U.S. Capitol by supporters of former President Donald Trump as mostly nonviolent, numerous Republican senators including Minority Leader Mitch McConnell on Tuesday blasted the right-wing opinion host’s “whitewashing” of the deadly insurrection. Carlson—who publicly promoted former …

Brett Wilkins, Common Dreams Consumer and labor advocates on Tuesday welcomed a U.S. Department of Justice antitrust lawsuit seeking to block JetBlue’s proposed $3.8 billion acquisition of Spirit Airlines, its biggest competitor, a deal that critics say would harm passengers and workers. The Department of Justice (DOJ), along with the …

Diane Rado, Florida Phoenix The GOP-controlled Florida Legislature and Gov. Ron DeSantis approved a 15-week abortion ban just last year. On Tuesday, lawmakers filed a bill to reduce the ban to six weeks, creating significant new abortion restrictions in the state. State Sen. Erin Grall, who has been at the …

The Justice Department on Wednesday said that it found that the Louisville Metro Police Department and Louisville/Jefferson County Metro government violated the Constitution and federal law in various practices in dealing with the Black community. Following an investigation launched in April 2021, the DOJ said it has entered an agreement …