Poli Alert Politics & Civics

Former President Donald Trump said Tuesday he would urge his supporters to get the COVID-19 vaccine, but acknowledged that some of them may refuse in the name of “freedom.” “I would recommend it, and I would recommend it to a lot of people that don’t want to get it,” Trump …

Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan banned debt collectors from garnishing Marylanders’ latest round of federal stimulus checks Monday. Under Hogan’s latest order on stimulus checks, financial institutions have to consider American Rescue Plan stimulus checks as “protected and cannot be subject to a court-ordered garnishment,” according to a release. “For more than a …

Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam announced on Tuesday that thousands of former inmates in the state would have their voting rights restored. Right now, convicted felons in Virginia can ask the governor’s office to restore their rights after they complete probation. Moving forward, Northam said former inmates will be able to …

The Senate voted Monday to confirm New Mexico Congresswoman Deb Haaland as President Joe Biden‘s Interior secretary. Haaland, a member of New Mexico’s Laguna Pueblo, has become the first Native American cabinet secretary in U.S. history. The vote was 51 to 40, with most Republicans voting against her after several called …

A sizable majority of the Democrats serving in New York’s congressional delegation are calling on Gov. Andrew Cuomo to resign following the latest sexual harassment allegations reported. The newest allegations say that the Governor groped a female aide last year. Soon after, a wave of statements were released by elected officials …

Two people were arrested and charged in connection with the alleged assault of U.S. Capitol Police Officer Brian Sicknick on Sunday. The two men, Julian Elie Khater of Pennsylvania, and George Pierre Tanios, of West Virginia, were taken into custody on Sunday and are charged with nine counts, including assaulting three …

The Republican state senator behind one of the controversial election bills currently being debated in Georgia predicted that no-excuse absentee voting would remain Georgia law. The prediction comes as lawmakers from the state Senate and state House try to reconcile different aspects of the election bills before they can be passed. Sen. …

Congresswoman Grace Meng (D-NY) is reintroducing the COVID-19 Hate Crimes Act as Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders (AAPI) experience a wave of physical, verbal and online attacks. The COVID-19 Hate Crimes Act seeks to address the ongoing hate and violence towards AAPIs by providing greater assistance with law enforcement response …

The Kentucky Senate passed a bill on Thursday that would make it a crime to insult police officers and boost penalties for rioting. The bill comes in reaction to racial justice protests in Louisville and across the state and country over the last year. The bill would make it a …

The House on Thursday approved a pair of bills that would expand and strengthen background checks for gun purchasers. In votes that fell largely along party lines, the House passed legislation that would require background checks for all gun buyers and extend the time given to the FBI to vet …

President Joe Biden used his first prime-time address on Thursday night to announce that he is directing states to make all American adults eligible for a coronavirus vaccine no later than May 1. Biden began his address from the White House by honoring Americans’ “collective suffering” over the past year. …

After Texas Gov. Gregg Abbott announced he was lifting statewide COVID-19 safety restrictions starting Wednesday, the city of Austin announced they would continue to enforce a mask mandate. “While hospitalizations in the Austin-area have continued to decline, there are indications that this rate is plateauing,” said Austin Mayor Steve Sadler. “The …

Former President Jimmy Carter said in a letter on Tuesday that for years, Georgia has “established itself as a leader in providing voter access and taking steps to enhance election integrity.” However, he said, state legislators are working to “turn back the clock” through bills that would restrict voting access. …

Representative Pramila Jayapal (WA-07) called on the House Committee on Ethics and the Office of Congressional Ethics to launch investigations into U.S. Representatives Lauren Boebert (CO-03), Mo Brooks (AL-05), and Paul Gosar (AZ-04) for their involvement in instigating and aiding the deadly attack at the Capitol that took place on …

The non-profit watchdog group, Campaign for Accountability, filed a complaint with the House Committee on Ethics to investigate 13 Republican lawmakers. According to the group, the Republican House members used the COVID-19 pandemic as an excuse to skip in-person voting to attend the Conservative Political Action Conference. According to CNN, …