Poli Alert Political & Civics

Blair Miller, Daily Montanan Gov. Greg Gianforte signed the bill Wednesday that is likely to make Montana the first state to ban the popular social media app TikTok and directed executive agencies to stop allowing employees to use any social media apps linked to U.S. foreign adversaries on state-owned devices …

Robin Opsahl, Iowa Capital Dispatch The child labor legislation awaiting Gov. Kim Reynolds’ signature does not comply with federal law, according to a letter from U.S. Department of Labor employees. Seven Democratic state senators sent a letter to the federal department in March, requesting a review of the provisions in …

Ariana Figueroa, Georgia Recorder The U.S. House on Wednesday agreed on a motion to refer to the Ethics Committee a Democratic-sponsored resolution to expel New York Republican Rep. George Santos from Congress. The motion led by Republicans was approved 221-204, with seven Democrats voting present. The expulsion resolution introduced by freshman California …

Greg LaRose, Nebraska Examiner A federal appeals court panel quizzed lawyers during oral arguments Wednesday over a Texas judge’s decision that could end access to the abortion pill nationwide. Observers see the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals as a legal way station for the case, in which anti-abortion groups sued …

Brett Wilkins, Common Dreams Republican Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis on Wednesday signed a bundle of bills targeting transgender people that one activist condemned as “the most extreme slate of anti-trans laws in modern history.” Surrounded by children at Cambridge Christian School in Tampa, DeSantis—a likely 2024 Republican presidential candidate—signed H.B. …

Jennifer Shutt, Florida Phoenix President Joe Biden and congressional leaders struggled to find common ground on the debt ceiling during a Tuesday meeting, though lawmakers said afterward there was some progress toward a deal. Biden and U.S. House Speaker Kevin McCarthy will become the two primary negotiators on a bipartisan …

Brett Wilkins Citing a “crisis of legitimacy” they say is plaguing the U.S. Supreme Court, a group of congressional Democrats on Tuesday reintroduced legislation aimed at thwarting Republican attacks on democracy by expanding the nation’s top court from nine to 13 justices. Sens. Ed Markey (D-Mass.), Tina Smith (D-Minn.), and …

Jennifer Shutt, Michigan Advance The lawsuit over access to the abortion pill goes before the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals in New Orleans on Wednesday, the next step on a path that will likely end at the U.S. Supreme Court. The three-judge panel will decide whether to keep, overturn, or …

Sara Wilson, Colorado Newsline U.S. Rep Lauren Boebert filed for divorce from her husband, Jayson Boebert, the Republican announced Tuesday. The news was first reported by The Colorado Sun. “It is with a heavy weight on my heart that I have filed for divorce from my husband. I am grateful …

Jennifer Shutt, Michigan Advance The federal government could default on its debt during the first two weeks of June without action on bipartisan legislation, according to the Congressional Budget Office. The nonpartisan budget scorekeeper issued an updated report Friday, warning that “if the debt limit remains unchanged, there is a significant risk …

Gov. Ron DeSantis on Monday held an education-related bill signing ceremony on the campus of New College of Florida in Sarasota. Among the bills, DeSantis signed SB 266 which will prevent Florida colleges and universities from spending any state or federal funding on diversity, equity and inclusion programs. The bill …

Two members of U.S. Congressman Gerry Connolly’s staff were hospitalized Monday after a man armed with a baseball bat attacked them in the Virginia Democrat’s district office in Fairfax. “This morning, an individual entered my district office armed with a baseball bat and asked for me before committing an act …

Uriel J. García, The Texas Tribune The number of encounters between U.S. agents and migrants at the U.S.-Mexico border has dropped by half compared with the days leading up to the expiration of Title 42, the emergency public health order used to quickly expel people from the country, a top …

Nick Evans, Ohio Capital Journal It’s been just over three months since a Norfolk Southern train derailed near East Palestine, Ohio. Federal legislation meant to improve rail safety and reduce similar incidents is advancing in the U.S. Senate. The Railway Safety Act of 2023 is a bipartisan effort led by …

Jared Strong, Iowa Capital Dispatch Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis wooed Iowa Republicans on Saturday by drawing parallels between the two states, especially in regard to newly passed legislation that restricts what can be taught in schools and that prohibits gender-affirming surgeries for minors. “The survival of our American experiment requires …