$10 Billion Affordable-Housing Bond Measure Passes California Assembly
Assembly Bill 736, proposed by Assemblymember Buffy Wicks, an Oakland Democrat, would authorize the general obligation bond measure to be placed on the June 2, 2026, statewide primary election ballot.
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New York Post
3 hours ago
- New York Post
Failed New Mexico GOP candidate sentenced to 80 years for organizing drive-by shootings at Democrats' homes
A wannabe Republican representative in New Mexico was sentenced to 80 years in prison for organizing shootings at Democrats' homes after he was easily crushed in an election for a state House seat. Solomon Peña, 42, originally ran for the Albuquerque-based house district in 2022, but was swiftly defeated by incumbent Democrat Miguel Garcia after securing a mere 26% of the vote. 4 Solomon Peña was sentenced to eight decades in prison for organizing targeted shootings at Democratic officials' homes. Solomon Pena/X Still, Peña asserted the election was 'rigged.' 'I didn't lose nada,' he posted on his X account on Jan. 2. The sore loser quickly formed a 'sophisticated scheme' targeting elected officials in the state, US District Court Judge Kea Riggs said during his sentencing. 4 Peña previously attempted to run for a state House seat, but was defeated. AP He was arrested in January 2023 after a tense standoff with a SWAT team and accused of hiring four men to shoot at the homes of Bernalillo County Commissioners Adriann Barboa and Debbie O'Malley and state Sens. Linda Lopez and Moe Maestas, who are all registered Democrats. Peña was found guilty in March for recruiting a man and his son to target the Democratic officials. He was additionally convicted of trying to convince fellow inmates he was in jail with while awaiting trial to kill his codefendants. As the 'ringleader' of the operation, Peña tagged along on the final drive-by to Lopez's, less than a day before he was nabbed by the SWAT team. 4 Peña was arrested in January 2023 after a standoff with SWAT officials. AP The heavily armed men opened fire on the senator's house, sending multiple bullets flying through Lopez's 10-year-old daughter's bedroom window. No injuries were reported, but Lopez testified Wednesday that her children still suffer from mental health issues spurred by the shooting, including anxiety and depression, the Source New Mexico reported. 'The shooting of our home shattered what I was trying to form for my children,' Lopez said. 4 Peña plans to appeal the conviction, his attorneys said. AP Peña's attorneys spoke on his behalf and asserted that he would be appealing the conviction. Riggs, a Trump appointee, said that Peña would have likely continued on his violent rampage if he hadn't been captured by authorities — all because of his 'ego' and inability to 'believe that [he] lost an election.' Peña, an ex-con, previously served seven years in prison for theft. He was also ordered to pay a $250,000 fine. Over the last year, acts of political violence have spiked countrywide. In June, Minnesota state representative Melissa Hortman and her husband were assassinated at her home by deranged madman Vance Boelter, who dressed up as a police officer to trick the couple into opening their door. In April, an unemployed mechanic set Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro's home on fire while his family was asleep inside. The arsonist later told police that he despised the governor and would've beaten him with a hammer himself if given the opportunity.
Boston Globe
3 hours ago
- Boston Globe
PFAS bill targets management of sewage sludge
'I've long understood Maine's leadership, nationally and internationally, on the issue of banning PFAS, banning biosolids, centering farms, and supporting farmers,' Comerford told reporters outside the Maine State House in Augusta Tuesday afternoon. 'I leave with a renewed fire in my belly that in Massachusetts, we have to turn off the tap for PFAS,' the Northampton Democrat added. 'We must follow Maine. There is a saying in Massachusetts, 'Where goes Maine, there goes the nation.' And so in Massachusetts, we must ban PFAS.' Advertisement The US Environmental Protection Agency on its website promotes the land application of sewage sludge, outlining environmental benefits such as 'improved soil health, carbon sequestration, and reduced demand on non-renewable resources like phosphorus.' The EPA says it defines biosolids as sewage sludge that's been treated and meets regulatory standards to be used as fertilizer. Still, PFAS are 'nearly universal' within the chemicals that the EPA detects in wastewater sludge, according to the Maine Morning Star. Advertisement When PFAS enter soil that is used to grow crops, the contamination can be passed on to farmers and consumers, according to Comerford's office, which said that small doses of PFAS are linked to cancer, harm to the reproductive and immune systems, and other diseases. The legislation from Comerford and Arena-DeRosa calls for the creation of a statewide plan for reducing and managing sludge. It also authorizes legal and financial protections for farmers and a relief fund to help farmers who have suffered financial losses 'resulting from standard agricultural practices that may have resulted in the actual or suspected presence of PFAS in soil, water or agricultural products,' according to the bills. 'We want to encourage testing, but we have to do it in a way that people aren't going to be afraid to test,' Arena-DeRosa said. 'Right now, we're dealing with that in Massachusetts because we're worried about the cost, so we have to think about mitigation strategies and the funding that it's going to take.' The bills are awaiting a hearing before the Agricultural and Fisheries Committee. Comerford is vice chair of the panel. During their day trip on Tuesday, the Massachusetts delegation visited a PFAS-impacted farm in Arundel, attended a lunch and 'storytelling session' at the Maine State House, and participated in a roundtable discussion with farmers, advocates, and lawmakers, Comerford's office said. Massachusetts lawmakers on the trip included Reps. Arena-DeRosa, Michelle Ciccolo, Steven Owens, and Senators Comerford and Jamie Eldridge. They were joined by Maine Representatives Bill Pluecker and Lori Gramlich, and Senator Henry Ingwersen. Advertisement Pluecker said he sponsored the landmark legislation in Maine that prohibited applying sludge on farms. 'This toxic contaminant, which knows no bounds regionally, flows downhill. It poisons our water, fish, and drinking water,' he said. 'And what we need to do is stand together as politicians and activists across the states, regionally looking at how we can address this issue and how we can move the issue forward to protect farmers, wherever you may be.' Ingwersen recalled how his work confronting PFAS started in 2016 in his hometown of Arundel, where a dairy farmer discovered his property was contaminated. The farmer had to slaughter cows, pause selling products, and spend thousands of dollars out of pocket to mitigate the issue, he said. 'We know we must keep up the fight here and share what we've learned with anyone looking to do the same,' Ingwersen said. 'So I was really happy to be able to talk to our folks in Massachusetts and hopefully begin relationships we can work together on in their state.' Comerford said she asked Maine lawmakers about the lessons they've learned and about any approaches they would have done differently. 'I do feel like we've benefitted greatly from the wisdom, and the experience, and the knowledge base that Maine has built,' Comerford said. 'We have to think as upstream as we could possibly go, and that is the manufacturers, the chemical companies who make these chemicals and have polluted our rivers and polluted our food systems.' The Massachusetts chapter of the Northeast Organic Farming Association, which supports the legislation from Comerford and Arena-DeRosa, says a relief fund 'will be critical for increasing PFAS testing and protecting farmers' business liability and their health.' Advertisement 'While it's anticipated that some farms will have higher than acceptable levels of PFAS in their soil and/or water, farmers are hesitant to test until they know they'll be protected in case they need to cease production,' NOFA/Mass The legislation is also a priority for environmental advocacy group Clean Water Action. 'Farmers across the nation are learning that the fertilizer they used may have contained high levels of PFAS, and they need our help to identify and remediate PFAS contamination to ensure that our food supply is safe,' Clean Water Action
Axios
4 hours ago
- Axios
Scoop: Schumer courts Peltola for Alaska Senate race
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer is quietly pressing former Rep. Mary Peltola (D) to plunge into the Alaska Senate race. Why it matters: Schumer (D-N.Y.) is trying to recruit his way out of a bad map. Landing Peltola would give him a third statewide winner to cause problems for Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.). Recapturing the majority is still an uphill battle for Democrats, but when they squint — and make some favorable assumptions about tariffs and the unpopularity of the "one big, beautiful bill" — they are starting to see a path back to 51 seats. The focus of Schumer's current charm offensive is Peltola, the last Democrat to win a statewide election in Alaska, and one of just two Democrats to do so this century. Democrats want to convince her to challenge Sen. Dan Sullivan (R-Alaska), who is up for reelection next year. Zoom out: In New Hampshire and Georgia, the state's popular GOP governors both took passes on the Senate, disappointing many in the party. Schumer got who he wanted in Ohio with former Sen. Sherrod Brown (D), and in North Carolina with former Gov. Roy Cooper (D). The more states Schumer puts in play, the more resources he will drain from national Republicans, who will have to spend heavily to retain their incumbents. Zoom in: Democrats have been laying the foundation for a challenge of Sullivan. A group associated with a Schumer-linked PAC earlier this year spent more than $600,000 on digital ads bashing Sullivan. The spots focused on the GOP's tax and spending cut package. Alaska's unique ranked-choice voting helped Peltola win a special election in 2022. She received 40 percent of the first round votes, while her two GOP candidates divided the remaining 60 percent. But after former GOP vice presidential nominee Sarah Palin was eliminated for coming in third place, more of her supporters listed Peltola as their second choice, giving her a majority victory with 51.5 percent. In 2024, House Republicans worked to ensure that only their top vote winner in the primary — who ended up being Rep. Nick Begich — would stay in the race. Begich beat Peltola on the second ballot. What they're saying:"Chuck Schumer's best options in red state Senate races are losers like Mary Peltola," said the NRSC's Nick Puglia. "She would be a standout candidate, which is probably why Sullivan is going around town griping about how nervous he is about next year," said the Senate Majority PAC's Lauren French. The bottom line: Similar to the dynamic in Ohio, there are some Alaska Democrats who would prefer Peltola run for governor.
