Latest news with #Ahrens
Politico
2 days ago
- Business
- Politico
Dems (not so) secretly repealing Kamala Harris' truancy law
Presented by CLASS IN SESSION: California lawmakers are quietly advancing a bill that would undo controversial anti-truancy legislation Kamala Harris pushed more than a decade ago — a connection Democrats have not exactly been eager to broadcast. The former vice president's name did not come up once during two committee discussions and a floor vote on Bay Area Assemblymember Patrick Ahrens' legislation, which would repeal a 2011 law making parents eligible for a misdemeanor if their children are chronically truant. That's not entirely surprising. Harris could run for governor in 2026. By flying under the radar, Democrats can get rid of the policy and avoid stoking the ire of the person who could be signing their bills in a couple of years. Ahrens said in a statement, 'My bill has nothing to do with our former VP.' 'I introduced this because of my personal experience,' he told Playbook at the Capitol. 'Because of the threat of my mom getting fined or imprisoned because I didn't make the bus that day, or I didn't have bus money, so I had to walk an hour to get to school. That's why I'm doing it.' Harris was district attorney of San Francisco when she sponsored the 2010 bill, which she pitched as a form of crime prevention. Her office had worked with the San Francisco Unified School District on a program targeting parents of truant children that involved sending them letters and having prosecutors meet with them. Harris saw the legislation at the time as building on these efforts, writing in a bill analysis that it 'will allow local jurisdictions to establish and strengthen efforts like these to hold parents accountable and get elementary school children back in school.' A Harris staffer did not respond to a request for comment on Ahrens' legislation. Even 15 years ago, she was aware criminalizing truancy was contentious. Harris told POLITICO in 2010 that her staff 'went bananas' over the policy. 'My bottom line is these children have to be in school,' she said. 'There will be outrage when in 10 years they're a menace to society hanging out on the corner.' Then-Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger signed the bill, which prompted some counties to arrest and prosecute parents for truancy. But photos of parents being handcuffed and perp-walked dogged Harris years later, when she was running for president in 2019. The law played differently during the 'Kamala is a cop' era, when voters were trending in a more progressive direction on criminal justice policy. The truancy law became such a problem for Harris that she went on 'Pod Save America' to walk back her support for it, saying the criminalization of parents troubled her. 'I regret that that has happened and the thought that anything I did could have led to that, because that certainly was not the intention,' she said. Ahrens also linked the measure to immigrant families' concerns about deportation under President Donald Trump's administration, saying, 'There's a lot of fear and anxiety and hate in our politics right now, and truancy laws do nothing to address any of those issues.' 'There's no excused absence for will I be deported tomorrow or not?' he said. 'And that's not acceptable.' IT'S TUESDAY AFTERNOON. This is California Playbook PM, a POLITICO newsletter that serves as an afternoon temperature check on California politics and a look at what our policy reporters are watching. Got tips or suggestions? Shoot an email to lholden@ WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW TODAY PAY UP: A transgender girl's victories at a state track and field championships last weekend have further fueled a standoff between California and a hostile White House, our Eric He and Jeremy B. White report. Trump has repeatedly threatened California with unspecified financial pain for its law which allows students to compete on the teams matching their gender identities. And the U.S. Department of Justice has warned California schools they could face legal repercussions if they don't relent. The president hasn't missed the opportunity to make the skirmish particularly uncomfortable for Gov. Gavin Newsom, invoking the governor's prior comments about fairness to bolster his screeds. In a social media post late Monday, Trump doubled down, lamenting that the transgender athlete had placed first in the girls' high jump and the triple jump at the championships over the weekend despite his earlier calls for the high school junior to be banned from the competition. 'As Governor Gavin Newscum fully understands, large scale fines will be imposed!!!' Trump posted, using a favorite epithet. The backlash has highlighted the precarious political position Newsom has staked out. When Newsom hosted conservative pundit Charlie Kirk on his podcast in March, Kirk pointedly asked about a transgender girl who was poised to win a track championship and told Newsom he had 'opportunity to run to the middle' by speaking out. By aligning with Kirk, Newsom drew both furious criticism and praise for breaking with progressive orthodoxy as Democrats regrouped from a stinging 2024 election. 'This isn't part of a smart, masterful tack-to-the-middle play — this is sloppy,' said a Democratic consultant with experience in LGBTQ politics granted anonymity to speak candidly. 'Anyone with a few working brain cells left could've seen this was going to lead to the president using his words against him.' IN OTHER NEWS UNCOMMON ALLIANCE: Newsom and fellow Sacramento Democrats are finding themselves in an awkward yet convenient alliance with MAGA-world figures against Trump's 'big, beautiful bill,' our Christine Mui reports. Just days after leaving the administration, Elon Musk took his opposition to the extreme over Trump's mega budget and reconciliation package, posting on X Tuesday that he 'just can't stand it anymore' with what he called the 'disgusting abomination' that is 'this massive, outrageous, pork-filled Congressional spending bill.' His outburst had Newsom, a frequent sparring partner, chiming in with agreement. 'Couldn't have said it better myself,' the governor responded. RENAMING RUCKUS: Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth is set to rename a naval vessel named after gay rights activist Harvey Milk, with several other ships honoring civil rights activists and women also potentially being rechristened, our Giselle Ruhiyyih Ewing and Paul McLeary report. California Democrats swiftly condemned the move. 'The right's cancel culture is at it again,' Newsom said in an X post. 'A cowardly act from a man desperate to distract us from his inability to lead the Pentagon.' WHAT WE'RE READING TODAY — The family of the 4-year-old girl with a life threatening condition has been granted protection from deportation. (Los Angeles Times) — San Mateo County District Attorney Steve Wagstaffe will seek the death penalty against Chunli Zhao, the Half Moon Bay shooting suspect. (San Jose Mercury News) AROUND THE STATE — The San Diego City Council approved new parking rules that will include $10-an-hour meters near Petco Park and paid parking on Sundays. (San Diego Union-Tribune) — The Anaheim City Council will use part of a $15 million commitment from Disney to give first-time homebuyers down payment assistance. (Orange County Register) — The Inland Empire Job Corps Center has closed after the U.S. Department of Labor announced it was pausing Job Corps. (The Press-Enterprise) — compiled by Nicole Norman
Sydney Morning Herald
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- Sydney Morning Herald
‘We all grew up on that movie': How a beloved cartoon went from screen to stage
If you ask Millennials to name the animated films that shaped their childhoods, it's likely quite a few will point to 1997's Anastasia, which builds upon the discredited myth that an eight-year-old Romanov noble survived the Russian Revolution. It's a 20th Century Fox production, not Disney (back when those were separate companies), but it has many of the hallmarks that define a classic Disney animated hit of the '90s: a headstrong princess, talking animal companion, dastardly magical villain and catchy songs that stick in your head for, well, the rest of your life. That last part is due to Lynn Ahrens and Stephen Flaherty, who wrote the songs for the movie: she the lyrics, he the music. The pair have collaborated for decades on iconic shows including the multi-Tony-Award-winning Ragtime, so when the movie of Anastasia was being adapted into a stage musical, Ahrens and Flaherty were tapped to revisit their work. The brief was to keep the beloved songs that made the movie so memorable, but add new material and bring the whole thing from the world of animation into something more grounded. 'I think we all grew up on that movie,' says Ahrens. 'We were young writers. We went out to Hollywood, we had a big adventure, we did a movie and then 20 years or something passed. And just like all the little girls who loved that animated movie, we grew up. It was so, not only wonderful, but enlightening to have another look at it and to see it's much richer and much, much more emotional than we had thought of it.' The talking bat was gone, as was evil wizard Rasputin, as the stage production took a more adult look at the story. 'It was if we were meeting old friends that we had loved that we had not seen for a very long time, and getting a chance to write for these characters and to flesh them out,' says Flaherty. 'Our leading man, for example, he sings in two small parts of two songs in the film, but he never really had his own moment to tell us who he was and what made him tick. And so we got to write two new songs for that character alone.' It turns out little girls who resonated with the movie in the mid-1990s want to reconnect with their old friends, too. Ahrens remembers clearly the crowd reaction at the show's first performance. 'There were women in the audience dressed like Anastasia, and I nearly lost my mind. They were wearing crowns and wigs and bands, it was incredible. And I realised, oh my God!, these women grew up on this movie ... I began to realise that there was something very profound about the music and about the story that grabbed people as little ones. They've grown up, they've had their own families. Grandmothers come with their daughters, come with their granddaughters.'
The Age
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- The Age
‘We all grew up on that movie': How a beloved cartoon went from screen to stage
If you ask Millennials to name the animated films that shaped their childhoods, it's likely quite a few will point to 1997's Anastasia, which builds upon the discredited myth that an eight-year-old Romanov noble survived the Russian Revolution. It's a 20th Century Fox production, not Disney (back when those were separate companies), but it has many of the hallmarks that define a classic Disney animated hit of the '90s: a headstrong princess, talking animal companion, dastardly magical villain and catchy songs that stick in your head for, well, the rest of your life. That last part is due to Lynn Ahrens and Stephen Flaherty, who wrote the songs for the movie: she the lyrics, he the music. The pair have collaborated for decades on iconic shows including the multi-Tony-Award-winning Ragtime, so when the movie of Anastasia was being adapted into a stage musical, Ahrens and Flaherty were tapped to revisit their work. The brief was to keep the beloved songs that made the movie so memorable, but add new material and bring the whole thing from the world of animation into something more grounded. 'I think we all grew up on that movie,' says Ahrens. 'We were young writers. We went out to Hollywood, we had a big adventure, we did a movie and then 20 years or something passed. And just like all the little girls who loved that animated movie, we grew up. It was so, not only wonderful, but enlightening to have another look at it and to see it's much richer and much, much more emotional than we had thought of it.' The talking bat was gone, as was evil wizard Rasputin, as the stage production took a more adult look at the story. 'It was if we were meeting old friends that we had loved that we had not seen for a very long time, and getting a chance to write for these characters and to flesh them out,' says Flaherty. 'Our leading man, for example, he sings in two small parts of two songs in the film, but he never really had his own moment to tell us who he was and what made him tick. And so we got to write two new songs for that character alone.' It turns out little girls who resonated with the movie in the mid-1990s want to reconnect with their old friends, too. Ahrens remembers clearly the crowd reaction at the show's first performance. 'There were women in the audience dressed like Anastasia, and I nearly lost my mind. They were wearing crowns and wigs and bands, it was incredible. And I realised, oh my God!, these women grew up on this movie ... I began to realise that there was something very profound about the music and about the story that grabbed people as little ones. They've grown up, they've had their own families. Grandmothers come with their daughters, come with their granddaughters.'
Yahoo
27-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Republican Mayfield, Democrat Ahrens face off in special election for Florida Senate seat
Longtime Republican state legislator Debbie Mayfield of Indialantic is seeking to return to her former position as state senator, representing District 19. Mayfield currently is a member of the Florida House of Representatives. Standing in her way in the June 10 special election for the Senate seat is Democratic candidate Vance Ahrens of Grant-Valkaria. Ahrens also ran for this Florida Senate District 19 seat last November, but lost to Republican Randy Fine, while getting 40.64% of the vote. However, Fine resigned that seat, effective March 31, so he could run for Congress in Florida 6th Congressional District, a six-county area that includes Daytona Beach. Fine was elected to Congress on April 1, and the Senate District 19 seat now is vacant. Ahrens and Mayfield want to fill that vacancy, and are squaring off in the June 10 special election. The district includes most of Brevard County, except for mainland areas from Titusville north to the Volusia County line. Mayfield currently is a member of the Florida House, representing District 32 in Central Brevard County. She is resigning her seat on June 9 to run for this Senate seat, which she previously held before having to give it up in 2024 because of term limits. Because of the gap in tenure, Mayfield is allowed to seek the Senate seat again in this election. Mayfield was a member of the Florida House from 2008 to 2016, then was a member of the Florida Senate from 2016 to 2024, before returning to the House after the November 2024 election. Mayfield on April 1 won a four-candidate Republican primary for the Senate seat, receiving 60.81% of the vote. Ahrens was the only Democratic candidate in this special election, so she did not have to run in a primary. Ahrens worked in health care as a surgical technician for more than 20 years, and currently works as a retail manager. The election winner will serve the remainder of Fine's four-year term, which runs until November 2028. Florida Senate members have a salary of $29,697 a year. There also will be a special election on June 10 for Mayfield's current House District 32 seat. Facing off in that election are Republican Brian Hodgers of Viera and Democrat Juan Hinojosa of Rockledge. Until 2015, Ahrens was a registered Republican. "I grew up in a conservative household, and registered as a Republican, because that's what you did," Ahrens said. "I always voted independently, and have never voted for a Republican president." Ahrens said she switched to Democratic Party in 2015, at a time "the Republicans shifted further to the right." Although the candidates for Senate District 19 are far apart on the political spectrum, both Ahrens and Mayfield cite inflation and property insurance as among their top issues. Here's what they said, in their own words: The top priority is still the economy from rising costs from tariffs and inflation, and an insurance crisis that is still in peril. I want to address these issues from a consumer focus, and focus on the cause. If we can mitigate damage, the burden on insurance will decrease. We need politicians who will listen and answer to the people, instead of ignoring our issues in favor of power moves. Affordability: As it pertains to housing, we need to continue to support full funding of the Sadowski program, which provides down-payment assistance to first-time homebuyers. We should also continue to look for public/private partnerships to assist in affordable-housing needs. More broadly, Floridians of all stripes continue to face an affordability crisis. The Legislature needs to embrace robust tax relief to put money back in the pockets of struggling Floridians. This includes evaluating our property-tax system, and working to ease the financial burden on our residents. Insurance: The Legislature enacted policies over the last three years that have stabilized the insurance market by reining in lawsuit abuse. We need to protect those reforms, while holding insurance companies accountable to do right by their policyholders and bring down insurance premiums. Infrastructure: Florida's current infrastructure received a grade of 'C' from the American Society of Civil Engineers. With the continued growth in Florida, we must continue to fund our five-year work program with the Florida Department of Transportation. In addition, we need a five-year work plan for our underground utilities that would also include replacement and repair of our aging underground utilities, such as our water and sewer lines. Ahrens: Raised $16,715.20 and spent $8,432,92 through May 1. Mayfield: Raised $169,986.25 and spent $169,034.83 through May 1, with most of that during her Republican primary campaign. Political party: Democrat Hometown: Grant-Valkaria Age: 54 Occupation: Retail managerEducation: Some college, Naval School of Health Sciences Political/government/civic experience: I've done volunteer lobbying in Tallahassee. Campaign email: Addvanceforflorida@ Website or Facebook page: Political party: Republican Hometown: Indialantic Age: 68 Occupation: Retired banker Education: Florida School of Banking Political/government/civic experience: Florida House of Representative: 2024 to present. Florida Senate: 2016 to 2024, representing Brevard County. Florida House of Representatives: 2008 to 2016, representing Indian River County. Campaign email: Debbie@ Campaign phone number: 321-200-0021 Website: Election Day is June 10, with polls open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. There also will be eight days of early in-person voting, from May 31 through June 7. There are 401,333 registered voters in Senate District 19 eligible to vote in this election. Of those, 44.9% are Republicans; 25.9% are Democrats; 25.5% are no-party-affiliation voters; and 3.7% are members of a minor political party. Dave Berman is business editor at FLORIDA TODAY. Contact Berman at dberman@ on X at @bydaveberman and on Facebook at This article originally appeared on Florida Today: Ahrens, Mayfield are candidates in Florida Senate special election
Yahoo
27-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Republican Mayfield, Democrat Ahrens face off in special election for Florida Senate seat
Longtime Republican state legislator Debbie Mayfield of Indialantic is seeking to return to her former position as state senator, representing District 19. Mayfield currently is a member of the Florida House of Representatives. Standing in her way in the June 10 special election for the Senate seat is Democratic candidate Vance Ahrens of Grant-Valkaria. Ahrens also ran for this Florida Senate District 19 seat last November, but lost to Republican Randy Fine, while getting 40.64% of the vote. However, Fine resigned that seat, effective March 31, so he could run for Congress in Florida 6th Congressional District, a six-county area that includes Daytona Beach. Fine was elected to Congress on April 1, and the Senate District 19 seat now is vacant. Ahrens and Mayfield want to fill that vacancy, and are squaring off in the June 10 special election. The district includes most of Brevard County, except for mainland areas from Titusville north to the Volusia County line. Mayfield currently is a member of the Florida House, representing District 32 in Central Brevard County. She is resigning her seat on June 9 to run for this Senate seat, which she previously held before having to give it up in 2024 because of term limits. Because of the gap in tenure, Mayfield is allowed to seek the Senate seat again in this election. Mayfield was a member of the Florida House from 2008 to 2016, then was a member of the Florida Senate from 2016 to 2024, before returning to the House after the November 2024 election. Mayfield on April 1 won a four-candidate Republican primary for the Senate seat, receiving 60.81% of the vote. Ahrens was the only Democratic candidate in this special election, so she did not have to run in a primary. Ahrens worked in health care as a surgical technician for more than 20 years, and currently works as a retail manager. The election winner will serve the remainder of Fine's four-year term, which runs until November 2028. Florida Senate members have a salary of $29,697 a year. There also will be a special election on June 10 for Mayfield's current House District 32 seat. Facing off in that election are Republican Brian Hodgers of Viera and Democrat Juan Hinojosa of Rockledge. Until 2015, Ahrens was a registered Republican. "I grew up in a conservative household, and registered as a Republican, because that's what you did," Ahrens said. "I always voted independently, and have never voted for a Republican president." Ahrens said she switched to Democratic Party in 2015, at a time "the Republicans shifted further to the right." Although the candidates for Senate District 19 are far apart on the political spectrum, both Ahrens and Mayfield cite inflation and property insurance as among their top issues. Here's what they said, in their own words: The top priority is still the economy from rising costs from tariffs and inflation, and an insurance crisis that is still in peril. I want to address these issues from a consumer focus, and focus on the cause. If we can mitigate damage, the burden on insurance will decrease. We need politicians who will listen and answer to the people, instead of ignoring our issues in favor of power moves. Affordability: As it pertains to housing, we need to continue to support full funding of the Sadowski program, which provides down-payment assistance to first-time homebuyers. We should also continue to look for public/private partnerships to assist in affordable-housing needs. More broadly, Floridians of all stripes continue to face an affordability crisis. The Legislature needs to embrace robust tax relief to put money back in the pockets of struggling Floridians. This includes evaluating our property-tax system, and working to ease the financial burden on our residents. Insurance: The Legislature enacted policies over the last three years that have stabilized the insurance market by reining in lawsuit abuse. We need to protect those reforms, while holding insurance companies accountable to do right by their policyholders and bring down insurance premiums. Infrastructure: Florida's current infrastructure received a grade of 'C' from the American Society of Civil Engineers. With the continued growth in Florida, we must continue to fund our five-year work program with the Florida Department of Transportation. In addition, we need a five-year work plan for our underground utilities that would also include replacement and repair of our aging underground utilities, such as our water and sewer lines. Ahrens: Raised $16,715.20 and spent $8,432,92 through May 1. Mayfield: Raised $169,986.25 and spent $169,034.83 through May 1, with most of that during her Republican primary campaign. Political party: Democrat Hometown: Grant-Valkaria Age: 54 Occupation: Retail managerEducation: Some college, Naval School of Health Sciences Political/government/civic experience: I've done volunteer lobbying in Tallahassee. Campaign email: Addvanceforflorida@ Website or Facebook page: Political party: Republican Hometown: Indialantic Age: 68 Occupation: Retired banker Education: Florida School of Banking Political/government/civic experience: Florida House of Representative: 2024 to present. Florida Senate: 2016 to 2024, representing Brevard County. Florida House of Representatives: 2008 to 2016, representing Indian River County. Campaign email: Debbie@ Campaign phone number: 321-200-0021 Website: Election Day is June 10, with polls open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. There also will be eight days of early in-person voting, from May 31 through June 7. There are 401,333 registered voters in Senate District 19 eligible to vote in this election. Of those, 44.9% are Republicans; 25.9% are Democrats; 25.5% are no-party-affiliation voters; and 3.7% are members of a minor political party. Dave Berman is business editor at FLORIDA TODAY. Contact Berman at dberman@ on X at @bydaveberman and on Facebook at This article originally appeared on Florida Today: Ahrens, Mayfield are candidates in Florida Senate special election
