Latest news with #Cavanaugh
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
State Sen. John Cavanaugh running for Congress in Nebraska's 2nd District
State Sen. John Cavanaugh of Omaha, center, meets with State Sens. Ashlei Spivey of Omaha, Danielle Conrad of Lincoln and Terrell McKinney of Omaha, from left. March 26, 2025. (Zach Wendling/Nebraska Examiner) LINCOLN — After two months of speculation, State Sen. John Cavanaugh is throwing his hat into the ring Wednesday and running for Congress in Nebraska's 2nd District. The Omaha-based lawmaker joins one high-profile local candidate in PAC co-founder and small business owner Denise Powell, along with Mark Johnston and Evangelos Argyrakis. The winner of the May 2026 Democratic primary will try to do what former Omaha State Sen. Tony Vargas fell short of doing so two times — becoming the first non-Republican to represent Nebraska in Congress since the late former U.S. Rep. Brad Ashford served in early 2017. Cavanaugh said he is banking on his record 'of being a leader in the Legislature' to separate himself from Powell. He said he has a record of standing up for 'working people' and protecting access to reproductive health care, something he plans to continue to do in Congress if elected. Bacon is anti-abortion in a district where a majority supports abortion rights. The Cavanaugh name also holds weight in Omaha, as John is part of a state political dynasty. His father, in the late 1970s, held the congressional seat that he hopes to win, and his sister, State Sen. Machaela Cavanaugh of Omaha, serves in the statehouse with him. Cavanaugh's pitch: 'The country is in crisis. [We] need strong leadership to help us correct course from this chaotic president and Congress.' The attorney and former Douglas County Public Defender points to his experience in government as a contrast to Powell's campaign. Powell has argued people want a fresh face in political office. She said she would prioritize protecting Medicaid and Social Security, vote to ensure the federal government does its part to boost quality K-12 education and push back against the Trump administration. The nonpartisan Cook Political Report has rated the Omaha-based 2nd District seat held by U.S. Rep. Don Bacon, R-Neb., as a Republican toss-up. National and state Democrats are using the recent Omaha mayoral race as evidence of growing voter 'energy' against President Donald Trump and political fuel for the congressional midterms. But the fundamentals of the district haven't changed. It remains Nebraska's most politically divided and diverse district, with a slight GOP tilt. The 2nd District contains Democratic-leaning Douglas County, home to Omaha, Republican-leaning slices of western Sarpy County, largely suburbs and exurbs, and rural Saunders County. The 2nd District voted for former Vice President Kamala Harris in 2024 and former President Joe Biden in 2020 after voting for President Donald Trump in 2016 and Mitt Romney in 2012. It backed then-U.S. Sen. Barack Obama in 2008. Bacon has fended off Democrats in close races five times in previous years and bucked the 'blue dot' voting trend in the past two presidential elections. The retired Air Force brigadier general is a reliable Republican vote on most matters. But he has again stepped into the national spotlight as one of the few House Republicans willing to criticize the Trump administration. Bacon hasn't announced a decision yet on whether to retire from Congress, though he said that decision would come this summer. Nebraska Democrats, who view Bacon's seat as vulnerable with him in it or not, have multiple candidates to choose from. Republicans could have a 2nd District primary regardless of what Bacon decides. Former 2022 GOP gubernatorial candidate Brett Lindstrom has told people in conservative political circles that he might be interested in a bid if Bacon retires. Another candidate that has been discussed is Dan Frei, who lost a bid to challenge Bacon in the 2024 GOP primary. Denise Powell launches bid in Nebraska's 2nd Congressional District If Cavanaugh emerges from the Democratic primary, he would be the second Democratic-aligned state senator to run against Bacon, following Vargas. Cavanaugh said the difference between Vargas and him is that he was born and raised in Omaha and has a 'stronger record of being a leader in the Legislature.' Bacon has already criticized Cavanaugh's voting record early this year, saying that outside political groups would easily use it to highlight his 'left-wing votes.' Cavanaugh said the biggest motivation for him to run is that the federal government is currently populated by 'people who are self-interested and self-dealing.' 'That starts with the president and includes Congress, but we saw it in the Legislature this year,' Cavanaugh said. Cavanaugh spent much of the most recent legislative session arguing against efforts by the GOP-majority in the officially nonpartisan Legislature to resist ballot measures passed by Nebraska voters, including new laws requiring paid sick leave, raising the minimum wage, repealing school vouchers, and legalizing medical marijuana. He was often one of the Democratic-aligned lawmakers filibustering the majority's proposed changes to what voters approved. 'I don't shy away from a fight, but I'm not trying to be combative with people just for the sake of being combative,' Cavanaugh said. 'We need that kind of principled strength representing us in Congress.' SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Goodbye to Twinkle Cavanaugh, the regulator who did little regulating
The Alabama State Capitol in Montgomery, Alabama as seen on Feb. 4, 2025. (Brian Lyman/Alabama Reflector) Twinkle Andress Cavanaugh is a political pioneer of sorts. In her campaigns for the Alabama Power Rubber Stamp Squad — excuse me, the Public Service Commission — Cavanaugh had one message: Being a conservative Republican is the only qualification for office. She trumpeted her opposition to abortion rights, even snagging Mike Huckabee to back her up on that. Later on, she campaigned for re-election in part on her opposition to 'socialism and liberal 'woke' ideas.' What did any of this have to do with the Public Service Commission? Zero. The PSC, at least on paper, regulates utilities. It does not restrict abortion. Or college courses. Cavanaugh could have just as easily campaigned on disappointment in Auburn's 2012 football season. The PSC has as much power over Gene Chizik as women's health. Once she became a regulator — first as a member and then as president — Cavanaugh proved a doormat for the utilities. She supported the rate stabilization and equalization process. That guarantees Alabama Power a profit and shields it from questions about its decisions. Rates went up with hardly a peep from the commission. Terry Dunn, a fellow Republican on the PSC, wanted Alabama Power to explain how it charged customers. Cavanaugh signed onto a cosmetic change to the process that did little to shake the status quo. Or lower your power bill. Alabamians pay some of the highest prices for electricity in the South. Both in our homes and our businesses. There could be non-mercenary reasons for that. But we can't say for certain. Cavanaugh and her colleagues, ostensibly tasked with protecting the public from high prices, showed no interest in learning why our rates are high, much less confronting power suppliers about them. The PSC in 2015 trumpeted an Alabama Power rate adjustment that would have saved customers – by the utility's own calculations – one penny a day over a year. Cavanaugh used that opportunity not to call for further reductions, but to bash the federal government. That was always the real target of her ire. In turning aside a challenge from Dunn in the GOP primary for PSC president in 2016, she lambasted Obama-era regulations aimed at reducing coal emissions and improving public health. She also prevailed in a general election contest against Democrat Laura Casey in 2020, whose platform included calls to make the rate process more transparent. In each election, Cavanaugh showed far more interest in attacking national Democratic figures like Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez than in making electricity in Alabama affordable. The PSC's low profile helped her. So did straight-ticket voting. It allows a parakeet with an R next to its name to win an Alabama state office. But Cavanaugh showed that embracing an extreme form of political peacocking meant one didn't even have to bother with the pretense of using public office to advance the public good. She loved Trump, jobs and burning coal. She hated abortion, the 'woke agenda' and Democrats. When conservative media turned to new targets, so did she. Her political agenda always seemed to be whatever Fox News happened to be discussing in the moment. And as it turned out, hating the right things could land you a job that had nothing to do with those things. An electricity regulator could ignore the power bills in mailboxes in Linden, Alabaster or Dothan so long as she shook her finger at a young woman seeking reproductive health care. These politics of conservative hallucination used to stand out. Now it's common practice. Sen. Tommy Tuberville, our putative governor-in-waiting, plans to campaign against Joe Biden, who is not on the 2026 ballot. He says he will stand with veterans, which should be news to officers who were up for promotion back in 2023. (Or to 80,000 VA workers who could lose their jobs in August.) He claims that tariffs Trump has imposed will help Alabama farmers, even as China's retaliatory tariffs threaten a major market for them. And of course, he attacks DEI and 'woke' ideas of inclusiveness and human decency, attacks that are sure to be repeated ad nauseam in the coming year in ads showing Tuberville holding guns, walking into a church, or walking into a church with a gun. GOP primary voters ask for nothing more. After all, they don't care that Trump has 34 felony convictions. Or that he bungled the COVID response. Or that his tariffs are threatening the economy. He wears his hatred of their perceived enemies like a maroon stovepipe hat. As long as that's visible, they will tolerate all his incompetence and corruption. Cavanaugh is now going to work for Trump, serving as Alabama's 'director of rural development' in the state. Considering the administration's antipathy toward public investment and infrastructure, I would expect her to do little in the way of developing rural areas. But she can still talk about how much she dislikes abortion. Because in Alabama politics, performative hatred matters more than accomplishment. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE
USA Today
29-05-2025
- Politics
- USA Today
Twinkle Cavanaugh leaves Public Service Commission for Trump administration job
Twinkle Cavanaugh leaves Public Service Commission for Trump administration job Show Caption Hide Caption President Donald Trump speaks at the University of Alabama President Donald Trump spoke at a pre-commencement event to graduates and supporters in Coleman Coliseum at the University of Alabama. Twinkle Andress Cavanaugh will step down as president of Alabama's Public Service Commission to take a role in President Donald Trump's administration, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Cavanaugh will serve as the state director of rural development in Alabama. According to the news release, Cavanaugh will 'affirm the mission of the Trump Administration by focusing on finding ways to empower rural America and unleash economic prosperity.' A message seeking comment was left Tuesday with Gina Maiola, a spokeswoman for Gov. Kay Ivey, who is responsible for appointing the interim president. According to Maiola said the governor will appoint someone 'in the coming days.' Cavanaugh, a former chair of the Alabama Republican Party, was first elected to the Public Service Commission in 2010. In 2012, she was elected president of the commission, defeating Lucy Baxley, who at the time was the last Democrat holding statewide office in Alabama. The Public Service Commission is the state's utility regulator, though critics have long accused it of being passive toward the companies it oversees. The PSC since 1982 has operated under a system that guarantees utilities a profit, a process different from a formal rate hearing, where an entity must justify any rate increases. Alabama Reflector is part of States Newsroom, an independent nonprofit website covering politics and policy in state capitals around the nation.
Yahoo
28-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Twinkle Cavanaugh leaves Public Service Commission for Trump administration job
Snow falls on the Alabama State Capitol in Montgomery amid rare winter weather on Jan. 21, 2025. (Alander Rocha/Alabama Reflector) Twinkle Andress Cavanaugh will step down as president of Alabama's Public Service Commission to take a role in President Donald Trump's administration, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Cavanaugh will serve as the state director of rural development in Alabama. According to the press release, Cavanaugh will 'affirm the mission of the Trump Administration by focusing on finding ways to empower rural America and unleash economic prosperity.' SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX A message seeking comment was left Tuesday with Gina Maiola, a spokeswoman for Gov. Kay Ivey, who is responsible for appointing the interim president. According to Maiola said the governor will appoint someone 'in the coming days.' Cavanaugh, a former chair of the Alabama Republican Party, was first elected to the Public Service Commission in 2010. In 2012, she was elected president of the commission, defeating Lucy Baxley, who at the time was the last Democrat holding statewide office in Alabama. The Public Service Commission is the state's utility regulator, though critics have long accused it of being passive toward the companies it oversees. The PSC since 1982 has operated under a system that guarantees utilities a profit, a process different from a formal rate hearing, where an entity must justify any rate increases. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE
Yahoo
28-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Nebraska lawmakers again advance ban of most THC, consumable hemp products
State Sen. Kathleen Kauth of the Millard area, left, talks with State Sen. Teresa Ibach of Sumner. Jan. 8, 2025. (Zach Wendling/Nebraska Examiner) LINCOLN — A legislative proposal that would ban most consumable hemp and other THC products in Nebraska advanced Tuesday without amendments as opponents blocked changes. Throughout a four-hour debate on Legislative Bill 316, from State Sen. Kathleen Kauth of the Millard area, only a handful of senators spoke. That's because of pointed opposition from State Sen. John Cavanaugh of Omaha, who filed nearly 30 motions or amendments throughout the bill's life, largely to push senators toward considering regulations instead of a ban. LB 316 advanced 32-15 with 32 of the 33 Republicans voting for it and all 15 Democrats voting against. The Legislature's one nonpartisan progressive was not in attendance. State Sen. Dan McKeon of Amherst, who was 'present, not voting' on advancing the bill, said he did so to wait for possible future changes. He said he recently toured a consumable hemp shop in his district and has concerns about whether the bill could freeze those operations. LB 316 would prohibit raw hemp above 0.3% tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) of any concentration and for processed hemp the lesser of 0.3% THC on a total weight basis or 10 milligrams per package, effective Jan. 1. The mature stalks of Cannabis sativa and its fiber, oil, cake and any other naturally derived products would not be considered hemp, leaving a narrow legal path for some products such as fibers and textiles. If the bill passed, it would include a 'consumer safe harbor period' through the end of 2025 to give consumers time to discard any 'illegal hemp' as newly defined under LB 316. Legal products would face an additional 10% wholesale tax at the time of purchase. Part of Cavanaugh's tactics included a regulatory-focused amendment that he termed a 'compromise.' It would have still banned 'synthetic' cannabinoids of any THC concentration but protected 'hemp-derived' cannabinoids, such as CBD lotions. The Cavanaugh amendment would have required ID checks before purchases, in-state testing, tamper-proof and child-resistant packaging and licensing similar to the Liquor Control Act. Cavanaugh and State Sen. George Dungan of Lincoln said most hemp-derived products require chemical processes, such as heat, to be manufactured. Cavanaugh said the 'synthetic' marijuana that opponents detest as a 'great evil,' including K-2 and spice, was already banned in Nebraska in 2011. 'This is a compromise that allows people, good actors, to continue to act and sell their product in the State of Nebraska, to collect taxes, collect revenue, create jobs, all of these sorts of things,' Cavanaugh said. Cavanaugh's regulatory amendment failed 16-27. State Sen. Stan Clouse of Kearney was the only eventual supporter of LB 316 who supported his proposal. Around Cavanaugh, Kauth is seeking to amend LB 316 to explicitly state her bill would not conflict with voter-approved medical cannabis legalization and regulations in the state, a request of State Sen. Ben Hansen of Blair. The other major change would allow consumers to prove via an 'affirmative defense' in court that they purchased what would become 'illegal hemp' under LB 316 for personal use before September 2025, when the law would take effect. That's a change made to appease State Sen. Tom Brandt of Plymouth. Brandt and Hansen, both Republicans, have so far supported LB 316 under the condition that it be amended in the future. Lawmakers have five legislative days left to do so and are set to adjourn by June 9. Kauth disagrees that most products would be banned and envisions a three-step process for products under her bill: Is the product cannabis? Is it free of any synthetic or modified cannabis? Does the product comply with THC limits of less than 0.3% any THC (the current law is 0.3% delta-9 THC)? If so, Kauth said the products would remain legal. She said the role of government is to put up guardrails and that LB 316 is about 'trying to keep our populace healthy.' 'We are essentially allowing consumers to play Russian roulette every time they go into a store and they can buy a product off the shelves,' Kauth said. 'They're assuming that it is legal. They're assuming that we've already done our jobs.' Kauth was the only supporter to speak in favor of the bill outside of an exchange with Hansen, during which he said promised changes would help protect medical cannabis access. Kauth and the Attorney General's Office, which is pushing LB 316, have said that the measure was never intended to conflict with the medical cannabis laws but worked with Hansen anyway. Hansen confirmed that if the amendment is not attached at the next stage of the debate, he won't vote for the bill. Dungan said that instead of taking a 'scalpel' to THC concerns, supporters approached with a 'hammer.' Part of the reason there are concerns about 'clean' products is the lack of regulations that Cavanaugh sought to add, Dungan said. He said some senators see the word 'chemicals' and 'get all freaked out and they think to themselves, 'Oh my goodness, this is all scary stuff.'' But Dungan said chemical reactions are normal, as simple as putting toast in the toaster. 'I know a lot of people in here have this perception of CBD or delta-8 or THC where it's a classic sort of 'Reefer Madness' idea, that it's a bunch of hippies sitting out on the hill smoking joints,' Dungan said. 'But really, what we're talking about are little old ladies putting cream on their joints.' Dungan, who sits on the Revenue Committee with Kauth, also raised concerns over the revenue loss from fewer sales if LB 316 passes. A fiscal estimate projects at least $2.9 million in lost revenue and about $530,000 in administrative costs over the next two fiscal years. Revenue losses would grow over time, with about $85,000 in annual administrative costs in the future. That's more than the state currently has in its piggy bank after filling, for now, a major projected budget deficit. The state has about $2.6 million left to work with, about $1.5 million of which is expected to be used to raise judges' salaries. LB 316 would require another bill to pass and generate revenue or cut spending. The new excise tax revenue raised by the bill would be directed toward property tax relief. State Sen. Jared Storm of David City, who selected LB 316 as his 2025 priority, has previously said 'effective regulation of this industry is impossible' and that the products are 'garbage' attached to a little bit of cannabidiol (CBD) to vape, smoke or eat. Storm said during the first-round debate he would never jeopardize 'the health or safety of our citizens of this state, especially children and young adults, for revenue.' Other opponents said the bill would enrich a 'felony factory' of the 2025 session, a phrase coined by State Sen. Wendy DeBoer of Omaha, vice chair of the Judiciary Committee. DeBoer said more Nebraskans could be charged with a felony if they possess products under the existing limits of 0.3% delta-9 THC, because the bill would count the 0.3% based on any THC concentration, not just delta-9. State Sen. Carolyn Bosn of Lincoln, a former prosecutor and chair of the Judiciary Committee, said defining hemp as 'marijuana' under LB 316 is about a 'clarification' and not new penalties. Instead, she said it would place hemp products above the legal THC limits on the same criminal scale as marijuana possession — an infraction for less than 1 ounce, a misdemeanor between 1 ounce and 1 pound and a felony for more than 1 pound. Bosn previously said the penalties were a 'clarification.' She had said trying to regulate the drugs was like 'playing Whac-a-Mole.' DeBoer said the 'affirmative defense' indicates that felony charges could be coming because the defense would need to be asserted in court. Cavanaugh said it's not a 'get out of jail free card,' such as in the case of a 'little old lady' who didn't save a receipt. State Sen. Danielle Conrad of Lincoln, as well as Cavanaugh and Dungan, said LB 316 would put Nebraskans out of business and that supporters of the measure weren't listening to Nebraskans who have said they could be harmed, including small business owners and farmers. 'Nebraskans feel like they're being gaslit by this Legislature, and that's because they are,' Conrad said. 'This is politics at its worst.' SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX
