Latest news with #Confederate-related
Yahoo
a day ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Federal court hears challenge to Confederate monuments funded by taxpayers in Florida
Confederate monuments are once again at the center of legal and public debate in Jacksonville, this time inside a federal courtroom. Former attorney Earl Johnson Jr. is asking the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit to revive his 2021 lawsuit, which aims to stop the city and state from using public funds to preserve Confederate tributes on taxpayer-owned property. Johnson, who is the son of a civil rights attorney who once represented Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., argues that public symbols honoring the Confederacy are not just relics, but represent government-backed white supremacy that violates the Civil Rights Act of 1964. >>> STREAM ACTION NEWS JAX LIVE <<< 'The purpose of this court in terms of my case is to lay out the ground rules – where does the state stand? Where does the city stand, as it relates to Confederate monuments?' Johnson said. The lawsuit, originally dismissed last year due to lack of standing, lists Mayor Donna Deegan and more than 30 Confederate-related memorials, plaques, and names statewide. Outside the federal courthouse on Hogan Street, demonstrators rallied in support of the case. Protesters held signs and chanted calls for change, saying the monuments inflict ongoing harm, particularly on Jacksonville's Black residents. 'These are modern-day 'whites only' signs,' Johnson said. 'They tell me, as a Black man, that I'm not worthy — that I'm a second-class citizen.' [DOWNLOAD: Free Action News Jax app for alerts as news breaks] Kelly Frazier with the Northside Coalition of Jacksonville joined the rally and said the monuments are more than just statues. 'They're symbols of hate. They're shrines to rebellion that fought to keep our ancestors in chains,' Frazier said. A courtroom sketch captured a look inside the federal hearing. [SIGN UP: Action News Jax Daily Headlines Newsletter] Activists say the fight goes beyond removing statues, calling instead for a broader reckoning with the legacy of racial injustice in public spaces. A decision from the appeals court could take weeks or months. Action News Jax reached out to Mayor Donna Deegan's office for comment. A spokesperson responded, 'We decline to comment on the pending lawsuit.' Click here to download the free Action News Jax news and weather apps, click here to download the Action News Jax Now app for your smart TV and click here to stream Action News Jax live.
Yahoo
28-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
What is Confederate Memorial Day and what is closed for the state-recognized holiday?
ALABAMA (WHNT) — The fourth Monday in April is a state-recognized holiday, meaning state offices and courts are closed. Today, April 28, is what is known as Confederate Memorial Day. Alabama is one of only a few states that have an official holiday recognizing the 250,000 Confederate Soldiers who lost their lives. State offices, including state courts and ALEA offices, are closed to observe the holiday. However, mail will still run and federal offices will remain open. If you are looking to get your STAR ID ahead of the nationwide May 7 enforcement date, ALEA offices will serve customers beginning back on Tuesday, April 29. The confederate memorial holiday dates back to just one year after the war in Georgia. The day is one of three Confederate-related state holidays celebrated in Alabama. The state jointly observes Robert E. Lee Day with Martin Luther King, Jr. Day in January and the birthday of Confederate President Jefferson Davis which is observed in June. First celebrated in 1865, Confederate Memorial Day was made a state holiday in Alabama in 1901, according to the Encyclopedia of Alabama. Alabama is one of the only few states in the U.S. that still recognizes confederate holidays. Mississippi and Florida observe it in April and South Carolina observes it in May. Texas has its own version, calling it Confederate Heroes Day, observed in June. In 2023, Alabama State Sen. Vivian Davis Figures sponsored a bill that would separate the celebration of Lee and King, HB360. It was rejected in committee. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
28-02-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Virginia's legislative session is over. Here's what's headed to Youngkin.
RICHMOND — The General Assembly took up more than 3,000 bills this legislative session. About 1,000 of those head to Gov. Glenn Youngkin's desk for consideration. But a number of those bills are repeat attempts at legislation that Youngkin has previously vetoed, raising the question of how much new policy will actually go into effect this year. Virginia currently has a divided government, where Democrats narrowly control the House and Senate, but legislation they vote to pass must be signed by the Republican governor. That makes for increasingly difficult lawmaking, analysts say. 'Virginia politics today is very different than a generation ago,' said Stephen Farnsworth, a political science professor at the University of Mary Washington. 'Twenty or 30 years ago, Republicans and Democrats in the ideological center would tell the extremists on both sides what was going to pass. Now, we really have the 'Washingtonization' of Virginia politics, where you have two very clear partisan camps that find very little interest in working with each other.' That likely means more vetoes are coming, Farnsworth said. 'You can expect gubernatorial vetoes on a range of issues where the parties disagree,' he said. 'Questions restricting the benefits that Confederate-related organizations have under Virginia law, issues with respect to greater worker rights are likely on the chopping block.' Youngkin, now in his final year as governor, has demonstrated he has no qualms rejecting legislation he doesn't like. He vetoed 201 bills last year alone, more than any recent governor during their entire 4-year term. The vetoes included legislation that would have removed tax exemptions for Confederate groups and established a right to contraception. Both measures are back on his desk this year. Virginia Politics | Improving maternal health a key focus as Virginia General Assembly begins session Virginia Politics | Virginia House and Senate pass competing versions of same probation reduction bill Virginia Politics | Data centers could double Virginia's energy use in a decade. Bills to regulate them are getting mixed support. Virginia Politics | Virginia's legislative session is halfway over. Here's how housing bills fared. Virginia Politics | Here's the General Assembly's budget plans for Hampton Roads 'This General Assembly is sending me a multitude of bills, including a budget, and over the next 30 days I will go to work to review and take action on those bills and budget,' he said in a statement following the legislature's adjournment. 'We will have much to address at the reconvene(d) session, but I remain grateful for the hard work of our General Assembly members and their staffs.' There are issues where the parties agree and get real lawmaking done, particularly in the budget, Farnsworth said. 'Virginia is very fortunate compared to most states; the state's revenue picture is historically much healthier than in many states, and that creates opportunities for additional spending on issues of mental health or public education,' he said. The lawmakers adjourned Feb. 22. Youngkin has until March 24 to sign, amend or veto bills. The General Assembly will reconvene April 2. Overriding a veto requires a two-thirds majority vote. Here's what the General Assembly got done this short session, which was made shorter by the Richmond water crisis. ___ Both Democrats and Republicans said increased access to maternal health was a priority. Democrats backed a 'Momnibus' package of bills they said will reduce maternal health disparities. That included legislation that would require unconscious bias and cultural competency training for medical professionals seeking to be relicensed. Research shows that this kind of training improves health outcomes for Black mothers. Last year, Youngkin vetoed similar legislation. He proposed instead two hours of training on disparate health outcomes among Black, Hispanic, Indigenous and underserved rural mothers, an amendment that was rejected by the legislature. ___ A bill that would create metrics by which people could reduce their time on probation awaits a signature from the governor. Youngkin vetoed similar legislation last year, though it appears to have garnered more bipartisan support this time around – both House and Senate versions were introduced by Republicans. Another bill with widespread support across party lines would permit prosecutors to charge people with involuntary manslaughter if they knowingly distributed drugs containing fentanyl that resulted in a fatal overdose. ___ Ultimately, just one bill that would regulate data centers advanced to the governor's desk this year. That legislation would require localities to determine the impact of noise on nearby schools and houses of new high energy use facilities, like data centers. Localities would also be permitted to assess the impact of proposed facilities on other resources, like water and forests. ___ Though some legislation seeking to amend Virginia Beach's charter to transition to single-member districts failed, another bill is headed to the governor's desk. That legislation would allow the governing body of a locality that has been subject to a court order imposing a remedial election system under voting rights laws to adopt an ordinance to convert one or more at-large seats of such body to single-member districts, provided that the governing body also adopts and implements the remedial election system contained in the court order. Citing pending litigation, Youngkin previously vetoed legislation that would have aligned Virginia Beach's city charter with its district-based election system currently in use. ___ A bill with some bipartisan support that would establish a Prescription Drug Advisory Board is back on the governor's desk this year. Youngkin vetoed similar legislation last year, citing concerns about compromised quality of drugs. Another bill that has broad bipartisan support would align the state's Medicaid pharmacy benefit under a single state-contracted pharmacy benefit manager. Under the Save Local Pharmacies Act, the Department of Medical Assistance Services would evaluate drug pricing, rebates and administrative costs to ensure cost efficiency. ___ Though it faces long odds, Democrats reintroduced a bill that would create a legal market for cannabis sales. Though Virginians 21 and over can possess small amounts of marijuana, the legislature has yet to set up a legal way for people to buy it. Youngkin vetoed similar legislation last year. ___ The legislature passed a bill that would prohibit candidates from using campaign funds for personal use during campaigns. The legislation passed unanimously. Previous attempts to set limits on campaign funds never made it out of committee. ___ A faith and housing bill, which would allow localities to help congregations and other nonprofits develop affordable housing, awaits action from the governor. A bill that increases from five to 14 days the amount of time landlords must wait before beginning eviction proceedings if tenants are late on rent also advanced, as did a bill that would permit tenants to sue negligent landlords even if they're behind on rent. ___ Gun safety advocates urged the legislature to pass a slate of firearms-related legislation. One bill that did pass is a ban on assault rifles. Youngkin vetoed similar legislation last year. ___ For the first time, both the House and the Senate passed the Consumer Protection Act, which requires sellers to disclose additional fees upfront, displaying the total cost of goods and services. Reporter Stacy Parker contributed to this report. Kate Seltzer, 757-713-7881,
