Latest news with #Democraticlawmakers
Associated Press
10 hours ago
- Politics
- Associated Press
US appeals court blocks New Mexico's 7-day waiting period on gun purchases
SANTA FE, N.M. (AP) — A panel of federal appellate judges rules Tuesday that New Mexico's seven-day waiting period on gun purchases likely infringes on citizens' Second Amendment rights, putting the law on hold pending a legal challenge. The ruling by the 10th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals sends the case back to a lower court. New Mexico's waiting period went into effect in May 2024. It does hold an exception for concealed permit holders. Two New Mexico residents had sued, citing concerns about delayed access to weapons for victims of domestic violence and others. Democratic state lawmakers had enacted the restrictions in hopes of ensuring more time for the completion of federal background checks on gun buyers.
E&E News
4 days ago
- Climate
- E&E News
‘He's gotten lucky in a way': Why Trump's cuts haven't fueled wildfire catastrophe
President Donald Trump has so far largely evaded political fallout from his administration's controversial cuts to the Forest Service, thanks in part to weather conditions in fire-prone parts of the country that have helped keep blazes in check. Democratic lawmakers and state officials across the country warned that the Trump administration was courting disaster by removing about 5,000 Forest Service workers through early retirement and buyout programs, including about 1,600 people with wildland firefighting qualifications, and losing key agency leaders. But as of mid-August, the worst fears largely haven't materialized. Favorable weather conditions in parts of the country, including decent spring and summer rainfall and cooler temperatures across regions of the West, have helped contain wildfires, making existing personnel and resources adequate for ongoing response efforts, according to three state fire officials and three current and former Forest Service workers. Advertisement 'He's gotten lucky in a way,' Steve Ellis, a former Forest Service supervisor who now serves as chair of the National Association of Forest Service Retirees, said of Trump. 'You're not really going to look bad until fire gets going and you don't have enough resources. When resources get short, that's when these things are noticed.
Bloomberg
5 days ago
- Politics
- Bloomberg
Texas Democrats Who Left State Plan Return to Start Legal Fight
Democratic state lawmakers who left Texas to block controversial new congressional maps backed by President Donald Trump are planning a return to the state early next week, shifting tactics so they can fight the plan in court. The Texas lawmakers will go home once a separate redistricting map in California is introduced in that state's legislature, said a person familiar with the matter. California's plan, which would favor Democrats for more seats in the US House of Representatives, is seen as potentially neutralizing the gains that Republicans are seeking in Texas.
Associated Press
05-08-2025
- Politics
- Associated Press
Photos of Texas redistricting standoff as Democrats flee state
A standoff in Texas over redrawn U.S. House maps escalated as dozens of Democratic lawmakers fled the state to block a vote on a redrawn congressional map sought by President Donald Trump to shore up Republicans' 2026 midterm prospects. ___ This is a photo gallery curated by AP photo editors.
Wall Street Journal
05-08-2025
- Politics
- Wall Street Journal
Pritzker's Illinois, Temporary Home to Texas Democrats, Is Gerrymandering Hot Spot
When Democratic lawmakers from Texas arrived in Chicago early this week fleeing a congressional redistricting vote back home, they touched down on some of the most gerrymandered soil in the nation. The way Illinois draws political district boundaries has been criticized by good government groups for decades, with the process often described as lawmakers choosing their voters rather than voters picking their representatives. The result has been districts that are often nowhere close to compact or contiguous, two criteria traditionally applied in nonpartisan designs.
