Latest news with #GOP-favored
The Hill
4 days ago
- Politics
- The Hill
Texas AG Paxton probes O'Rourke group for ‘bankrolling' lawmakers
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton (R) has launched an investigation into whether former Rep. Beto O'Rourke's (D-Texas) political group is breaking laws by allegedly 'bankrolling' the out-of-state travel of Democrats attempting to stop the passage of the newly proposed GOP-favored congressional maps. Paxton, in a Wednesday press release, said Powered by People, a group led by O'Rourke, may have violated bribery laws. He added that O'Rourke's group and the Texas Democrats who fled the state may have also 'violated other Texas laws, including, but not limited to, those governing campaign or officeholder contributions and expenditures, coercion of a public servant, and abuse of office.' 'I just launched an investigation into Beto O'Rourke's radical group for unlawfully funding runaway Democrats,' Paxton said in a post on X announcing the investigation. 'Any Democrat coward breaking the law by taking a Beto Bribe will be held accountable,' he added. On Tuesday, the Texas Tribune reported that Power by People has been one of the top funders covering the costs of the Texas lawmakers who have left the state. In response to Paxton's investigation, O'Rourke encouraged people to sign up for text notifications from his group. 'The guy impeached for bribery is going after the folks trying to stop the theft of five Congressional seats. I encourage everyone to text FIGHT to 20377. Let's stop these thugs before they steal our country,' O'Rourke said in a post on X. As part of the investigation, Paxton has issued a request for 'documents and communications from the group regarding potentially unlawful activity, including its involvement in the Democrats' scheme to break quorum.' 'Attorney General Paxton has announced that he will take aggressive legal action against runaway Democrats who do not present themselves before the House by the Speaker's deadline of Friday,' the press release read. Several Republicans are calling for the FBI's involvement after the Democrats left the state on Sunday to block Republicans from passing a new map that would offer the Texas GOP five additional pickup opportunities in the House. Trump said Tuesday the FBI may need to get involved. Texas Gov. Greg Abbott (R) Paxton have called for the lawmakers who fled to be arrested, and Abbott has already started the process of trying to remove at least one Democrat from office.
Yahoo
5 days ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Democrats draw up plans to retaliate if Republicans gerrymander Texas — but they face legal hurdles
Democrats in America's two biggest blue states are hatching plans to respond in kind to a mid-decade move by Texas to draw a friendlier House map for Republicans. Retaliation threats have come from California Gov. Gavin Newsom and New York Gov. Kathy Hochul, who lead states where Democrats control large legislative majorities. Two can play at this game, they say, vowing to similarly eliminate GOP-held seats in their states. But that's easier said than done. Democrats have legal hurdles to clear in California and New York, which have restricted partisan gerrymandering, which liberal advocates pushed in previous years in the name of good government. Texas has no such limits, so GOP Gov. Greg Abbott has called a special session to draw a new map. California eyes a 'triggered' map for 2026 California has an independent redistricting commission — a bipartisan panel tasked with drawing up fair maps for the Legislature to approve — to avoid partisan influence. Newsom is seeking to get around that on a temporary and targeted basis — but only if Texas enacts its GOP-favored map, which is aimed at giving Republicans up to five more seats in the U.S. House. Newsom hopes to work with the Democratic-dominated Legislature starting this month to set up a special election for a statewide ballot measure on Nov. 4. It would offer a newly drawn map if Texas moves forward, a source close to Newsom told NBC News. The ballot measure would do two things: First, it would affirm support for California's independent commission and call for fair redistricting nationwide. Second, it would include a trigger that says a pre-drawn new House map expected to boost Democrats would take effect if Texas implemented a new map. 'What we will say is for the '26, '28 and 2030 elections, these congressional maps on the ballot that voters are approving will be in place. ... The maps themselves will most likely be on the ballot,' said the source close to Newsom, who wasn't authorized to discuss the plan publicly and spoke on condition of anonymity. 'After the 2030 election, the redistricting commission does its job again, and we'll redraw starting in 2032.' Newsom said that the maps are 'being processed' and that they will be 'provided in a transparent way to the public,' adding that under the plan, California voters would make the 'ultimate determination.' 'We're not going to roll over. And we're going to fight fire with fire,' Newsom said. 'We also will punch above our weight in terms of the impact of what we're doing. And I think that should be absorbed by those in the Texas delegation. Whatever they are doing will be neutered here in the state of California.' Paul Mitchell, a California-based redistricting consultant who has advised Democrats, said any new House map would be constrained by the Voting Rights Act, as well as the governor's office and the Legislature, which would need to greenlight it. 'It's like having an emergency 'break glass' rather than an emergency 'burn down the house' measure,' Mitchell said, adding that voters support the independent commission and believe it should be replicated nationwide, in an ideal world. 'They're angry about what Texas is doing. They want to fight back,' he said. 'Voters can understand our long-term goal is this path of better democracy. If we do something, it's only because Texas did it. If Texas steps down today, then all this hubbub of redistricting in California goes away.' How many Republican-held House seats could Democrats flip by drawing a new and friendlier map in California? 'The threshold is three, four or five seats,' Mitchell said, adding that a tangential goal would be to fortify Democrats in existing competitive seats and not do a 'dummy-mander' that might expose other Democratic lawmakers to problems. New York may have to wait until 2028 In New York, changing the redistricting process must move forward as a legislatively referred constitutional amendment — a lengthy and arduous exercise that probably wouldn't lead to new congressional maps until the 2028 election cycle, even if Texas acts before the upcoming midterms. 'I wish I could just call a special election and change it. I'd do it in a heartbeat,' Hochul said recently on MSNBC's "All In with Chris Hayes." 'But we have a constitutional amendment process that's required first. I'm willing to do that. I'm working hard with our legislative leaders to pass legislation immediately — as soon as they return in January — pass it in this current session of the Legislature, go to the next one, which is required, so it won't be until 2027 we can get it on the ballot. But what would that mean — is that in 2028, we could have different lines.' That's because the state's redistricting has been controlled for more than a decade by its own independent redistricting commission. New York voters passed a constitutional amendment changing the redistricting process back in 2014 to create the commission; previously, the Legislature controlled the entire process for legislative and congressional maps. The new proposed amendment would return the duties of redrawing congressional districts to the Legislature — but only if another state engaged in mid-decade redistricting first. Because it's a proposed constitutional amendment, it would have to pass the Legislature in Albany in two consecutive sessions — this year and again in 2026 — and then still be approved by voters in a ballot measure in the subsequent year. That means that whatever new maps that would be created wouldn't be in effect until the 2028 elections at the earliest. 'Otherwise, we have to wait until 2032,' Hochul said, referring to the decennial census process. 'And heaven help our country to find out what'll happen with that length of time.' Democratic legislators in Albany acknowledged that the payoff would be delayed, but they said advancing the measure is still crucial, as long as Texas Republicans continue to advance their own. 'It's still worth it,' state Sen. Pat Fahy, a Democrat, told NBC News on the sidelines of the National Conference of State Legislatures annual meeting in Boston on Tuesday. Fahy said it was 'really unfortunate' that New York Democrats felt forced to change years of precedent. 'But I'm willing to do it, because so much is at stake,' she said. 'This is about Congress, and it is about control, and it's unfortunate, but we have to do what we have to do.' Responding to questions about the obstacles and delays, state Senate Deputy Majority Leader Michael Gianaris, who introduced the bill in his chamber, said in an email, 'What Texas is attempting is a perversion of our democracy and cannot be allowed to stand without a response.' 'This battle will not be over in 2026 and it behooves us to ensure New York is in the game if other states will be enacting off-cycle redistricting,' he said. This article was originally published on Solve the daily Crossword
NBC News
5 days ago
- Politics
- NBC News
Democrats draw up plans to retaliate if Republicans gerrymander Texas — but they face legal hurdles
Democrats in America's two biggest blue states are hatching plans to respond in kind to a mid-decade move by Texas to draw a friendlier House map for Republicans. Retaliation threats have come from California Gov. Gavin Newsom and New York Gov. Kathy Hochul, who lead states where Democrats control large legislative majorities. Two can play at this game, they say, vowing to similarly eliminate GOP-held seats in their states. But that's easier said than done. Democrats have legal hurdles to clear in California and New York, which have restricted partisan gerrymandering, which liberal advocates pushed in previous years in the name of good government. Texas has no such limits, so GOP Gov. Greg Abbott has called a special session to draw a new map. California eyes a 'triggered' map for 2026 California has an independent redistricting commission — a bipartisan panel tasked with drawing up fair maps for the Legislature to approve — to avoid partisan influence. Newsom is seeking to get around that on a temporary and targeted basis — but only if Texas enacts its GOP-favored map, which is aimed at giving Republicans up to five more seats in the U.S. House. Newsom hopes to work with the Democratic-dominated Legislature starting this month to set up a special election for a statewide ballot measure on Nov. 4. It would offer a newly drawn map if Texas moves forward, a source close to Newsom told NBC News. The ballot measure would do two things: First, it would affirm support for California's independent commission and call for fair redistricting nationwide. Second, it would include a trigger that says a pre-drawn new House map expected to boost Democrats would take effect if Texas implemented a new map. 'What we will say is for the '26, '28 and 2030 elections, these congressional maps on the ballot that voters are approving will be in place. ... The maps themselves will most likely be on the ballot,' said the source close to Newsom, who wasn't authorized to discuss the plan publicly and spoke on condition of anonymity. 'After the 2030 election, the redistricting commission does its job again, and we'll redraw starting in 2032.' Newsom said that the maps are 'being processed' and that they will be 'provided in a transparent way to the public,' adding that under the plan, California voters would make the 'ultimate determination.' 'We're not going to roll over. And we're going to fight fire with fire,' Newsom said. 'We also will punch above our weight in terms of the impact of what we're doing. And I think that should be absorbed by those in the Texas delegation. Whatever they are doing will be neutered here in the state of California.' Paul Mitchell, a California-based redistricting consultant who has advised Democrats, said any new House map would be constrained by the Voting Rights Act, as well as the governor's office and the Legislature, which would need to greenlight it. 'It's like having an emergency 'break glass' rather than an emergency 'burn down the house' measure,' Mitchell said, adding that voters support the independent commission and believe it should be replicated nationwide, in an ideal world. 'They're angry about what Texas is doing. They want to fight back,' he said. 'Voters can understand our long-term goal is this path of better democracy. If we do something, it's only because Texas did it. If Texas steps down today, then all this hubbub of redistricting in California goes away.' How many Republican-held House seats could Democrats flip by drawing a new and friendlier map in California? 'The threshold is three, four or five seats,' Mitchell said, adding that a tangential goal would be to fortify Democrats in existing competitive seats and not do a 'dummy-mander' that might expose other Democratic lawmakers to problems. New York may have to wait until 2028 In New York, changing the redistricting process must move forward as a legislatively referred constitutional amendment — a lengthy and arduous exercise that probably wouldn't lead to new congressional maps until the 2028 election cycle, even if Texas acts before the upcoming midterms. 'I wish I could just call a special election and change it. I'd do it in a heartbeat,' Hochul said recently on MSNBC's "All In with Chris Hayes." 'But we have a constitutional amendment process that's required first. I'm willing to do that. I'm working hard with our legislative leaders to pass legislation immediately — as soon as they return in January — pass it in this current session of the Legislature, go to the next one, which is required, so it won't be until 2027 we can get it on the ballot. But what would that mean — is that in 2028, we could have different lines.' That's because the state's redistricting has been controlled for more than a decade by its own independent redistricting commission. New York voters passed a constitutional amendment changing the redistricting process back in 2014 to create the commission; previously, the Legislature controlled the entire process for legislative and congressional maps. The new proposed amendment would return the duties of redrawing congressional districts to the Legislature — but only if another state engaged in mid-decade redistricting first. Because it's a proposed constitutional amendment, it would have to pass the Legislature in Albany in two consecutive sessions — this year and again in 2026 — and then still be approved by voters in a ballot measure in the subsequent year. That means that whatever new maps that would be created wouldn't be in effect until the 2028 elections at the earliest. 'Otherwise, we have to wait until 2032,' Hochul said, referring to the decennial census process. 'And heaven help our country to find out what'll happen with that length of time.' Democratic legislators in Albany acknowledged that the payoff would be delayed, but they said advancing the measure is still crucial, as long as Texas Republicans continue to advance their own. 'It's still worth it,' state Sen. Pat Fahy, a Democrat, told NBC News on the sidelines of the National Conference of State Legislatures annual meeting in Boston on Tuesday. Fahy said it was 'really unfortunate' that New York Democrats felt forced to change years of precedent. 'But I'm willing to do it, because so much is at stake,' she said. 'This is about Congress, and it is about control, and it's unfortunate, but we have to do what we have to do.' Responding to questions about the obstacles and delays, state Senate Deputy Majority Leader Michael Gianaris, who introduced the bill in his chamber, said in an email, 'What Texas is attempting is a perversion of our democracy and cannot be allowed to stand without a response.' 'This battle will not be over in 2026 and it behooves us to ensure New York is in the game if other states will be enacting off-cycle redistricting,' he said.
NBC News
6 days ago
- Politics
- NBC News
Texas redistricting vote at a standstill after Democrats scatter: Morning Rundown
The Texas House approved arrest warrants for Democrats who fled the state to block a GOP-favored redistricting plan. Attorney General Pam Bondi orders a grand jury investigation into the Obama administration's review of Russia's actions during the 2016 election. And the double-edged sword facing travel influencers in Afghanistan. Here's what to know today. Texas House approves the arrests of Democrats who fled the state Republican lawmakers voted to issue arrest warrants for dozens of Democrats who fled Texas to block the GOP's plan to redraw the state's congressional lines. The House requires a quorum to proceed with a vote and with 51 of the state's 62 Democratic House members out of the state, the legislation is effectively stalled. 'They've shirked their responsibilities under the direction and pressure of out-of-state politicians and activists who don't know the first thing about what's right for Texas,' said Republican Speaker Dustin Burrows. Shortly after gaveling in, Republican lawmakers locked the chamber doors and moved for the sergeant-at-arms to 'send for' the lawmakers 'under warrant of arrest, if necessary.' Republican Gov. Greg Abbott called for a special session of the Legislature this summer with redistricting on the agenda, an issue President Donald Trump has said would allow the GOP to pad their slim majority in the U.S. House with five more seats. The move enraged many Democrats who consider it a power play to prioritize House seats before passing legislation to address the disastrous floods that killed over 100 people in Kerr County, San Antonio, this summer. Inside the chamber, they proceeded with a House vote and signed the civil arrest warrants, but Democrats have shrugged off threats so far. A majority traveled to Illinois and others to Boston and Albany, N.Y., but their next steps aren't clear. The special legislative session cannot last more than 30 days, but Abbot could continue to call new sessions indefinitely. U.S. ties with India, a key security partner in Asia, are being tested by trade, tariffs and New Delhi's purchases of Russian oil. Meanwhile, the European Union will pause its plan to impose retaliatory tariffs on U.S. goods while trade negotiations continue. White House officials began their search for a permanent replacement after Trump fired former Bureau of Labor Statistics Commissioner Erika McEntarfer. Ron DeSantis has a longstanding presence in the Florida GOP, but after losing his presidential bid, the momentum within the state's Republican Party seemed to shift towards Trump. Pam Bondi orders grand jury probe of Obama administration review of 2016 election Attorney General Pam Bondi has ordered Justice Department prosecutors to launch a probe into whether Obama administration officials committed federal crimes in a review of Russia's actions during the 2016 election. Trump and his supporters have long claimed that intelligence and law enforcement officials attempted to undermine his first term by overstating Russia's interference in the 2016 election and investigating Trump's aides over any possible contacts with Moscow. Special Counsel Robert Mueller found that Russia intervened in 2016 to undercut Hillary Clinton but found no evidence that the Trump team colluded with the Kremlin, as some on the left had previously suggested. In an official letter signed by Bondi, an unnamed federal prosecutor is now instructed to begin presenting evidence to a grand jury to secure potential federal indictments. The letter doesn't specify what the charges will be, who the grand jury will investigate or give a timeline for completion. The announcement is the latest in a series of actions by the Trump administration designed to rewrite the history of the 2016 election and seek retribution against those whom Trump accuses of trying to sabotage his first term in the White House. The Agriculture Department allowed West Virginia, Florida, Colorado, Louisiana, Oklahoma and Texas to bar participants who receive SNAP benefits from using their aid for certain types of processed foods. A federal judge rejected 'Sean Diddy' ' Combs' efforts to be released from prison ahead of his sentencing. A bronze statue depicting Confederate Gen. Albert Pike will be reinstalled in Washington, D.C, after demonstrators toppled and burned it in 2020. Staff Pick: Travel influencers boost tourism to Taliban-run Afghanistan When I read about the three-month solo trip Margaritta, a 33-year-old travel influencer from Germany, took through Afghanistan, my heart soared. It is rare to read anything about Afghanistan that isn't about war, violence or extremism, so it was a welcome relief to find someone appreciating the country's heart-stoppingly beautiful landscape and fascinating history. Margaritta says that she 'felt fantastic' and safe in Afghanistan. She and other travel influencers explore the country's landlocked, mountainous terrain and its tribal culture, with their glowing account contesting what has been painfully evident over the decades: that the country is unsafe and hostile to women. Here's the thing: Afghanistan is one of the world's most violent countries, and arguably one of the worst places to be born a girl (if you look at maternal mortality rates, as well as laws that prohibit girls from studying beyond the age of 12 and women from working outside the home -- just to name a few). I fear Margaritta and others' sunny travelogues risk whitewashing the harsh realities of life for the people of Afghanistan, not only its women. They also betray a lack of interest in or understanding of why some of us — wealthy, white Westerners — might be 'treated like a queen.' In sum, it's great to share your adventures, but probably while keeping at the front of your mind that millions of people may well be living desperately difficult lives under harsh and austere circumstances that rosy travelogues might entirely miss. — Brinley Burton, a ssistant managing editor NBC Select: Online Shopping, Simplified Ever heard of onion shampoo? No, well, it's the latest trend that is supposed to promote hair growth. Don't worry, it won't leave your strands smelling funky. Want to learn how to make matcha? Class is now in session for matcha making 101. Tea experts share a step-by-step guide and what to look out for when shopping for products.
