Latest news with #HouseMinorityLeader
Fox News
7 hours ago
- Politics
- Fox News
Texas map fight escalates as Jeffries vows ‘all options' to stop GOP plan
The top House Democrat says that "all options should be on the table" in the Texas redistricting battle. "We will fight them politically. We will fight them governmentally. We will fight them in court. We will fight them in terms of winning the hearts and minds of the people of Texas and beyond. The Texas Democrats are going to show up and stand up and speak up for what's right for the people of Texas, and that's showing courage and conviction and character in doing that," House Minority Leader Rep. Hakeem Jeffries of New York said on Thursday at a news conference in Texas with Democratic state lawmakers. The news conference came a day after Texas GOP state lawmakers unveiled the first draft of their proposed new congressional redistricting map, as part of their push to flip five Democrat-held seats in the reliably red state. "We'll see what happens over the next few days, over the next few weeks. But the one thing I know is clear that Texas Democrats are fighting for the people," he added. The Republican push in Texas is part of a broader effort by the GOP across the country to keep control of the House, and cushion losses elsewhere in the country, as the party in power traditionally faces political headwinds and loses seats in midterm elections. Democrats control just 12 of the state's 38 congressional districts, with a blue-leaning seat vacant after the death in March of Rep. Sylvester Turner. The GOP plan relocates Democratic voters from competitive seats into nearby GOP-leaning districts, and moves Republican voters into neighboring districts the Democrats currently control. Gov. Greg Abbott and Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, both conservative Republicans and Trump allies, said they needed to redistrict because of constitutional concerns raised by the Justice Department over a handful of minority-dominated districts. But the move is potentially risky, as it makes some once-reliably red districts more competitive. Redistricting typically takes place at the start of each decade, based on the latest U.S. Census data. Mid-decade redistricting is uncommon—but not without precedent. Democrats are slamming Trump and Texas Republicans for what they describe as a power grab, and vowing to take legal action to prevent any shift in the current congressional maps. And Democrats in blue-dominated states are now trying to fight fire with fire. "Two can play this game," California Gov. Gavin Newsom wrote on social media recently. The next day, after a meeting, Democrats in California's congressional delegation said they were on board with an ambitious plan to try and gain at least five seats through redistricting. Democrats currently control 43 of the Golden State's 52 congressional districts. Jeffries, after his two-day stop in Texas, heads to California for meetings with state Democrats. But it won't be easy to enact the change, because in California, congressional maps are drawn by an independent commission that is not supposed to let partisanship influence their work. Newsom has suggested that the state's Democratic-controlled legislature move forward with a mid-decade redrawing of the maps, arguing that it might not be forbidden by the 17-year-old ballot initiative that created the independent commission. The governor also proposed quickly holding a special election to repeal the commission ahead of the 2026 midterm elections. Both plans are considered long shots, as they would face plenty of legislative, legal and financial hurdles. Democrats in other heavily populated blue states, including New York, Illinois, and New Jersey, are also considering making changes to their maps, but have redistricting limits enshrined in their state constitutions. Meanwhile, Ohio is required by law to redistrict this year, and a redrawing of the maps in the red-leaning state could provide the GOP with up to three more congressional seats. And Republicans are also mulling mid-decade redistricting that might give the GOP a couple of more House seats in red states such as Florida, Missouri, and Indiana.
Yahoo
22-07-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Ohio House overrides one budget veto, hoping to provide property tax relief
COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) — The House reconvened Monday and successfully agreed to override one of Gov. Mike DeWine's 67 line item budget vetoes. DeWine signed the state's 2026-2027 budget into effect on June 30, issuing 67 line-item vetoes. The House met Monday in hopes of overriding three property tax vetoes, and successfully voted to override one: item 66, school district property tax levy restrictions, which passed 61-28. The House did not vote on the other two vetoes they were expected to try to override because some Republican lawmakers were absent, and they did not think they would pass. If the veto override is concurred by the Senate, political subdivisions will no longer be allowed to levy replacement property tax levies, and school districts will no longer be able to levy fixed-sum emergency, substitute emergency and combined income tax and fixed-sum property tax levies. These levies are typically used to provide funding for day-to-day operational needs, like salaries, supplies or key services. 'They deserve the right to determine how much they want to fund their schools at the local level and when they go to the ballot to pass a levy, we should be respecting their ability to have local control over how much they want to fund their schools,' House Minority Leader Dani Isaacsohn (D-Cincinnati) said. Proponents of the change say words like 'emergency' and 'replacement' mislead taxpayers into voting for property tax increases they may not want. Opponents, including DeWine and many public school districts, say those levies are important revenue sources, and eliminating them will not provide meaningful tax relief. 'No one is getting less money as a result of what we did today,' House Speaker Matt Huffman (R-Lima) said. 'In the future, maybe voters will say, I didn't know I was voting for that. I'm going to be against it.' Why is it raining so much in central Ohio? To successfully override a gubernatorial veto, the House must have 60 of 99 members agree, and the Senate must have 20 of 33 members concur. On Monday, 89 House members were present. Prior to Monday's vote, there were questions as to how many lawmakers would make the out-of-season session vote, as many have left Columbus on break. Although the House has passed the overrides, the Senate would need to concur, and they have not announced any plans to reconvene for a veto override vote. State lawmakers generally agree Ohioans need property tax relief, but the debate stems from how and when to offer it. DeWine said he vetoed item 66, the tax levy restrictions, because they could harm public school funding, among other concerns. DeWine said he understands the need for property tax relief, but wants to provide it outside of the budget. 'These levies serve as important tools for school districts as they seek to maintain their long-term financial stability,' DeWine wrote in his veto message. DeWine and many Democrats say property tax relief cannot come at the expense of local schools and municipalities, who often rely on property taxes to stay afloat. Many Republicans disagree, saying property tax relief cannot wait. 'We're in a crisis, and when we're in a crisis, you act immediately,' Rep. David Thomas (R-Jefferson) said. 'He vetoed them for a reason because they don't provide the property relief that people actually need,' Isaacsohn said. 'We should not be voting on these veto overrides at all.' Along with his vetoes, DeWine created a property tax reform working group to address meaningful property tax relief. DeWine selected former legislators Bill Seitz and Pat Tiberi to chair the group. The group is asked to issue a report and tax relief proposals that still ensure adequate funding for schools, emergency services, libraries and disability support services by Sept. 30. DeWine announced nine other members of the work group just hours after the veto override vote, and new members include county auditors, commissioners, mayors and superintendents. Columbus City Council votes to create new LGBTQ+ affairs commission In Ohio, there are multiple types of property tax levies that must be used for specific costs, including the four types included in the veto override. Replacement levies replace existing property tax levies, either by maintaining or increasing the levy amount, typically when one expires. Emergency levies address an immediate need for funding to maintain current services. The veto override also limits the use of fixed-sum levies. In Ohio, property tax levies are calculated using mills, with millage referring to the rate property is taxed. For instance, a school district or fire department might pass a 10-mill levy that generates $2 million annually. As property tax values increase, it takes fewer mills to generate the same amount of money, so either the cash amount or millage fluctuates. A fixed-sum levy ensures a district gets the same amount of money every year, regardless of how many mills it takes to generate that sum. The House had initially hoped to reinstate three changes to how these levies are regulated, but did not vote on two others: Property tax: County budget commission authority and procedure 20 Mill Floor calculation 'I think if we have more discussion, we'll come back in October,' Huffman said. 'It's my expectation that we will take veto overrides on those two and likely some others also.' If reinstated, the first provision would have allowed county budget commissions to reduce how many mills a voter-approved property tax levy was charging. The second change would have adjusted what types of property tax levies are included in the 20 Mill Floor, altering complex tax laws about how school districts can benefit from levy millage. Although opponent and proponent speakers at the House session were largely split along party lines, the House voted on the vetoes using iPads, so it is not yet known how every member voted. Democrats have already been outspoken against the override. 'The elephant in the room is that if the Republican majority had fully funded our state share to the schools, we would not have a property tax crisis,' Senate Democratic Leader Nickie Antonio (D-Lakewood) said after the override vote. 'This vote will strip communities of the ability to make decisions about their schools, fire departments, libraries and more, and it directly contradicts the values of representative government.' The Ohio House last successfully overrode budget vetoes in 2017, the first time it had happened in 40 years. In that instance, the Senate approved six of the 11 overrides. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Solve the daily Crossword
Yahoo
10-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
‘Is he meeting the moment?': Democrats question Hakeem Jeffries' leadership against Trump
According to new reporting from Politico, Democrats are privately wondering whether House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries is up to the task of leading the caucus against Republicans.
