Latest news with #Koger
The Hill
07-08-2025
- Politics
- The Hill
DeSantis inches closer to joining redistricting fight
MIAMI — Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) knows what it's like to have a redistricting fight on his hands. DeSantis redrew congressional lines after the 2020 census — when his state gained one congressional seat — weathering claims that the map disempowered minority voters and defeating opponents in a court case contesting the map. Now, as a redistricting battle plays out in Texas and is capturing the nation's attention, Florida could once again redraw its congressional lines to try to bolster efforts by President Trump and the GOP to keep its House majority in Washington. 'We were the laboratory here in Florida,' said Democratic strategist Fernand Amandi, who is based in Miami. '[DeSantis] was able to do it, and not only got away with it but showed the bottom-line success of the approach.' Assessing the situation, Amandi wasn't optimistic for his party. 'I think we can expect the worst,' he said. DeSantis last week inched closer to a repeat of his earlier fight, expressing support for a recent Florida Supreme Court decision that upheld his map after the 2020 census. The Florida governor also made the case for further redistricting efforts in his state. 'I think if you look at that Florida Supreme Court analysis, there may be more defects that need to be remedied apart from what we've already done,' DeSantis told reporters at a press conference last week. 'I also think the way the population has shifted around Florida just since the census was done in 2020, I think the state was malapportioned.' 'So I do think it would be appropriate to do a redistricting here in the mid-decade,' he concluded. As the political debate heats up around redistricting, Republicans say DeSantis is simply trying to showcase strength. 'You don't have to win, you don't have to land a punch, you just need to show a willingness to fight,' Republican strategist Doug Heye said of DeSantis's latest assertions. Gregory Koger, a professor of political science at the University of Miami, said it would be harder for DeSantis to once again execute a redistricting effort because of the state's Fair District amendments. But the provisions — which are aimed at preventing partisan and racial gerrymandering — would not be enough to stop the governor if he does choose to move forward, Koger added. 'I think he still tries. Although he has a law degree from Harvard, he has not been inclined to refrain from actions that were legally dubious in a wide variety of ways,' Koger said. 'Governor DeSantis's political strategy seems to be to keep up with or keep ahead of what's going on in other Republican states,' he said. 'If Texas goes forward, I think that increases his interest in matching Texas's actions on behalf of the Republican Party.' But Democrats say that off-cycle redistricting does not come without its risks for DeSantis, which they say the 2028 hopeful should weigh. 'When you redistrict too aggressively, it makes the odds of losing smaller, but it makes the odds of a wave in a loss substantially higher. And so if DeSantis becomes the guy responsible for Florida Republicans getting washed away in 2026, he doesn't look very smart,' said David Litt, a former speechwriter for former President Obama and the author of 'It's Only Drowning,' a new book about searching for common ground during a politically divisive moment for the nation. 'As somebody with an eye on 2028, people are going to look at that and say, 'Wait a second. Are you really the person we want to entrust our political future to because your biggest decision backfires spectacularly for the party,'' Litt said. DeSantis's renewed efforts come as Democratic governors in California, Illinois, and New York have responded to redistricting efforts in Texas by threatening to redraw congressional lines in their states to favor Democrats. Some political observers have concerns about the implications of off-cycle redistricting, whether in Republican or Democratic states. 'Redrawing districts in between the decennial censuses will just lead to a redistricting arms race,' said Grant Reeher, the director of Syracuse University's Campbell Public Affairs Institute. 'What both parties are doing is bad for the political system generally, the state legislatures and the Congress, and the citizens. … And it's also not a smart look for either party politically.' 'The American political system is already the most complicated and fragmented in the Western world — by a mile,' Reeher added. 'All this does is make that problem worse than it already is.' But political observers say the redistricting play has been far from a problem for Republicans, with DeSantis originating the latest iterations of the strategy in Florida. 'A lot of people credit the Republican majority … certainly in 2022 and then again in 2024 to what DeSantis was able to do,' said Amandi. 'I mean, it was DeSantis who overruled his own legislature and came up with his own set of lines that he thought were better and indeed managed to squeeze out a few extra seats that otherwise might not have been there.' Amandi said that DeSantis has opened the door to 'a brave new world for what representative democracy means in the United States.' 'No one knows where this is ultimately headed because it's so unprecedented,' he added.
Yahoo
15-04-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Urgent repair funds needed for El Dorado Springs museum
EL DORADO SPRINGS, Mo. — The Wayside Inn Museum could fall to the wayside, as one of El Dorado Springs' oldest commercial buildings is in dire need of funds for repairs that can't wait. According to Faye Koger, president of the Preserve Our Past Society (POPS) in El Dorado Springs, the museum needs $20,000 worth of urgent repairs. 'We had some floors in very bad shape,' Koger said of recent building repairs. 'When I walked on the floor, it felt like I was going to fall through.' However, as those floors were repaired with grant money funded by a private donor and the Community Foundation of the Ozarks, more damage was discovered by contractors. The structural damage mainly comes from water running through El Dorado's downtown streets. Water is washing the foundation up from under the building. One of the beams holding the building up is twisting and going to the wayside. 'Whenever they talk about a beam twisting, that's concerning,' Koger said. 'We were wondering why the wall was getting crooked.' While the museum is still safe for patrons to visit, Koger said the repairs need to come sooner than later. The Wayside Inn Museum is one of El Dorado's oldest commercial buildings. Located in El Dorado's historic downtown district, the museum draws in visitors from the entire area and hosts or contributes to several events throughout the year. 'It holds up our whole entire town,' Koger said. 'We're trying to teach the kids our history, because that's what keeps it going. If you know where you're coming from, you will respect the place a lot more. It's dedicated to El Dorado Springs and the surrounding areas.' POPS secretary Paula Newman told Ozarks First that the museum is very near and dear to her heart. 'It holds such wonderful pieces of information regarding the town's history, along with an annex that houses our local dedication to the El Dorado Springs School and our local veterans,' Newman said. 'We love seeing people come to our beautiful downtown area and see our park and walk into a page of the past at our beautiful Wayside Inn Museum.' Those interested in making donations may mail a check to The Wayside Inn Museum at 119 W. Spring St., El Dorado Springs, 64744, or call (417) 876-2922 for more information. POPS is a non-profit organization dedicated to preserving and celebrating the history of El Dorado Springs and the surrounding area. They are the caretakers and curators of the Wayside Inn Museum, which houses a collection of historical artifacts and memorabilia. For upcoming events, the museum is hosting its annual 'Historical Hysteria Days' from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. in downtown El Dorado Springs on Saturday, June 7. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
USA Today
16-02-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Saints OC candidate would rather coach against them than join them
A little spark was added to the New Orleans Saints-Atlanta Falcons rivalry over the weekend, as Falcons tight ends coach Kevin Koger declined an interview request for the Saints' vacant offensive coordinator position. NFL teams can block interviews for lateral moves, but in this case Koger turned them down rather than pursue a promotion. Koger spent some time with new Saints head coach Kellen Moore during the 2023 season when Moore was an OC in L.A. During his three seasons in L.A. from 2021-2023, Koger led a room with guys such as Gerald Everett and Donald Parham achieve their most productive seasons. Koger would end up finding his way to Atlanta after the 2023 season, now finding himself working with the supremely talented Kyle Pitts. Pitts had his most productive season since his rookie year in '21, catching 47 passes for 602 and four touchdowns. While he interviewed with a couple of other teams for their OC openings this offseason, Koger decided he would rather be against the Saints than be with them. It's also possible he viewed this as something of a sham interview to satisfy the Rooney Rule, which would let the Saints hire the coordinator they really wanted all along. Denied requests haven't been an uncommon theme for the Saints this offseason, as multiple coaches chose to either continue on their journey with their teams or take other opportunities instead. Seeing the potential of an offense composed of Pitts, Michael Penix Jr., Bijan Robinson, and Drake London, it's quite easy to see how staying put could benefit Koger in the long run.
USA Today
15-02-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Falcons position coach declines interview for Saints OC vacancy
The Atlanta Falcons failed to clinch an NFC South title last season, but at least they finished ahead of the New Orleans Saints in the standings. The Falcons appear to have gotten another win over their rivals on Valentine's Day. According to a report from CBS Sports' Jonathan Jones, tight ends coach Kevin Koger has declined a request to interview for the Saints' offensive coordinator vacancy. However, Koger did recently interview with the Dallas Cowboys and Cleveland Browns for their offensive coordinator vacancies. Falcons TEs coach Kevin Koger declined a request from the Saints to interview for their vacant OC position, source tells @NFLonCBS. Koger interviewed for the Cowboys and Browns OC positions, and he passes on the division rival. — Jonathan Jones (@jjones9) February 14, 2025 Koger joined Raheem Morris' staff in 2024 after spending three seasons as the tight ends coach of the Los Angeles Chargers. With Kellen Moore officially taking over as head coach, New Orleans is looking to fill out the rest of its staff. Moore, a former NFL QB, is fresh off calling a Super Bowl win as the offensive coordinator of the Philadelphia Eagles. It's unclear why Koger declined the interview but the Saints are expected to retain Derek Carr as their starting quarterback.
