Latest news with #Legislature
Boston Globe
6 hours ago
- Politics
- Boston Globe
Healey's $3B bill seeks to future-proof Mass. against flash floods and more
If passed by the Legislature, the so-called 'Mass Ready Act' would be a historic investment in climate-readiness, said Stephanie Cooper, the state's undersecretary for the environment — 'the biggest ever.' Advertisement During a six hour hearing Tuesday before the joint Environment and Natural Resources Committee, the overwhelming reception for the bill was positive, said Senator Rebecca Rausch of Needham, the committee's co-chair. 'The base has a lot of really strong pieces in it,' she said. 'I'm looking forward to kind of digging in further and to building upon it.' But in some cases — such as the availability of grants for local preparedness, the mitigation of air pollution in vulnerable neighborhoods, and the protection of nature — advocates say it doesn't go far enough. Advertisement The Nature For Massachusetts Coalition, made up of more than 40 local environmental groups, said the bill doesn't provide sufficient funds for the acquisition, restoration, or improvement of nature, which is necessary for many reasons including the sequestration of carbon. The bill includes $340 million for the five-year term of the bond, but Sam Anderson, director of legislative and government affairs at Mass Audubon, which is a member of the coalition, said that's 'a fraction of what's needed to actually meet our goals.' At the hearing, many speakers voiced support for increased funding for the state's Related : The act includes $93 million in authorization for seawalls and dam repairs and upgrades, and it establishes a $200 million 'Resilience Revolving Fund' that would provide low-interest loans to municipalities, tribal governments, and water and wastewater districts to improve stormwater systems, restore natural systems, and enhance infrastructure that can reduce flood and heat risks. As the revolving fund loans get repaid, the money can be loaned out again. It's a program modeled after existing revolving funds for clean water and drinking water, which have seen that for every dollar of initial state and federal investment over the lifetime of the program, three dollars have gone out in loans, according to Antos. A $3 billion bill may seem hefty, but spending this money on prevention now could save a lot down the line by readying the state for the increased extreme weather events triggered by a warming planet, state officials and advocates said. Advertisement Already, there's proof. An earlier culvert replacement program swapped undersized culverts — which couldn't handle increased stream flow during heavy rain events, leading to flooded out roads — with ones that were properly sized. As a result of those changes, roads that previously flooded out repeatedly 'have not overtopped since, said Katherine Antos, the state's undersecretary of decarbonization and resilience. 'They were able to withstand the 2023 and subsequent storm events that we have had,' she said. In some ways, the bill is innovating, by proposing big, pricey investments in resilience. In others — as with the requirement that flood risk is disclosed to homebuyers and renters — it's catching up. 'Honestly, Massachusetts was behind what many other states have done in terms of requiring flood disclosures,' Antos said. As the legislature continues to work on the bill, Rausch said she's hoping one issue that's not currently included — plastics — gets added in. 'We certainly heard in the testimony … about reducing our reliance on fossil fuels,' Rausch said. That goes beyond energy. 'With 99 percent of plastics originating with fossil fuels, we have to address particularly single-use plastics,' she said. Related : If passed, this would be the fourth successive major climate bill, building on legislation that has set ambitious, legally binding targets for cutting climate-warming pollutions, bolstered the offshore wind industry and other clean energy resources, and streamlined regulatory processes to allow for more clean energy to power the state. But it would be the first passed during the new Trump administration, when federal funds for climate resilience and clean energy are being eliminated. Advertisement 'We know that we can't fully fill the hole that the federal government is leaving,' Cooper said. 'But we know that it's that much more important for us to invest, and to do it really wisely.' Sabrina Shankman can be reached at
San Francisco Chronicle
12 hours ago
- Politics
- San Francisco Chronicle
To counter Texas, Newsom suggests special election to gerrymander California
SACRAMENTO — Gov. Gavin Newsom on Tuesday said he's thinking about calling a special election to gerrymander California's congressional districts to counter similar efforts in Texas. Newsom's comments come after Texas Gov. Greg Abbott announced plans for the Republican-dominated Texas Legislature to draw new congressional maps in a special legislative session. Texas, like other states, redrew its maps after the 2020 census. New map-drawing normally wouldn't happen until the next census in 2030 absent a successful lawsuit forcing a state to redo them. But the New York Times has reported Trump's political advisers are pushing for Texas to redraw its maps ahead of the midterms to be more favorable to Republicans. Texas, the second-most populous state, could theoretically tip the balance of power in favor of Republicans if it can find a way to redraw its maps to give its party a further advantage in the state. Republicans hold 25 of the 38 congressional districts in Texas. California, the most populous state, is the only state with more congressional seats. Democrats hold 43 of California's 52 seats. It's currently much easier for Republicans who control the Texas Legislature to redraw their districts to favor their party than a similar move would be for Newsom. That's because California voters in 2010 gave the power to draw congressional districts to an independent redistricting commission. Though Democrats dominate California government, they do not dominate the redistricting commission. By law, the commission comprises five Democrats, five Republicans and four commissioners not affiliated with either party. Changing the state law creating the independent redistricting commission would require voter approval, which Newsom said he's considering. He said he's talked to state lawmakers about putting a measure on the ballot and calling a special election asking voters to approve it. 'I think we will win that,' Newsom said on the liberal podcast Pod Save America. 'I think people understand what's at stake in California.' A statewide special election would be costly — the last one in 2021 cost $200 million in public money. And the 2010 law giving the independent commission power to draw congressional districts was popular. More than 60% of voters supported the law. Newsom also suggested another possible avenue, which would involve interpreting state law as allowing the Legislature to create its own maps in between the post-census redistricting that the independent commission does every 10 years. It's not clear whether such a move would hold up in court. Currently, Republicans hold 220 seats in the House compared with Democrats' 212, a number that shrunk in recent months after three Democrats died in office, leaving vacancies. But that majority will be tough for the GOP to hold in the midterms, when a president's party typically has trouble retaining seats. Newsom said he thinks that redistricting should be done by independent commissions across the country. But he argued that Republicans are not playing fair by trying to redraw the maps. 'These guys are playing by a different set of rules,' he said. 'From my perspective, if we're gonna play fair in a world that is wholly unfair, we may have the higher moral ground, but the ground is shifting from underneath us.'
Axios
15 hours ago
- Politics
- Axios
Polis asks public to back his $29M bridge in last-ditch plea
Colorado Gov. Jared Polis is looking for a Hail Mary as opposition mounts to his pet project, a $29 million pedestrian walkway that critics call a bridge to nowhere. Why it matters: The Democrat posted a public survey Tuesday in what amounts to a last-ditch effort to justify the project, designed to commemorate Colorado's 150th anniversary of statehood. Driving the news: The survey comes eight months after he announced the ornate, winding bridge across Lincoln Street from the state Capitol, and he vowed to accept the public's collective verdict. The results "will lead to the outcome of the celebration," the survey states. It asks four questions and gives respondents the opportunity vote for "a major 150th anniversary project" in Denver, "several smaller-scale projects" elsewhere in the state or no project at all. The fine print: The survey is live through midnight July 21. Yes, but: The survey is far from scientific and it's easy to manipulate, making the outcome dubious, at best. Catch up quick: An advisory committee gave an initial nod in favor of the bridge project, but in public testimony, critics called it "ugly" and "useless." The next step is a legislative committee, where all its members are opposed. Even if the initiative survives the committee's vote, the bridge needs the approval of the Denver City Council and state Legislature, high political hurdles. Follow the money: Polis is soliciting big-dollar donations to cover the price tag, but the governor's office has acknowledged they are using federal pandemic relief dollars to get the design process started. The state also will cover the unknown costs of maintaining the structure if it's built. The other side: The governor's office touts the project as a grand monument to Colorado that will highlight local artists. Other touted benefits include easier pedestrian access across Lincoln Street to Memorial Park and revitalizing an area often frequented by people experiencing homelessness.
IOL News
15 hours ago
- Business
- IOL News
ANC and DA condemn MK Party's chaos over Division of Revenue Bill
ANC and DA condemn MK Party's internal chaos and split vote on the Division of Revenue Bill, warning it jeopardizes governance and service delivery in KwaZulu-Natal amid ongoing leadership turmoil. Image: Doctor Ngcobo/ Independent Media The African National Congress (ANC) in KwaZulu-Natal has criticised the MK Party for its handling and ultimate rejection of the Division of Revenue (DORA) Bill, which was passed during a special sitting of the KZN Legislature on Tuesday. The ANC described the bill as vital for the continued delivery of essential services such as healthcare, education, housing, and social development. The KwaZulu-Natal Legislature on Wednesday passed the Division of Revenue Bill with 65 members voting in favour, six against, and no abstentions. The vote exposed a growing rift within the Umkhonto weSizwe Party (MKP), as five of its MPLs voted against the bill, defying their newly appointed Chief Whip, Bonginkosi Mngadi, who supported it. The bill, which outlines how national revenue will be shared among all spheres of government for the 2025/26 financial year, was debated during a virtual special sitting presided over by KZN Legislature Speaker, Nontembeko Boyce. While Mngadi affirmed MKP's support for transparency and accountability by backing the bill, former Chief Whip Mervyn Dirks voted against it, aligning with the party's national stance and causing visible confusion within the MKP ranks. ANC KZN spokesperson Fanie Sibisi welcomed the support from the majority of Members of the Provincial Legislature (MPLs), stating, 'The ANC salutes the 65 Members of the Provincial Legislature who voted in favour of the Bill, putting the needs of the people above petty politics. Their vote is a vote for stable governance, uninterrupted services, and continued development across KwaZulu-Natal.' Sibisi condemned the MK Party's disjointed approach to the bill, particularly the five members who voted against it alongside one EFF MPL. 'Their failure to take a clear and unified stance and the decision by five of their members to vote against the Bill was not only reckless, but a betrayal of the very people who sent them to the Legislature,' he said. 'This was not just a vote against a budget, it was a vote against progress, against the poor, and against working-class families who rely on government support every day.' He went on to describe the MK Party as 'a populist organisation with no policies, no discipline, and no respect for democratic responsibility,' accusing it of prioritising internal chaos over public service. Sibisi said: ''What KwaZulu-Natal witnessed today was a party that is confused, unprepared, and uninterested in serving the very communities they claim to represent. Moreover, he noted that their chaotic behaviour in the Legislature confirms what many South Africans are already beginning to see, that voting for MKP was a costly mistake. 'While they play politics with people's lives, the ANC continues to lead with discipline, experience, and a deep understanding of what governance requires,' Sibisi said. ''The ANC in KZN remains committed to building a province that works for all, especially the most vulnerable. As the leader of society, the ANC will continue to partner with all parties whose interest is to protect the gains of our democracy, defend service delivery, and ensure that resources are channelled where they are needed most, to the people.' Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Advertisement Next Stay Close ✕ Ad loading Meanwhile, the Democratic Alliance (DA) in KZN also criticised the MK Party, pointing to public divisions and internal confusion during the sitting. DA KZN spokesperson on Finance, Tim Brauteseth, said the day 'exposed deep divisions within the MK Party and raised serious concerns for the people of this province.' According to Brauteseth, the session started smoothly, with MKP MPL Slindile Seme backing the bill and even aligning with the DA's fiscal principles. 'The first MKP speaker, Slindile Seme, supported the Bill and even agreed with the DA's financial governance principles,' he said. But confusion followed when Dirks launched a scathing attack on the bill, declaring that the MKP rejected it 'with the contempt it deserved.' This directly contradicted Seme's earlier remarks and sowed chaos in the party's ranks. Brauteseth detailed how MKP's newly appointed Chief Whip Mngadi, 'the umpteenth individual in this role in one year,' as he put it, tried to reverse course by announcing support for the bill. However, when the Speaker allowed members to vote individually, Dirks led a group of MKP MPLs in voting against it. 'This level of confusion within the ranks of KZN's main opposition party is both concerning and revealing,' Brauteseth said. 'It reveals that there is no effective opposition in the KZN Legislature. Instead, it is the DA that can continue to claim this role, by holding the GPU to account from within.' He added that the incident demonstrated the dangers of entrusting the MKP with governance. 'Today's events have exposed that the concept of MKP governing KZN would be a farce and disastrous for the people of our province,' he said. 'Not for the first time, the claim that the DA within KZN's Government of Provincial Unity (GPU) has rescued our province, has been proven true.' Get your news on the go, click here to join the IOL News WhatsApp channel. IOL Politics
Yahoo
17 hours ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
As Trump looks to net GOP seats through Texas redistricting, Democrats grasp for response
Texas Democrats in Congress sharply criticized President Donald Trump's plan to redraw their state's political map in the middle of the decade, labeling it a threat to democracy — and warning their GOP counterparts that an aggressive gerrymander could come back to haunt them. The Republican-controlled Texas Legislature is poised to consider a new set of congressional maps during a special session that kicks off next week. With their party locked out of power in Austin, Democrats from the state's congressional delegation said they expect the new districts to continue Texas' history of violating the federal Voting Rights Act by diluting the votes of racial minorities. 'The scheme of the Republicans has consistently been to make sure that they mute our voices so that they can go ahead and have an oversized say in this,' Rep. Jasmine Crockett, D-Dallas, said at a news conference with House Democratic leadership and most Texas Democrats. 'So I fully anticipate that's exactly where they're going with this map.' Earlier Tuesday, Trump told Texas congressional Republicans that his political team is pursuing a map that would yield five new Republican seats, according to three people briefed on the call, which was first reported by Punchbowl News. At the White House, Trump later told reporters that Republicans could get three to five more seats out of a new Texas map — and that other states could follow. 'Texas would be the biggest one,' he said. 'Just a very simple redrawing, we pick up five seats.' Trump's political operatives have been floating the prospect of drawing new congressional district lines that would shift GOP voters from safely red districts into neighboring blue ones, in a bid to flip the seats and help Republicans hold their narrow House majority. Gov. Greg Abbott ended weeks of uncertainty by putting redistricting on the agenda for the upcoming special session, which begins Monday. Democrats have very few tools at their disposal to stop or even mitigate the redistricting. Both chambers of the Legislature are under Republican control and overseen by leaders who are unlikely to stand in Trump's way. This leaves Democrats fearful they could lose their jobs without a clearly defined offensive playbook. Their limited options to hit back include convincing blue states to redistrict in favor of Democrats to offset GOP gains in Texas, a move they hope would dissuade Republicans from going ahead with the plan. They could also encourage state Democratic lawmakers to flee the state to deprive the Legislature of a quorum needed to approve the maps — the same maneuver Texas Democrats used in an unsuccessful attempt to thwart a 2021 GOP voting bill. Amid those long odds, some Democrats alluded to another option: hoping Republicans spread their voters too thin and give Democrats a chance to win under a favorable national climate. 'Texas Republicans are likely going to continue to act like political punks and bend the knee to Donald Trump's extreme agenda,' House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-New York, said at Tuesday's news conference. 'In doing so, they will jeopardize their own electoral careers.' Midterm elections historically favor the party out of power. Combining this trend and narrower Republican margins, Democrats see potential to flip some seats and widen their share of the Texas congressional delegation. Republicans currently control 25 of the state's 38 districts. The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, the party's campaign arm for House races, will use their deep coffers to target Texas Republicans who appear vulnerable under a new map, DCCC Chair Suzan DelBene said. Jeffries echoed the sentiment, adding that Democrats would do 'everything that we can do in Texas and beyond to respond.' The Democratic leader speculated that Texas Republicans could end up creating a 'dummymander' — a gerrymander that goes so far as to benefit the other party — because the current Texas map is already drawn to ensure current GOP members' seats are safe. No maps have been publicly released. Trump's goal of netting five GOP seats would give Republicans control of nearly 80% of Texas' congressional districts in a state where Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris captured 42% last year. Trump's team believes Republican voters could be more efficiently distributed throughout the state, given that every House Republican in Texas won in 2024 by double-digit margins or did not have a Democratic opponent. The closest GOP win was Edinburg Rep. Monica De La Cruz's 14-point victory. Texas Republicans grew their vote share last year compared to recent cycles, creating what Trump's team sees as opportunities for new pickups. Sen. John Cornyn voiced support for the idea on Tuesday, pointing to Hispanic voters — who shifted to the right considerably last election — as a population that could deliver Republicans more seats. And Republicans have successfully used mid-decade redistricting to make gains as recently as the 2024 cycle. In North Carolina, after the Republican-controlled Legislature redrew the map, Democrats lost three House seats. But majorities fluctuate from election to election, and drawing maps based on old census data and electoral trends from one cycle can be risky. Rep. Chip Roy, R-Austin, flagged the census as an area of 'query.' 'We have a whole lot of people [that have] come into the state since then,' he said. 'We're going to do this all based on 2020 census data?' Democrats homed in on their performance in the last Trump midterm — 2018 — as evidence that they can fight a new map solely on the strength of their performance at the ballot box. The party flipped two Texas congressional seats and 12 seats in the state House that year, while Democrat Beto O'Rourke came within 3 points of defeating GOP Sen. Ted Cruz. A map attempting to pick up five seats, as Trump has suggested, would likely force some Republicans in safe seats to run in more competitive races. 'We're waiting to see how greedy they're trying to be,' said Rep. Julie Johnson, D-Farmers Branch. 'You know the old adage: A pig gets fat and a hog gets butchered. I think the Texas Republicans are pushing the limits on this one.' Apart from recruiting candidates for newly competitive districts, some Democrats are also pushing for their party to get off the bench and fight. House Democrats, Democratic leadership and representatives for blue state governors have been meeting to discuss a plan to redistrict their states to favor Democrats if the Texas plan goes through, The Texas Tribune previously reported. People in Gov. Gavin Newsom's orbit signaled his willingness to go through with the plan during these discussions, and the California governor has been hinting at possible retaliation in recent days. Two Democrats involved in the talks told the Tribune they are confident Democratic-controlled states will come to their aid, but none have done so. Democratic state lawmakers could also flee the state during the special session — as they did to temporarily thwart GOP redistricting in 2003 — to prevent Republicans from reaching a quorum. Rep. Marc Veasey told the Tribune that he would not just support a quorum break, 'I would do everything I can to help aid them in being able to pull it off.' The Fort Worth Democrat said it's time for his party to go on the offensive. 'If they're going to fight dirty and they're going to redraw these lines, then I would be supportive of Democratic state legislators doing whatever is necessary,' he said, adding that he was not concerned about his political prospects if his district is redrawn. Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton cautioned against any such move on Tuesday, vowing to use law enforcement to compel 'the attendance of anyone who abandons their office and their constituents for cheap political theater.' Democrats have also focused on a Department of Justice letter issued to Abbott and Paxton ordering the state to address the existence of coalition districts — where multiple racial minority groups combine to form a voting majority — in light of new court precedent. Abbott cited the letter as the impetus for including redistricting in his special session agenda. Democrats and some legal experts see the letter as a fig leaf for the true political intent of the redistricting effort — but that has not stopped them from drawing attention to it. Rep. Lloyd Doggett, D-Austin, said the notion that Texas Republicans had drawn a map that disadvantaged white voters was ludicrous. '[That's] not a big problem that we've ever had down there in my lifetime,' he said. Rep. Sylvia Garcia, D-Houston, who represents one of the districts the DOJ said constituted an illegal racial gerrymander, even sent out a fundraising blast to supporters the day the special session was ordered with a copy of the letter, calling it an 'attempt to silence the voices of communities of color who have powered progress in Texas for decades.' Republicans, meanwhile, have been reluctant to discuss the redistricting effort, with many concerned about jeopardizing their seats and bringing heightened legal scrutiny. Texas maps have been routinely challenged in court, with at least one flagged for violating the Voting Rights Act in every decade since the law's 1965 passage. The current map — drawn in 2021 — has been in litigation for four years, with a federal trial in El Paso concluding in May and a verdict yet to be reached. Whatever map emerges from the special session figures to be no different, giving Republicans further motivation to stay mum. When asked about the redistricting effort, Rep. Keith Self of McKinney said, 'That's a state issue.' Rep. Pete Sessions demurred, saying it 'is up to the governor and up to the lieutenant governor and the speaker.' This article originally appeared in The Texas Tribune at This article originally appeared on Corpus Christi Caller Times: Texas Democrats decry GOP efforts to gain seats through redistricting
