Latest news with #SB255
Yahoo
03-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Georgia GOP Senate could still add teeth to probe that could ensnare Willis and Abrams
A group founded by Stacey Abrams has settled long-standing allegations that the group illegally campaigned for Abrams in 2018.(2018 file photo) Georgia senators will get one last chance in the 2025 Legislature Friday to pass a divisive bill that spells out legislative committee investigative powers to subpoena witnesses and require them to turn over evidence. The Senate could take up the latest version of Senate Bill 255, which cleared the House Wednesday by a 91-67 vote following a debate over whether legislative power to conduct probes could be wielded as partisan political attacks against public officials and advocacy groups. Rep. Rob Leverett, an Elberton Republican, said Wednesday that the measure does not expand current legislative powers but instead provides more explanation into how committees are able to legally exercise their subpoena powers in a transparent manner. The bill was filed while Athens Republican Bill Cowert chaired a Senate special investigative committee that became embroiled in a legal battle over the right to issue subpoenas compelling Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis to testify and turn over a trove of documents related to the election interference case she brought against President Donald Trump and 18 codefendants. The Senate special committee was convened last year after Willis came under fire last year when she admitted to a romantic relationship with the special prosecutor she hired to lead the sweeping felony election interference case following former President Joe Biden's 2020 election victory. House Minority Whip Sam Park argued Wednesday that SB 255 could be used by lawmakers to continue efforts like the Senate committee's investigation of Willis despite a state appellate court recently disqualifying the Fulton district attorney from the case over prosecutorial misconduct accusations. Willis has said her relationship with special prosecutor Nathan Wade did not overlap with the time she retained him to press the case against Trump and his allies. Park, a Lawrenceville Democrat, said future legislative committees could begin using its powers to 'subpoena election workers, nonprofit leaders, poll observers while demanding private emails and phone records from individuals who never committed a crime but now they're forced to testify under oath and spend thousands on legal defense.' Park said the GOP legislators with majority control of a chamber could also target advocacy groups they oppose on other hot button issues like women's reproductive rights. Cowsert's Senate Special Committee on Investigations is also expected to begin a probe of former Democratic gubernatorial candidate Stacey Abrams' ties to a voter registration nonprofit recently slapped with one of the largest campaign ethics fines ever levied by the state. Earlier this session the Senate advanced Cowsert's Senate Resolution 292, which would allow the committee to investigate the Abrams-founded New Georgia Project following a Jan. 15 settlement in a 2019 case alleging illegal campaign contributions to Abrams' 2018 gubernatorial campaign. In March, Cowsert said the committee's purpose is not to target prominent figures in the Democratic Party, but is about holding candidates running for public office and nonprofits accountable for potentially using 'dark money' to make illegal campaign contributions. 'We're wanting to make sure we restore the faith in our in the public that you don't have to worry in the future that funds donated to nonprofit advocacy tax-free organizations aren't used illegally to collaborate support campaigns on either side of the partisan divide,' Cowsert said late last month. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX
Axios
25-03-2025
- Politics
- Axios
Indiana Statehouse: Letter grades and partisan school boards on agenda
There are six weeks left in the legislative session and just three weeks to get bills passed out of committee. Why it matters: It's getting close to crunch time, when lawmakers start compromising on, cutting or killing each other's bills. Yes, and: The budget, property tax relief and health care costs — all priority issues heading into session — are hitting snags that likely won't get worked out this week. Here's what we're watching instead: 🟢 Partisan school boards nearing finish line Should it pass the House, which could vote as early as Monday, Senate Bill 287 will have passed both chambers — a first for a bill to make Indiana's school board elections partisan. Yes, but: The version passed by the Senate is substantially different from what the House is considering, so there's no guarantee lawmakers will come to an agreement. The Senate would have school board candidates follow the same nomination process as any other political candidate, while the House version skips primaries and still provides a nonpartisan option. What's next: If the House passes SB 287, the Senate could accept the new version or go to a conference committee and work out a compromise. 🟢 A-F grades coming back Schools could soon get graded again if House Bill 1498 passes the Senate. It's up for floor amendments as early as today, which means it could get a final vote in that chamber later this week. How it works: The bill would have the State Board of Education remake Indiana's school accountability system for what feels like the umpteenth time. It would go back to an A-to-F system, but taking into account more than just test scores. The state currently uses an "accountability dashboard" that displays various performance metrics. The bill instructs the board to include "other factors" it considers relevant, which would likely include chronic absenteeism rates and third-grade reading proficiency. ⏳ Rethinking religious education time Senate Bill 255 would allow high school students to miss more classroom time to attend religious instruction during the school day. Flashback: Last year, lawmakers passed legislation requiring schools to permit students to leave school for two hours each week for religious instruction. Sen. Spencer Deery, R-West Lafayette, said that equates to kids missing class 2.5 days a week. "That's not good for the schools, the students, that's not good for anybody," he said. The latest: SB 255 would give high school students more time, essentially letting them replace one elective course with religious instruction provided outside their school — rather than missing half a class each week. Yes, but: Rep. Bob Behning, chair of the House Education Committee, did not hold a vote on the bill last week saying the committee needed more time to understand it. An agenda for this week's education committee hasn't been released yet. 🚬 Cigarette tax on the table House Bill 1001 is still sitting with the Senate Appropriations Committee, which took public testimony on the state's two-year spending plan last week. Senate President Pro Tempore Rodric Bray, R-Martinsville, told reporters his caucus is more open this year to raising the cigarette tax than it has been in the past. What he's saying:"Perhaps that's partly because there's some challenges that we have," Bray said. "It's going to be a challenging budget year in the best of circumstances, even assuming that the April forecast doesn't get worse and that's not guaranteed because it looks like it could be problematic."
