Latest news with #StateLawmakers
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Can the FBI arrest the Democratic Texas lawmakers who left the state in protest?
At the insistence of Donald Trump, Republicans in Texas are pushing ahead with an effort to redraw their congressional map to pick up as many as five additional Republican seats. The decision has set off a cascading legal battle. State lawmakers have fled Texas as part of an effort to stop Republicans from passing the map. Democrats in other states have said they will retaliate, setting the stage for a nasty and prolonged redistricting tit-for-tat that could last for years. What is redistricting? After a nationwide census every 10 years, all 50 US states are required to redraw their congressional districts to account for population shifts. The US constitution entrusts the power to draw congressional lines to the state legislatures in each state. Since the 18th century, politicians have tried to use this line-drawing power to punish their political rivals. In the 19th century, the practice of manipulating district lines for political lines became known as gerrymandering. While states are required to redistrict every 10 years, the constitution contains no explicit ban on redrawing boundaries before the decade is up. Why is Texas redistricting now? Republicans currently hold an extremely slim 219-212 majority in the US House (there are four vacancies, three of which are seats previously held by Democrats). Republicans know they will probably lose seats in next year's mid-term elections, when all members of the US House will stand for re-election and the sitting president's party typically does not perform well. Republicans have complete control of state government in Texas, which has 38 US House seats (second only to California's 52 seats). Republicans currently hold 25 of those seats. Seeking to shore up the Republican advantage in the US House, Trump urged the Texas governor, Greg Abbott, to redraw the state's lines to add additional Republican-friendly districts. Abbott called a special session to draw the districts last month. Last week, Republicans unveiled a map in which they could pick up five additional seats, giving them a 30-8 advantage in the state's delegation. Is this legal? Texas also undertook a mid-decade redistricting in 2003. In 2006, the US supreme court said that nothing in the US constitution prohibited Texas from redrawing its district mid-decade. The US supreme court has also given states virtually unlimited leeway to gerrymander districts for partisan gain. In a 5-4 decision in 2019, it said that federal courts could not do anything to stop the drawing of districts for partisan advantage, no matter how severe. There are still legal protections that prohibit states from diluting the influence of minority voters when they draw districts or explicitly sorting them based on their race. But the supreme court has made those cases extremely difficult to win and they can take years to resolve in court. Why did Texas Democrats leave the state? Democrats are in the minority in the Texas state legislature. But the body's bylaws require the presence of two-thirds of its lawmakers to conduct business. There are 150 members of the Texas house of representatives, 62 of whom are Democrats. More than 51 fled the state on Sunday to Illinois, Massachusetts and New York to deny that quorum, halting the legislature from moving forward on the maps. This isn't the first time Democrats have left the state to break quorum to try to stop Republicans from passing legislation. In 2021, Democrats fled to Washington DC as Republicans were poised to pass sweeping new voting restrictions. That standoff lasted several weeks, but Democrats eventually returned to the state and the legislation passed. Democrats also fled the state in 2003 to try to stop mid-decade redistricting. Can Republicans force Democrats to return to Texas? The Texas house voted on Monday to authorize arrest warrants for the members who fled the state. Such warrants are unlikely to be enforced while the members are out of the state. Abbott and the Texas attorney general, Ken Paxton, have pledged to aggressively pursue the Democrats. Abbott has cited a 2021 non-binding opinion from Paxton's office to suggest that the lawmakers who broke quorum could be removed from office. But such an extraordinary action would need to go through the Texas courts and would likely be tied up in state court for some time. Rules enacted by the House in 2023 subject state lawmakers to a $500 daily fine for each day they are absent. Lawmakers are paid about $600 a month. While the rules prohibit lawmakers from using campaign funds to pay the fines, there are loopholes Democrats can use to have someone else cover them. The current special legislative session runs through 19 August but Abbott can continue to call more sessions, and it's unclear how long Democrats are willing to wait out returning. Can the FBI arrest Texas lawmakers who left in protest? US senator John Cornyn said on 7 August that the FBI had granted his request 'to assist Texas law enforcement in locating members of the Texas House of Representatives who have fled the state'. The FBI declined to comment on Cornyn's statement. It is unclear what kind of assistance, if any, they will be providing. The Texas lawmakers have not hid their location and it is well-known that they are staying at a hotel in St Charles, Illinois, outside of Chicago. Cornyn cited concerns about bribery in his request for assistance to the FBI because Texas Democrats are fundraising and have relied on outside groups to fund their effort. But there have been no criminal charges filed against them and no warrants issued for their arrest. The Texas House of Representatives has issued civil warrants authorizing the chamber's sergeant-at-arms to arrest lawmakers in Texas, but the warrants don't apply outside of state lines. 'Federal government intrusion into a state's process of self-government should only occur when there is a clear constitutional warrant. In this situation, the federal government has no authority to intervene and no legitimate role to play,' said David Froomkin, a law professor at the University of Houston. 'The Texas constitution assigns to the Texas House of Representatives the authority to govern House members' attendance and to discipline House members in connection with their attendance. The executive and judicial branches of state government should not interfere with that legislative authority – and the federal government certainly should not.' How are Democrats outside of Texas responding? As Texas has moved ahead with its effort to implement a new map, Democrats have threatened to retaliate by redrawing districts in states where they have complete control. Most notably, the California governor, Gavin Newsom, is leading an effort to redraw California's 52 districts to drastically reduce the number of Republican seats (Democrats already hold 43 seats). Democratic governors in Illinois and New York have also pledged to retaliate. Democrats face significant legal obstacles to achieving this goal. In California, voters approved a referendum in 2010 that strips lawmakers of their redistricting power and instead hands it to a bipartisan and independent citizens commission. Newsom and California Democrats are reportedly moving ahead with a plan to have voters approve a new map through a referendum this fall. In New York, the state constitution bars mid-decade redistricting absent a court order, but Democrats are reportedly considering putting a constitutional amendment on the ballot that would allow them to redistrict later in the decade. 'I'm tired of fighting this fight with my hand tied behind my back,' Kathy Hochul, the governor of New York, said on Wednesday. Will other Republican states redraw their maps? Trump is reportedly urging Republicans in Missouri to redraw their congressional map to pick up an additional GOP seat. Ron DeSantis, the Florida governor, has also suggested that his state, where Republicans hold 20 of 28 seats, should redraw districts, which would likely lead to additional GOP gains. Ohio, where Republicans hold 10 of 15 seats, is required to redraw its map this year because of a unique state law. That is likely to also lead to additional Republican seats.
Bloomberg
4 days ago
- Business
- Bloomberg
NY's MTA Snags S&P Upgrade on Congestion Toll and State Tax Hike
The Metropolitan Transportation Authority 's $17.1 billion of debt that's repaid with farebox and toll revenue was boosted one notch to A from A- by S&P Global Ratings in part thanks to the agency's successful congestion pricing rollout. The credit grader also cited a continuing recovery in ridership, liquidity, manageable deficits and a state tax increase to help fund infrastructure projects in the upgrade. State lawmakers this year increased a payroll mobility tax on the region's largest businesses to help fund the MTA's record $68.4 billion multi-year capital plan.
CBS News
5 days ago
- General
- CBS News
Who will get free school meals in Michigan schools this year?
Whether or not Michigan students will continue to get a free school breakfast and lunch this coming school year will be on a hit-and-miss basis, as districts scramble to confirm available funding and make budget decisions. In response, many preK-12 schools have taken to social media or parent letters to explain the circumstances and what families can expect when classes begin. The hurdle is that the Michigan state budget for the fiscal year starting Oct. 1 has not yet been approved. State lawmakers imposed on themselves a July 1 deadline for approving the upcoming budget, but that has yet to happen for this coming year. So, what happens to the program known as Michigan School Meals, a project that combined federal and state funds starting in the 2023-24 academic year to provide a free breakfast and a free lunch for all public school students? No one knows yet whether it continues as a designated program, is added to the overall budget, or whether the funds have to come from another education expense. "That means there is a possibility that school meals may no longer be free for everyone," a social media post from Chippewa Hills High School in Remus said. That's why parents and guardians should pay close attention to announcements that come directly from their districts or school offices as back-to-school season ramps up. The schools that have promised to provide free meals until the fiscal year ends Sept. 30 include Sparta Area Schools in Kent County, Michigan Center School District in Jackson County and Midland Public Schools in Midland County. To give parents an idea of what to expect should the lunch expense resume, Midland said it would charge $3.70 a day for an elementary school lunch; and between $3.95 and $4.95 a day for secondary student lunches, depending on the menu selections. Huron Academy in Macomb County's Sterling Heights and Swartz Creek Community Schools in Genesee County are among those that have promised free meals for the entire year within the budgets they expect to receive. "If the Michigan School Meals bill is passed, we will be able to reinvest these additional funds into your child's meals, update our kitchens and equipment, and update cafe environments and furniture," Swartz Creek explained. Regardless of what happens with the state budget, there has long been federal assistance at participating schools for families who meet household income requirements. The income limits are updated every year and are based on the federal poverty level, along with household size. For the 2025-26 school year, the annual household income brackets that apply to Michigan residents include: Some districts, based on overall community demographics, can get a federal waiver for all of their students. Should that happen, there will be instructions from the school district on what to expect.
Yahoo
29-07-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Ohio updates law on golf carts and slow-moving vehicles
COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) — Golf carts and other slow-moving vehicles have become a frequent sight in central Ohio communities since a 2017 law allowed them on public roads; however, a recent update to the law has tweaked its details. Section 4511.214 of the Ohio Revised Code took effect at the end of June, adding new restrictions and clarifying rules for low-speed vehicles, under-speed vehicles, utility vehicles, mini-trucks and motor-driven cycles or scooters. While low-speed vehicles, which can be driven at speeds of 20-25 mph, are still permitted on roads with a speed limit of 35 mph or less, the state has added specifications for under-speed vehicles. Previously, the rules for USVs, or those capable of traveling at 20 mph or less, were only loosely defined. USVs, such as utility vehicles and mini-trucks, are now not allowed on public roads unless a local city, village, or township explicitly passes an ordinance authorizing them on streets with speed limits of 35 mph or under. Drivers must also have their vehicles inspected, titled, and registered, and the local government must notify the state. State lawmakers also included an exception for park employees and volunteers to use utility vehicles within park boundaries. The 2025 law also addresses another growing trend, motor-driven scooters and small cycles. These are now restricted from operating on roads where the speed limit exceeds 45 mph, although crossing those roads at intersections is still allowed. The 2025 version still allows local governments to create stricter ordinances, resolutions, or regulations for operating a low-speed vehicle, a mini-truck, a motor-driven cycle, or a motor scooter. Many central municipalities have detailed online guidelines that operators should follow. 4511.214-6-30-2025Download Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Solve the daily Crossword
Yahoo
17-07-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Gavin Newsom eyes redraw of California congressional districts
The update comes after President Donald Trump earlier this week urged Republican state lawmakers in Texas to help the party pick up five seats in that state.
