State House

Inside Rick Scott’s Plan to Pack the Florida Supreme Court

September 13, 2018 at 11:59 am EDT By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

Slate: “On Jan. 8, 2019, a new governor of Florida will be sworn in. On that same day, three of the Florida Supreme Court’s seven justices will complete their final terms. Based on those facts alone, you might assume that the new Florida governor will have the opportunity to select these justices’ replacements.”

“That, however, is not at all clear—because current Republican Gov. Rick Scott has declared his intent to replace them hours before his term concludes. He is now moving forward with this plan to pack the court. And the only people who can stop him are the current justices themselves.”

Virginia Lawmakers Meet to Redraw Districts

August 30, 2018 at 10:02 am EDT By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

“Virginia lawmakers are set to meet in Richmond for a special session so they can comply with a court order to redraw the state’s legislative map,” the AP reports.

“Members of the Virginia House and Senate convene at noon Thursday. The special session comes after a federal court in June found that 11 House of Delegates districts were unconstitutionally gerrymandered. The court ordered lawmakers to redraw the state map by Oct. 30.”

New York May Open Tax Investigation Into Cohen

August 24, 2018 at 7:53 am EDT By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

A person familiar with the matter tells the Associated Press that New York’s attorney general is looking to open a criminal investigation into whether Michael Cohen also violated state tax law.

New York State Subpoenas Michael Cohen

August 22, 2018 at 4:35 pm EDT By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

“Investigators in New York state issued a subpoena to Michael Cohen as part of their probe into the Trump Foundation,” the AP reports.

“The subpoena was issued after Cohen’s attorney said his client has information of interest to both state and federal prosecutors.”

Michigan Official Will Face Felony Charges Over Flint Water

August 21, 2018 at 1:13 pm EDT By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

A judge ordered Michigan state health director Nick Lyon “to stand trial on involuntary manslaughter charges in the deaths of two men linked to an outbreak of Legionnaires’ disease in the Flint area, the highest ranking official to stand trial as a result of the scandal,” the Detroit Free Press reports.

Judge David Goggins said deaths likely could have been prevented if the outbreak had been publicly known and keeping the public in the dark was “corrupt.”

North Carolina GOP Leader Suggests Impeaching Justices

August 18, 2018 at 10:48 am EDT By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

North Carolina GOP executive director Dallas Woodhouse “raised the possibility that state Supreme Court justices could be impeached if they ruled against legislative leaders in a lawsuit over constitutional amendments,” the Raleigh News & Observer reports.

Gov. Roy Cooper (D) “is suing to remove two of six amendments Republicans want on the ballot, claiming the ballot language is misleading. One would take away governors’ power to appoint members to hundreds of state boards and commissions and give it to the Legislature. The other would limit a governor’s ability to make appointments to fill judicial vacancies and give the Legislature a major role.”

Quote of the Day

August 17, 2018 at 1:19 pm EDT By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

“The expression I used the other day was inartful, so I want to be very clear. Of course America is great and of course America has always been great. No one questions that.”

— Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D), quoted by the Rochester Democrat & Chronicle, trying to walk back his declaration that America “was never that great.”

Top GOP Official Attacks Kasich

August 17, 2018 at 9:13 am EDT By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

Bob Paduchik, co-chair of the Republican National Committee, writes a blistering op-ed in the Cleveland Plain Dealer attacking Gov. John Kasich (R).

“It’s 2018 but Kasich is still running for president in 2016. And he is insanely jealous. Kasich cannot come to terms with the fact that President Trump is so popular, he can come to Ohio and draw crowds measured in the tens of thousands. Donald J. Trump can motivate legions of volunteers and countless voters with a single rally appearance.”

West Virginia House Votes to Impeach Supreme Court

August 14, 2018 at 7:58 am EDT By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

“The West Virginia House of Delegates voted late Monday night to impeach all of the justices on the Supreme Court, a decision prompted initially by reports of extravagant spending on office renovations,” the New York Times reports.

“In a series of votes that frequently fell along rough party lines, lawmakers approved 11 articles of impeachment against the four sitting justices, sending the process on to the State Senate.”

Charleston Gazette-Mail: “Throughout debate on the articles, leaders in the Republican-majority House said they would work through midnight to finish the work amid arguments from House Democrats that the presentation of the articles was done in a way that would allow Republican Gov. Jim Justice to appoint four justices on the five-member court for the next two years.”

GOP Candidate Staged Photo with Fake College Diploma

August 11, 2018 at 11:01 am EDT By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

Florida state House candidate Melissa Howard (R) “lied about having a college degree and posed with a fake diploma after a news outlet questioned her credentials,” WPLG reports.

Howard had claimed she graduated with a bachelor’s degree from Miami University in Ohio. But “a bombshell email sent to the Sarasota Herald-Tribune from Miami University general counsel Robin Parker declares unequivocally that Howard never graduated. And Parker also takes aim at the diploma seen in the pictures, laying out a series of reasons why it does not appear to be authentic.”

Puerto Rico Admits Hurricane Killed More Than 1,400

August 9, 2018 at 10:00 am EDT By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

“Puerto Rico has conceded that Hurricane Maria killed more than 1,400 people on the island last year and not just the 64 in the official death toll,” the AP reports.

“The government acknowledged the higher death toll with no fanfare in a report submitted to Congress this week in which it detailed a $139 billion reconstruction plan for the island.”

Prosecutor Who Bungled Michael Brown Case Loses

August 8, 2018 at 6:50 am EDT By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

Robert McCulloch, the lead prosecutor of St. Louis County and the man many blame for failing to get justice after Michael Brown, an unarmed black teenager was shot by police in 2014, was unseated Tuesday night by challenger Wesley Bell, the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports.

“Political observers gave Bell little chance, saying that McCulloch’s 28 years in office and fundraising advantage made it nearly impossible for Bell to win.”

Lawmaker Accused of Sharing Nude Photos of Ex-Girlfriend

August 1, 2018 at 8:04 am EDT By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

“A former girlfriend of Illinois state Rep. Nick Sauer (R) has filed an official complaint accusing the first-term Republican of creating a fake Instagram account and populating it with nude photos of her to lure men into ‘graphic’ discussions,” Politico reports.

Silver Sentenced to 7 Years in Prison

July 27, 2018 at 5:25 pm EDT By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

Former New York Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver (D) was sentenced to seven years in prison Friday for corruption, the AP reports.

Silver was once one of the state’s most powerful Democrats until he was accused of “pocketing $4 million illegally by collecting fees from a cancer researcher and real estate developer.”

Georgia Lawmaker Who Yelled Racial Slurs Resigns

July 25, 2018 at 2:30 am EDT By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

Georgia state Rep. Jason Spencer (R), who exposed himself and yelled racial slurs during an episode of Sacha Baron Cohen’s Showtime series, is resigning his seat in the state Legislature, the Atlanta Journal Constitution reports.

“Spencer faced increasing pressure to step down shortly after the episode of ‘Who is America?’ aired Sunday night, and some politicians were urging a special session to oust him if he refused. He will step down at the end of the month.”

Nevada Could Elect Female Majority Statehouse

July 24, 2018 at 7:42 am EDT By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

“Nevada voters could soon make history by electing the country’s first female-majority state legislature,” the AP reports.

“Women, after winning a record number of primary contests last month, could make up nearly two-thirds of the statehouse by Nov. 7, the Reno Gazette-Journal reported.”