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Idaho Democrat pushes for public pre-K
By Nathan Thomas on Wednesday, November 27, 2013"Between 2001 and 2010 more than a dozen pro-preschool bills were introduced in Idaho’s Legislature. Some proposals would have created a statewide pre-k system. Others were small changes... All failed," writes Boise State Public Radio. "Now, one lawmaker wants to change that. State Representative Hy Kloc (D-Boise) has written legislation he plans to introduce next year to create a pilot pre-k program."
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DLCC Statement on resignation of Colorado state Senator Evie Hudak
By Nathan Thomas on Wednesday, November 27, 2013FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
November 27, 2013WASHINGTON—Democratic Legislative Campaign Committee (DLCC) Executive Director Michael Sargeant released the following statement on the decision of state Senator Evie Hudak (D-Westminster) to resign:
“I want to thank Senator Evie Hudak for her outstanding service to the people of Colorado. Today’s decision cannot have been easy, but her constituents elected Evie to follow her conscience and do what’s right, no matter how tough the choice. In return, Evie provided a model for what leadership and public service should be. I have no doubt that she will continue to serve the people of Colorado for many years to come.”
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Report: Texas Democrats winning the recruiting contest
By Nathan Thomas on Tuesday, November 26, 2013Burnt Orange Report's Joseph Vogas has run the numbers on Texas candidate filing (which runs from November 9th to December 9th), and finds Democrats making a bigger push than Republicans to challenge the other party's seats:
Based on those who have publicly announced their campaigns or filed, it appears Democrats are ready to compete against more Republican incumbents... For Texas House, The Democrats have 19 announced or filed challengers compared to the Republicans' 5. The Democrats are now challenging 20% of the Republican caucus while the Republicans are only challenging 9.1% of the Democratic caucus.
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Democrats coming out of the woodwork to run for Kentucky House
By Nathan Thomas on Thursday, November 21, 2013CN2's Nick Storm rounds up the latest candidate filings in the battle for the Kentucky state House, and the pattern that stands out is how many strong Democratic recruits are coming out of the woodwork to challenge Republican incumbents or fight for key open seats:
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DLCC Statement on Albuquerque, NM vote against extreme anti-abortion initiative
By Nathan Thomas on Wednesday, November 20, 2013FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
November 20, 2013CONTACT:
Nathan Thomas; Brad Reichard
202-449-6740ALBUQUERQUE, NM—Democratic state Representative Mimi Stewart (D–Albuquerque), who also serves on the Democratic Legislative Campaign Committee (DLCC) Board of Directors, released the following statement on the results of the City of Albuquerque’s ballot initiative to ban abortions.
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DLCC statement on Virginia Senator Creigh Deeds
By Michael Sargeant on Tuesday, November 19, 2013The following is a statement from Democratic Legislative Campaign Committee executive director Michael Sargeant on the tragic events in Bath County.
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Civil War over GOP legislator's pro-slavery remarks
By Nathan Thomas on Monday, November 4, 2013"Assembly Republicans in disarray after repeated gaffes," blares the Las Vegas Sun's headline to start the week. As the Sun's Andrew Doughman explains, "two controversial statements about slavery and minorities from GOP members of the Assembly in the past few months have sparked outrage among Republicans and Democrats alike and have left elected Assembly Republicans planning how best to make an exit from their recent adventures in political gaffe land."
But the situation is much worse than the Sun lets on. Republican Assemblyman Jim Wheeler is still catching heat after "he gave slavery as an example of something he would support if his constituents wanted it." After the Chamber of Commerce called for Wheeler's resignation, "the Assembly Republican leader, Pat Hickey, R-Reno, was conspicuously silent" - perhaps for fear of drawing attention to his own remarks, in which "Hickey said 2014 will be a 'great year for Republicans' because minorities and young people won’t turn out to vote."
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GOP legislator "supports preparing Tennessee to part ways with the United States"
By Nathan Thomas on Friday, November 1, 2013According to Heidi Hall at The Tennessean, Republican state Sen. Frank Niceley "supports preparing Tennessee to part ways with the United States."
Niceley and another Republican, state Rep. Judd Matheny, "were scheduled to speak at a Southern secessionist group’s meeting this weekend" despite "the organization’s secessionist philosophy and ties to the League of the South, listed as a hate group by the Southern Poverty Law Center for its desire to create a white-led nation." Matheny has since backed out of the engagement, but Niceley "dismissed his critics’ allegations" and reportedly "agrees with the group’s idea that the South might one day be its own nation."
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VIDEO: Nev. Republican explains why he'd vote for slavery
By Nathan Thomas on Thursday, October 31, 2013The Arkansas Republican Party called, and it wants its pro-slavery legislators back.
The Las Vegas Sun reports that Nevada state Assemblyman "Jim Wheeler, a Republican from Gardnerville, was talking to a crowd of Storey County Republicans in August he when said 'yeah I would' vote for slavery if that’s what his constituents wanted." According to the reports, "Wheeler’s [GOP-heavy] audience in Storey County liked his message. At least one in the small crowd applauded his remark."
Local media have the video:
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New Mexico GOPer channels E.W. Jackson; claims stretching = devil
By Nathan Thomas on Monday, October 28, 2013Improving flexibility and reducing the risk of injury are an insidious plot to undermine Christianity, according to one New Mexico legislator who reportedly demanded to know whether "stretching on a mat to warm up before physical exercise constitute yoga" in public schools.
Republican state Rep. Alonzo Baldonado, doing his best to channel Virginia Republican and anti-yoga crusader E.W. Jackson, posed the question at a recent legislative committee meeting. One physical education teacher testified that "she refers to her exercises as 'stretching or mat work' rather than yoga," and that "religion is not discussed or even mentioned in class. The only reason for the exercises is to increase flexibility and help maintain good health."
But that wasn't good enough for Baldonado, who reportedly warned that "yoga is linked to Eastern religions, he said, specifically Buddhism and Hinduism," and therefore, stretching before P.E. "could be seen as a gateway to Eastern religion."
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Idaho Democrat pushes for public pre-K
By Nathan Thomas on Wednesday, November 27, 2013"Between 2001 and 2010 more than a dozen pro-preschool bills were introduced in Idaho’s Legislature. Some proposals would have created a statewide pre-k system. Others were small changes... All failed," writes Boise State Public Radio. "Now, one lawmaker wants to change that. State Representative Hy Kloc (D-Boise) has written legislation he plans to introduce next year to create a pilot pre-k program."
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DLCC Statement on Albuquerque, NM vote against extreme anti-abortion initiative
By Nathan Thomas on Wednesday, November 20, 2013FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
November 20, 2013CONTACT:
Nathan Thomas; Brad Reichard
202-449-6740ALBUQUERQUE, NM—Democratic state Representative Mimi Stewart (D–Albuquerque), who also serves on the Democratic Legislative Campaign Committee (DLCC) Board of Directors, released the following statement on the results of the City of Albuquerque’s ballot initiative to ban abortions.
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Oklahoma Republicans ban key treatments for ectopic pregnancies
By Nathan Thomas on Tuesday, October 29, 2013Oklahoma's GOP legislators have a long history of playing doctor when it comes to women's health, and the Oklahoman reports on their latest failed attempt: "A state law aimed at banning certain drug-induced abortions would prohibit all such abortions, the Oklahoma Supreme Court ruled Tuesday in a closely-watched case that could ultimately be decided by the nation's highest court..."
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Alaska Chamber of Commerce to State Legislature: Expanding Medicaid is good for business
By Dan Roth on Thursday, October 24, 2013The Alaska Chamber of Commerce is weighing in on whether or not the state legislature should expand Medicaid. And their conclusion, according to the Alaska Daily News: The Last Frontier “should expand its Medicaid program under the U.S. Affordable Care Act.”
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States move closer to marriage equality
By Dan Roth on Saturday, October 19, 2013While much of the national discussion this week was about the federal government shutdown, states--through the legislature, courts, and administrative action--are moving forward on ensuring that gay and lesbian couples have equal marriage rights.
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DLCC Statement on resignation of Colorado state Senator Evie Hudak
By Nathan Thomas on Wednesday, November 27, 2013FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
November 27, 2013WASHINGTON—Democratic Legislative Campaign Committee (DLCC) Executive Director Michael Sargeant released the following statement on the decision of state Senator Evie Hudak (D-Westminster) to resign:
“I want to thank Senator Evie Hudak for her outstanding service to the people of Colorado. Today’s decision cannot have been easy, but her constituents elected Evie to follow her conscience and do what’s right, no matter how tough the choice. In return, Evie provided a model for what leadership and public service should be. I have no doubt that she will continue to serve the people of Colorado for many years to come.”
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Report: Texas Democrats winning the recruiting contest
By Nathan Thomas on Tuesday, November 26, 2013Burnt Orange Report's Joseph Vogas has run the numbers on Texas candidate filing (which runs from November 9th to December 9th), and finds Democrats making a bigger push than Republicans to challenge the other party's seats:
Based on those who have publicly announced their campaigns or filed, it appears Democrats are ready to compete against more Republican incumbents... For Texas House, The Democrats have 19 announced or filed challengers compared to the Republicans' 5. The Democrats are now challenging 20% of the Republican caucus while the Republicans are only challenging 9.1% of the Democratic caucus.
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Democrats coming out of the woodwork to run for Kentucky House
By Nathan Thomas on Thursday, November 21, 2013CN2's Nick Storm rounds up the latest candidate filings in the battle for the Kentucky state House, and the pattern that stands out is how many strong Democratic recruits are coming out of the woodwork to challenge Republican incumbents or fight for key open seats:
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New Hampshire special election winner breaks barriers for Indian-Americans
By Nathan Thomas on Tuesday, November 12, 2013State Representative-Elect Latha Mangipudi won a resounding victory for New Hampshire Democrats in Hillsborough County District 35, carrying the swing seat 59% to 41% in a special election November 5th. But her victory in that race was also historic for other reasons:
"'Based on conversations I have had with staff and the House clerk’s office with decades of institutional knowledge, it’s our belief Latha Mangipudi will be the first of Indian descent elected to the House in state history,' said House Information Officer Mario Piscatella."
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DLCC Statement on New Jersey Legislative Elections
By Michael Sargeant on Wednesday, November 6, 2013The following is a statement from Democratic Legislative Campaign Committee’s executive director Michael Sargeant on Democrats holding majorities in both the New Jersey Assembly and state Senate.
“New Jersey Democrats have a strong record of success--from fighting to increase the minimum wage in the state to advancing full and equal marriage rights to the state’s gay and lesbian couples. Despite Governor Christie campaigning to elect Republicans to the state legislature, New Jersey voters have endorsed Democratic priorities by sending Democrats back with substantial majorities in both the state Assembly and the state Senate.
“Democrats will continue to use their majorities to stand with New Jersey families by ensuring New Jersey neighborhoods are safe, and its economy is strong.”