Montana transgender lawmaker silenced again, backers protest
Republican legislative leaders in Montana persisted in forbidding Democratic transgender lawmaker Zooey Zephyr from participating in debate for a second week and her supporters brought the House session to a halt Monday — chanting “Let her speak!”.
Anti-abortion bills abound; their fate in court is unknown
It's not clear if or when the Supreme Court might consider any of them, or take some other path. In addition to three appointments to the Supreme Court, giving it a 6-3 conservative majority, Trump made scores of appointments to federal district and appellate courts. “This is a decision that the Supreme Court is going to need to make,” he said. “It is the intent of the legislation to set the stage for the Supreme Court overturning current case law,” he said. AdNancy Northup, president of the Center for Reproductive Rights, said it would be “shocking” if the Supreme Court agreed to consider the Mississippi case.
Political upheaval alters strategies in US abortion debate
The mood is more sober now a mix of disappointment over Trumps defeat and hope that his legacy of judicial appointments will lead to future court victories limiting abortion rights. The mood is more sober now — a mix of disappointment over Trump’s defeat and hope that his legacy of judicial appointments will lead to future court victories limiting abortion rights. Meanwhile, Trump, whose administration took numerous steps to curtail abortion access, has been replaced as president by Joe Biden, a staunch supporter of abortion rights. Bullock supported abortion rights during eight years in office. Becerra and Biden are Roman Catholic, and the new administration's support for abortion rights poses a dilemma for the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops.
The Latest: Mexico ramps vaccination effort after new supply
California has lifted some stay-at-home orders in northern counties, while many orders remain in place where coronavirus cases are surging. The 270 million doses are being secured independent of the global COVAX facility aimed at distributing vaccines to lower-income countries. The state Health Department announced Wednesday that a man in his 60s who traveled to the UK in December has the variant. Spain has used just over half of the 1.1 million doses delivered to the country. Portugal has witnessed a record-breaking surge in coronavirus cases since it eased restrictions for the Christmas holiday.
Republicans retain power in states despite Democratic push
“This was a status quo election.”Heading into Tuesday, Republicans had full control of 29 state legislatures compared to 19 for Democrats. “The reality is we are still running on very gerrymandered maps,” said Christina Polizzi, national press secretary for the Democratic Legislative Campaign Committee. They were countered by the Republican state leadership committee, which had a target of about $70 million. But Republican redistricting power will be diminished in some states because of changes that occurred in recent years. Instead, Republicans added to their House ranks with more conservatives, increasing the potential to override vetoes by Democratic Gov.
Races for governor take top billing in Missouri, Montana
FILE - In this Sunday, Oct. 25, 2020 file photo, Missouri Republican Gov. Its the most hotly contested of the nations 11 governors races this fall. Which party holds the governor's office could be especially consequential over the next few years. In governor’s races, many of the attack ads are funded by each party’s governors association. In the governor’s race, he said Gianforte’s financial support of a Montana museum dedicated to creationist beliefs was a big problem.
Republican duo reshapes Montana politics in Trump's style
They worked in tandem to attain huge riches in the corporate world before leveraging that success into a political juggernaut that has reshaped the state’s Republican Party. It's a shift Montana Democrats argue is out of step with the state’s independent-minded electorate. Gianforte, one of the wealthiest members of the U.S. House, has been boosted in his run for Montana governor by Daines’ clout. Democrats as recently as 2014 held both Montana U.S. Senate seats, the governor’s mansion and a bevy of other statewide offices. Daines and Gianforte “fit the party like a glove right now,” University of Montana political analyst Rob Saldin said.
Pence drops plan to go to fundraiser hosted by QAnon backers
– Vice President Mike Pence has canceled plans to attend a Trump campaign fundraiser in Montana following revelations that the event's hosts had expressed support for the QAnon conspiracy theory. The change comes after the AP reported Wednesday that hosts Cayrn and Michael Borland in Bozeman, Montana, had shared QAnon memes and retweeted posts from QAnon accounts. The QAnon narrative has grown to include other long-standing conspiracy theories, gaining traction among some extreme Trump supporters. Pence has said it's a conspiracy theory and last month told CBS, “I don’t know anything about QAnon, and I dismiss it out of hand."" In April, she responded to a pro-Trump Tweet from a QAnon account by replying “Always” with a praying hands emoji.
US high court denies bid to restore Greens on Montana ballot
The U.S. Supreme Court on Tuesday denied an attempt by the Montana secretary of state to restore Green Party candidates to the November ballot. Republican Secretary of State Corey Stapleton filed a motion Monday to halt the state Supreme Court order. Stapletons certification of the November ballot, sent to counties late Thursday, included an asterisk saying the secretary and other parties were challenging the Montana Supreme Court decision. Green Party candidates are believed to draw votes away from Democratic candidates. It was never determined who was behind the 2018 effort to get Green Party candidates on the Montana ballot.
Clarification: Election 2020-US House-Montana story
FILE In this Nov. 6, 2018, file photo, Matt Rosendale greets supporters in Helena, Montana. In the race for Montana's lone U.S. House seat, Republican Matt Rosendale faces opponent Democrat Kathleen Williams. (AP Photo/Eliza Wiley, File)HELENA, Mont. In a story published July 20, 2020, The Associated Press reported that Democratic candidate for Montanas U.S. House seat Kathleen Williams said there has been a lack of leadership on a federal testing policy for COVID-19. The story should have made clear that Williams criticism was directed specifically at current U.S. House Rep. Greg Gianforte.
South Dakota governor, exposed to virus, joined Trump on jet
Kristi Noem accompanied President Donald Trump aboard Air Force One despite having had close contact with Trump’s son’s girlfriend, who had tested positive for the coronavirus. Noem had tested negative for COVID-19 shortly before welcoming Trump to South Dakota on Friday, a day after she had interacted with Guilfoyle. Noem doesn't plan anything similar or to get tested again for the virus, Seidel said. She cast Noem's decision to fly on Air Force One as a demonstration of how to live with the virus. When Seidel was asked about a risk to Trump's health from Noem's presence on Air Force One, she said, “I don’t understand why Gov.
The Latest: Australia’s most populous state to close border
(AP Photo/Aaron Favila)SYDNEY, Australia — The leader of Australia’s most populous state says her government’s decision to close its border with hard-hit Victoria state marks a new phase in the country’s coronavirus pandemic. ___CHARLESTON, W.Va. — West Virginia has experienced its biggest two-day jump in confirmed coronavirus cases, according to health statistics released Sunday. Texas reported its highest daily increase in the number of confirmed coronavirus cases Saturday with 8,258. The numbers have started to rise in the past days with 21 new cases confirmed on Sunday. Greece’s total number of confirmed coronavirus cases is now 3,519, with 192 dead.