Daily Archives: February 15, 2022

On Monday, the House State, Civic, Military and Veterans Affairs Committee is scheduled to consider anti-gun legislation, the Vote Without Fear Act, House Bill 1086. Please contact committee members and ask them to OPPOSE HB22-1086.

House Bill 22-1086The Vote Without Fear Act- The title itself is enough tolet youknow that sponsors and supporters of this measure hate your Second Amendment rights. HB 1086willban the open carry of a firearm at voting locations in the Centennial state. It is the intention of this measure to prohibit you from exercising one of your constitutional rights while engaging in another. The irony would be funny if it wasnt a serious and deeply-held belief by anti-gun legislators that the Second Amendment is a lesser right.

Law-abiding gun owners have the right to self-defense and are provided with options that fit their needs. Those who choose to open carry should not be prevented from casting a vote.

It is extremely important that NRA Members and Second Amendment supporters contact members of the House State, Civic, Military and Veterans Affairs Committee and ask them to OPPOSE House Bill 22-1086.

More here:
Colorado: Hearing Scheduled to Ban Open Carry at Voting Locations - NRA ILA

Every two years all seats in the US House are up for election and this year the race in District 10, covering the area north of Augusta, is particularly heated.

Incumbent Republican Jody Hice declared that he would run for Georgia Secretary of State rather than stand for re-election to Congress. At the moment, three Democrats and 12 Republicans have announced they are running for the open seat.

On Feb. 9,Vernon Jones, former candidate for governor, announced he plans to join the District 10 race and that he has former President Donald Trump's endorsement.

In District 12, incumbent Republican Rick Allen is running again for election. Both districts favor Republicans.

All the House elections will take place in the new district lines, which moved District 12 north of Augusta to encompass Columbia County and several other rural counties, while District 10 moved to fully include Athens-Clarke County. Several organizations and voters have already filed lawsuits against the new districts, charging that they dilute the voting power of people of color.

The House currently has 212 Republicans to 222 Democrats, with one open seat. Hice is one of 13 Republicans and 29 Democrats who will not be running for re-election this cycle. While it is early in the race, it is unclear if Democrats will be able to maintain control of the House in 2022.

Primary elections in Georgia will be held on May 24, and the general election on Nov. 8.

Collins owns Collins Trucking. He lists his priorities as America First, Pro-Trump, alongside defending the Second Amendment, being pro life and standing up to cancel culture.

Witt served as deputy chief of staff in the U.S. Office of Personnel Management under President Donald Trump. His website does not list issues, but he does tout his work under Trump and as part of Trump's post election legal team.

Curry served as tax commissioner of Henry County. He lists key priorities as defending the integrity of elections, finishing the border wall and protecting the Second Amendment, among others.

Sims is a retired Air Force colonel who currently works as a pilot for Delta Air Lines. Sims does not have an issues page but does mention rising costs, the southern border and enemies abroad as priorities.

Barr is the Georgia State House representative for District 103. He lists being pro-life, defending the constitution and securing elections as priorities, among other issues. He has been endorsed by Hice.

McMain is the owner of Town Values Magazine. He lists his policies as being pro-life, ending cancel cultureand protecting the Second Amendment, among others.

Broun previously served as the representative for the 10th Congressional District from 2007 to 2015. His policy priorities include local control of education, being pro-life, and protecting the Second Amendment.

Richards runs a demolition firm. His priorities include opposing cancel culture and socialism andputting America first.

Swan is a retired Marine Corps colonel. His priorities include border security, the economyand culture and education.

Heussner is a retired Army colonel. He lists his priorities as including agriculture, defense, the Second Amendment and veterans, among others.

Alvey recently graduated from the University of Georgia with a Master's of Public Administration. His main issues include abortion, immigration and the environment.

Rupert is a former police officer. His priorities include supporting law enforcement, opposing vaccine mandatesand voting for citizens only.

Johnson-Green is a registered nurse who held the Democratic nomination for District 10 in 2018 and 2020. She supports Medicare for All, campaign finance and election reformand protecting people on the basis of sexuality and gender identity, among other issues.

Hatcher owns Everything Lemons, a boutique store. Her priorities include Medicare for All, protecting voting rightsand community policing, among others.

Allen has held the seat since 2015. Before his election to the House, he founded and ran R.W. Allen and Associates, a construction company.

A longtime Donald Trump supporter, Allen has opposed efforts to expand the Affordable Care Act, federally-funded education and human services programs and the Green New Deal. He has encouraged constituents to be vaccinated but opposed the OSHA requirement for vaccination or testing at large employers.

Allen sits on the House Committee on Agriculture and the House Education and Labor Committee.

More: Whats the U.S. House District 12 election about? What to know before you vote

Johnson worked in insurance and has been involved with the Democratic Party of Georgia for years. She won the Democratic primary in 2020 for District 12.

Johnson does not have an issues page on her website, but in 2020 told The Chronicle she was running on expanding healthcare, better wages, civil rights and ending voter suppression.

Singleton is running against Rick Allen in the Republican primary. Among his top issuesare repealingincome taxes for most households, implementing term limits and protecting gun rights.

Augusta Chronicle reporter Susan McCord contributed to this report.

Original post:
What you need to know: The race for Congressional Districts 10 and 12 in Augusta - The Augusta Chronicle

Woodford County Chief Deputy Sheriff Dennis Tipsword says the criminal justice reform that passed the legislature last year prompted him to run for the Illinois House. The Metamora Republican says there were good intentions, but the unintended consequences are going to be devastating to small towns. He says they cant afford to comply with all the rules police will have to follow. He says a lot of people have left that line of work, because its too hard now.

Tipsword says the legislature needs to cut regulations that hold back small businesses and it should be your choice whether to wear a mask.

He says he believes in Second Amendment rights and the ammunition making business he owns represents that belief. He says the firearm owner ID system needs to change, because it takes too long to get an ID or a concealed carry permit.

About the demonstrations on January 6 last year in Washington, DC, Tipsword says most people were exercising their First Amendment rights. He says the people who broke the law should be dealt with, but those who didnt shouldnt be looked at in the same light.

The 105th Illinois House district will cover parts of nine counties, including southwest LaSalle County.

Dennis Tipsword says more in this interview:

See the original post here:
Candidate introduction: Dennis Tipsword runs for Ill. House 105th seat - 1430wcmy.com

Though it received the most global attention, the insurrection at the U.S. capitol is just one example of a disinformation-fueled attack on the American democratic process. And it didnt end the trend toward mainstream extremism.

How do you cover elections for a public that is extremely fractured? This free online group seminar will help local journalists stay safe and produce ethical, excellent stories about voting, security and local issues leading up to the 2022 midterms.

With guidance from PolitiFact editor-in-chief Angie Drobnic Holan, PolitiFact executive director Aaron Sharockman and PolitiFact staff writer Amy Sherman, participants will learn how to track and debunk election-related disinformation that could fuel violence on the local level. Participants will also gain an understanding of First and Second Amendment protections to strengthen their reporting about activities that are prohibited by law. With guest speakers, participants will also review best practices for reporting on these issues without legitimizing them or having a chilling effect on democratic participation.

Informing the electorate and holding powerful people accountable are journalists great responsibility. This training program will help journalists do so responsibly.

If you need assistance, email us at info@poynter.org.

Journalists who cover government, elections, education or who think they may be in potentially dangerous or threatening situations covering public institutions or events. Those who work in or report on battleground states in the 2022 midterms will especially benefit.

This online group seminar is free, thanks to support from the Joyce Foundation.

Read more here:
Covering Political Extremism in the Public Square - Poynter

OXFORD TOWNSHIP, Mich. (WJRT) - A new statewide organization is urging Michigan lawmakers to pass legislation aimed at curbing gun violence or else they'll be taking matters into their own hands.

The announcement from End Gun Violence Michigan comes on a somber day in U.S. history. Monday marked four years since 17 people were shot and killed at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Fla.

The group is a broad coalition of church leaders from across the state. The group is also comprised of several mothers who lost their kids to gun violence, along with an Oxford High School student.

They all say enough is enough.

"I heard shouting in the hallway outside my classroom. I was handed textbooks to try and counter the shooter if he got past the locked doors and barricaded desks," said Kiley Myrand, a junior at Oxford High School.

She recounts the terrifying moments of what happened at her school on Nov. 30. She and several other leaders are from End Gun Violence Michigan. They're sending a message to our state lawmakers that it's time to take action on inaction.

"As a survivor and a mourning 16-year-old girl, something needs to change now. I personally believe the first step in this difficult battle is safe storage gun laws. Change must happen," Myrand said.

It's a thought that is echoed by Mia Reid, who lost her son to gun violence.

"There are many policies to protect our community that so far, the legislature has refused to even take a vote on; measures like universal background checks and safe storage laws to prevent children from accessing firearms, that's common sense," Reid said.

Sherri Scott lost her daughter after she was murdered protecting her own children from gunfire in a park.

"When you go to the park, you go there to enjoy your life, not have your life taken away. This gun violence has to stop," Scott said.

The committee respects people's rights under the Second Amendment, but they want to see more common sense safeguards in place that will protect people.

This is why they're urging lawmakers to act. If they don't, they will explore the possibility of a ballot initiative in 2024.

More information can be found at http://www.endgunviolencemichigan.org

See the original post here:
New statewide organization to explore ballot initiative to prevent gun violence - ABC 12 News

When Colorado was looking for a place to put its new congressional district, it quickly settled on the communities northeast of Denver. It makes sense much of the population growth that helped earn Colorado an eighth seat in the U.S. House of Representatives has taken place in the booming suburbs of the northern Front Range.

The final district boundaries that the states Independent Redistricting Commission drew stretch from Thornton, Northglenn and Commerce City in the south, up through Brighton, Fort Lupton and Frederick, to include almost all of Greeley. Politically, its the states most evenly divided district. Unaffiliated voters make up 44 percent of active registered voters, while Democrats make up 28 percent and Republicans 25 percent. Averaging the outcome of eight recent races shows how narrow the divide truly is, with Democrats coming out with a negligible 1.3 percent advantage.

The district also has the highest proportion of Hispanic or Latino residents in the state; only 52 percent of residents described themselves as non-Hispanic white on the U.S. Census, while 38.8 percent of residents identify as Hispanic. 4.1 percent of the people living in the district are of Asian background and 2.3 percent are Black.

With control of the U.S House hanging in the balance, and no incumbent to throw the rest of the field in shadow, Colorados newest congressional district presents a rare opportunity for politically ambitious members of both parties or no party at all.

Heres a list of people who have announced their plans to run for the district seat (this list is limited to candidates who have filed paperwork with the Federal Election Commission and will be updated).

Yadira Caraveo The state Representative from Thornton is in her second term in the Colorado House. A practicing pediatrician and daughter of Mexican immigrants, Caraveo has focused on health care policy, voting and reproductive rights during her time at the state house. She was the first Democrat to enter the race, before the new district lines were even official.

Charles Chaz Tedesco A Navy veteran, Tedesco has served on the Adams County Board of Commissioners since 2012, representing a district anchored by Commerce City. Before getting into politics, Tedesco worked in the steel industry and served as president of United Steelworkers for eight years. During his time on the county board, hes focused his work, in part, on the foster care system and veterans issues.

Johnny Humphrey Humphrey, a political newcomer, is making his first run for political office. The Northglenn residents professional background is in IT and marketing, before making a shift into helping organizations improve on their diversity, equity and inclusion. He currently works for a large LGBTQ nonprofity, the Center on Colfax.

Joshua Rodriguez Rodriguez works in quantum computing and is the founder of a three-year old nonprofit, One Arvada, with the mission of serving homeless youth. He ran unsuccessfully for mayor of Arvada in 2018. He was charged with multiple felonies related to identity theft last year.

Giulianna Jewels Gray This is Grays first time running for office, though she has been involved in local Republican politics before. As the owner of a photography business, Gray has been active with the local chapter of the National Federation of Independent Business.

Lori Saine Saine is serving her first term on the Weld County board of commissioners. The Dacono resident previously served in the state house of representatives, where she chaired the Legislative Audit Committee and served as the Republican House caucus chair. She also introduced legislation to broaden access to firearms and worked on reforming liability rules for condo construction.

Barbara Kirkmeyer Kirkmeyer is a first time first-term state senator and joined the legislature after serving on the Weld County Board of Commissioners over the course of two decades. During her time on the board she was involved in a short-lived effort for Weld County to leave the state, and a more recent declaration that the county would not honor new state gun laws, and become a Second Amendment sanctuary.

Jann Kulmann Kulmann is the current mayor of Thornton, a job she was elected to three years ago. Prior to that she served on the Thornton city council. She works as an engineer in the oil and gas industry and serves on the board of a local charter school. During her time on city council, Kulmann survived a recall attempt by residents upset that she wouldnt support a local ban on oil and gas drilling.

Tyler Allcorn Allcorn is a former Green Beret who served four combat deployments. He now works for a company that helps members of the military find private sector employment after they leave the service. An immigrant whose family arrived in the United States for his fathers work, Allcorn was naturalized in 2010.

See original here:
Colorado District 8: who's in the race to represent the most competitive seat in the state? - Colorado Public Radio