Category Archives: Republican

Paul and Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) are arguing that Republicans are in danger of giving Minority Leader Chuck Schumer the witnesses he wants by even considering a debate over new testimony. And that has Paul in the good graces of senior Republicans who have spent years dealing with his parliamentary antics.

Hes just showing hes not going to go quietly. If theres some witnesses allowed, he wants to make sure theres some reciprocity, said Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas), who is close to McConnell. His point is that it shouldnt be just a one-way street. Hes got a good point.

Its easy to see how the witness debate could get out of control for vulnerable senators in both parties. In addition to Pauls plans, Democrats would also be sure to offer difficult votes for Republicans facing reelection like Collins, Cory Gardner of Colorado and Martha McSally of Arizona. And Democrats have a pair of incumbent senators up for reelection in November in states Trump won in 2016, as well: Doug Jones of Alabama and Gary Peters of Michigan.

I dont know if somebody proposes Rudy Giuliani as one of the reciprocal witnesses, how many votes that will get, Senate Minority Whip Dick Durbin said.

By threatening to create the circus-like atmosphere the GOP is trying to avoid, Paul could in fact shut down the witness debate and help Senate Republicans protect their majority. Just three Republicans are strongly considering voting to hear witnesses, one short of the simple majority needed. Senators like Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.) are undecided and want to wait until they hear the opening arguments, meaning the whip count is unsettled.

And senior Republicans believe the specter of a chaotic witness debate could stifle the thirst for hearing new evidence.

I certainly dont think its to anybodys advantage to have this constant offering of motions and back and forth that goes on indefinitely in terms of who may or may not be called, Senate Majority Whip John Thune (R-S.D.) said.

But if there are 51 votes for witnesses and the trial is extended, Pauls tactics will become a huge problem for vulnerable GOP incumbents. His motions will put them between swing voters and Trumps base, a poor position to be in during an election year.

Paul said he doesnt want to let it get to that point. But if it does, hes ready to go. And he thinks Trump will be, too.

If some Republicans help Democrats get witnesses and there are no witnesses for the president, I think the end result is a revolutionary tide against those people, Paul said. I cant imagine that [Trump] will let it go by if someone votes to bring in witnesses that his administration isnt interested in.

Excerpt from:

Rand Paul threatens fellow Republicans with explosive witness votes - POLITICO

MIAMI The Trump campaign events keep coming.

President Donald Trump has made Florida central to his re-election, holding nine campaign rallies in the state since he was elected and zeroing in on Hispanics.

Vice President Mike Pence has also been spending an ample amount of time in Florida. He just wrapped up a rally in Kissimmee as part of the Latinos for Trump coalition, pledging to the largely Puerto Rican crowd the administration will support the island after the earthquakes and touting the strong U.S. economy.

In addition to the rallies, Trump has held numerous events in the state addressing its diverse groups, such as Venezuelans and Cuban Americans.

At one of the events, on Jan. 3, Trump launched the Evangelicals for Trump coalition from a South Florida megachurch attended by thousands of Latinos.

Mauricio Tamayo, 52, a member of the congregation, said he didn't like Trump at first.

I wasnt used to his style. I thought he was arrogant, but he grows on you, he said, as audience members raised their hands in prayer.

"He speaks what's on his mind," according to the government employee and Colombia native, who said his 401K has grown "exponentially."

Trump won Florida in 2016 by less than one percentage point and most likely needs to carry the state to win re-election. Its the state where Trump has the greatest amount of support among Latinos, at around 34 percent.

Florida is critical, Mercedes Schlapp, a Trump campaign senior adviser, said.

"Were investing resources early, were building our ground game, and we have a tremendous focus on building up our Latinos for Trump coalition, the Cuban American native of Miami said.

The efforts by Trump and Republicans to focus on Latino voters who make up over a quarter of Florida's population and over 16 percent of its electorate worry several key Democrats in the state who are concerned that their party isn't being aggressive enough.

I feel we have taken the eye off the ball of the Hispanics that are necessary to win, said former Tallahassee Mayor Andrew Gillum, who lost a tight gubernatorial race in 2018.

Pushing back on Pence's visit, the Florida Democratic Party unveiled a bilingual billboard this week in the largely Puerto Rican area of Kissimmee, in Central Florida, showing a large image of Trump throwing paper towels at Puerto Ricans after the destruction of Hurricane Maria. The billboards say "Never forget" and in Spanish, "Prohibido olvidar" the lyrics of an old salsa song some voters may recognize.

Last week, Democratic National Committee Chair Tom Prez held a roundtable discussion with local leaders in Miami on the administrations efforts against Obamacare and its impact on Latinos. Florida has the nation's highest number of Affordable Care Act enrollments and nationally, Latinos made the highest gains in coverage under Obamacare.

The Morning Rundown

Get a head start on the morning's top stories.

In contrast to Trumps and Pence's massive rallies, the event was small and held in a conference room at the Borinquen Medical Center, which serves the community.

When asked if he was worried about the Republicans Latino outreach in Florida, Prez said, Talk is cheap his silence in the aftermath of the earthquakes (in Puerto Rico) has been deafening. This is a president who said, 'Im going to help you Venezuelans.' If he cared about the Venezuelan people, he could enact Temporary Protected Status tomorrow."

Juan Pealosa, executive director of the Florida Democratic Party, said the party has learned lessons from Trumps Florida win in 2016 and the state's midterm losses.

I dont think we did our job taking the election seriously. I think that has changed drastically, he said.

Pealosa recently told NBC News the party had hired the largest staff of any Democratic state party in the country, with more than 91 employees. They have completed 37,096 volunteer shifts in 2019 compared to 3,023 in 2015.

In the past, he said, Democrats have lacked well-trained surrogates across the state to help carry their message in the Spanish-language media something the Republicans have been doing for years. The party now has a Hispanic communications director who is training and booking Latino Democratic surrogates to be on Florida television and radio shows. They have also put more money in Spanish-language media buys and launched a weekly Spanish-language radio show in South Florida.

The Democrats lost five of six statewide races in Florida, including the gubernatorial and U.S. Senate races.

Republican Rick Scott, the states former governor, beat Democratic U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson, after nearly two decades in office. Ron DeSantis won the governors mansion after embracing Trumps message during the campaign, even releasing an ad with his daughter building a wall out of blocks. Democrats did flip two House seats, however, in heavily Latino South Florida.

But there's been frustration and anger after the losses. Part of the reason for the Republican wins was their active courtship of Latino voters.

Annette Taddeo, a Democrat and a Colombian American state senator from the Miami area, is worried Trump could be making inroads with the growing number of Latinos who register with no party affiliation. And what are we doing? Nothing, she said.

Taddeo cited Scotts extensive Latino engagement when he was running for the Senate, saying he was everywhere." Scott attended the swearing-in of Colombia's president in 2018, visited Puerto Rico numerous times after Maria and set up help for families coming to Florida. Post-election data showed Puerto Ricans in Central Florida helped Scott win office.

Eduardo Gamarra, a Florida International University political science professor, said Republicans "understand diverse groups more than anyone else Democrats are behind and they have to do a better job of identifying and targeting those groups and they have to have a message."

In Florida, that means speaking to the state's growing Puerto Rican community about the administration's sluggish response following Maria, mobilizing Cuban Americans opposed to Trump's increasingly hard-line policies against Cuba including more travel restrictions and reminding Venezuelans that Trump still has not given them TPS.

Days before Thanksgiving, Trump held a homecoming rally in South Florida after changing his residence to the Sunshine State.

Before the rally, Florida Lt. Gov. Jeanette Nuez, a Cuban American from Miami who is the national co-chair for Latinos for Trump, sat with Schlapp and John Pence, the vice presidents nephew, for a conversation about socialism that was televised on a giant screen and streamed live on social media.

Trump and Republicans constantly equate Democrats with socialism, but nowhere does that message get amplified more than in Florida, where a large concentration of Latinos have fled socialist countries.

Socialism is a strong, powerful message, Nuez told NBC News. She said that every time Trump says at a rally that America will never be a socialist country, thats the line that gets the most applause, its the one that gets the most reaction.

Democratic lawmakers, especially in Florida, have been very vocal about their opposition to Venezuela's government.

But Taddeo said there are candidates that are not doing us any favors with some of their comments, tweets and inexperience when it comes to Latin America, and Bolivia is a perfect example.

Recently, presidential candidate Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., drew criticism from some for tweeting that he was concerned that Bolivias former socialist president Evo Morales, who was pressured to resign in the wake of massive protests over a disputed election, may have been the victim of a coup.

Gillum, who was branded a socialist by Republicans during his campaign, warned that on issues like Venezuela, Democrats have to speak out forcefully against these types of authoritarian regimes or I fear it does a disservice to give Republicans something to hit us over the head about.

Democrats also have to boost their voter turnout, says Gillum, who has been focusing on this through "Forward Florida Action," his political action committee.

Prez said that when it comes to Trump, "people are smart, and you can't gloss it over with a few rallies here and there."

But Gamarra notes that Trump has the advantage of incumbency in resources and money, and the Republicans know the election outcome "is going to be less than 2 percent."

"The Democrats should be doing a lot more in Florida," Gamarra said.

Follow NBC Latino on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

See the original post:

Trump and Republicans are courting Florida's Latinos. Democrats in the state are worried. - NBC News

(Evan Vucci / AP Photo)

Subscribe now for as little as $2 a month!

Nothing is more important to the survival of a democracy than the ability of its citizens to distinguish between fact and fiction. Not surprisingly, this is exactly where Donald Trump and other Republicans have waged their war. Yet amid an avalanche of lies from the president and his allies, the most influential members of the mainstream media are taking refuge in a poisonous version of both-sides-ism that treats truth as a matter of taste, as if the evidence presented by the witnesses in the House impeachment proceedings were of equal value to the absurd outbursts of Trumps supporters. But as New York Times columnist Michelle Goldberg observed, Trumps weaponized disinformation is proving corrosive to democracy regardless of its target, because it has eroded the political salience of reality.Ad Policy

Among the most egregious offenders in this journalistic malpractice is the countrys most important media institution: Goldbergs own New York Times. Its reporters have repeatedly failed to draw distinctions between one sides lies and the others facts. This happened in the wake of the Mueller report on Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election when, in a front-page article, reporters Peter Baker and Nicholas Fandos explained, In an era of deep polarization, Mr. Muellers 448-page report quickly became yet another case study in the disparate realities of American politics as each camp interpreted it through its own lens and sought to weaponize it against the other side. Nowhere in this piece did the reporters mention that only the Democrats version of events relied on evidence. MORE FROM Eric Alterman

Unfortunately, the Times impeachment coverage has doubled down on its commitment to false equivalence. White House correspondent Michael D. Shear wrote a Page1 article that described the different impeachment realities that the two parties are living in, without hinting that only one partys version was conspiratorial nonsense. Media scholar Jay Rosen noticed 12 instances in which this one article failed to differentiate Republican falsehoods from what all reasonable observersincluding the entire US intelligence communityacknowledge as facts. (The phrase both sides made four appearances in the piece.) Instead, the contest between truth and lies was posed as a war metaphor (both sides engaged in a kind of mutually assured destruction), a childish spat (They called each other liars and demagogues and accused each other of being desperate and unfair), and a natural consequence of epistemological disagreement (The two parties could not even agree on a basic set of facts in front of them). Shear treated Times readers to Republican lies without any context indicating that the GOPs fictional narratives could not be trusted. And regrettably, the article was not an outlier. In another analysis, Baker described the drama of impeachment as playing out in a world where conspiracy theories are everywhere and conspiracy theorists are in the White House and Congress while neglecting to point to a single conspiracy theory that did not emanate from the Republican side of the aisle. This willingness to play Republican patsy has turned Americas most important news source into a participant in Trumps war on truth.

Baker embraced another Republican talking point: that the impeachment is bad entertainment and therefore not terribly important. Unlike Bill Clintons December 1998 impeachment, which, Baker wrote, felt like the ultimate drama, so intense that the rest of the world seemed to have stopped spinning on its axis, the Trump version inspires less suspense and has an outcome seemingly foreordained. Never mind that the stakes of selling out the national interest to a foreign power and demanding that another leader interfere in our democracy for personal political gain dwarfs the significance of lying about consensual sex. Judging Trumps impeachment as if it were a reality TV program was just another Republican trap into which too many journalists eagerly jumped. Writing for Reuters, Jeff Mason and Patricia Zengerle began their coverage of the House impeachment hearings by writing, Democratic lawmakers tried their hand at reality television with mixed results on Wednesday as they presented arguments to the American public for the impeachment of a former star of the genre, Donald Trump. Unlike the best reality TV showsnot to mention the Trump presidency itselffireworks and explosive moments were scarce, however. The reporters then quoted a tweet from none other than Eric Trump, who complained, This is horribly boring. NBCs Jonathan Allen was another person who felt that the proper prism to analyze the constitutional questions raised during the nations third-ever impeachment was show business. He lamented, The first round felt more like the dress rehearsal for a serious one-act play than the opening night of a hit Broadway musical.

Another weakness in the coverage of Trumps impeachmentand an ironic one, given that the question of his guilt turns on an alleged quid pro quois the willingness of most members of the media to ignore the acts of bribery that Trump is deploying to get himself off the hook. Too few outlets have pointed out that, in preparation for his Senate trial, Trump has showered cash contributions on the same Republican senators who will be on his jury. According to Richard Painter, the chief White House ethics lawyer under President George W. Bush, these contributions constitute felony bribery by the president. Any other American who offered cash to the jury before a trial would go to prison, he wrote on Twitter. Any senator who accepts cash from @realDonaldTrump before the impeachment trial is guilty of accepting a bribe and should go to the slammer.

Clearly, the right wings endless campaign to work the refs continues to pay dividends in the mainstream media. This combines with a commitment to an outdated conception of objectivity that remains agnostic on the issue of truth, as well as a desperate desire to entertain. What is lost in this devils bargain is the reason we have a First Amendment to begin with: to empower citizens to hold the powerfulin this case, the most powerful person on the planetto account.

Read the original here:

'The New York Times' Is Enabling Republican Lies - The Nation

Click to expand

UP NEXT

WASHINGTON GOP Senator Rand Paul said Thursday that he believes no Republican senatorswill vote to convict and remove President Donald Trump.

Speaking to The Hill in an interview, the Kentucky senator said, I really think the verdict has already been decided as well. I dont think any Republicans are going to vote for impeachment.

The House voted last month to impeach Trump.

Start the day smarter. Get all the news you need in your inbox each morning.

It takes at least two-thirds of the Senate, or 67 votes, to convict Trump on the two charges filed by the Houseabuse of power and obstruction of Congress and remove himfrom office.For that to happen,at least 20 Republicans would need to join the Democrats and independents.

I think the votes have been decided. As much as anybody will be pretending to be judicious about this, I dont think that theres one senator who hasnt decided how theyre going to vote, Paul said.

Paul's interview comes on the same day the Senateswore in Chief Justice John Roberts to preside over the impeachment trial.

Senator's alsotook a constitutionally required oath "to do impartial justice according to the Constitution and laws" in theimpeachment trial of Trumpover his attempts to get Ukraine to publicly investigate political rival Joe Biden.

'Impartial justice': Can partisan senators serve as unbiased jurors in the Trump impeachment trial?

More: What is an impeachment manager, and what do they do?

According to The Hill, Paul also warned that Republicans votingto impeach Trump would end their political career.

More: Senate opens impeachment trial against President Trump

Chief Justice John Roberts' impeachment trial role: speak softly, set a good example

I think if youre pretty much no longer interested in running for office, or no longer interested in getting Republican votes, you might vote to impeach the president, Paul said. This isnt just a policy difference.

He continued, When it comes to whether or not youre going to impeach a president of your own party, particularly over a policy difference or whether or not he has lack of decorum or whatever, I think thats something that a lot of voters will not excuse.

Every Republicanin the House voted against both articles. The Houses lone independent, former Republican Justin Amash of Michigan, voted with Democrats to impeach Trump on both charges.

Old English, Pelosi's many pens and special walks: Your weird impeachment questions, answered

Contributing:Ledyard King, Maureen Groppe, USA TODAY

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Rand Paul on Senate trial: 'I dont think any Republicans are going to vote for impeachment'

See the article here:

Rand Paul on Senate trial: 'I don't think any Republicans are going to vote for impeachment' - msnNOW

(Permanent Musical Accompaniment To This Post)

Being our semi-regular weekly survey of whats goin down in the several states where, as we know, the real work of governmentin gets done, and where you can see that painted wagon and smell the tail of the dragon.

We begin in Michigan, where they keep electing sexist jackasses to their state legislature. From the Michigan Advance:

Before moving along, though, we should check on the issue at hand about which Ms. Donahue wanted to ask. From Detroit Metro Times:

Jeebus, these people belong in a zoo. Seriously. Hang in there, Alison Donahue. Not everyone is a caveman.

David Eggert/AP/Shutterstock

We move on to Florida, where Congressman Matt Gaetz is in the news again. This time, hes gotten sideways with another Republican and, as the Tampa Bay Times informs us, this is part of an ongoing family feud. It all began with a legislator named Chris Latvala tweeting out a photo of himself chatting with Rev. Al Sharpton.

Matters escalated apace.

Against all possible odds, the exchange gets even more childish. Please, Florida, stop electing these people. Youre lowering the discourse.

The Washington PostGetty Images

We skip on up to Virginia, where it truly was a helluva week. First, the Commonwealth became the 38th state to ratify the Equal Rights Amendment, which makes it part of the Constitutionor, maybe not. The fight goes on. From The Atlantic:

Almost at the same time, Governor Ralph Northam declared a state of emergency in Richmond because some gun-fondlers were said to be preparing An Action to protest gun control measures that are currently before the state legislature. From The New York Times:

Northam wasnt kidding, either. Goons of many lands seem to be converging on his capital. Again, from the NYT:

It is here where we note, without irony, that the Arabic for "The Base" is al-Qaeda.

Sue Ogrocki/AP/Shutterstock

And we conclude, as is our custom, in the great state of Oklahoma, where Blog Official Fry Cook Friedman of the Plains brings us the tale of another embattled Christian who is being oppressed. From Channel 8 in Tulsa:

The measure is supported by one of Americas most respected smugglers.

And safe from customs officials, I would imagine.

This is your democracy, America. Cherish it.

Go here to see the original:

Matt Gaetz Is in an Internecine Beef With Another Florida Republican - Esquire.com

At different times the president has expressed different views. But I wouldnt get too distracted by an intervening tweet, said Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas), who is close to Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell.

This is about Chuck Schumer getting 2020 Republican incumbents into tough voting situations, Cornyn added in reference to Schumers vow to force motions to subpoena witnesses. It wont surprise you that were thinking about that too and how to avoid that as much as possible.

The GOP has tried to stay focused on its game plan to shut down Democratic hopes of locking in witnesses at the outset of the trial, but its become increasingly clear the party will face an internal reckoning during the trial as it defends its Senate majority and faces a president who demands complete loyalty.

Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine) has sent GOP leaders a message that they cant assume she will try to move through the trial as quickly as possible and ignore the possibility of hearing new evidence. And shes not alone.

Take Sen. Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.), who is retiring at the end of the year. He says he might vote to hear witnesses if I needed to. Or I might not. Or I might.

My view is we should hear the case, ask our questions and then have a vote on whether we need to hear additional witnesses or call for additional documents, said Alexander. Its important to have a vote on whether we have witnesses or not.

Republicans are preparing a resolution establishing trial rules that would punt those decisions until after hearing the opening arguments from House impeachment managers and Trumps attorneys. McConnell (R-Ky.) is expected to finalize that language on Tuesday with his conference, and it will be substantially similar to the language governing former President Bill Clintons impeachment trial, according to a person familiar with discussion. Ultimately in that trial, the Senate subpoenaed three witnesses for depositions after opening arguments.

McConnell has to balance his approach to the Trump trial between GOP hard-liners who want an immediate vote to dismiss the case and his more moderate members, such as Collins, Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, and Mitt Romney of Utah, who want to retain the ability to call witnesses for additional evidence.

See more here:

Republicans face reckoning on impeachment witnesses - POLITICO

Lee and Paul eventually backed the resolution, after a briefing from top administration officials about the killing of General Qassem Soleimani left them deeply dissatisfied. And on Tuesday, Kaine got additional support from Republican Sens. Todd Young of Indiana and Susan Collins of Maine, giving him the four Republican votes he needs to pass the measure.

Senate passage of a proposal to rein in the president's war powers represents a remarkable rebuke, even if there likely aren't enough votes to withstand Trumps veto.

Kaines effort highlights the Virginia senators long obsession with keeping checks on presidential war powers. The one-time vice presidential hopeful notes that he also called for President Barack Obama to come to Congress when it came to the war with ISIS or possibly striking Syria for the use of chemical weapons. That position, Kaine says, has helped him earn trust in his conversations with Republicans when it comes to this president.

Republicans know I pressured Obama on this, Kaine said, adding he wouldnt get very far if he had only pressured Trump. They know Im on the Armed Services Committee, they know I pressed Obama as much as I press Trump, they know I got a son in the military

Senate Republicans, when asked about Kaine, also like to highlight his criticism of Obama.

While President Obama was still in office he was willing to step forward and express concerns where others werent, Lee said. I like that.

Young, who described Kaines initial draft of the resolution as politically charged, said the Virginia lawmakers consistency gives him credibility on the matter a consistency few others bring to the issue.

The other thing that gives him credibility is he has approached this without to my knowledge taking political potshots at the president, and that stands in stark contrast to some others, the Indiana Republican added.

Kaine said there are about 10 to 12 Republicans who could possibly back the War Powers Resolution. But its likely to be met with resistance from most members of the Senate GOP, who have raised concerns about the resolutions timing amid recent tensions with Iran and fear further restricting Trumps authority.

Sen. Mitt Romney (R-Utah) said in a statement Tuesday that he will oppose Kaines resolution, arguing it would send the wrong message to Iran and tie the Presidents hands in responding to further potential Iranian aggression.

Sen. Kevin Cramer (R-N.D.), a strong Trump ally, said the resolution was political gamesmanship and that anything that Donald Trump does, the response from Democrats - you should be suspicious.

And Collins, who initially had concerns about the message Kaines resolution would send to Iran, had qualms about some of the earlier language, particularly when it came to removing troops from hostilities. Kaine, however, helped convince her by clarifying language that the resolution aimed to terminate the use of U.S. forces in hostilities." That change appeared to appease Collins.

The Maine Republican said Monday, prior to announcing her support for the resolution, that Kaine was very receptive, adding he made changes that in my view improve the resolution.

Kaine initially drafted the War Powers resolution three months ago. The latest version of his resolution can come to the Senate floor as early as next week. But the timing for the resolution remains in limbo given the impeachment trial. Its unclear yet whether the Senate will vote on legislation while the trial takes place. Once it passes the Senate, it will go to the House.

The resolution is not the first time the Senate has asserted congressional authority over Trumps foreign policy. Last year, the Senate passed a bipartisan War Powers resolution to end U.S. support for the Saudi-backed war in Yemen, which Trump vetoed.

The chamber also voted on an amendment to the defense authorization bill from Kaine and Sen. Tom Udall (D-N.M.) that would require Trump to seek congressional approval for military action in Iran. The amendment, however, didnt meet the 60-vote threshold to pass.

Kaine recalled that at the start of his tenure in the Senate, few senators were interested in discussing Congress role in war powers. He says thats changing now because of two factors: the belief that Trump is impulsive and the amount of time thats passed since Congress authorized the military use of force in 2001 and 2002 in the aftermath of the 9/11 attacks.

I felt very lonely like nobody was interested in this when I started, and more and more people are now interested in this issue, he said. The longer we're in this state of perpetual war ... the people see that there's some impulsive action they're like, 'we gotta, we gotta do something to clean this up.'

Read the original:

How Tim Kaine convinced Republicans to vote to rein in Trump's war powers - POLITICO

By TOM DAVIESThe Associated Press

INDIANAPOLIS A Democratic proposal to immediately boost Indiana teacher pay by $100 million a year by stretching out payments to a teacher pension fund was rejected Thursday by a Republican-controlled committee.

The Indiana Senate Appropriations Committee voted 8-4 along party lines against the Democratic plan that aimed to free up money by lowering annual state payments to the same pension fund Republican Gov. Eric Holcomb used his State of the State speech this week to propose adjusting next year.

That extra $100 million then would have boosted funding for the states Teacher Appreciation Grant bonus program by 267% this year. Estimates released by Senate Democrats show that the average teacher bonus in northern Indianas Warsaw Community Schools could have increased from about $700 to nearly $1,900.

Committee members, instead, advanced a bill backed by Holcomb directing $291 million in unexpected state tax revenue to paying cash rather than borrowing money for several college campus construction projects that were part of the state budget approved in April.

Democratic Sen. Karen Tallian of Ogden Dunes argued that the states $2.3 billion in cash reserves are sufficient for lawmakers to take action now on boosting the states lagging teacher pay.

I dont understand why we cant also consider some of these other desperate needs that we have, Tallian said. It is just wrong of us to ignore all these other things that we could correct this year.

Holcomb proposed Tuesday making a $250 million early payment into that pension fund in 2021 to free up a projected $50 million a year by reducing needed annual state pension appropriations.

The debate over teacher pay comes after several thousand educators joined a boisterous Statehouse rally in November during which stagnant salaries were a top concern. Holcomb has repeatedly said he would wait for recommendations later this year for what he calls a sustainable plan from a teacher pay commission he appointed in early 2019.

The Republican-dominated House last week rejected other Democratic proposals toward increasing teacher pay. The full Senate could take up the spending bill next week and send it to the governors desk as Republicans fast track it less than two weeks after the legislative session began. The Senate wont take action on most House-passed bills until at least mid-February.

House Democratic leader Phil GiaQuinta of Fort Wayne said Republicans are eager to be done with the only spending bill on this years legislative agenda.

The quicker you can get that off the calendar means you dont have to deal with it or talk about it anymore, he said. Im sure that is part of the strategy.

State Budget Director Zach Jackson told the Senate committee that the governor believed it was best to use the unexpected money on one-time expenses.

The objective here is to avoid the interest costs entirely and provide the flexibility for the out years, Jackson said.

The Democratic plan would have reduced the states nearly $947 million pension fund payment for each year of the current two-year state budget by $100 million. Tallian said that would extend state payments into the fund by seven years until 2045.

Republican Sen. Michael Crider of Greenfield said such a major change in the state budget shouldnt be done piecemeal, recalling that were needed during the Great Recession when he was a top administrator with the Department of Natural Resources.

I know right now the outcome looks pretty good, but I can tell you before the recession the outlook was pretty good also, Crider said.

Read the rest here:

Republicans vote down teacher pay boost plan - The Herald

Republicans have found a new reason to be furious with Nancy Pelosi: she uses too many pens.

The House speaker sparked the opposing partys ire on Wednesday when she used a remarkable number of writing implements more than three trays littered with them to sign her name on the articles of impeachment against Donald Trump.

The pens, engraved with her signature, were intended as souvenirs for Pelosis allies. She carefully signed the documents, apparently stroke by stroke, using different pens for each portion of her signature. Then she distributed them to impeachment managers and committee members.

The truth comes out. This isnt somber or serious for @HouseDemocrats, the House Republicans tweeted, referring to Democrats description of the impeachment process. This has been partisan since day one.

Individual Republicans piled on: They claim its a somber, serious occasion theyre heartbroken over ... and then they pass out impeachment-signing pens with special cases. Folks. You cant make it up, wrote the North Carolina Republican representative Mark Meadows. The House Republican whip, Steve Scalise, called the moment unbelievable. And Stephanie Grisham, the White House press secretary, sarcastically suggested Pelosi was so somber as she gave them away to people like prizes.

But, as many commentators pointed out, Pelosi was only doing what many politicians before her have done including one Donald J Trump:

Barack Obama used 22 pens to sign his landmark healthcare law. Lyndon Johnson is said to have used 75 to sign the Civil Rights Act. The tradition goes back to at least Franklin Roosevelt, as Time explained in 2010: The pen used to sign legislation itself becomes a historical artifact. The more pens a president uses, the more thank-you gifts he can offer to those who helped create that piece of history.

In fact, as Guardian political reporter Lauren Gambino pointed out, commemorative pens were used in a very analogous situation in the late 1990s: the impeachment of Bill Clinton. In that case, senators who signed a pledge to be impartial received pens that accidentally dubbed them Untied States senators.

Alongside Republican anger, Wednesdays episode of Too-Many-Pens-gate sparked much amusement on Twitter:

To be fair to Republicans, however, it really was quite a lot of pens. And it took a long time to close them.

View original post here:

Pen-t up anger: Republicans pounce on Pelosi over ceremonial writing tools - The Guardian

CONCORD A state senator said its time to ask New Hampshire voters whether they want to make flag burning an unlawful expression of free speech.

Sen. Harold French, R-Franklin, presented to the Senate Election Laws and Municipal Affairs Committee Thursday a proposed amendment to the New Hampshire Constitution (CACR 19) to make it illegal to burn a flag except as a respectable means of disposing of a worn or damaged one.

People had the right to express themselves, but as I got older I realized it was not just the flag; it was a symbol of unity. As all of us look at that flag, we see the same thing and that is the unity the flag brings to us, French said.

There are other instances that we prohibit things which could be considered freedom of speech. This is just one other I would like to add to that.

Jeanne Hruska, political director for the American Civil Liberties Union of New Hampshire, said even if adopted by voters, the law would last as long as it took a judge to examine it and conclude it violated the U.S. Constitution.

This amendment is very much about speech and protest, including peaceful protest, since incitement to violence is already illegal, Hruska said. Burning the flag may be offensive speech to many, but it is the kind of speech that is most important to protect if free speech is to retain its meaning.

The first flag protection amendment was passed by Congress in 1968 in response to protests against the Vietnam War.

Over time, 48 of the 50 states adopted their own flag protection laws, but the U.S. Supreme Court in 1989 struck them all down as unconstitutional in a 5-4 ruling.

When Congress adopted another law in response, the court voted 5-4 to knock that one down, too.

Congress then spent nearly the next decade trying to get the necessary two-thirds vote to amend the U.S. Constitution. The movement passed the U.S. House but finally died in the U.S. Senate by a single vote in 2006.

Freedom of speech is a fundamental right enjoyed by citizens in this country, said liberal activist Nancy Brennan of Weare.

Although I have no desire to burn the American flag, I do understand why some people may feel so disenfranchised, so angry about something that they burned or desecrated the flag.

The hearing was sparsely attended, though six senators have signed on to the amendment, including first-term Sen. Jon Morgan, D-Brentwood.

The hearing featured some spirited debate.

I have to say I feel the Supreme Court was wrong-headed in that decision, said Sen. Regina Birdsell, R-Hampstead and a Coast Guard veteran.

We have had numerous people who died under the flag. Its a desecration to them that others are allowed to burn the flag.

Sen. Tom Sherman, D-Rye, said many in his family fought against the Nazis in World War II, including an uncle whom he never met.

I find it absolutely abhorrent to burn the American flag. My family has been here since the origins of the nation. Can I put in a constitutional amendment next year to end hate speech? What is going to stop us from stopping this kind of speech? Sherman asked rhetorically.

Sen. Melanie Levesque, D-Brookline, tried to stay in the political median for now.

Our freedom of speech is also very important. Without weighing in here I can understand both sides, Levesque said.

Amendments to the State Constitution require at least a three-fifths majority vote in the House of Representatives and the State Senate.

Then,without the governors involvement, the question automatically would be placed on the November 2020 ballot, requiring a two-thirds vote to be adopted.

See the original post here:

Franklin Republican wants to make it a crime to burn symbol of liberty - The Union Leader