Friday, January 15, 2016

Ground Control To Speaker Tom edition

It's time to turn and face the strange. This week, 32 legislatures are back in session. By the end of the month, we'll be up to about 40.

But even though we're just a few days in to making laws, it seems we're already dealing with scary monsters (and super creeps)

  • Under Pressure: On Thursday, the Democratic-majority Maine House declined to impeach Gov. Paul LePage, whose latest notorious act included making nakedly racist remarks about the source of the state's heroin problem.  
    • wtf? This non-impeachment isn't nearly as lame as it sounds. Running against LePage's antics will help deliver a Democratic majority in the state Senate this fall and shore up Democratic numbers in the House. Democrats are better off letting LePage be LePage than wasting taxpayer money on an impeachment attempt that would likely fail in the GOP-controlled Senate, anyway. 

  • This is not America: As soon as their respective legislative sessions began, GOP senators in Missouri and Virginia evicted the press from their chamber floors.
    • Last Thursday, the Republican-controlled Missouri Senate voted to banish reporters from their table near the front of the chamber. (A section of the upper gallery will be renovated to accommodate the media, how nice.) 
      • After initially trying to claim the change was needed to accommodate more staffers, the GOP Senate President Pro Tem admitted that he's still sore about reporters tweeting about conversations between lawmakers on the chamber floor last year --- which he proclaimed "our space. That's not your space," even though the space in which the state's laws are made should really belong to everyone, yes?
    • On Wednesday, reporters in Virginia attempted to take their customary place at tables near the Senate dais as session kicked off, only to be shunted to the Senate gallery at the behest of GOP Senate Majority Leader Tommy Norment. But why?
      • Norment can't help but be aware that the cramped quarters, obstructed view of the floor, lack of timely access to copies of votes and floor amendments, dearth of writing space, and minimal access to electrical outlets would hinder reporters' ability to do their job.
      • Democrats objected to Norment's maneuver, and the Society of Professional Journalists is calling for lawmakers in Missouri and Virginia to demonstrate their commitment to transparency and reverse these attempts to "silence the press" by returning reporters to their normal working conditions. 

Speaking of disturbing trends...

  • Low: The hot new trend among Republican lawmakers this year seems to be pushing bills that discriminate against and/or criminalize transgender folks, especially kids. 

  • Heathen: Those so-called "religious freedom" bills that are actually designed to legalize LGBT discrimination are making a comeback, too. 
Pro tip! Watch for this piecemeal approach in other statehouses this year. Broad RFRA measures are SO 2015.

  • Rebel rebel: Another theme to keep an eye on in sessions around the country is preemption. Right-wing GOP majorities in state capitols are trying to override local control to thwart progressive city and county measures on LGBT rights, gun safety, worker pay and leave, and other items. 

  • Changes: On Tuesday, Democrats pulled off a stunning upset in a special election in Oklahoma to flip a seat that had been Republican since 1990. And we were outspent. And this in a seat that gave Romney 70 percent of the vote.
    • But wait, it gets better! This was the second Democratic special election pickup in Oklahoma this cycle. And it comes in the wake of two other special election pickups in suburban districts in the run-up to November's general election, where Democrats performed well in similar regions in Virginia and New Jersey.
      • Something in the air: What does this all mean? Good things for downballot Democrats, especially ones running in a presidential election year.

  • Thursday's child: Yesterday, Virginia GOP Del. Rick Morris delivered a historical salute on the House floor to abolitionists who worked to end slavery 150 years ago. 
    • Which is nice, right? Except no. Turns out Rep. Morris was exploiting the horror of slavery to pivot to a diatribe against abortion rights, equating slavery with abortion as a "national sin."

The following 32 state legislatures are meeting actively this week: ARIZONA, CALIFORNIA, COLORADO, DELAWARE, FLORIDA, GEORGIA, IDAHO, ILLINOIS, INDIANA, IOWA, KANSAS, KENTUCKY, MAINE, MARYLAND, MASSACHUSETTS, MICHIGAN, MISSISSIPPI, MISSOURI, NEBRASKA, NEW HAMPSHIRE, NEW JERSEY, NEW YORK, PENNSYLVANIA, RHODE ISLAND, SOUTH CAROLINA, SOUTH DAKOTA, TENNESSEE, VERMONT, VIRGINIA, WASHINGTON, WEST VIRGINIA and WISCONSIN.

Also meeting: DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA, GUAM, PUERTO RICO andUNITED STATES VIRGIN ISLANDS.   

ARIZONA

The Legislature convened for the 2016 legislative session January 11.

Governor Doug Ducey (R) delivered the State of the State address January 11. 


COLORADO

The General Assembly convened for the 2016 legislative session January 13

Governor John Hickenlooper (D) delivered the State of the State addressJanuary 14.


DELAWARE

The Legislature convened for the 2016 legislative session January 12.


FLORIDA

The Legislature convened for the 2016 legislative session January 12.

Governor Rick Scott (R) delivered the State of the State address January 12.

The deadline for legislators to introduce bills in the House and Senate was January 12

GEORGIA

The Legislature convened for the 2016 legislative session January 11.

Governor Nathan Deal (R) delivered the State of the State address January 13


IDAHO

The Legislature convened for the 2016 legislative session January 11. 

Governor Butch Otter (R) delivered the State of the State address January 11.

INDIANA

Governor Mike Pence (R) delivered the State of the State address January 12

The deadline to introduce bills in the House was January 12.

IOWA

The Legislature convened for the 2016 legislative session January 11. 

Governor Terry Branstad (R) delivered the State of the State address January 12

KANSAS

The Legislature convened for the 2016 legislative session January 11. 

Governor Sam Brownback (R) delivered the State of the State address January 12

LOUISIANA

The Legislature convened January 11 for an organizational session to judge the qualifications and elections of the members, take the oath of office, organize the two houses and select officers. 

MARYLAND

The Legislature convened for the 2016 legislative session January 13.

MICHIGAN

The Legislature convened for the 2016 legislative session January 13

NEBRASKA

Governor Pete Ricketts (R) will deliver the State of the State address January 14

NEW JERSEY

The Legislature adjourned the 2015 legislative session January 11.

The Legislature convened for the 2016 legislative session January 12.

Governor Chris Christie (R) delivered the State of the State address January 12

NEW YORK

Governor Andrew Cuomo (D) delivered the State of the State address January 13

SOUTH CAROLINA

The Legislature convened for the 2016 legislative session January 12

SOUTH DAKOTA

The Legislature convened for the 2016 legislative session January 12

Governor Dennis Daugaard (R) delivered the State of the State address January 12.

TENNESSEE
 
The Legislature convened for the 2016 legislative session January 12

VIRGINIA

The General Assembly convened for the 2016 legislative session January 13

Governor Terry McAuliffe (D) delivered the State of the Commonwealth address January 13

WASHINGTON

The Legislature convened for the 2016 legislative session January 12

Governor Jay Inslee delivered the State of the State address January 12.
 
WEST VIRGINIA
 
The Legislature convened for the 2016 legislative session January 13

Governor Earl Ray Tomblin (D) delivered the State of the State address January 13.

WISCONSIN

The Legislature convened for the 2016 legislative session January 12.