Mississippi’s attorney general urged the Supreme Court in a Thursday brief to overrule Roe v. Wade next term when the justices review Mississippi’s ban on virtually all abortions after 15 weeks of pregnancy.
Calling the court’s precedent on abortion “egregiously wrong,” Attorney General Lynn Fitch (R) explicitly set the dispute over Mississippi’s restrictive law on a collision course with the landmark 1973 decision in Roe that first articulated the constitutional right to abortion.
“This Court should overrule Roe and Casey,” Fitch wrote, referring also to the court’s 1992 decision in Planned Parenthood v. Casey. “Roe and Casey are egregiously wrong. They have proven hopelessly unworkable. … And nothing but a full break from those cases can stem the harms they have caused.” Continue reading.
In states all over the country, former President Donald Trump and Republican officials, leaders, and lawmakers raised concerns about claims of voter fraud. To make matters worse, multiple attorneys general and prosecutors in various states also echoed the same baseless claims despite not having substantial evidence of voter fraud.
This week the Hennepin County Board of Commissioners doubled down on the vaccine incentive program Hennepin created last month through a board action request I authored. I’m very pleased this strategy will now reach even more residents, and expand out County’s ability to increase trust, decrease vaccine hesitancy and reduce disparities. I spoke with KARE 11 about the expansion of our incentive program. Watch the interview >>
This week, Governor Walz continued an education tour across Minnesota to celebrate the historic investments in education included in Minnesota’s COVID-19 Recovery Budget. He made stops at schools in Lake Elmo, Nisswa, and Mankato. More stops to be announced soon!
Governor Walz Visited Polk County Farm to Survey Drought Conditions and Meet with Farmers
On Thursday, Governor Walz visited a farm in Polk County to survey the drought and discuss its impact with farmers.
“After a year that challenged Minnesotans across the state, our farmers are suffering yet another setback from the persistent drought,” said Governor Walz. “Minnesota farmers and ranchers feed not just Minnesota but the entire world, and this drought is threatening their livelihoods. We continue to maintain close communication with our federal partners and the agricultural community to ensure we’re providing the support and flexibility our farmers and ranchers need during this challenging time.”
Governor Walz Met Croatian Officials to Celebrate 25 Years of the Minnesota National Guard’s Partnership with Croatia
On Tuesday, Governor Walz met with Major General Shawn Manke, DEED Commissioner Steve Grove, and Croatian Officials to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the Minnesota National Guard’s partnership program with Croatia.
Commission on Judicial Selection Recommends Fourth Judicial District Candidates to Governor Walz
On Wednesday, the Commission on Judicial Selection announced it is recommending five candidates for consideration to fill two vacancies in Minnesota’s Fourth Judicial District. These vacancies will occur upon the retirements of the Honorable Margaret A. Daly and the Honorable Kathleen D. Sheehy. These seats are chambered in Minneapolis in Hennepin County.
With the dust settling on the 2021 legislative session, I wanted to share a series of “Top 10” lists with you this summer, based on our work this year. This week, I’m starting with the laws we passed in our new two-year state budget. Despite being the only divided legislature in the nation, we were able to secure a compromise on a strong budget that prioritizes those most impacted by the pandemic – families, workers, students, and small businesses.
Former president Donald Trump’s political PAC raised about $75 million in the first half of this year as he trumpeted the false notion that the 2020 election was stolen from him, but the group has not devoted funds to help finance the ongoing ballot review in Arizona or to push for similar endeavors in other states, according to people familiar with the finances.
Instead, the Save America leadership PAC — which has few limits on how it can spend its money — has paid for some of the former president’s travel, legal costs and staff, along with other expenses, according to the people, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to describe the group’s inner workings. The PAC has held onto much of its cash.
Even as he assiduously tracks attempts by his allies to cast doubt on the integrity of last year’s election, Trump has been uninterested in personally bankrolling the efforts, relying on other entities and supporters to fund the endeavors, they said. Continue reading.
Protections also would be extended to Afghan family members of special visa applicants who were killed
The House on Thursday overwhelmingly passed legislation to authorize an additional 8,000 special immigrant visas for Afghan interpreters, contractors and other vulnerable U.S. allies.
The bill would also expand eligibility to family members of SIV applicants who have been killed, as well as Afghans who worked with certain nongovernmental organizations and could face persecution but would not qualify under the program’s current requirements. It passed with a 407-16 vote.
“Some members of this body, including me, may not be here today without the service and self-sacrifice of Afghans who answered the call to serve shoulder to shoulder with us,” said the bill’s sponsor, Rep. Jason Crow, D-Colo., an Army veteran who served in Afghanistan. Continue reading.
The last few weeks we have seen record high temps, city water restrictions caused by an expanding drought and smoky haze from Canadian wildfires reaching far enough to cover our skies. All these events are highlighting the need for a better understanding of our current environment and how small changes could lessen the impact of climate change. My office has been spending the last month visiting with Three Rivers Park staff, local businesses, and county staff to explore different and unique ways we can help implement our Climate Action Plan which was passed earlier this year by the Hennepin County Board of Commissioners. Concepts like wildlife and nature preserves, sustainable land management, and incorporating native plants and pollinator gardens with high touch horticulture concepts. I am glad to have the opportunities to connect with experts about these concepts and can’t wait to discover further innovation in reaching our counties goal of Zero Waste by 2050.
2021 Youth Sports Grants Administered to District 7
This year, District 7 had three projects funded through the Hennepin County Youth Sports Program, including $25,000 for Donahue Dells Park in Dayton, $10,000 for equipment in Corcoran’s City Park and over $4,000 for equipment at Rockford Highschool and Elementary. This grant program began in 2009 and has awarded more than $24 million, with $3.8 million of that disbursed within our district to use for playgrounds, equipment and swimming lessons.
Pennsylvania’s acting secretary of state has decertified a county’s voting system for future elections after it was subjected to a review by a private company in an effort promoted by a group of state senators supporting former president Donald Trump’s baseless claims of widespread fraud in the 2020 election.
Acting secretary of state Veronica W. Degraffenreid said in a statement Wednesday that Wake TSI’s examination of the Fulton County ballots earlier this year violated the state’s election code.
Pennsylvania is the second state where officials have decertified election equipment because of questionable audits requested by Republicans. Arizona’s Maricopa County said in June that it will replace voting equipment that was turned over to a private contractor for a Republican-commissioned review of the 2020 election. Continue reading.
Republicans say Tracy Stone-Manning’s past affiliation with eco-saboteurs makes her unqualified to run the Bureau of Land Management
Tracy Stone-Manning, President Biden’s pick to be the top public lands manager, moved one step closer to becoming director of the Bureau of Land Management on Thursday as the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee advanced her nomination solely with Democratic support.
For weeks, Republicans have adamantly called on Biden to withdraw Stone-Manning’s nomination due to her decision as a University of Montana graduate student to send a letter on behalf of eco-saboteurs in 1989. The group drove metal spikes into trees in Idaho set to be cut down — an act designed to make it more dangerous for loggers to saw through the trunks.
“It is hard to imagine a nominee more disqualified than Tracy Stone-Manning,” said Sen. John Barrasso (R-Wyo.), the top Republican on the committee, at one point holding up a gray metal spike. He was among the 10 Republicans on the panel who voted against her nomination. Continue reading.
