RandySF
RandySF's JournalMore than 20 anti-abortion bills failed in Oklahoma. But reproductive health bills are still up for debate
he 2024 legislative session in Oklahoma saw over 20 anti-abortion bills, but none met passage requirements, effectively killing all of them.
Abortion is already banned in the state except to save the life of the pregnant person. State law doesn't include exceptions for rape or incest.
Still, Republican lawmakers sought further restrictions through bills that would've banned emergency contraceptives, adjusted the definition of homicide to include abortions and granted a father the right to disagree with someone's decision to have an abortion, among others.
While none of these bills met passage requirements, some bills that promote reproductive and sexual health are still active.
https://www.oklahoman.com/story/news/politics/2024/04/27/oklahoma-abortion-access-limitation-bills-fail-legislation-session-2024/73470736007/
RI House passes bill to implement automatic disaffiliation for unaffiliated voters
EAST PROVIDENCE, R.I. (WPRI) — Legislation sponsored by state Rep. Patricia Serpa that would allow Rhode Island’s unaffiliated voters to stay that way after voting in primaries cleared the R.I. House unanimously on Tuesday.
Currently, anyone not affiliated with a political party automatically becomes affiliated with a party if they vote in its primary. In order to disaffiliate, they have to fill out a form or update their information online.
Serpa’s bill aims to remove that process for unaffiliated voters. Those options would still be available for affiliated voters who want to update their party affiliation.
“Most voters in Rhode Island are unaffiliated with any political party, but often choose to vote in party primaries, whether it be Democrat or Republican,” Serpa said in a press release. “And as voter history suggests, most of those voters would prefer to remain unaffiliated after the primary is over. This bill would allow those unaffiliated voters to remain unaffiliated without having to fill out a form after the election. That not only makes it easier for the voters, but for election officials who spend hundreds of hours after every election cycle processing thousands of these forms.”
https://www.wpri.com/news/politics/ri-house-passes-bill-to-implement-automatic-disaffiliation-for-unaffiliated-voters/
UK: Middle East conflict casts shadow over Lancashire council elections
It follows a tumultuous few months in which a number of councils across the county have been shaken up.
Eight Lancashire boroughs have elections this year.
And while these may be local elections, the results will reverberate nationally with the next general election now only months away.
Can Labour make the kind of inroads needed to propel Sir Keir Starmer to Downing Street? And can the Tories confound months of bleak polling data?
Several notable names are seeking re-election to their respective councils and changing party allegiances - many due to stances on the Israel-Hamas conflict - have also added to the choice for the electorate.
https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-lancashire-68905713
Florida Republicans eye control of more county school boards in November election
Republicans have managed to increase their party's control over all but 12 of Florida’s 67 county school boards, according to a new analysis of election data. The GOP’s control has increased from 44 counties to 55 in just a few years.
Republicans are competing in November to pick up at least 23 more school board seats, which could give the GOP control over as many as five more school districts if their candidates are successful. The boards in play include those in Hillsborough (includes Tampa), Osceola (south of Orlando), Volusia (includes Daytona Beach), Jefferson (east of Tallahassee) and St. Lucie (on the Treasure Coast).
The expanding influence for conservatives over Florida's public schools has emboldened Republicans to soften vaccine requirements, rewrite policies affecting LGBTQ+ students and teachers, change rules for removing books from school libraries, weaken teachers' unions and direct what, and how, lessons can be taught in classrooms.
However, Democrats still wield influence on school boards in the largest cities representing the largest populations of school-aged children. But Republican gains in November could erode those margins.
https://www.wusf.org/politics-issues/2024-04-27/florida-republicans-eye-control-county-school-boards-november-election
India election: AI deepfakes of Bollywood stars backing political parties swirl as voters grapple with information overl
Fears over deepfake videos have again surfaced in India amid an election that will last till June, with clips this time showing Bollywood actors declaring their political views and the trend underscoring pervasive use of artificial intelligence technology to manipulate narratives.
Popular stars Aamir Khan and Ranbir Kapoor were pictured saying Prime Minister Narendra Modi had failed to keep campaign promises and address critical economic issues during his two terms.
The clips end with the opposition Congress election symbol and slogan: “Vote for Justice, Vote for Congress”.
The celebrities, however, have denied involvement in the videos that experts say put a great burden on the Indian public to discern fact from fiction, in a society where opinion could be easily influenced by cult culture among those untrained in critical thinking.
https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3260506/india-election-ai-deepfakes-bollywood-stars-backing-political-parties-swirl-voters-grapple
Japan party leaders make final pitches ahead of Sunday by-elections
MATSUE, SHIMANE PREF./TOKYO – Leaders of Japan's ruling and opposition parties made final pitches on Saturday, a day ahead of three by-elections for the House of Representatives, in which voters are likely to focus on the issue of politics and money in the wake of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party's slush fund scandal.
Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, also president of the LDP, visited Matsue, the capital of Shimane Prefecture, on Saturday to deliver a campaign speech for the LDP's candidate in the prefecture's No. 1 constituency.
"I must spearhead" efforts to revise the Political Funds Control Law in response to the LDP scandal, Kishida stressed in the speech. Referring to his government's initiatives on wage increases and child benefits, he said, "We are aiming for a Japan where wages and incomes are higher tomorrow than yesterday."
In the Shimane constituency, the LDP candidate is in a one-on-one battle with the candidate of the main opposition Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan.
https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2024/04/27/japan/politics/by-elections-final-pitches/
Wisconsin is the last state that may prosecute Trump's fake electors, but AG Josh Kaul is mum
After Arizona became the fourth state to bring charges against fake electors involved in the Trump campaign's alleged scheme to overturn the 2020 presidential election Wednesday night, eyes turned to the three remaining states where the effort took place: New Mexico, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin.
Officials in New Mexico and Pennsylvania have said they are unlikely to prosecute Trump allies who sent documents to then-Vice President Mike Pence purporting to certify Trump won the election in their state, because those fake electors placed certain limits on their claims. That leaves Wisconsin as the state most likely still to pursue charges.
Prosecutors had already filed charges in Michigan, Nevada and Georgia. In Georgia, defendants include Trump himself, former White House chief of staff Mark Meadows and former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani. And Trump is facing federal charges in Washington, D.C., of conspiracy and obstruction related to the effort. Trump has asked the U.S. Supreme Court to declare him immune from those charges.
The top law enforcement official in Wisconsin hasn’t tipped his hand on whether his office is investigating the question, but he also hasn’t ruled out prosecution.
https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/elections/2024/04/26/wisconsin-could-prosecute-trump-2020-fake-electors/73452583007/
From Tyneside to London: five key battlegrounds in England's 2 May local elections
London mayor
Sadiq Khan has double-digit leads in the polls. However, Labour fears a combination of changes to the voting system, a backlash against Khan’s expansion of the ultra-low emission zone, a suppressed leftwing vote due to Labour’s position on Gaza and criticism that comes with long-term incumbency make the race closer than it seems. Anything other than a Khan win over Tory candidate Susan Hall would be a huge shock, but Labour could underperform in the capital compared with the rest of the country.
West Midlands mayor
This is likely to be a hotly contested post – both the Tories and Labour are well represented among local MPs and councils. It lends itself to a centrist candidate, which has allowed former businessman Andy Street to prosper as Tory incumbent – though he has sought to distance himself from the party. While his name recognition is likely to help him defy lacklustre Tory polling to some extent, it may not be enough to prevent Labour’s Richard Parker from claiming the job. A loss here for Sunak would cause serious concern for his MPs.
Tees Valley mayor
It is a sign of just how much the electoral prospects of the main parties have changed that there should be any question as to whether Ben Houchen, the Tory incumbent, will hold on to this mayoralty. In 2021, he secured the job with almost 73% of the vote and was seen as a standard bearer for Boris Johnson’s “levelling up” agenda. According to a recent poll, the contest is now neck and neck. While Houchen remains favourite, defeat by Labour’s Chris McEwan would be the upset that risks creating the sort of panic among Tory MPs that could lead to a confidence vote in Sunak’s leadership.
North-east mayor
While Labour anticipates positive results, there are also races that will tell us about how vulnerable it could be should the leftwing vote begin to splinter. The race for the newly formed North East mayoralty is a red-on-red affair. Jamie Driscoll, the mayor of the North of Tyne, is running as an independent after he was excluded from Labour’s selection for the new post. He quit the party as a result, with supporters saying he had been excluded because he was seen as too leftwing. He is challenging Labour’s Kim McGuinness. Could he win, or split the vote and cause a headache for Keir Starmer?
Dorset council
The Lib Dems have been static in terms of their national vote share for months, but officials have always argued that national polling is the wrong way to measure the party’s performance. Instead, they have been trying to concentrate on specific battles they think they can win. They admit these local elections will provide a “proof point” for that strategy. The main target is Dorset, where they are aiming to become the largest party on the council, currently controlled by the Tories. It would confirm a comeback in the south-west, on top of its progress in the “blue wall” home counties.
https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2024/apr/27/tyneside-london-five-key-battlegrounds-england-2-may-local-elections
Six California House races that could help determine control of Congress
CA - 27: Rep. Mike Garcia (R) versus George Whitesides (D)
The district at the northern edge of Los Angeles County’s suburban sprawl was staunchly Republican territory for more than a quarter-century before 2018’s blue wave, when a young, dynamic candidate flipped the seat and helped retake Democratic control of the House.
CA - 47: State Sen. Dave Min (D) versus Scott Baugh (R)
Back in 2022, Republican Scott Baugh narrowly lost to Rep. Katie Porter (D-Irvine), coming just a few points short of unseating a nationally known Democratic Party superstar backed by her own fundraising juggernaut.
CA - 45: Rep. Michelle Steel (R) versus Derek Tran (D)
First elected in 2020, incumbent GOP Rep. Michelle Steel will be fighting to defend her seat in a C-shaped inland Orange County district that also includes a sliver of L.A. County.
CA - 41: Rep. Ken Calvert (R) versus Will Rollins (D)
This is yet another rematch from 2022, with Democratic former federal prosecutor Will Rollins once again hoping to unseat Rep. Ken Calvert (R-Corona), the longest-serving member of California’s congressional delegation.
CA -13: Adam Gray (D) versus Rep. John Duarte (R)
In a heavily agricultural San Joaquin Valley district that encompasses all of Merced County and parts of Fresno, Madera, San Joaquin and Stanislaus counties, Republican Rep. John Duarte of Modesto will once again face off against Adam Gray after narrowly vanquishing the Democrat in 2022.
CA - 22: Rep. David Valadao (R) versus Rudy Salas (D)
Once a safely ruby-red Republican domain, California’s 22nd Congressional District is in a part of the San Joaquin Valley that has grown increasingly purple in recent years, with Democrats now holding the registration advantage.
https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2024-04-26/six-california-house-races-that-could-help-determine-control-of-congress
NJ-08: Menendez name was once a gift for NJ representative. Now, a primary challenger eyes the prize.
An unusually competitive Democratic primary race for Congress is taking place in Hudson County, New Jersey as incumbent Rep. Rob Menendez, who easily won his seat two years ago, tries to distinguish himself from his embattled father, Sen. Bob Menendez.
Two factors kicked open the doors to this primary race, which is taking place in a county where Democrats vastly outnumber Republicans and where party leaders are used to picking candidates with little to no opposition: the salacious corruption charges against Bob Menendez and court-ordered changes that restrict the Hudson County political machine from giving Rob Menendez preferential treatment on the ballot.
Hoboken Mayor Ravi Bhalla is challenging Rob Menendez, and several polls show both candidates are just a few points apart.
“This is probably the first time that I can remember, as a grown adult, where the race for Congress in the 8th District is an election, not a selection, and that's what democracy is about,” Bhalla said.
https://gothamist.com/news/menendez-name-was-once-a-gift-for-nj-representative-now-a-primary-challenger-eyes-the-prize
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