WV-SEN: West Virginia governor 'probably leaning that way' on Senate bid

West Virginia Governor Jim Justice (R) said on Monday that he will likely run for the state’s Senate seat in 2024, as Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) mulls whether he will run again.

“I’ve given a lot of thought and I’m still very, very, very seriously considering it,” he said on WTRF 7News. “In fact, I’m probably leaning that way.”

He said he will make an announcement “soon” after he makes a decision. He said one of the factors in his decision will be based on what the Biden administration is doing and whether he thinks he can “make a difference” serving in the Senate.

“First of all, Washington has really lost its way,” he said. “There’s no question about that. We may absolutely be in a situation in this country to where we can lose our country.”



https://thehill.com/homenews/campaign/3837612-west-virginia-governor-probably-leaning-that-way-on-senate-bid/

Tweet of the Day

IN-SEN: Mitch Daniels passes on Senate campaign

Former Indiana Gov. Mitch Daniels (R) announced on Tuesday that he will not run for the Senate in his home state, dealing a recruiting blow to Republicans who had hoped he would enter the race.

In a lengthy statement, Daniels, 73, explained that he is not cut out to serve as a legislator or to live in Washington at this time in his life.

“After what I hope was adequate reflection, I’ve decided not to become a candidate for the U.S. Senate. With full credit and respect for the institution and those serving in it, I conclude that it’s just not the job for me, not the town for me, and not the life I want to live at this point,” Daniels wrote.

“I have never imagined that I would be well-suited to legislative office, particularly where seniority remains a significant factor in one’s effectiveness, and I saw nothing in my recent explorations that altered that view,” Daniels said, adding that if he had run, he would only have done so for one term.

The announcement by Daniels concludes a month during which he considered running for the seat that Sen. Mike Braun (R-Ind.) is vacating to run for governor. Daniels had spent the past decade as president of Purdue University after wrapping up his two terms as governor of the state.




https://thehill.com/homenews/campaign/3837233-mitch-daniels-passes-on-senate-campaign/

Marvel Studios' First Trans Masculine TV Actor Speaks Out on Major Role

One of the first trans actors to play a character in one of the MCU’s Disney+ offerings talked about the importance of his part.

As far as LGBTQ+ representation goes, Marvel Studios has steadily been gaining some solid momentum.

Audiences saw Phastos in 2021’s Eternals be portrayed in a same-sex relationship, and Thor’s pal, the King of Asgard herself, Valkyrie is also canonically bisexual. There have been a handful of other LGBTQ+ characters in the MCU, but the franchise still has a long way to go to better serve certain queer portions of its fanbase.

Patti Harrison, a trans actress, appeared in Episode 6 of She-Hulk: Attorney at Law last year before non-binary star Shea Couleé was cast as a series regular on Marvel’s forthcoming streaming show Ironheart. Now the MCU’s first trans masculine Disney+ actor has spoken on his own role in the latter of those series.

Interviewing with Collider, actor Zoe Terakes broke down what makes his character from Marvel Studios’ Ironheart so special.

He noted that he "didn't really know [he] existed" when watching TV and movies growing up, feeling "deeply grateful" for the opportunity to put the trans community in the spotlight:




https://thedirect.com/article/marvel-studios-trans-masculine-tv-actor-role

Ahmed Saad Ft. 3enba & Double Zuksh - El Melouk

MI-SEN, MI-11: Haley Stevens passed on mounting a bid for Michigan's Senate seat on Monday

What happened: The field of possible contenders to replace retiring Sen. Debbie Stabenow (D-Mich.) winnowed a bit on Monday, as Rep. Haley Stevens (D-Mich.) announced she would pass on a bid.

MI: AG Nessel reaches $3.2M settlement in first PFAS case

The first settlement has been reached in Attorney General Dana Nessel’s ongoing legal fight against companies that have released toxic “forever chemicals” across Michigan, amounting to more than $3.2 million plus future costs incurred by cleanup efforts.

Nessel filed an October 2020 lawsuit in circuit court alleging that Asahi Kasei Plastics North America, a plastic resin manufacturer based in Fowlerville, had released illegal levels of per- and poly-fluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) into a swath of land near Brighton.

A judge ruled via consent decree Monday that Asahi must investigate PFAS discharged from their former facility into the soil, groundwater and surface water, then perform response actions to address chemical levels that exceed state limits.

Within 60 days (by March 31, if the consent decree filed Monday is entered into court on the same day), Asahi is also required to pay $175,000 to cover the state’s litigation costs related to the case, $2.4 million to plaintiffs’ counsel for their attorneys’ fees and $63,686.33 to the state for all past response activity costs.




https://michiganadvance.com/2023/01/30/nessel-reaches-3-2m-settlement-in-first-pfas-case/

VA Senate Democrats Pass Life-Saving Gun Legislation

Richmond, VA — Today, ​​after countless acts of mass shootings in the Commonwealth and across the Country, Virginia Senate Democrats passed several life-saving gun safety legislation – reaffirming their commitment to keeping Virginia’s communities safe.

Senate Democrats passed the following life-saving gun safety legislation:

-S.B. 1067 Senator Surovell: Substantial risk orders; substantial risk factors and considerations.
-S.B. 1181 Senator Ebbin: Sale, transfer, or purchase of unfinished frames or receivers and unserialized firearms; penalty.
-S.B. 1192 Senator Ebbin: Carrying assault firearms in public areas prohibited; penalty.

“There are too many loopholes that allow for dangerous individuals to acquire guns,” said Senator Adam Ebbin. “My bill that passed today addressing the sale of unserialized firearms or ‘ghost guns’ will help ensure firearms won’t get in the hands of criminals and dangerous individuals.”




https://bluevirginia.us/2023/01/va-senate-democrats-pass-life-saving-gun-legislation

VA: State House Republicans don't want Virginians to vote on a constitutional amendment

From Planned Parenthood Advocates of Virginia:

Virginia House of Delegates’ Subcommittee Votes Down Constitutional Amendment to Protect Reproductive Freedom and Advances Two Bills to Stigmatize Reproductive Health Care

The constitutional amendment is “passed by indefinitely” on 5 to 3 vote; Harmful anti-reproductive health care bills are reported to the full committee.

Richmond, Va – Today, the House of Delegates Courts of Justice Subcommittee #1 considered several bills impacting reproductive health care: HJ519 (Herring), HB2270 (Greenhalgh), HB1795 (Freitas). HB1488 (McGuire) was passed by for the day.

Statement from Jamie Lockhart, Executive Director of Planned Parenthood Advocates of Virginia:

“Anti-abortion politicians on the House Courts of Justice Subcommittee don’t want Virginians to vote on a constitutional amendment to protect reproductive freedom because they know they’ll lose. A recent poll from The Watson Center at Christopher Newport University found that 72% of Virginians want our abortion laws to stay the same or be less restrictive.

But Virginians’ strong support for abortion rights hasn’t stopped extremist politicians — including those who make up the majority of this subcommittee — from continuing their attacks on their own constituents’ reproductive health and freedom. Instead of following the will of the people they purport to represent, anti-abortion politicians today opted to prioritize their own out-of-touch ideological agendas by advancing harmful legislation that would only serve to roll back Virginians’ rights. Planned Parenthood Advocates of Virginia will continue to fight these bills and every political attack on our health and rights, just as we’ll continue to advocate for the Constitutional Amendment for Reproductive Freedom.”

The Republican-led subcommittee today advanced multiple harmful bills, including a so-called “born alive” bill, which is nothing more than a vehicle for anti-abortion politicians to push misinformation, stoke fear, and bully patients and providers — all toward the ultimate goal of banning abortion. These unnecessary bills use inflammatory rhetoric to address a made-up problem, as medical professionals are already obligated to provide appropriate medical care. To suggest otherwise is false, offensive, and dangerous.

Finally, they voted to advance legislation to reinstate mandatory biased counseling for patients before an abortion. This is another blatant attempt to shame and stigmatize patients, and it puts politicians in the middle of private medical decisions that should be left to an individual and their health care provider.




https://bluevirginia.us/2023/01/anti-abortion-politicians-on-the-house-courts-of-justice-subcommittee-dont-want-virginians-to-vote-on-a-constitutional-amendment-to-protect-reproductive-freedom-because-they-know-the

PA-HD35: In 35th District special election, GOP newcomer takes on a longtime McKeesport Democrat

State House District 35 represents many Monongahela Valley communities that are still struggling economically from decades-old economic changes, such as McKeesport, Clairton and Duquesne. But the outcome of a Feb. 7 special election here is one of three that could reshape the map of the entire state.

If Republicans can pick off one of the three open seats in Democratic-leaning districts on Feb. 7, they would gain control of the House of Representatives. Republicans already control the Senate and jointly they can propose constitutional amendments that bypass Democrat Gov. Josh Shapiro’s veto. If Democrats win all three races, they would gain control of the House for only the third session in the last 28 years.

On its face, the election to fill the vacancy left when Austin Davis became lieutenant governor looks like a typical insider vs. outsider race. There’s a Democrat who has spent 20 years working in the public sector, and says his familiarity with leaders in the Mon Valley and Harrisburg are his biggest asset. And there’s a Republican who served in the military and ran a tattoo business who thinks it’s time for political change.

McKeesport Democrat Matthew Gergely is sending out mailings that highlight his support for public schools, unions and reproductive freedom. Clairton Republican Don Nevills is running as a pro-life, tough-on-crime, tax-cutting Republican in a historically Democratic district.





https://www.wesa.fm/politics-government/2023-01-30/in-35th-district-special-election-gop-newcomer-takes-on-a-longtime-mckeesport-democrat