Virginians like Youngkin more than his policies, poll finds

RICHMOND — Half of Virginia voters say Gov. Glenn Youngkin (R) is doing a good job, but they take a dimmer view of the Republican’s legislative agenda and apparent presidential ambitions, according to a new poll from the Wason Center at Christopher Newport University.

The survey, conducted this month as the political newcomer crossed the one-year mark in office, found that 50 percent of registered voters approve of his performance and 36 percent disapprove.

Their views on his policy goals are mixed. Voters strongly support at least part of Youngkin’s plan for transgender K-12 students, for example, but they are deeply opposed to his efforts to tighten restrictions on abortion, loosen environmental regulations and cut corporate income taxes.

“It’s an interesting bit of a paradox,” Rebecca Bromley-Trujillo, the Wason Center’s research director, said in an interview. “I would say the governor is a likable guy in the sense that people seem to like his broader personality and style. And they also may not be particularly attuned to his specific policy positions.”



https://www.washingtonpost.com/dc-md-va/2023/01/27/virginians-like-youngkin-more-than-his-policies-poll-finds/

CA-SEN: The problem with Feinstein waiting until 2024 to announce any reelection plan.

The California candidate filing deadline is December, 2023 for the March 5, 2024 primary. No prospective candidate has the luxury of waiting for Feinstein to male a formal announcement.

Tweet of the Day

TFG throws Santos under the bus.

WI-SD08: Habush Sinykin announces second round of endorsements

Whitefish Bay, WI – On Thursday, January 26th, Jodi Habush Sinykin’s campaign announced its most recent round of legislative endorsements. They are:

-Former Wisconsin State Treasurer Sarah Godlewski
-Wisconsin Laborers’ District Council
-Daily Kos
-Sierra Club Wisconsin
-Emily’s List
-UAW Wisconsin State Cap Council
-State Senator Dianne Hesselbein (SD-27)
-Former AD24 Candidate Bob Tatterson

“As a first time candidate, I feel extraordinarily grateful for all the support I’ve received from elected officials, former candidates, organized labor, and from people throughout the 8th Senate District,” said Habush Sinykin, “ I entered this race because the people in our district deserve a State Senator who will stand up for a woman’s right to choose and protect reproductive healthcare, will ensure law enforcement has the resources needed to keep our communities safe, and will work across party lines to invest in our state’s education system, businesses and workforce so Wisconsin families can thrive now and in the future.”

Alex Pond, Campaign Manager for Jodi’s race, responded to the recent wave of endorsements, saying, “Jodi started this campaign with less than 120 days until Election Day. To see the enthusiasm and support she has been able to secure in such a small window of time is unbelievable. Getting her message out to voters is going to be critical in the run-up to the April 4th spring election, and we are in a great position already to do just that. Given the outpouring of support we have seen from both individuals and organizations, I can say with confidence that the best is yet to come.”





https://www.wispolitics.com/2023/habush-sinykin-campaign-announces-second-round-of-endorsements-for-senate-district-8

PA: Mudslinging taints Allegheny County Council race

Allegheny County Council Member Bethany Hallam and Democratic challenger Joanna Doven are already embroiled in a bitter feud for Hallam’s at-large county council seat – with Twitter becoming a major political battleground for the two to square off in the public light.

Attacks in the primary race have already gotten personal, and both candidates are promising to bring progress to the greater Pittsburgh region – albeit in different ways.

Doven, who served as press secretary under then-Pittsburgh Mayor Luke Ravenstahl from 2006 to 2013, has said she wants to return to local government – this time as an elected official – to address the ills that are plaguing the county.

Doven listed gun violence, homelessness, public safety and economic development as part of an interconnected web of priorities that county officials need to address.



https://www.cityandstatepa.com/politics/2023/01/mudslinging-taints-allegheny-county-council-race/382300/

Minnesota Senate votes to guarantee abortion rights, sends bill to governor

A measure guaranteeing the right to an abortion — and other reproductive health care — is on its way to the governor’s desk for a signature after the Minnesota Senate voted 34-33 to pass it on early Saturday morning.

During a long and at times contentious debate that started around noon on Friday, the Senate rejected multiple Republican efforts to amend the bill. In the end, all Democrats in the chamber voted for the bill while all Republicans voted against it. The debate lasted for 15 hours.

The proposal, known as the Protect Reproductive Options or PRO Act, has been a top priority for Democrats at the Capitol. It would cement in state law the right to access reproductive health care options including abortion, birth control, family planning help and sterilization. And it has spurred strong support as well as harsh criticism on its path through the Legislature.

Gov. Tim Walz, a second-term Democrat, has said he will sign it into law.

Supporters said the bill was critical because it would ensure that people could access abortion services in Minnesota, even if a future court reverses the current rule on the ground that guarantees abortion access.


https://www.mprnews.org/story/2023/01/28/minnesota-senate-votes-to-guarantee-abortion-rights-sends-bill-to-governor

WI: Madison's quiet mayoral race is about to get louder

Less than a month out from Madison’s primary election on Feb. 21, four candidates are running for mayor with, so far, a relatively quiet campaign trail.

That could start to change Monday night, when a town hall will offer the first chance for three of the candidates — those who made it onto the ballot — to debate each other on issues such as public safety, Bus Rapid Transit, the city’s housing shortage and more.

Mayor Satya Rhodes-Conway announced her reelection bid in mid-November, shortly after former Madison School Board President Gloria Reyes announced she planned to run for the office. Scott Kerr, a long-time technician with the city Traffic Engineering Division, is also in the race.

On Jan. 16, Daniel Howell announced on Instagram he is running for mayor as a write-in candidate after missing the deadline to file nomination forms because of his winter graduation from the University of Wisconsin-Madison.



https://captimes.com/news/government/madisons-quiet-mayoral-race-is-about-to-get-louder/article_6eaa1649-5af7-5acd-adbd-4bb8da1bcffa.html

WI-SUPREME COURT: Dorow allows suspect 2 days to go to jail; instead man attacks family, police say

WAUKESHA, Wis. — An Oak Creek man accused of stabbing his in-laws in Illinois had been sentenced to jail the day before in Wisconsin. However, a Waukesha Judge running for State Supreme Court allowed him two days to report, the I-Team discovered.

Michael Liu, 36, was supposed to report to jail by Dec. 2 to serve four months for a domestic violence incident over the summer. Judge Jennifer Dorow sentenced Liu on Nov. 30 and allowed Liu two days to report.

According to a Will County Sheriff's Department Facebook post, during those two days, Liu traveled from Oak Creek to Crete, Ill. to exact revenge on his soon-to-be ex-wife’s parents. According to the Will County Sheriff’s Department, on Dec. 1 Liu fired shots into the home of his ex-wife’s parents and broke into the home, stabbing the 66-year-old woman. The 68-year-old man intervened and was stabbed as well. The man defended his wife, stabbing Liu an estimated 17 times, according to law enforcement. All three are expected to survive.

Wisconsin court records show two days earlier, Liu was in a Waukesha County Courtroom, facing eight counts of domestic violence-related charges after an incident with his family over the summer. According to the criminal complaint, one of Liu’s children was crying and he grew frustrated. The complaint says he threw a magnetic block across the room. Then, he's accused of charging at his wife and yelling at her. The complaint says Liu punched his wife in the shoulder and she took the children into a room.

The complaint continues, saying Liu forced the door open, took a hammer and smashed one of the children’s iPads in the hallway.




https://www.tmj4.com/news/i-team/judge-dorow-allows-suspect-2-days-to-go-to-jail-instead-man-attacks-family

White House launches new push to help states remove lead pipes that carry drinking water

WASHINGTON — The White House on Friday announced plans to speed up the use of infrastructure law funds to replace lead pipes in underserved communities, with a focus on Connecticut, New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin beginning this year.

The four states, each led by Democratic governors, will be part of what’s called the Lead Service Replacement Accelerators program in collaboration with the Environmental Protection Agency and the Department of Labor.

The administration characterized it as a way to “drive progress” in using the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act funding dedicated to removing and replacing lead lines that carry drinking water to homes and schools. Exposure to lead in drinking water, particularly in children or pregnant women, can cause lasting neurological damage.

“​​Our Lead Service Line Replacement Accelerators demonstrate our commitment to ensuring every community has access to safe, clean drinking water,” EPA Administrator Michael Regan said in a statement Friday.

“By leveraging the historic investment made possible by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, we are moving one step closer to achieving President Biden’s vision of 100% lead-free water systems for all.”



https://michiganadvance.com/2023/01/27/white-house-launches-new-push-to-help-states-remove-lead-pipes-that-carry-drinking-water/