TexasTowelie
TexasTowelie's JournalTexas Attorney Sues to Block Anti-Abortion 'Heartbeat Bill'
As an attorney and women's rights advocate in Texas, Michelle Simpson Tuegel is no stranger to the state's ever-tightening abortion restrictions. In fact, many of her clients have survived sexual assault and abuse.
“When survivors contact us about their sexual assault case, if they’re pregnant, the question of what to do on that end [and where to seek care] is a discussion that comes up,” she said. Tuegel has to talk to her clients several times a year about abortion laws and their options at any given moment.
She tries to help her clients navigate abortion laws if they choose to get one. But she said Senate Bill 8, which supporters call the country’s “strongest pro-life legislation,” could target her and hold her civilly liable for having these discussions with her clients. That’s why she’s suing Gov. Greg Abbott, Attorney General Ken Paxton, and several Republican sponsors and coauthors of SB 8, to try to block its enactment.
Abbott and Paxton didn't respond to requests for comment, but both publicly back SB 8.
Read more: https://www.dallasobserver.com/news/attorney-sues-to-block-texas-heartbeat-bill-12269985
Ex-Gov. Rick Perry is part of company marketing 'catch and kill' device to battle COVID
AUSTIN — Former Gov. Rick Perry returned to the Texas Capitol on Monday for only the second time since leaving office in 2015 to promote a company he is associated with that builds and markets an air-purifying system that can "catch and kill" the coronavirus and other airborne pathogens.
Perry, who also served as secretary of energy in the Trump administration, joined five Republican state lawmakers and several executives with a Texas firm called Innovative Viral Protection which last year rolled out a device for use in a few Texas school districts. More districts have added the device since then and so have some private entities, they said.
Having the devices would not negate the need for COVID vaccines or for face coverings in some settings, Perry and others said. But they could help reduce the need for masking in classrooms and other indoor locations where social distancing can be problematic, they said.
"I'm not anti-mask," said Perry, who like most of the others at the news conference in a small room near the House chamber did not cover his face during the event. "I just happen to think a parent should have the right to decide whether their child should wear a mask or not."
Read more: https://www.caller.com/story/news/local/texas/state-bureau/2021/08/23/former-gov-rick-perry-endorses-catch-and-kill-anti-covid-system/8241281002/
(Corpus Christi Caller-Times)
As the state income tax reaches its 30th anniversary, here's what you need to know about Connecticut
HARTFORD — Thirty years after an intense fight that led to creation of the Connecticut’s personal income tax, the levy has become the workhorse of the state budget — generating about 50% of the state’s general fund.
The tax has contributed directly to the largest rainy day fund in state history, which has been growing rapidly and is now projected at $4.77 billion. The emergency fund was literally at zero only 10 years ago, but it increased sharply after a bipartisan change in the law directed more money into the fund as Wall Street was setting records and generating increased tax revenues.
Democrats have argued for decades that the income tax has provided a steady and relatively stable stream of income — rather than seeing the sales tax go up and down as the economy improved or pulled back. Without the income tax, one of the alternatives at the time was raising the state sales tax as high as 12%.
The state has recently stabilized its finances when compared to the past, leading to the first bond rating increases in the past 20 years. In a major turnaround from past fiscal failures, four independent Wall Street agencies upgraded Connecticut’s bond rating in recent months after years of large deficits and financial turmoil.
Read more: https://www.courant.com/politics/hc-pol-state-income-tax-30th-anniversary-20210822-rmtp6dlf4jh43j2mn6aweqyrqy-story.html
Despite success in other states, hopes dim for a public option in Connecticut
With just over two weeks left in the legislative session this year, Democrats who had been pushing legislation to create a public option health plan conceded that the effort would fail again. Opposition from the insurance industry and Gov. Ned Lamont had sunk the bill – the third consecutive year it died unceremoniously.
Twenty-eight hundred miles away, a bill in the General Assembly in Nevada had a different outcome. Following a 12-9 party line vote in the Senate, Nevada became the second state in the nation to approve a public option insurance policy.
Colorado followed a week later. Gov. Jared Polis signed into law a public option set to launch in 2023.
Proponents of Connecticut’s bill kept a close eye on the successes elsewhere. But as they look to the next regular session, many say they still see no clear path to victory.
Read more: https://ctmirror.org/2021/08/22/despite-success-in-other-states-hopes-dim-for-a-public-option-in-connecticut/
McKee calls for 'immediate' legislative session; Assembly leaders say no need
PROVIDENCE — In an apparent effort to head off any potential legal challenges, Gov. Dan McKee on Thursday called on legislative leaders to bring the General Assembly back into session "immediately" to affirm his COVID-19 emergency powers.
McKee issued the call on the same day he announced a new declaration of a state emergency, specifically targeted at the Delta variant which has pushed up case counts in Rhode Island, and a mask-wearing mandate for schools.
It remains unclear if any "immediate" legislative action is actually needed to provide a legal bulwark to his latest actions.
"Governor McKee has mischaracterized the provisions contained in the budget, which he signed into law. He retains all of his executive authority relative to health and safety,'' said House Speaker K. Joseph Shekarchi and Senate President Dominick Ruggerio in response to McKee's statements..
Read more: https://www.providencejournal.com/story/news/politics/2021/08/19/mckee-calls-immediate-legislative-session-assembly-leaders-say-no-need/8200636002/
BLM RI PAC rallies against LEOBoR in the wake of police videos showing violent arrests
What the Law Enforcement Officer’s Bill of Rights (LEOBoR) does is “it prevents officers from being held accountable,” said Harrison Tuttle, Executive Director of the Black Lives Matter Rhode Island PAC at a rally outside the Providence Public Safety Complex Friday evening. “What’s going in Providence right now is that we’re seeing our youth being pepper sprayed… our youth being punched and spit on…”
The rally was held in response to Providence Police body worn camera footage released on Wednesday that documented the arrests of three juveniles after a high speed chase through several Rhode Island cities and towns. In the videos officers can be seen violently assaulting the children, with one officer apparently spitting on one of the juveniles in rage.
“Anyone who has a job knows that if you do something wrong – if you spit on a coworker, punch a coworker, just swear at a coworker, even if you make a dirty look in some places – you are reprimanded,” noted Tuttle. “Held accountable. You’re fired. You lose your job. You lose your income. You lose your health insurance.”
Tuttle also asked why the state legislature, after the summer of protest last year and the murder of George Floyd, hasn’t passed any kind of police accountability act for police officers.
Read more: https://upriseri.com/blm-ri-pac-against-leobor/
Mass. Voters Want A School Mask Mandate -- Including Most Republicans
Governor Charlie Baker has so far resisted imposing a statewide mask mandate in schools, including for students too young to get vaccinated. However, a new MassINC poll found that 81% of Massachusetts voters — and nearly 70% of Republicans in the state — would support such a mandate. In for Jim Braude, Adam Reilly was joined on Greater Boston by pollster Steve Koczela and by POLITICO’s Lisa Kashinsky to talk about it.
“I think there is a chance that this gives him a nudge,” she said. “As much as the governor is a data-driven manager, and he’s known for that, he’s also mulling a third term right now and does need to protect his right flank if he goes for that… and also have to appeal beyond that to Democrats and Independents.”
Koczela noted that national polls are showing that 69% of Americans support a school mask mandate. If he did enact a mask mandate, what would it mean for Baker if he chooses to run for re-election? Koczela says it’s too early to tell. “This specific issue is going to evolve in so many ways. If the primary were tomorrow and he were to do it then it’s not going to be the thing that sinks his candidacy by any means,” he said.
https://www.wgbh.org/news/politics/2021/08/20/mass-voters-want-a-school-mask-mandate-including-most-republicans
(no more at link)
Charlie Baker orders over 40,000 state workers to get the COVID-19 vaccine -- or potentially get
Charlie Baker orders over 40,000 state workers to get the COVID-19 vaccine — or potentially get firedGet the COVID-19 vaccine or potentially lose your job.
That’s the choice Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker is giving to tens of thousands of state government workers.
The Republican governor announced Thursday that he is ordering all of the state’s Executive Branch employees to provide proof that they have been fully vaccinated against COVID-19 by Oct. 17 or face “disciplinary action, up to and including termination.”
According to Baker’s office, the new mandate covers roughly 42,000 employees, from the governor’s office to departments of public safety, education, transportation, and others. It also covers around 2,000 additional contracted employees that work for the state’s executive departments.
Baker’s office said Thursday that employees will also be required to get COVID-19 vaccine boosters by a future, to-be-determined deadline, once federal officials release guidance for the additional shots.
Read more: https://www.boston.com/news/coronavirus/2021/08/19/charlie-baker-massachusetts-vaccine-mandate-state-workers/
Allen West, GOP candidate for governor, calls wife's DWI arrest in Dallas "insidious"
by Kate McGee, Texas TribuneThe wife of Texas Republican gubernatorial candidate Allen West was arrested in Dallas County for allegedly driving while intoxicated Friday night, according to the Dallas Police Department and West himself.
Angela Graham-West, 61, was driving home from dinner at P.F. Changs with her three-month-old grandson when she was pulled over and arrested for a suspected DWI. She was charged with driving while intoxicated with a child under 15 years old.
Graham-West was released from jail around 1 p.m. Saturday, according to West, who posted a video on Instagram early Saturday morning from the Dallas County jail. In the video, West angrily denied his wife had been drinking.
West, the former head of the Texas Republican Party, said he had been in Waco having dinner with Ted Nugent when he returned to Dallas to find his wife had been arrested.
He said in the video that he had spoken with people who had dinner with his wife and grandson who told him she only had water and lemonade. West provided a photo of the receipt to the Tribune, which shows a lemonade, but lists no alcoholic beverages.
Read more: https://www.texastribune.org/2021/08/21/texas-candidate-allen-west-police/
Crowd told to leave concert in Central Park due to weather
NEW YORK (AP) — The crowd at a superstar-laden Central Park concert meant to celebrate New York City’s recovery from the coronavirus was asked to leave because of severe weather as Hurricane Henri approached.
New York City police on Saturday night told concertgoers via Twitter to “calmly move to the nearest exits and proceed to areas outside of the park. This is NOT an emergency."
Mayor Bill de Blasio's office did not provide further information about the status of the concert.
The highly promoted “Homecoming Concert” featured Bruce Springsteen, Paul Simon, Jennifer Hudson, Carlos Santana, LL Cool J and Andrea Bocelli among the performers.
Read more: https://www.rutlandherald.com/features/health/crowd-told-to-leave-concert-in-central-park-due-to-weather/article_0c89aaa1-5343-599a-94a1-9bc1193c376f.html
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Gender: MaleHometown: South Texas. most of my life I lived in Austin and Dallas
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