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The Tap covered election news, public policy, and other noteworthy events from February 2016 to February 2022.

Review of the day

The excerpts below were compiled from issue #29 of The Tap, which was published on August 13, 2016. READ THE FULL VERSION HERE.

Federal

Sens. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) and Mike Lee (R-Utah) sent a letter to Secretary of State John Kerry, Treasury Secretary Jack Lew, and Attorney General Loretta Lynch asking them to explain the circumstances surrounding the $400 million cash payment the Obama administration sent to Iran in January 2016. Cruz and Lee wrote, "The unusual circumstances surrounding the administration’s payment of $400 million to the Government of the Islamic Republic of Iran have raised serious concerns not only about the propriety of the transaction, but about its legality as well. … If the administration violated the law, then Congress and the American people should be made aware of it so that they can hold the appropriate officials accountable and take whatever steps necessary to strengthen the law and prevent any reoccurrence.” The $400 million cash payment coincided with the release of four Americans detained in Tehran and the formal implementation of the nuclear agreement with Iran, which prompted some to see it as a ransom payment. The Obama administration said that the $400 million was not ransom, explaining that it was part of a settlement to resolve a dispute from a failed arms deal dating back to 1979.

President Barack Obama put Congress on notice that he will be sending lawmakers a bill to implement the Trans-Pacific Partnership trade deal (TPP). The notification establishes a 30-day minimum before the administration can formally present the legislation. A provision in trade promotion authority legislation passed in June 2015 required Obama to notify Congress of his intent to present a bill. Matt McAlvanah, a spokesman for the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative, said in a statement that the notification is “meant to ensure early consultations between the administration and Congress. As such, the draft SAA [Statement of Administrative Action] was sent today in order to continue to promote transparency and collaboration in the TPP process.”
- Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), one of the most outspoken opponents of TPP, issued a statement regarding the notification. He said, "I am disappointed by the president's decision to continue pushing forward on the disastrous Trans-Pacific Partnership trade agreement that will cost American jobs, harm the environment, increase the cost of prescription drugs and threaten our ability to protect public health.”

Hillary Clinton released her 2015 tax return. She and former President Bill Clinton reported income of $10.7 million and an effective federal tax rate of 34.2 percent. Her running mate, Tim Kaine, also released his tax returns for the past decade. "Hillary Clinton and Tim Kaine continue to set the standard for financial transparency. … In stark contrast, Donald Trump is hiding behind fake excuses and backtracking on his previous promises to release his tax returns. He has failed to provide the public with the most basic financial information disclosed by every major candidate in the last 40 years. What is he trying to hide?” Clinton communications director Jennifer Palmieri said in a statement.
- For more information on Trump’s personal finances, see Donald Trump's tax returns and net worth.

FILING DEADLINE: Deadline passed to file for 15 city council seats in four cities across California: Anaheim, Fremont, Oakland, and Santa Ana. General elections will be held on November 8, 2016. Santa Ana’s mayor is also up for election.
FILING DEADLINE: Deadline passed to file in the general election for three of the eight city council seats in Irving, Texas. The election will be held on November 8, 2016. Irving is the 13th-largest city in Texas and the 94th-largest city in the U.S. by population.
FILING DEADLINE: Deadline passed to file in the general election for 373 school board seats in 137 of California’s largest school districts by enrollment. The election will be held on November 8, 2016. These districts served 3,017,364 students during the 2013-2014 school year, which was 47.9 percent of all California public school students.

The excerpts below were compiled from issue #28 of The Tap, which was published on August 6, 2016. READ THE FULL VERSION HERE.

FILING DEADLINE: Deadline to file in four cities across California: Anaheim, Fremont, Oakland, and Santa Ana. General elections will be held on November 8, 2016. Fifteen city council seats will be up for election across the four cities. Santa Ana’s mayor is also up for election.
FILING DEADLINE: Deadline to file in the general election for three of the eight city council seats in Irving, Texas. The election will be held on November 8, 2016. Irving is the 94th-largest city in the United States by population and the 13th-largest in Texas.
FILING DEADLINE: Deadline to file in the general election for 373 school board seats in 137 of California’s largest school districts by enrollment. The election will be held on November 8, 2016. These districts served 3,017,364 students during the 2013-2014 school year, which was 47.9 percent of all California public school students.