The Tap: Friday, September 9, 2016

   ← Sep 8

Sep 10 →   

---

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 #33 of The Tap, which was published on September 10, 2016. READ THE FULL VERSION HERE.

Federal

• Judge James Boasberg denied an injunction requested by the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe against the construction of a portion of the Dakota Access pipeline. In his ruling, Boasberg criticized the pipeline permitting process but concluded that an injunction was not warranted. The approximately 1,172-mile crude oil pipeline would carry around 470,000 barrels of crude oil a day from North Dakota to Illinois. The Standing Rock Sioux Tribe filed a complaint in federal court against the pipeline alleging that the pipeline's construction "threatens the Tribe's environmental and economic well-being, and would damage and destroy sites of great historic, religious, and cultural significance to the Tribe." The company behind the pipeline, Dakota Access, argued that the pipeline is the "safest, most cost-effective and environmentally responsible way to move crude oil" and that the project would help the United States become more energy independent. The tribe has also accused Dakota Access of intentionally destroying new archeological artifacts. Protests have been ongoing at the proposed site of the pipeline. According to CBS, four private security guards, two security dogs, and 36 protesters have been injured in the protests.
• The Minnesota Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party filed a petition with the state Supreme Court seeking to remove Donald Trump’s name from the general election ballot. On August 25, 2016, it was reported that the Minnesota secretary of state's office had not yet received the full paperwork from the Minnesota Republican Party to get Trump's name on the ballot. The problem centered on the Minnesota GOP not having nominated alternate electors for the electoral college at its state convention, a procedural hurdle required by Minnesota state law. The Minnesota GOP's bylaws outline procedures for filling vacancies in its electors slate but not (specifically) for nominating alternate electors. Late on August 25, however, the party’s executive committee appointed alternates and finished submitting paperwork to the secretary of state's office. Shortly thereafter, a spokesperson for the secretary of state's office confirmed, "The filing is complete and the Republican ticket should be listed on our site shortly."
  • A statement from the Minnesota DFL Party’s read, “The Minnesota GOP did not elect to elect alternate presidential electors at the state convention earlier this year. After being notified that they had failed to provide the names of alternative electors by the Secretary of State’s office, Republicans decided to appoint alternate electors in a closed-door meeting rather than electing them. This is violation of state law.”
  • See also Presidential election in Minnesota, 2016

• Donald Trump will speak at Phyllis Schlafly’s funeral on Saturday. Schlafly, who died on Monday at the age of 92, released a book on Tuesday called The Conservative Case for Trump, in which she encouraged Christian voters to support the Republican nominee. Following her death, Trump said, “Phyllis Schlafly is a conservative icon who led millions to action, reshaped the conservative movement, and fearlessly battled globalism and the 'kingmakers' on behalf of America's workers and families. I was honored to spend time with her during this campaign as she waged one more great battle for national sovereignty.”

• Trump spoke at the 2016 Values Voters Summit, a gathering of social conservatives and Christian voters. He said, “[In] a Trump administration, our Christian heritage will be cherished, protected, defended like you have never seen before. Believe me. And that includes religious liberty.” He also spoke about the Johnson Amendment, which prohibits tax-exempt organizations from supporting or opposing political candidates. Trump said, “The Johnson Amendment has blocked our pastors and ministers and others from speaking their minds from their own pulpits. If they want to talk about Christianity, if they want to preach, if they want to talk about politics, they’re unable to do so. … If they want to, they take a tremendous risk: that they lose their tax-exempt status. If I become president, we’re going to knock out the Johnson amendment.”
  • See also: Donald Trump presidential campaign, 2016/Constitution

• The Wall Street Journal reported that U.S. Rep. Jason Chaffetz (R-Utah), the chair of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee, issued subpoenas for information technology specialists Paul Combetta, Bill Thornton, and Bryan Pagliano to testify at a committee hearing next Tuesday about their involvement in the deletion of emails from Hillary Clinton’s private server in 2015 after they had been requested by Congress. U.S. Rep. Elijah Cummings (D-Md.) condemned the action, writing in a letter to Chaffetz, “This is the first time during my 20 years in Congress that I have witnessed the oversight power of this committee used in such a transparently political manner to directly influence a presidential election.”

• After North Korea conducted its fifth nuclear test of the week, President Barack Obama issued a statement condemning the tests and promising to tighten sanctions on the country. He said, “As Commander in Chief, I have a responsibility to safeguard the American people and ensure that the United States is leading the international community in responding to this threat and North Korea's other provocations with commensurate resolve and condemnation. … Upon hearing the news of the test, I had the opportunity to consult separately via phone with Republic of Korea (ROK) President Park Geun-Hye and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe. We agreed to work with the UN Security Council, our other Six-Party partners, and the international community to vigorously implement existing measures imposed in previous resolutions, and to take additional significant steps, including new sanctions, to demonstrate to North Korea that there are consequences to its unlawful and dangerous actions. I restated to President Park and Prime Minister Abe the unshakable U.S. commitment to take necessary steps to defend our allies in the region, including through our deployment of a Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) battery to the ROK, and the commitment to provide extended deterrence, guaranteed by the full spectrum of U.S. defense capabilities.

• Key vote: The House passed S 2040—the Justice Against Sponsors of Terrorism Act—by voice vote. The legislation proposes allowing victims of terror attacks that occur in the United States to sue countries that support terrorism. Family members would also be allowed to bring lawsuits against state sponsors of terror. The legislation would specifically allow the victims of the 9/11 terror attacks to sue Saudi Arabia for sponsoring terrorism. President Barack Obama has threatened to veto the legislation. The Senate passed the legislation by voice vote on May 17, 2016.

Local

• FILING DEADLINE: Deadline passed to file in the general election for 10 school board seats across five of the largest school districts in Mississippi by enrollment. The election will be held on November 8, 2016. During the 2013-2014 school year, these school districts served 88,721 students, which was 18 percent of all Mississippi public school students.

Preview of the day

The excerpts below were compiled from issue #32 of The Tap, which was published on September 3, 2016. READ THE FULL VERSION HERE.

Local

• FILING DEADLINE: Deadline to file in the general election for 10 school board seats across five of the largest school districts in Mississippi by enrollment. The election will be held on November 8, 2016. During the 2013-2014 school year, these school districts served 88,721 students, which was 18 percent of all Mississippi public school students.