The Tap: Saturday, July 23, 2016

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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 #27 of The Tap, which was published on July 30, 2016. READ THE FULL VERSION HERE.

Federal

• Hillary Clinton formally introduced U.S. Sen. Tim Kaine (D-Va.) as her vice presidential pick at a rally in Miami, Florida, calling him a “progressive who likes to get things done.” She added, “I have to say, Senator Tim Kaine is everything that Donald Trump and Mike Pence are not.” Speaking in English and Spanish, Kaine talked about his Catholic faith and legal work on fair housing cases.
• The DNC Standing Committee on Rules approved on Saturday an amendment to modify the role of superdelegates in the Democrats’ presidential nominating process. The amendment, which was approved by the convention body on Monday, preserves the right of party leaders and elected Democratic officials, such as members of Congress and governors, to vote however they wish at national conventions, but it binds members of the Democratic National Committee—representing about two-thirds of all superdelegates in 2016—to the results of their state’s primary election or caucus. The amendment created a “Unity Commission” to hash out the details of the proposed modifications. The amendment states, "The Commission shall make specific recommendations providing that Members of Congress, Governors, and distinguished party leaders remain unpledged and free to support their nominee of choice. but that remaining unpledged delegates be required to cast their vote at the Convention for candidates in proportion to the vote received for each candidate in their state."
  • See also: Democrats avoid a floor fight by supporting unity commission
• Politico reported that Republican and Democratic strategists are unsure what impact Gary Johnson and Jill Stein will have on House and Senate races in November. “Top strategists in both parties openly admit they’re perplexed about how third-party and independent voters will cast their ballots in Senate contests and battleground House races. Disgruntled Ted Cruz or Bernie Sanders supporters may toss out protest votes for third-party presidential candidates, while sticking with their party in the battle for control of the Senate. Or Libertarian and Green Party voters might decline to vote for Democratic or GOP Senate candidates — some might not even cast a downballot vote at all — moves that would have negligible effect on the battle for the upper chamber,” according to Politico.
• During a fundraiser hosted by Price-is-Right host Drew Carey, Libertarian Party presidential candidate Gary Johnson was asked about his stance on the Islamic State. Johnson said “that the terrorist group had largely been contained geographically, although he acknowledged that the problem of the group inspiring ‘lone-wolf’ attackers posed a thornier challenge,” according to The LA Times. Johnson also told supporters that his running mate Bill Weld would be responsible for nominating Supreme Court justices and other federal judges.

State

• The Washington Minimum Wage Initiative (I-1433) was certified for the November 8, 2016, ballot as an Initiative to the People. The measure would incrementally raise the state’s current minimum wage to $13.50 by 2020. It would also require employers to offer paid sick leave. Supporters needed to submit 246,372 signatures by July 8, 2016. They submitted over 360,000. So far, three measures related to the minimum wage are slated to go before voters across the country.
• This measure joins two others on the Washington November ballot, both Initiatives to the Legislature.
  • The “Restoring the Voice of We the People” Initiative (I-773) would urge the Washington state congressional delegation to propose a federal constitutional amendment reserving constitutional rights for people and not corporations.
  • The Carbon Emission Tax (I-779) would impose a carbon emission tax on certain fossil fuels and fossil fuel-generated electricity. Supporters of four other potential measures submitted signatures and are awaiting a decision by the secretary of state’s office. These measures cover the topics of firearms, taxes, civil and criminal trials, and administration of government.

Preview of the day

There were no items for this day in issue #26 of The Tap, which was published on July 23, 2016. See the "Review of the day" tab for more information.