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The Tap: Thursday, October 13, 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 #38 of The Tap, which was published on October 15, 2016. READ THE FULL VERSION HERE.

Federal

  • The editorial board of The Washington Post endorsed Hillary Clinton. They noted that they were "not making this endorsement simply because Ms. Clinton’s chief opponent is dreadful," but rather because of Clinton’s "seriousness of purpose and relentless commitment, even in the face of great obstacles, to achievements in the public interest." They wrote, "In the gloom and ugliness of this political season, one encouraging truth is often overlooked: There is a well-qualified, well-prepared candidate on the ballot. Hillary Clinton has the potential to be an excellent president of the United States, and we endorse her without hesitation.”
  • WikiLeaks released a sixth batch of emails allegedly taken from Clinton campaign chair John Podesta’s email account archive. Nine thousands emails have been published and more daily releases are expected as WikiLeaks has said that they have 50,000 messages in total.
  • In a speech in Florida, Donald Trump sharply criticized the media and suggested they are working to elect Hillary Clinton. He said, “Let’s be clear on one thing, the corporate media in our country is no longer involved in journalism – they are a political special interest no different from a lobbyist. Their agenda is to elect crooked Hillary Clinton at any cost, at any price, no matter how many lives they destroy. … These vicious claims about me of inappropriate conduct with women are totally and absolutely false. These claims are all fiction, entirely fabricated and are outright lies.” Trump’s comments followed a series of allegations on Wednesday that he had touched women inappropriately.
  • Donald Trump laid out a student loan repayment plan in a speech in Ohio. He said, “We would cap repayment for an affordable portion of the borrower’s income, 12.5 percent, we’d cap it. That gives you a lot to play with and a lot to do. And if borrowers work hard and make their full payments for 15 years, we’ll let them get on with their lives. They just go ahead and they get on with their lives. … Students should not be asked to pay more on the debt than they can afford. And the debt should not be an albatross around their necks for the rest of their lives.”
  • Ten former nuclear launch control officers released an open letter arguing that Donald Trump should not be trusted with nuclear codes. The letter states, “The pressures the system places on that one person are staggering and require enormous composure, judgement, restraint, and diplomatic skill. Donald Trump does not have these leadership qualities. … Donald Trump should not be the nation’s commander-in-chief. He should not be entrusted with the nuclear launch codes. He should not have his finger on the button.”
  • U.S. Navy destroyer USS Nitze launched Tomahawk cruise missiles “to knock out three coastal radar sites in areas of Yemen controlled by Iran-aligned Houthi forces,” according to Reuters. The strikes were in response to failed missile attacks on the USS Mason Sunday and Wednesday. Pentagon spokesman Peter Cook said, "These limited self-defense strikes were conducted to protect our personnel, our ships, and our freedom of navigation. … The United States will respond to any further threat to our ships and commercial traffic, as appropriate," Cook said.
    • According to Reuters, the missile attacks “appeared to be the Houthis' response to a suspected Saudi-led strike on mourners gathered in Yemen's Houthi-held capital Sanaa. Michael Knights, an expert on Yemen's conflict at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy, suggested the Houthis, fighters from a Shi'ite sect, could be becoming more militarily aligned with groups such as Lebanon's Shi'ite militant group Hezbollah.” Knight said, "Targeting U.S. warships is a sign that the Houthis have decided to join the axis of resistance that currently includes Lebanese Hezbollah, Hamas and Iran.”
    • Houthi rebel leaders denied responsibility for recent attacks on the USS Mason and criticized the U.S. for destroying radar sites. Houthi military spokesman, Brig. Gen. Sharaf Luqman Haq said that “direct American attack and targeting of Yemeni territory this morning is unacceptable and any developments will be dealt with accordingly.”
  • The Trump campaign effectively ended its work in Virginia, pulling all ground staff and shifting its focus to Pennsylvania, Ohio, North Carolina, and Florida, according to NBC News. Corey Stewart, who was fired as the Virginia campaign chair on Monday after staging a protest against the Republican National Committee, blamed the RNC for a lack of support. He told The Wall Street Journal, “The RNC has not been very friendly and has been pulling resources out. They’ve been starving the Virginia Trump campaign even though it’s necessary to win the country. If we lose this state, it’s because of the RNC reneging on their promises to adequately fund the state’s ad program and ground operation.” A spokesperson for the Trump campaign stated that Trump was still committed to winning Virginia. “We remain absolutely committed to winning in Virginia. While we’re reallocating some of our staff strategically to accommodate early voting in nearby priority states such as North Carolina, our campaign leadership and staffing remains strong in Virginia.” An October 11 analysis of polls by FiveThirtyEight gave Hillary Clinton a 92% chance of winning the state. Virginia is a key battleground state in the 2016 election.
  • Attorney General Loretta Lynch announced that the Department of Justice will begin collecting data nationwide on police-involved shootings and other police encounters that include the use of force. Lynch said, “Accurate and comprehensive data on the use of force by law enforcement is essential to an informed and productive discussion about community-police relations. The initiatives we are announcing today are vital efforts toward increasing transparency and building trust between law enforcement and the communities we serve. In the days ahead, the Department of Justice will continue to work alongside our local, state, tribal and federal partners to ensure that we put in place a system to collect data that is comprehensive, useful and responsive to the needs of the communities we serve.”

State

  • The Arkansas Supreme Court announced decisions on three 2016 ballot initiatives, striking Issue 4 and Issue 5 from the ballot and upholding Issue 6. A total of five measures, three legislative referrals and two initiatives, remain on the November 8 ballot.
    • Issue 4 would have required the legislature to cap awards for non-economic damages in medical malpractice cases at $250,000. Associate Justice Paul Danielson deemed “non-economic damages” a “‘technical term’ that is not readily understood by voters.” He added, “Without a definition of this term, the voter would be in the position of guessing as to the effect his or her vote would have unless he or she is an expert in the legal field.”
    • Issue 5 would have authorized three casinos in the state. Associate Justice Karen R. Baker, writing the court’s opinion, said Issue 5 would violate the federal Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act prohibiting states from authorizing sports gambling. Further, Baker wrote that the “ballot title does not inform the voters that the Amendment violates federal law.”
    • Issue 6, an initiative designed to legalize medical marijuana, remains on the ballot after the court ruled the ballot title sufficient for aiding voters in making “an intelligent and informed decision.”
  • A debate was held for the special election for Virginia State Senate District 1. The debate was sponsored by the League of Women Voters and was between Del. Monty Mason (D), Thomas Holston (R), and John Bloom (Ind.). The candidates were asked for their positions on gun control, taxes, the minimum wage, redistricting reform, infrastructure improvement, and funding education. The special election will be held on November 8, 2016, to replace state Sen. John Miller (D), who died on April 4, 2016. Republicans currently hold a 21-18 majority in the State Senate.
  • Missouri state agencies have requested an additional $54 million in state funding. About $50 million of this request is for social welfare programs, with $23 million requested for Medicaid, $12 million for home- and community-based care, and $10 million for child welfare services. According to Missouri House of Representatives Budget Committee Chairman Scott Fitzpatrick (R), committee members will discuss the request during the next legislative session. Missouri’s state budget totals approximately $27 billion, with $12.5 billion of that total going to social welfare programs and administration.
  • Ballotpedia held our webinar on partisan politics, public safety, and 2016 municipal elections. Missed it? Click here to view on YouTube. For additional information, see our Jolt webinar series.

Local

  • The Texas Fourth District Court of Appeals ordered San Antonio’s fire union to select a mediator and begin negotiations with the city on a new contract. The order comes after the city filed suit against its police and fire unions in 2014 over evergreen language in a 2009 contract. The contracts were only valid for five years, but contained language to continue for up to ten more years with the same provisions if no new agreement was reached. The city argued that “a perpetual contract is unconstitutional and infringes on City Council’s fiscal responsibility to provide city services to the taxpayers.” The court order requires the union to select a mediator within a week, and if they fail to do so, the court will appoint one for them. Mediation on a new deal must begin within the next 60 days. San Antonio is the seventh-largest city by population in the United States, and the second-largest in Texas.

Preview of the day

The excerpts below were compiled from issue #37 of The Tap, which was published on October 8, 2016. READ THE FULL VERSION HERE.

Federal




The Tap covered election news, public policy, and other noteworthy events from February 2016 to February 2022.
March: 21 • 22 • 23 • 24 • 25 • 26 • 27 • 28 • 29 • 30 • 31
April: 1 • 2 • 3 • 4 • 5 • 6 • 7 • 8 • 9 • 10 • 11 • 12 • 13 • 14 • 15 • 16 • 17 • 18 • 19 • 20 • 21 • 22 • 23 • 24 • 25 • 26 • 27 • 28 • 29 • 30
May: 1 • 2 • 3 • 4 • 5 • 6 • 7 • 8 • 9 • 10 • 11 • 12 • 13 • 14 • 15 • 16 • 17 • 18 • 19 • 20 • 21 • 22 • 23 • 24 • 25 • 26 • 27 • 28 • 29 • 30 • 31
June: 1 • 2 • 3 • 4 • 5 • 6 • 7 • 8 • 9 • 10 • 11 • 12 • 13 • 14 • 15 • 16 • 17 • 18 • 19 • 20 • 21 • 22 • 23 • 24 • 25 • 26 • 27 • 28 • 29 • 30
July: 1 • 2 • 3 • 4 • 5 • 6 • 7 • 8 • 9 • 10 • 11 • 12 • 13 • 14 • 15 • 16 • 17 • 18 • 19 • 20 • 21 • 22 • 23 • 24 • 25 • 26 • 27 • 28 • 29 • 30 • 31
August: 1 • 2 • 3 • 4 • 5 • 6 • 7 • 8 • 9 • 10 • 11 • 12 • 13 • 14 • 15 • 16 • 17 • 18 • 19 • 20 • 21 • 22 • 23 • 24 • 25 • 26 • 27 • 28 • 29 • 30 • 31
September: 1 • 2 • 3 • 4 • 5 • 6 • 7 • 8 • 9 • 10 • 11 • 12 • 13 • 14 • 15 • 16 • 17 • 18 • 19 • 20 • 21 • 22 • 23 • 24 • 25 • 26 • 27 • 28 • 29 • 30
October: 1 • 2 • 3 • 4 • 5 • 6 • 7• 8 • 9 • 10 • 11 • 12 • 13 • 14 • 15 • 16 • 17 • 18 • 19 • 20 • 21 • 22 • 23 • 24 • 25 • 26 • 27 • 28 • 29 • 30 • 31
November: 1 • 2 • 3 • 4 • 5 • 6 • 7 • 8 • 9 • 10 • 11 • 12 • 13 • 14 • 15 • 16 • 17 • 18 • 19 • 20 • 21 • 22 • 23 • 24 • 25 • 26 • 27 • 28 • 29 • 30
December: 1 • 2 • 3 • 4 • 5 • 6 • 7 • 8 • 9 • 10 • 11 • 12 • 13 • 14 • 15 • 16 • 17 • 18 • 19 • 20 • 21 • 22 • 23 • 31
January: 1 • 2 • 3 • 4 • 5 • 6 • 7 • 8 • 9 • 10 • 11 • 12 • 13 • 14 • 15 • 16 • 17 • 18 • 19 • 20 • 21 • 22 • 23 • 24 • 25 • 26 • 27 • 28 • 29 • 30 • 31
February: 1 • 2 • 3 • 4 • 5 • 6 • 7 • 8 • 9 • 10 • 11 • 12 • 13 • 14 • 15 • 16 • 17
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