The Tap: Tuesday, April 12, 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 #12 of The Tap, which was published on April 18, 2016. READ THE FULL VERSION HERE.

Federal

• President Barack Obama declared April 12, 2016, National Equal Pay Day. In his proclamation, he wrote, “I call upon all Americans to recognize the full value of women's skills and their significant contributions to the labor force, acknowledge the injustice of wage inequality, and join efforts to achieve equal pay.”

• A group of liberal activists started a petition urging Department of Housing and Urban Development Secretary Julián Castro, who has been mentioned as Hillary Clinton’s potential running mate, to end the Distressed Asset Stabilization Program. The program “sells delinquent mortgages to firms and nonprofit groups at reduced prices, and, in return, asks them to work with the borrowers, including keeping up the properties. A goal is keeping homeowners in their homes and prioritizing the sale of delinquent mortgages to nonprofit community groups over banks,” according to The Wall Street Journal.
  • Kurt Walters of Root Strikers, a group supporting the petition, said, “This Wall Street giveaway is either a massive oversight by Secretary Castro or a sign he genuinely believes enriching Wall Street is the key to helping struggling homeowners. With Americans searching for leaders they can trust to take on Wall Street, this program is a clear red flag from an official aspiring to become vice president.”
  • In a written statement, Castro said, “When you clear away the politics and focus on the substance of the issue, HUD has made tremendous strides in helping hard-working Americans stay in their homes, including the creation of non-profit pools and delaying foreclosure for a year. But we still have work to do.”

• Donald Trump gained an additional 12 pledged delegates on Tuesday after the Republican primary race in Missouri was officially called in his favor. The primary took place on March 15 and ended with Trump leading Ted Cruz by less than 2,000 votes. Missouri Secretary of State Jason Kander (D)—currently running against incumbent Roy Blunt (R) for a U.S. Senate seat—tweeted out on Tuesday morning that Trump won the race over Cruz, 40.8 to 40.6 percent. The official results mean that Trump gets the state’s nine at-large delegates and its three RNC delegates, giving him a total of 37 Missouri delegates to Cruz’s 15. The Democratic primary was also officially called on Tuesday, in favor of Hillary Clinton. As with the Republican race, she led Bernie Sanders by less than 2,000 votes. Sanders, however, had conceded the race to Clinton on March 18. Clinton received 36 delegates to Sanders’ 35.
  • See also: Presidential election in Missouri, 2016

• Speaker of the House Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) ruled out the possibility of being the GOP presidential nominee. Ryan said, "Let me be clear: I do not want, nor will I accept, the Republican nomination. Count me out." Ryan said that if there is a contested convention, one of the individuals who chose to run for the office should be the nominee. He said, “I simply believe that if you want to be the nominee for our party — to be the president — you should actually run for it. I chose not to do this. Therefore, I should not be considered. Period. End of story.”

• Senator John McCain (R-Ariz.) sent a letter to Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Jeh Johnson asking him to “request the Department of Defense’s (DOD) support to combat drug trafficking and secure the U.S.-Mexico border.” According to McCain’s website, “In order for DOD to support federal civilian law enforcement agencies, a request must be made by the official who oversees the federal government’s counter-drug activities.” McCain wrote, “During a recent visit to the Ft. Huachuca Army base in Sierra Vista, Arizona, I observed the Army conducting training missions with its Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) fleet. It was explained that although these UAVs are flying along the Arizona-Mexico border, none of the training missions are being coordinated with the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to surveil the border for drug trafficking activities… [I] strongly urge that you make this request for support to the DOD immediately and begin coordinating with Ft. Huachuca to take advantage of these available air assets as quickly as possible.”

• On Equal Pay Day, President Barack Obama issued a proclamation establishing the Sewall-Belmont House and Museum located in Washington, D.C., as the Belmont-Paul Women’s Equality National Monument. The site “has been home to the National Woman's Party (NWP)” and “tells the story of a century of courageous activism by American women.” In a speech, Obama said, "I want young girls and boys to come here, 10, 20, 100 years from now, to know that women fought for equality, it was not just given to them. I want them to be astonished that there was ever a time when women earned less than men for doing the same work. I want them to be astonished that there was ever a time when women were vastly outnumbered in the boardroom or in Congress, that there was ever a time when a woman had never sat in the Oval Office."

• The House passed a bill that “would add the Zika virus to a list of diseases that qualifies for a ‘priority review’ voucher from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA),” according to The Hill. Rep. Susan Brooks (R-Ind.) said, "This is a significant incentive for private industry to invest the hundreds of millions of dollars and the many man hours it takes to produce a vaccine or treatment.”
  • President Obama will sign the bill, but White House Press Secretary Josh Earnest criticized the legislation for not doing enough to fight the Zika virus. He said, “The passage of that bill is positive, but a rather meager accomplishment. In some ways, it’s akin to passing out umbrellas in advance of a hurricane.”

• Donald Trump supporter and former campaign staffer Roger Stone called for Trump delegates to sign a loyalty pledge for this year's convention. In an op-ed for Breitbart News, Stone said, "We at Stop the Steal, the grassroots uprising, and March on Cleveland will ask every Trump delegate to the Republican convention to sign a pledge that 'they will remain committed to vote for the winner of the primary or caucus as chosen by the voters (Donald J. Trump )' through the entire balloting process. In other words, respect the will of the voters."

• Pursuant to a March 29 Supreme Court order, parties in the Zubik v. Burwell case provided additional briefing as to if and how contraceptive coverage could be obtained by employees through an employer's insurance company without violating the employer's conscience objections. The order from the court, which was handed down after oral argument, comes as the eight justices deliberate over the opinion in the case.

• Judge Robert Blackburn of the United States District Court for the District of Colorado assumed senior status on Tuesday. With Judge Blackburn’s elevation, the court has one vacancy out of seven positions.

State

• The United States Court of Appeals for the 7th Circuit ordered a lower federal court to reconsider a case challenging Wisconsin's voter identification law. The appeals court's unanimous decision does not strike down the requirement, but it does, according to election law expert Rick Hasen, compel the lower court to "consider whether Wisconsin's voter ID law unconstitutionally burdens the right to vote to those voters who face extra burdens in obtaining proper voter identification." Wisconsin's voter ID law, which was approved in June 2011 but did not take full effect until 2015, has been the subject of ongoing controversy and litigation. Wisconsin is one of 19 states that require voters to present photo identification at the polls. Wisconsin's law is considered a strict requirement, meaning that voters who are unable to present valid identification are required to cast provisional ballots.

• Louisiana Governor John Bel Edwards (D) released his proposal for the state’s fiscal year 2017 budget. Citing shortfalls in the state budget, Edwards said that deep cuts to many state services were necessary to close gaps for the overall improvement of the state’s financial health. The proposal included cuts to the state’s primary college scholarship program (TOPS), cuts to “safety net hospitals” for low-income families, and cuts to education at both the K-12 and college levels. The funding for the TOPS program in particular would be reduced by about two-thirds of its current level of $298 million, leaving the total funds at about $110 million. The state legislature went on to debate several bills that would alter how the TOPS scholarships are awarded in order to reduce fallout from the cuts. Since the state’s governorship is controlled by Democrats, it is one of 20 states under divided government. This is the first session of divided government since John Bel Edwards won election in November 2015. Louisiana had previously been a Republican trifecta since 2011.

• Prince George County, Maryland, became the first county in Maryland to ban fracking. Maryland has a statewide moratorium against fracking that was originally put into place by then-Governor Martin O'Malley in 2011. The ban on fracking is set to expire at the end of this year. During the state's moratorium, three studies have been released about the anticipated effects if fracking were allowed. Summaries of those studies are available here.

Special elections

• Massachusetts special elections:
  • In the Senate Plymouth & Norfolk District, Joan Meschino defeated Paul Gannon in the Democratic primary, while Patrick O'Connor defeated Stephen Gill in the Republican primary. Meschino and O'Connor will face off in the special election on May 10. This seat was previously held by Robert Hedlund (R).
  • In the Senate First Suffolk & Middlesex District Democratic primary, Joseph Boncore defeated six opponents to advance to the May 10 special election. Since no Republicans filed, Boncore is unopposed in the special election. This seat was previously held by Anthony Petruccelli (D).
  • In the House Tenth Essex District, Dan Cahill was unopposed in the Democratic primary. He is also unchallenged in the special election. This seat was previously held by Robert Fennell (D).

Local

• On Tuesday, April 12, the Denver City Council failed to pass a cap on the number of city licenses to grow and sell marijuana. The council’s vote deadlocked at six in favor and six against, with one council member absent from the meeting. Proponents of the cap, including bill sponsor Robin Kniech, announced their intention to refile the bill with some amendments in the hopes that the absent council member, Stacie Gilmore, would support it. The council previously enacted a two-year moratorium halting licensing for the growth and sale of medical and recreational marijuana in the city, but that expires on May 1, 2016. Denver is the largest city in Colorado and the 23rd-largest city in the United States.
• Four of the nine seats on the Long Beach City Council in California were up for general election. The District 2 race featured an open seat with three candidates who competed to replace incumbent Suja Lowenthal. Long Beach is the seventh-largest city in California and the 36th-largest city in the United States.
• The final campaign finance deadline passed before the city primary election in Portland, Oregon. Twelve of the 26 candidates for the Portland mayoral and city commission races reported contributions to the Oregon secretary of state, with a combined total of over $717,365 in contributions and $501,391 in expenditures. With the mayor’s office and two of the five seats on the city commission up for election, more than 70 percent of the election's expenditures took place in the mayoral contest. Oregon State Treasurer and mayoral candidate Ted Wheeler (D) raised and spent the most money, with $327,701 in contributions and $235,562 in expenditures. Former Oregon State Representative Jules Kopel Bailey (D) was the only other mayoral candidate with a six-figure campaign finance report, and he received $111,033.85 in contributions and made $103,854 in expenditures. The primary election will be held on May 17, 2016. Portland is the largest city in Oregon and the 28th-largest city in the United States.
• Four of America’s 1,000 largest school districts held elections for school board positions:
  • Jefferson County Schools, Alabama: The Place 1 seat was up for primary runoff election between challengers Ronnie Dixon and Donna Pike because no candidate received more than 50 percent of the vote in the Republican primary election held on March 1, 2016. Pike narrowly defeated Dixon with 50.29 percent of the vote, with just 15 of the 2,577 votes cast separating the two candidates. Since no Democratic or independent candidates filed, Pike will run unopposed in the general election on November 8, 2016.
  • Montgomery Public Schools, Alabama: The District 7 seat was up for primary runoff election between incumbent Roberta Collins and challenger Arica Watkins-Smith because no candidate received more than 50 percent of the vote in the Democratic primary election held on March 1, 2016. Watkins-Smith ousted Collins with more than 58 percent of the vote. Since no Republican or independent candidates filed, Watkins-Smith will run unopposed in the general election on November 8, 2016.
  • Long Beach Unified School District, California: Two of the five seats on the board were up for general election. The two incumbents, Felton Williams and Jon Meyer, ran for re-election and won. They were both endorsed by the Teachers Association of Long Beach.
  • Sioux Falls School District, South Dakota: Two of the five seats on the board were up for general election. Both seats were won by the incumbents. Sioux Falls is the largest school district in South Dakota and served 23,384 students during the 2013–2014 school year.
• Eight local measures were on the ballot in two California counties. Los Angeles and Riverside counties both had four local measures on the ballot. Three of the Los Angeles County measures were related to taxes, while the fourth enacted term limits for city council members in the city of Walnut. Two of the three tax measures passed, as did the term limits measure. All four Riverside County measures were connected to the Coachella Valley Link, a pathway designed for foot travel, bicycles, low-speed electric vehicles, and disability mobile devices. Only Measure 1, which created a voter approval requirement for changes or repeal of the city's ordinance prohibiting neighborhood electric vehicles in certain neighborhoods, passed.

Preview of the day

The excerpts below were compiled from issue #11 of The Tap, which was published on April 11, 2016. READ THE FULL VERSION HERE.

State

• The Kentucky General Assembly is expected to adjourn its regular session. Sessions in even-numbered years can last no more than 60 legislative days and must be concluded by April 15. Kentucky is one of 20 states under divided government. Republicans control the governor’s office and the Senate by 16 seats, while Democrats control the House by six seats. The state House is the only state legislative chamber in the South currently controlled by the Democratic Party. The Kentucky House has been identified by Ballotpedia as one of 20 top legislature battlegrounds in 2016.
• Incarcerated Michigan Sen. Virgil Smith (D) has resigned from the Michigan State Senate. He tendered his resignation on March 31, but it did not become official until the Senate returned from its spring break on April 12. Smith is serving 10 months in jail and five years probation thereafter for shooting his ex-wife’s car last year. Smith’s former seat will be filled through a special election, the date of which has yet to be announced by Gov. Rick Snyder (R).

Special elections

• Massachusetts special elections:
  • Massachusetts State Senate Plymouth & Norfolk District (primary)
  • Massachusetts State Senate First Suffolk & Middlesex District (primary)
  • Massachusetts House of Representatives Tenth Essex District (primary)

Local

• Four of the nine seats on the Long Beach City Council in California are up for general election. The District 2 race features an open seat with three candidates competing to replace incumbent Suja Lowenthal. Long Beach is the seventh-largest city in California and the 36th-largest city in the United States.
• Four of America’s 1,000 largest school districts will hold elections for school board positions:
  • Jefferson County Schools, Alabama: The Place 1 seat will be up for primary runoff election between challengers Ronnie Dixon and Donna Pike because no candidate received more than 50 percent of the vote in the Republican primary election held on March 1, 2016. Since no Democratic or independent candidates filed, the winner of the primary will run unopposed in the general election on November 8, 2016.
  • Montgomery Public Schools, Alabama: The District 7 seat will be up for primary runoff election between incumbent Roberta Collins and challenger Arica Watkins-Smith because no candidate received more than 50 percent of the vote in the Democratic primary election held on March 1, 2016. Since no Republican or independent candidates filed, the winner of the primary will run unopposed in the general election on November 8, 2016.
  • Long Beach Unified School District, California: Two of the five seats on the board will be up for general election. Both incumbents are running for re-election and were endorsed by the Teachers Association of Long Beach.
  • Sioux Falls School District, South Dakota: Two of the five seats on the board will be up for general election. Sioux Falls is the largest school district in South Dakota and served 23,384 students during the 2013–2014 school year.
• Eight local measures will be on the ballot in two California counties. Los Angeles and Riverside counties both have four local measures on the ballot. Three of the Los Angeles County measures are related to taxes, while the fourth would enact term limits for city council members in the city of Walnut. All four Riverside County measures are connected to the Coachella Valley Link, a pathway designed for foot travel, bicycles, low speed electric vehicles, and disability mobile devices.