The Tap: Tuesday, December 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 #46 of The Tap, which was published on December 17, 2016. READ THE FULL VERSION HERE.

Federal

Speeches and Comments on Aleppo

• In recent days, Syrian President Bashar al-Assad has reportedly ordered repeated bombings on Aleppo and mass killings of civilians in an effort to retake the city from rebel forces. United States Ambassador to the United Nations Samantha Power attacked Assad and his allies—Russia and Iran—for what the UN called “a complete meltdown of humanity” during a speech at a UN Security Council Emergency Briefing on Syria. Power said, “The Assad regime and Russia appear dead set on seizing every last square inch of Aleppo by force, no matter how many innocent bodies pile up in their wake. … Aleppo will join the ranks of those events in world history that define modern evil, that stain our conscience decades later. Halabja, Rwanda, Srebrenica, and, now, Aleppo. To the Assad regime, Russia, and Iran, your forces and proxies are carrying out these crimes. Your barrel bombs and mortars and airstrikes have allowed the militia in Aleppo to encircle tens of thousands of civilians in your ever-tightening noose. It is your noose. Three Member States of the UN contributing to a noose around civilians. It should shame you. Instead, by all appearances, it is emboldening you. You are plotting your next assault. Are you truly incapable of shame? Is there literally nothing that can shame you? Is there no act of barbarism against civilians, no execution of a child that gets under your skin, that just creeps you out a little bit? Is there nothing you will not lie about or justify?”
  • Republican Sens. John McCain (R-Ariz.) and Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) also issued a statement criticizing the Obama administration for not acting to prevent the killings of more than 500,000 people in Syria. They said, “For four long years, Aleppo has been at the center of the Assad regime’s war on the Syrian people. Together with its Russian and Iranian allies, the Assad regime has relentlessly targeted women and children, doctors and rescue workers, hospitals and bakeries, aid warehouses and humanitarian convoys. It is heartbreaking that we have reached this point—a Syrian conflict that has killed more than 500,000 people, created the worst refugee crisis in Europe since World War II, spawned ISIL’s terrorist army, and forged an unholy alliance between a Syrian dictator, a Russian autocrat, and an Iranian theocrat. It did not have to be this way. But this is the inevitable result of hollow words and inaction, red lines crossed without consequences, tarnished moral influence, ‘leading from behind,’ and a total lack of American leadership.”

• Defense Secretary Ash Carter told U.S. airmen that a precision airstrike carried out on December 4, 2016, killed three key leaders of the Islamic State—two of whom were responsible for the November 13, 2015, terrorist attacks in Paris. Carter said, “I can confirm today that we took out three of ISIL's key leaders in the last couple of weeks [in] one strike. These were guys who were linked to plots right here in Europe, and I can’t share all the details with you, but, for example, with the [2015] Paris attacks.” Pentagon Press Secretary Peter Cook added, “Two of those targeted -- Salah Gourmat, and Sammy Djedou -- were involved in facilitating the Nov. 13, 2015, terrorist attacks in Paris. … All three were part of a network led by Boubaker al-Hakim, killed in another coalition airstrike on November 16. The three were working together to plot and facilitate attacks against Western targets at the time of the strike.”

You’re Hired

• Stephen Miller, a Trump policy aide during the presidential campaign, was named a senior policy advisor for the incoming Trump administration. U.S. Senator (and nominee for attorney general) Jeff Sessions is Miller’s former employer; of Miller, Sessions said, “He has understood the Trump Movement from the beginning and has a unique understanding of the very real and honest concerns of the American people.”
  • See all of Trump’s staff appointments so far here.

The EPA on Fracking & Drinking Water

• The Environmental Protection Agency released a final report requested by Congress in 2010 on the impact of hydraulic fracturing (fracking) on drinking water resources. An earlier draft version of the report, released in June 2015, concluded that fracking had not created any widespread or systemic impact on drinking water. The final EPA report stated that, in its view, there was some "scientific evidence that hydraulic fracturing activities can impact drinking water resources in the United States under some circumstances." The report specifically claimed that in certain circumstances poorly constructed drilling wells and incorrect wastewater management affected drinking water resources, particularly near drilling sites. The EPA acknowledged that its findings were limited in scope, reporting that "uncertainties and data gaps limited the EPA's ability to fully assess impacts to drinking water resources both locally and nationally." Environmental groups that oppose fracking, such as the Sierra Club and Food & Water Watch, largely supported the report's findings. Some energy groups that support fracking, such as Energy in Depth, argued that the report shows that fracking does not contaminate groundwater, while other energy groups, such as the American Petroleum Institute, argued that the EPA ignored data showing that fracking does not produce widespread or systemic impacts on drinking water.

State

Washington Appointment

• Rebecca Saldaña (D), director of the Washington state nonprofit organization Puget Sound Sage, was appointed to take over Pramila Jayapal’s (D) seat in the state Senate. Jayapal gave up her Senate seat to run for Washington’s 7th Congressional District seat in the U.S. House. As of the 2016 election, Jayapal was the only woman of color in the state Senate. The district she represented (the 37th) was one of only a handful of majority-minority districts primarily composed of people who identify as a minority in the state. Saldaña, who identifies as Latina, was chosen unanimously by the King County Council to represent the district. The council praised all three of the potential replacements, but ultimately decided that Saldaña would best represent the interests of the 37th District citizens.

Virginia Voter ID Law Upheld

• Voters in Virginia will still be required to present photo ID at the polls after a federal appeals court upheld the legality of the state's voter ID law. The law's challengers, including the Democratic Party of Virginia, had argued that Virginia's voter ID requirement disproportionately burdened minority voters, who, according to the law's opponents, may be less likely than white voters to possess the necessary forms of identification. A three-judge panel of the United States Court of Appeals for the 4th Circuit rejected this argument. Judge Paul Niemeyer, joined by judges Dennis Shedd and Steven Agee, wrote the following in the court's opinion: "In sum, not only does the substance [of the voter ID requirement] not impose an undue burden on minority voting, there was no evidence to suggest racially discriminatory intent in the law's enactment." Virginia House Speaker William J. Howell (R) applauded the decision, saying, "Today's ruling is a victory for a common-sense law that protects the integrity of Virginia's elections. Claire Gastañaga, executive director of the Virginia American Civil Liberties Union, maintained that the Fourth Circuit's ruling "discounts the reality of the hardships that voters with disabilities encounter, and ignores that many other vulnerable groups of people lack ID or the means to obtain one." To learn more about voter ID laws in the United States, see this article.

Georgia Appointment

• A special election was held for Georgia’s 54th State Senate district following Chuck Bethel’s (R) appointment to the Georgia Court of Appeals. Four Republicans, Conda Lowery-Goodson, Chuck Payne, Michelle Underwood, and William Vinyard, as well as independent Debby Peppers, ran for the position. In order to win a special election in Georgia, one candidate must receive at least 50 percent of the vote. No candidate in this election earned that many votes, so the top two vote-getters, Payne and Peppers, will move on to a runoff election. The runoff election will be held on January 10, 2017.
  • Georgia’s state government will be one of 25 Republican trifectas in the country. Prior to the November 2016 election, there were seven Democratic trifectas and 23 Republican trifectas. Following the election, there will be six Democratic trifectas and 25 Republican trifectas.

Special elections

• Georgia state legislative special elections, 2016
  • In Senate District 54, Conda Lowery-Goodson (R), Chuck Payne (R), Michelle Underwood (R), William Vinyard (R), and Debby Peppers (Ind.) faced off in the special election. Since no candidate received more than 50 percent of the vote, the top two vote-getters, Payne and Peppers, will meet in a runoff election on January 10, 2017. The seat is vacant following Charlie Bethel's (R) resignation in November 2016. Bethel resigned after being appointed to the Georgia Court of Appeals.

Local

California Mayor Sworn In

• In Sacramento, Darrell Steinberg (D) was sworn in as the city’s 56th mayor. Nearly 2,000 people attended the ceremony, which took place six months after Steinberg won 59 percent of the vote during a June primary election. He replaced outgoing Mayor Kevin Johnson (D). Steinberg previously served in the California State Senate, representing District 6 (2006-2014), and served as president pro tem for six years (2008-2014). He also served as a member of the California State Assembly between 1998 and 2004. Steinberg’s campaign platform included increased focus on Sacramento youth programs, the improvement of neighborhood services, and the creation of better housing and programs for the homeless and mentally ill. He recently announced that he would uphold Sacramento’s sanctuary city status to prevent the federal deportation of people who migrated to the country illegally, should the Trump administration uphold its promise to increase enforcement. Sacramento is the sixth-largest city in California and the 35th-largest city in the U.S. by population.

After Conviction, City Council Calls for Resignation

• In Virginia, the Norfolk City Council unanimously called for the resignation of city treasurer Anthony Burfoot after he was convicted of six federal felonies. Burfoot was convicted after accepting nearly $500,000 in bribes while he served as a city council member, and his charges included wire fraud, conspiracy, and perjury. Following the conclusion of his trial on December 9, the council drafted a formal resolution asking Burfoot to step down by December 15. The resolution also called for the city manager to secure Norfolk’s financial assets. Despite the council’s actions, state law does not require Burfoot to resign from his independently elected position while he awaits sentencing on April 17, 2017. His lawyer, Andrew Sachs, stated that Burfoot planned to remain in office while he pursues legal challenges to the jury’s verdict and that he “respectfully disagrees” with the city council’s opinion. Councilwoman Andrea McClellan said that if Burfoot does not resign, the council will ask the U.S. District Court for his suspension. Norfolk is the second-largest city in Virginia and the 81st-largest city in the U.S. by population.
  • Burfoot faced a recall effort related to his criminal charges earlier in 2016:
    • In January, an effort to recall Burfoot was launched. Recall organizers submitted a recall petition to the Norfolk Circuit Court, which was certified for circulation on February 3. These petitions were returned with signatures to city officials in June. The city voter registrar verified enough signatures to send the recall to a circuit court hearing at a future date. On August 25, a circuit court judge ruled that the recall hearing would be delayed until the conclusion of Burfoot's criminal trial.

Preview of the day

The excerpts below were compiled from issue #45 of The Tap, which was published on December 10, 2016. READ THE FULL VERSION HERE.

State

• A special election will be held to select the replacement for Charlie Bethel (R) in District 54 of Georgia’s State Senate. Five candidates will be listed on the ballot: Conda Lowery-Goodson (R), Chuck Payne (R), Shelly Underwood (R), William Vinyard (R), and Debby Peppers (Independent). If necessary, a special runoff election will take place on January 10, 2017. Bethel resigned from his position in November 2016 after his appointment to the Georgia Court of Appeals. Georgia’s state government will be one of 25 Republican trifectas in the country. Prior to the November 2016 election, there were seven Democratic trifectas and 23 Republican trifectas. Following the election, there will be six Democratic trifectas and 25 Republican trifectas.
• The North Carolina Legislature will meet to consider using state funds to aid in the Hurricane Matthew relief effort. State officials have estimated that the storm caused approximately $2 billion in “economic damage.” The legislature has $1.6 billion in reserves that could go toward the relief effort, and Governor Pat McCrory (R) has also asked Congress for additional funds.
• Three states—Michigan, New Jersey, and Ohio—are in regular session; Massachusetts is in an informal session. North Carolina will convene a special session on December 13 over hurricane relief.
• Special election: Georgia State Senate District 54

Local

Texas Runoff Elections

• Austin, Texas, will hold a runoff election for one city council seat. Incumbent Sheri P. Gallo will try to retain her District 10 seat against challenger Alison Alter. Gallo earned the most votes in the November general election, beating Alter by about 5,000 votes. If she wins, Gallo would be the fourth city council member to win re-election this year. The fifth incumbent who ran this year, Donald S. Zimmerman, was defeated in the general election. Austin is the 11th-largest city in the United States by population and the fourth-largest in Texas.
• A runoff election will be held for two seats on the Austin Community College (ACC) District Board of Trustees. Both seats are open, which means an incumbent is not running for re-election. Sean Hassan and Michael Lewis will face off for Place 4, while Guadalupe Sosa and Julie Ann Nitsch will compete for the Place 9 seat. According to the ACC website, the board is tasked with representing the residents of the ACC taxing district and establishing policies to make sure the college meets the needs of the community.