The Tap: Tuesday, February 7, 2017

From Ballotpedia
Jump to: navigation, search
   ← Feb 6
Feb 8 →   

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 #52 of The Tap, which was published on February 11, 2017. READ THE FULL VERSION HERE.

Federal

Betsy DeVos confirmed as secretary of education

  • Betsy DeVos was confirmed by the United States Senate as secretary of education. The vote was 51-50, with Vice President Mike Pence casting the tie-breaking vote. It was the first time in history a vice president had been called upon to break a tie in a Cabinet nomination vote. In addition, two Republican senators, Susan Collins (Maine) and Lisa Murkowski (Alaska), voted against the nomination. They became the first two Republicans to formally oppose any of President Donald Trump's Cabinet picks. DeVos was the fifth Cabinet nominee to be confirmed.

Senate Majority Leader McConnell silences Warren using Rule 19 during floor debate on Sessions’ nomination

  • During debate on the Senate floor regarding the nomination of Sen. Jeff Sessions (R-Ala.) for attorney general, Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) was rebuked after she read from a decades-old statement written by Coretta Scott King, the widow of Martin Luther King Jr., in opposition to Sessions’ 1986 nomination to a federal judgeship.
    • “Civil rights leaders, including my husband and Albert Turner, have fought long and hard to achieve free and unfettered access to the ballot box. Mr. Sessions has used the awesome power of his office to chill the free exercise of the vote by black citizens in the district he now seeks to serve as a federal judge. This simply cannot be allowed to happen,” King wrote and Warren repeated.
    • Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) invoked Rule 19—a provision prohibiting senators from impugning the character or conduct of another senator—to prevent Warren from further participation in the floor debate after she continued reading from the statement. McConnell said, “She was warned. She was given an explanation. Nevertheless, she persisted.” Democrats questioned the application of Rule 19 as inappropriate and inconsistent and used McConnell’s words to rally supporters.

Shulkin approved by Veterans’ Affairs committee

State

Alabama AG Selected as Sessions’ Replacement

  • Alabama Gov. Robert J. Bentley (R) appointed Attorney General Luther Strange (R) to the U.S. Senate seat vacated by Jeff Sessions (R). Sessions, President Trump’s pick for U.S. attorney general, was confirmed on Wednesday. Strange must run to retain the seat in a 2018 special election and would be able to pursue a new six-year term in 2020. Strange was previously investigating Bentley over an alleged affair with a former aide, and some are calling into question Bentley’s power to choose a replacement. “By the attorney general vacating the office, the governor gets to single-handedly choose a lawyer to investigate him and his girlfriend,” said Alabama Auditor Jim Zeigler (R). Alabama is currently one of 25 Republican trifectas.

Louisville Government Bill Introduced in Kentucky

  • Six Republican Kentucky state representatives from Louisville signed on as sponsors of House Bill 202, which would impact how Louisville’s consolidated government functions. Two of the sponsors, Ken Fleming and Jerry T. Miller, are former members of the Louisville Metro Council. The bill would impose a limit of two consecutive terms on the mayor, create a deputy mayor position, and allow the governor to fill vacancies for the positions of mayor or metro council. If signed by the governor, the law would take effect in 2019. Currently, the mayor is not restricted by term limits. Lexington, another large consolidated government in the state, would not be impacted by HB 202. Kentucky is currently one of 25 Republican trifectas.
    • In 2003, Louisville and Jefferson County merged, creating the Louisville Metro Government. The city utilizes a strong mayor and city council system, where the city council serves as the city's primary legislative body and the mayor serves as the city's chief executive. The current mayor, Greg Fischer (D), has been in office since 2010. Louisville is one of 12 of the largest 100 cities in the United States that is a consolidated city-county government.

Michigan Representative Resigns

  • Michigan Rep. Brian Banks (D) resigned from his position after pleading guilty to a misdemeanor charge of making false statements of financial condition. Banks will be sentenced on February 17, and the charge carries up to a year in jail as punishment. The misdemeanor and other related charges stemmed from Banks allegedly using false documents in order to try and secure a $7,500 loan from a local credit union. After being denied and only given a $3,000 loan instead, Banks was then sued by the credit union for failing to repay the loan. Gov. Rick Snyder (R) must call for a special election to fill Banks’ seat. Republicans currently control the chamber 63-46, and Michigan is one of 25 Republican trifectas.

Pennsylvania Senate Advances Bill to Defund Sanctuary Cities

  • The Pennsylvania State Senate voted 37-12 to approve legislation that would cut off state subsidies to cities and counties that operate as sanctuary jurisdictions. Both chambers of the legislature passed similar legislation last year, but the efforts to get it signed failed after differences in the two bills could not be reconciled. A spokesman for Gov. Tom Wolf (D) said the governor’s office had concerns about whether a state could legally require municipalities to assist with enforcing federal immigration laws. If the legislation were to become law, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, and about a dozen counties would lose access to state subsidies that totaled $1.3 billion last year. Pennsylvania is one of 19 states under divided government.

New Mexico Considers Hemp Legislation

  • The New Mexico State Senate voted 37-2 to pass legislation that would allow the cultivation of hemp for the purpose of industrial study. The bill was sponsored by Cisco McSorley (D) and would bring New Mexico into alignment with more than 30 other states on hemp cultivation. A similar bill was vetoed two years ago by Gov. Susana Martinez (R), who said the legislation could be confusing to law enforcement because hemp and marijuana plants look very similar. The House is currently considering a pair of similar bills sponsored by members of both parties. New Mexico is currently one of 19 states under divided government.

Virginia’s Special Election

Alabama Legislators Began Session

  • The state legislative session began in Alabama. Alabama is currently one of 25 Republican trifectas. The state’s 140 legislators—a number that represents 1.9 percent of the 7,383 state legislators across the country—are back to work.

Local

Washington, D.C., City Council Rejects Proposal by Former Mayor

  • The Washington, D.C., City Council voted 4-2 to reject a proposal designed to retain city police officers eligible for retirement. Former D.C. Mayor Vincent Gray (D) (2011-2015)—now the Ward 7 representative—penned the emergency proposal, which would have doubled police officer salaries as an incentive against retirement and officer turnover. Gray argued that the police officer shortage in the city is so dire that it can only be addressed via emergency legislation, bypassing public hearings. Dissenting council members said more should be done to retain city police officers but that it should be done through the normal legislative process. Supporters expressed a desire to explore Gray’s proposal as part of a comprehensive strategy to bolster the D.C. Police Department. Washington, D.C., is the 23rd-largest city in the U.S. by population.

New Mexico Holds Elections for School Boards, Community College Board

  • In New Mexico, nine school districts held general elections for 25 school board seats. Of the incumbents that ran for re-election, 80 percent were elected to additional terms. This is a higher than the incumbency success rate in 2015, when 64 percent of incumbents seeking re-election secured an additional term. Newcomers also took a slightly higher percentage of seats on the ballot, winning 52 percent of seats compared to the 50 percent they won in 2015. The seats won by newcomers were almost all left open when an incumbent chose not to run for re-election, though three newcomers defeated incumbents to win a seat. The largest of the districts holding elections was Albuquerque Public Schools, which served 93,001 students during the 2014-2015 school year—approximately 27 percent of all public school students in the state. The smallest district that held elections was Hobbs Municipal Schools, which served 9,950 students during the 2014-2015 school year—approximately three percent of all public school students in the state.
  • In Bernalillo County, New Mexico, general elections were held for five of seven seats on the Central New Mexico Community College Governing Board. The incumbents in Districts 1, 3, and 5 were re-elected, while the District 4 incumbent was unseated by a challenger. In District 7, the incumbent chose not to seek another term, guaranteeing that a newcomer was elected to the board.

Mayors Survive Two Recall Elections in Colorado

  • Two recall elections were held in Colorado:
    • Crawford: An election to recall Mayor Wanda Gofforth was defeated by 55.6 percent of voters. The recall effort was initiated in 2016, with recall organizers citing the following reasons for seeking Gofforth’s removal: exceeding the city’s budget for legal fees by hiring Brown & Camp, LLC without council approval, failure to conduct town meetings within boundaries of state open meeting requirements, and exceeding mayoral authority. On December 6, 2016, Crawford Town Clerk Cally Gallegos announced that the recall petition against Gofforth was sufficient to require a special election. The election was held via mail-in ballot.
    • Federal Heights: Mayor Daniel Dick survived a recall election. The recall was defeated by 61.9 percent of voters. The recall also targeted city Councilman John Hamlin, but Hamlin resigned on February 5 and votes in his recall were not tallied. The recall effort was initiated in 2016 by a committee called Renters Have Rights Too over concerns about the city’s rental inspection program, which was supported by Dick and Hamlin in 2013. Recall organizers had to submit at least 295 valid signatures for Dick's recall and 84 valid signatures for Hamlin's recall. These totals equaled 25 percent of the votes for each candidate in the November 2015 municipal election. The city clerk confirmed 300 signatures for the Dick recall and 102 signatures for the Hamlin recall. The election was held via mail-in ballot.

Preview of the day

The excerpts below were compiled from issue #51 of The Tap, which was published on February 4, 2017. READ THE FULL VERSION HERE.

State

Alabama Legislators Begin Session

  • The state legislative session will begin in Alabama. Alabama is currently one of 25 Republican trifectas. The state’s 140 legislators—a number that represents 1.9 percent of the 7,383 state legislators across the country—will be back to work.

Virginia’s Special Election

Local

General Elections in New Mexico

  • Five seats on the Central New Mexico Community College Governing Board in Bernalillo County will be up for general election. The incumbents of Districts 1, 3, 4, and 5 are running for re-election. Michael DeWitte, the District 7 representative, did not file for re-election, creating an open race between Michael Glennon and Harold Murphree. Only District 3 incumbent Thomas Swisstack is running unopposed for re-election. Bernalillo County is the largest county in New Mexico. It had a population of 675,551 citizens in 2014, which was approximately 32.4 percent of the state’s total population.
  • Nine of the largest school districts in New Mexico, as measured by student enrollment, will have a total of 25 school board seats up for general election. Albuquerque Public Schools will have four of its seven school board seats up for election. It is the state’s largest school district and served 93,001 students during the 2014-2015 school year. The nine school districts served a combined total of 207,742 students—approximately 61.4 percent of all public school students in the state.

Recall Elections in Colorado

  • In Crawford, Colorado, Mayor Wanda Gofforth faces a recall election. The recall effort began due to allegations that the mayor had exceeded her authority, exceeded the city's budget for legal fees by hiring Brown & Camp, LLC without council approval, and failed to conduct town meetings within boundaries of state open meeting requirements. In an interview with a local television station, Mayor Gofforth stated, “They think I’m like the president, like I have executive power. I do not. The mayor has no more power than the other trustees. I just feel that what is right is what we did. We might have made an error with one meeting, but other than that we have been very open about what is going on.” The recall election is being conducted via mail-in ballots. If the recall is approved, Gill Saunders is running to become the new mayor.
  • In Federal Heights, Colorado, Mayor Daniel Dick and City Councilman John Hamlin will face a recall election. The recall effort began due to concerns about the city's rental inspection program. Mayor Dick and Councilman Hamlin supported a 2013 program that opponents criticized as unfair to renters. The two city officials unsuccessfully appealed the city clerk’s decision that enough valid petition signatures were collected to put the recall election on the ballot. The recall election is being conducted via mail-in ballots.



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
v • e
Ballotpedia-Logo-UPDATED-white background.jpg
Ballotpedia coverage by project
Federal
State
Local
Policy
News
Indexes



Retrieved from "https://ballotpedia.org/wiki/index.php?title=The_Tap:_Tuesday,_February_7,_2017&oldid=8438281"