The Tap: Tuesday, July 26, 2016

   ← Jul 25

Jul 27 →   

---

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 became the Democratic nominee for president, making her the first woman to win the nomination of a major American political party. At the end of the state-by-state roll call vote, Sen. Bernie Sanders said from the convention floor, "I move that all votes cast by delegates be reflected in the official record, and I move that Hillary Clinton be selected as the nominee of the Democratic Party for president of the United States.” Clinton was live-streamed on the main convention screen at the end of the night to thank her supporters. She said, "What an incredible honor that you have given me. And I can't believe we just put the biggest crack in that glass ceiling yet. This is really your victory, this is really your night. If there are any little girls out there who stayed up late to watch, let me just say I may become the first woman president but one of you is next."
• Democrats who spoke on day two of the Democratic National Convention (DNC) continued to stress the importance of party unity and attempted to reintroduce Clinton to the American people. The second night’s program was titled “Fights of Her Life” and featured many celebrities and the following speakers: Governor Terry McAuliffe (D-Va.), former President Jimmy Carter (D), House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.), Sen. Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.), “Mothers of the Movement,” former Attorney General Eric Holder, President of the Planned Parenthood Action Fund Cecile Richards, former Governor Howard Dean (D-Vt.), Sen. Barbara Boxer (D-Calif.), Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright, and former President Bill Clinton.
  • Former President Bill Clinton: Bill Clinton spoke about his relationship with Hillary Clinton and how she turned him down two times before she finally agreed to marry him. He spoke about her accomplishments as a public servant, saying, “She’s the best darn change-maker I ever met in my entire life. This woman has never been satisfied with the status quo on anything. She always wants to move the ball forward. That’s just who she is.”
• Former Governor of Massachusetts and 2012 Republican nominee for president Mitt Romney said he is considering voting for Gary Johnson in November. Romney said, "If Bill Weld were at the top of the ticket, it would be very easy for me to vote for Bill Weld for president. So I'll get to know Gary Johnson better and see if he's someone who I could end up voting for. That's something which I'll evaluate over the coming weeks and months."
• A Republican primary runoff election was held in Georgia’s 3rd Congressional District. Drew Ferguson defeated Mike Crane to win the Republican nomination. The seat was open following incumbent Lynn Westmoreland’s decision to retire. Ferguson will face Angela Pendley (D) in the general election for this safely red seat.
• Matt Paul, a former spokesperson for the city of Cedar Rapids, Iowa, and former aide to Iowa Gov. Tom Vilsack, was named chief of staff for Democratic vice presidential candidate Tim Kaine. He previously directed Hillary Clinton’s efforts during the Iowa caucus.
• The Department of Homeland Security announced additional steps that it is taking to help migrants who want to escape dangerous conditions in El Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras. In conjunction with the government of Costa Rica, the UN High Commissioner for Refugees, and the International Organization for Migration, a pre-screening program has been created to streamline the resettlement process and provide quick relief for those who are in the most danger. In addition, the existing Central American Minors program, which currently allows children from Central America into the country as refugees, was expanded to allow U.S.-based lawfully present parents to request refugee status for their family members and caregivers living in El Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras. Secretary of Homeland Security Jeh Johnson said, “Through the Central American Minors program, the U.S. government offers an alternative, safe, and legal path to the United States for children seeking protection from harm or persecution in El Salvador, Guatemala and Honduras. Today, we are expanding these resettlement opportunities to additional vulnerable individuals within the region. This will increase the number of individuals to whom we are able to provide humanitarian protection while combating human smuggling operations."

State

• The Indiana Republican state committee selected Lieutenant Governor Eric Holcomb (R) as the replacement candidate for Governor Mike Pence (R) on the party's 2016 ticket. Holcomb will run against challenger John Gregg (D).
• U.S. Reps. Susan Brooks and Todd Rokita had both withdrawn from their re-election efforts to pursue the nomination for governor. State Sen. Jim Tomes had also filed a declaration of candidacy. Brooks and Rokita are now eligible to be reinstated on their respective ballots, but face challengers to regain the party nomination. The state committee must submit replacements by August 14 for the candidacies made vacant by Brooks’ and Rokita’s withdrawal. At stake in 2016 is a five-year Republican trifecta; Republicans hold significant majorities in both chambers of the legislature, but if John Gregg (D)—whom Pence defeated in 2012 by three percentage points—wins the governorship in November, it will end the trifecta.
• Regulators on the Florida Environmental Regulation Commission voted 3-2 to approve new water quality standards that would allow more toxins and chemicals into the state’s rivers and streams, the first changes to these standards since 1992. Under the updated standards, the number of regulated chemicals will increase from 54 to 92 chemicals. Acceptable levels of roughly two dozen toxins will increase, and standards for 13 currently regulated chemicals will decrease. Furthermore, the standards will impose new restrictions on 39 other chemicals not currently regulated. Florida’s standards must be approved by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) as required by the federal Clean Water Act. The Florida Department of Environmental Protection defended the standards, arguing that the methodology used to update the standards took into account multiple variables to calculate the precise health effects of toxic chemical exposure. Environmental groups criticized the standards, arguing that the new standards were weaker than federal guidelines and would allow private companies to put more toxins into Florida waters.
• Primary runoff election: Georgia
  • State legislature: There were two runoff elections in the state Senate and 11 runoffs in the state House. Incumbents Tom Dickson (R-6), Tom Yates (R-73), and Darryl Jordan (D-77) were all defeated in the primary runoff. All three were the top vote-getters in the May 24 primary. Rep. Yates has served in the state House since 1993. He is the last World War II veteran still serving in any state legislature in the U.S. His term will end in January 2017. In Senate District 43, Tonya Anderson defeated state Rep. Dee Dawkins-Haigler in the Democratic primary runoff by only eight votes. A recount is expected in the race, but provisional ballots still need to be counted. Georgia is one of 23 Republican state government trifectas.

Local

• An amended public labor agreement for public works projects passed the Stockton City Council by a vote of 6-1. The three-year agreement with the San Joaquin Building and Construction Trades Council will require the city of Stockton to employ union labor for any public works project exceeding $1 million. City council member Elbert Holman was the sole dissenter in the July vote, although the proposal’s concept was first passed unanimously by the city council in November 2015. Holman and other opponents to the proposal, such as Stockton NAACP president Bobby Bivens, voiced concern that the agreement would favor jobs for Stockton city unions with few—or no—black members. Proponents, including council member Dan Wright, argued that the agreement will increase opportunities for local workers. Stockton city officials cautioned that they were unsure whether the agreement would be upheld in court. Provisions of the agreement require the city council to evaluate the project’s efficacy 18 months after its implementation.
  • The mayor’s office and three of six seats on the Stockton City Council will be up for general election on November 8, 2016. A primary election was held on June 7, 2016. Stockton is the 13th-largest city in California and the 64th-largest city in the U.S. by population.
• In Colorado, Castle Rock Mayor Paul Donahue faced a recall election. The recall effort was defeated, with 72.64 percent of votes cast to retain Donahue. The recall effort began due to citizen concerns about the environmental impacts of new development projects and the city council's limitations on public participation. Recall proponents turned in 242 valid signatures against the mayor, more than the 147 needed to move the recall forward. Voting in this election was done entirely by mail.
• In Georgia, five of the largest school districts by enrollment held runoff elections for a total of seven seats:
  • Bibb County School District: Nonpartisan runoff elections were held in District 5 and District 6 after no candidate won a majority of votes in the general election on May 24, 2016. Candidate Sundra Woodford defeated James Timley in District 5. In District 6, Bob Easter defeated candidate Valerie Wynn. The Bibb County School District served 24,180 students during the 2013-2014 school year.
  • Muscogee County School District: Nonpartisan runoff elections were held in Districts 1 and 7 after no candidate won a majority of votes in the general election on May 24, 2016. Incumbent Pat Hugley Green defeated challenger JoAnn Thomas-Brown to retain the District 1 seat. In District 7, Cathy Williams defeated fellow candidate Shelia Williams. The Muscogee County School District served 32,128 students during the 2013-2014 school year.
  • Rockdale County Public Schools: A nonpartisan runoff election was held for Post 4 after no candidate won a majority of votes in the general election on May 24, 2016. Candidate Heather Duncan defeated Cassandra Barker-Carr. Rockdale County Public Schools served 16,047 students during the 2013-2014 school year.
  • Troup County School System: A nonpartisan runoff election was held in District 5 after no candidate won a majority of votes in the general election on May 24, 2016. Catherine Sargent Hunt defeated fellow candidate John Asbell. The Troup County School System served 12,677 students during the 2013-2014 school year.
  • Paulding County School District: A partisan primary runoff election was held after no candidate won a majority of votes in the partisan primary election on May 24, 2016. At-large incumbent Joe Watson Jr. (R) lost to challenger Jeff Fuller (R). Fuller and three other candidates will run unopposed in the general election on November 8, 2016. The Paulding County School District served 28,434 students during the 2013-2014 school year.
• FILING DEADLINE: Deadline passed to run for 69 school board seats in 22 of Michigan’s largest school districts by enrollment. The general election for these districts will be held on November 8, 2016.
  • In the state’s largest district, Detroit Public Schools, 72 candidates filed to run for seven at-large seats. The national average of candidates per seat was 1.89 candidates per seat in 2014 and 1.72 candidates per seat in 2015, and the state average in Michigan was 2.09 in 2014. A June 2016 reorganization bill passed by the state government split Detroit Public Schools into two entities. The existing district will continue to collect taxes to pay down debts, while a new district overseen by the school board was created to oversee school operations. This bill will reduce the school board's membership from 11 to seven after the general election on November 8, 2016. A state-appointed commission was also created to oversee the new district's financial dealings. Detroit Public Schools served 49,043 students during the 2013-2014 school year.

Preview of the day

The excerpts below were compiled from issue #26 of The Tap, which was published on July 23, 2016. READ THE FULL VERSION HERE.

Federal

• IN PHILADELPHIA: The Democratic National Convention will continue with speeches from former President Bill Clinton and the Mothers of the Movement, a group of African American women whose children have been killed in high-profile shooting incidents or encounters with law enforcement. During the afternoon session, presumptive nominee Hillary Clinton will be nominated as the Democratic Party’s presidential nominee.

• A Republican primary runoff election will be held in Georgia’s 3rd Congressional District. State Sen. Mike Crane and West Point Mayor Drew Ferguson will compete for a chance to fill the open seat left by the retirement of Rep. Lynn Westmoreland (R). The winner will face Angela Pendley (D) in the general election for this safely red seat.

State

• Primary runoff election: Georgia
  • State legislature: There are two runoff elections in the state Senate and 11 runoffs in the state House. Three incumbent representatives are involved in runoffs. Incumbents Tom Dickson (R-6), Tom Yates (R-73), and Darryl Jordan (D-77) will face primary opponents again. All three were the top vote-getters in the May 24 primary.

• Hearings begin for ex-Alabama Law Enforcement Agency Chief Spencer Collier's wrongful termination lawsuit against Governor Robert Bentley (R). Collier alleges that Bentley fired him in retaliation for refusing to cover up the governor's alleged affair with one of his senior aides, Rebekah Mason. Collier accused Bentley of the affair in the media on March 22, 2016, the same day he was fired.
  • Bentley is currently under investigation by the State Ethics Commission, the attorney general's office, and a House impeachment committee regarding allegations that he misused state funds in order to conduct the affair, which he denies. According to Bentley, Collier was fired after giving a statement to Attorney General Luther Strange (R) regarding the corruption charges pending against former House Speaker Mike Hubbard (R) after Bentley had ordered him not to. Collier claims that as head of the ALEA, he was legally obligated to cooperate with any ongoing criminal investigations and further claims his termination was an attempt to undermine Collier's credibility because Bentley and Mason "feared he would reveal information showing [they] had committed crimes." Collier is seeking an unspecified amount in punitive damages. Alabama is one of 23 Republican trifectas.

• IN PHILADELPHIA: Virginia Governor Terry McAuliffe (D) is scheduled to speak at the Democratic National Convention shortly after the official presidential nomination vote. McAuliffe, a close friend of Hillary Clinton and former co-chairman of her 2008 political campaign, is reportedly under investigation by the FBI regarding contributions to his 2013 gubernatorial campaign. The Clinton campaign declined to comment on the investigation, while McAuliffe has vehemently denied any wrongdoing and asserted that the donor in question was a legal resident of the United States. McAuliffe is prevented from seeking a second term in 2017 by term limits. Virginia currently has a divided government.

Local

• In Colorado, Castle Rock Mayor Paul Donahue will face a recall election. The recall effort began due to citizens’ concerns about the environmental impacts of new development projects and the city council's limitations on public participation. Recall proponents turned in 242 valid signatures against the mayor, more than the 147 needed to move the recall forward. Voting in this election is being done entirely by mail.
• Five of Georgia’s largest school districts will hold runoff elections for seven seats. The runoffs will be held as both primary and general elections in cases where no candidate gained a majority of the vote in the previous election. The 38 districts across the state with elections this year served 1,191,657 students during the 2013-2014 school year.
• FILING DEADLINE: Deadline to run for 69 school board seats in 22 of Michigan’s largest school districts. The state’s largest district, Detroit Public Schools, has seven of its 11 total seats up for election. The districts with elections this year served 344,081 students during the 2013-2014 school year. The general election will be held on November 8, 2016.