Archive for the ‘Tea Party’ Category

If Not Now, When? Dems Fight for the House Will Shape Texas Politics for Years – The Texas Observer

The number is etched in Sharon Hirschs mind: 391. Thats how many votes she lost her 2018 race against Republican state Representative Matt Shaheen by, in Collin Countys House District 66. If 10 more people in each precinct had voted for her, she calculated, she would have won. It really stunk to lose. Im not gonna lie, Hirsch says.

The district is centered in Plano, a suburban city just north of Dallas with a population thats grown by 50,000 since Republicans took control of the state House in 2002. Collin County has long been a bedrock of GOP conservatismhome to Ken and Angela Paxton and other influential tea partiers.

But the fact that Hirsch came so close was a sign to the former administrative staffer at Plano Independent School District that this once-ruby red suburban turf was changingand fast. Two years before she came within a few hundred votes, Shaheen, first elected in 2014, had beaten his Democratic opponent by nearly 20 percentage points. Hirsch, a longtime Democratic activist in the area, promptly decided to challenge him again in 2020. The district is diversifying and she believes his politics are out of step with a community that prides itself on strong public schools and good parks, and is turned off by the rise of right-wing Trumpism. Apart from the 2019 school finance bill that passed out of the House near-unanimously, I cant think of any bill that he has supported that has been something good for the community, she says of Shaheen, one of the most conservative members of the Texas House and a leading proponent of the bathroom bill legislation targeting transgender people. (Shaheen declined to be interviewed by the Observer.)

The Democratic effort to flip the Texas House this year runs straight through District 66, the sort of suburban district that just a few years ago was seen as unwinnable for Democrats. As immense population growth has changed the political and demographic contours of the area, the districtand others like itare now competitive. After flipping 12 House seats in 2018, Democrats need to flip only nine more this year in order to take control of the lower chamber, which would give them an official lever of power in state government for the first time in nearly 20 years.

Record turnout levels have Democrats, who tend to do better when more voters cast ballots, feeling optimistic about their chances. With one week still left of early voting, Texas has already surpassed half of the total vote in 2016. In Collin County, nearly 45 percent of registered voters290,701 in allhad already voted as of October 21, one of the highest turnout rates in the state. Democratic candidates are raising huge sums of money, groups in Texas and nationally are funneling in unprecedented amounts of cash, and grassroots activists are mobilizing voters on the ground.

Beto ORourkes historic 2018 U.S. Senate run provided a blueprint of competitive House districts for Democrats in 2020. The partys targets are the nine Republican House districts that ORourke won. But Dems are also making serious runs in 13 other GOP districts where ORourke came within 10 percentage points of Senator Ted Cruz. Almost all of these seats are in the suburbs of Dallas, Fort Worth, and Houston, and the vast majority of Democratic candidates in these races are womennotable since many of these districts are swinging so quickly because of suburban women fleeing the Republican Party in droves, thanks in large part to Trump.

This is going to be a complete referendum on the president, says Brendan Steinhauser, a Republican campaign consultant. The typical meat and potatoes Texas voter is turned off by the current version of the party, especially Trumpwhich is bad news for Republican incumbents, he says. Theres just more of a, Were going to punish everybody sort of approach.

Democrats are facing a critical question when it comes to flipping the House: If not now, then when? If they succeed, Democrats would provide a critical check against Republican attempts at gerrymandering heading into the 2021 redistricting cycle. But if they fail, the GOP will remain in unified control of Texas government, free to once again gerrymander themselves into power, making a Democratic House takeover unlikely for years to come.

There is just so much at stake, says Matt Angle, a veteran campaign operative and director of the Lone Star Project, a Democratic advocacy group. It really is extraordinarily the degree to which a lot hinges on Democrats being able to net nine seats.

Republicans trifecta control of Texas is one of the longest stretches of one party-rule of state government in the United Statesand the most consequential. Texas has long been the biggest red state in the nation, and the GOP agenda here has set the tone for the national party.

Although George W. Bush wrested the governorship from Democratic incumbent Ann Richards in 1994 and Republicans flipped the Senate in 1996, the state House remained a bastion of Democratic control through the end of the century. The GOP finally took hold of the House in 2002, gaining 16 seats and a conservative majority that elected longtime Midland Representative Tom Craddick as Speaker. Tom DeLay, who would later become a ruthless U.S. House Majority Leader known as The Hammer, infamously orchestrated the takeover by funneling money from corporate interests around the country into a PAC called Texans for a Republican Majority. DeLay would eventually be indicted for money laundering and criminal conspiracy related to campaign finance violations and disappear from politics.

Once in power, Republicans initiated an unprecedented mid-decade redistricting of Texas congressional map. The resulting gerrymandering would lead to the defeats of several conservative and influential Democratic members of Congress and further expand Republicans majority in the U.S. House.

Riding the coattails of an Obama-led surge in 2008, Texas Democrats came just within just one seat of taking back control of the House. Republican state Representative Linda Harper-Brown narrowly held onto her Irving-based seat by 19 votes against Bob Romano, a Democratic contender with little campaign funding or party support. Had Romano won, Democrats would have split control of the Texas House down the middle: 75-75. Democrats vied to finish the job in 2010 and take back control. But this didnt go as planned, as anti-Obama backlash fueled a conservative tea party takeover in the midterms across the country. In Texas, Republicans picked up 23 state House seats, securing themselves a supermajority of 99-51.

The next year, they locked in that power by once again drawing aggressively gerrymandered legislative and congressional maps that diluted the power of Black and Latinx votersby either packing into heavily Democratic districts or cracking up communities across several GOP districts. Lower courts have repeatedly found these maps to be racist.

Now, the upcoming redistricting cycle is the biggest factor animating the fight for the Texas House. If Democrats dont take the House, Republicans could draw new legislative and congressional maps next year that, once again, entrench GOP power at the expense of minority communities who have accounted for the largest share of population growth in the past decade, and wipe out as many Democrats who ousted Republicans in recent years as possible.

If Republicans have complete control once again, we know what they will do because theyve done it before, Grand Prairie Representative Chris Turner, who chairs the Texas House Democratic Caucus, told the Observer. This is our best chance to achieve some balance in the state government and begin to turn this around.

Typically, a GOP-held House and Senate collaborate on drawing legislative and congressional maps with little resistance. With a split Legislature, redistricting would likely become gridlocked. If the Legislature fails to draw new state House and Senate maps, then the task falls to what will still be a GOP-dominated Legislative Redistricting Board.

But if the Legislature fails to draw a new congressional mapwhich after the Census count, will likely include adding at least two new districtsthe courts will draw the map, which could be a more preferable outcome for Democrats.If they control the Texas House, [Democrats] can effectively force the issue into courts by refusing to go along with a Republican map, says Michael Li, a redistricting expert and senior counsel at the Brennan Center. [The courts] dont draw the perfect map but they also dont draw a wildly discriminatory map. It wont be perfect but it would be a thousand times fairer.

The amount of money flooding into Texas House races reaffirms the stakes of this battle. Several national Democratic groups have made the Texas House one of their top priorities in 2020. Democrats are outraising Republicans in the most competitive House races for the first time since the GOP won the House in 2002. There is no more important battleground for fair maps than Texas, says Garrett Arwa, director of campaigns at the National Democratic Redistricting Committee, which was founded by former Obama attorney general Eric Holder. The group has put more than $800,000 into Texas House campaigns.

Forward Majority, a national super PAC focused on flipping state legislatures for Democrats, has committed the most cash to the cause. The super PAC announced this week that it was doubling down on its initial $6 million investment in 12 Texas House races, bringing its total spending to more than $12 millionits biggest state investment this cycle. In 2018, the group spent just $2.2 million in Texas.

And since Beto ORourke launched Powered by People in January and made flipping the state House its top priority, the group has attracted more than 6,000 volunteers who have made more than 25 million phone and text contacts with potential Democratic voters.

In the face of the blue money wave, the national GOP has swooped in to supplement Texas Republican donors. The Republican State Leadership Committee raised $5.2 million from July to late September, according to the latest campaign finance filings. Casino magnate and Republican mega-donor Sheldon Adelson and his wife contributed $4.5 million. Texans for Lawsuit Reform, a tort-reform PAC that is financed by business moguls, is also spending millions to help hold the House. And Governor Greg Abbott is dipping into his massive campaign war chest to provide support as well, with plans to spend a mid-seven-figure on 24 House races and on statewide TV ads, even as his aides try to downplay the likelihood of a Democratic House takeover.

Back in the suburbs of North Texas, where ORourke won the district by 6 points in 2018 after Trump won it by 3 points in 2016, Hirsch is determined to prevail. During her campaign in 2018, she says she saw a level of enthusiasm from Democratic voters that was previously unseen in Collin County. Thats only become more apparent in 2020. We have a county of a million people and growing, and we have no Democrats in office, she says. The five state representatives, one state senator, and county elected officials are all Republican, and its been that way for as long as she can remember. Theres no diversity in representation. We deserve that.

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If Not Now, When? Dems Fight for the House Will Shape Texas Politics for Years - The Texas Observer

Candidates give picks for education post | Statehouse | Journal Gazette – Fort Wayne Journal Gazette

INDIANAPOLIS Fort Wayne college instructor Dawn Wooten would be secretary of education if Libertarian Donald Rainwater is elected governor, he announced Thursday.

Meanwhile, Democrat Dr. Woody Myers' choice current Superintendent of Public Instruction Jennifer McCormick also spoke with reporters.

Ironically Wooten and McCormick faced off in the 2016 GOP primary for the education post, and McCormick won easily.

Rainwater said together with Wooten he will work to decentralize and depoliticize Hoosier education and return the decision-making power back to Hoosier parents, teachers, school boards and administrators.

Wooten said she hopes Hoosiers vote for fundamental change and that the legislature should never have changed the job to appointed.

She also took McCormick to task, saying her tenure has been a lot of inaction.

She did not work with the legislature well and that is where things get done, Wooten said. Another four years in her administration would not be good for children or teachers.

Wooten teaches at Indiana Tech and Purdue Fort Wayne, and has a freelance editing business. She also believes there are ways to cut the education budget so that the state doesn't have to give standardized tests required by the federal government.

McCormick on Thursday said she agreed to serve if Myers is elected because I know how important it is to have continuity in (the Department of Education). This is one less interruption in the lives of students and educators.

In 2018 she announced she would not seek reelection and blamed the structure of how education is handled in state government. Essentially the office has little power as lawmakers moved duties to the State Board of Education.

She said the supermajority that Republicans have in the legislature could be broken this year and if Myers is elected he would have appointments to the state board, which would look very different.

McCormick also said she wants to stay on to fight for competitive pay for teachers. She acknowledged lawmakers provided new dollars but said Indiana is still trying to catch up from a cut in 2009.

We are woefully underfunded it isn't adequate or equitable, she said.

McCormick also said she focuses on the person and policy above politics when asked if she is still a Republican. She previously voted for Democrats and has endorsed several Democrats this year.

I just don't get hung up on the political affiliation, she said.

Wooten ran as a Republican before and was backed by the tea party. But she said she aligns more now with the Libertarian philosophy.

nkelly@jg.net

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Candidates give picks for education post | Statehouse | Journal Gazette - Fort Wayne Journal Gazette

Famous protests in US history and their impacts – Shelbynews

few hundred people then attempted to levitate the building.

The striking civic protest against the Vietnam War was noteworthy not just for its unusual call to action, but for the new and inventive ways Americans were flexing their right to peaceably assemble. And the Yippies who put on the event inspired countless creative takes on what protest could be, from the Womens Art Movement (WAM) to the AIDS Coalition to Unleash Power (ACT UP).

The tradition of protesting in the United States is older than the country itself. This year, we've seen that historic institution full force with Black Lives Matter protests and, more generally, protests against the storied, systemic racial injustice in the United States. The May 25 death of George Floyd, a Black man, held under the knee of a white police officer in Minneapolis, sparked protests across U.S. cities and around the world. The protesters have called for justice for Floyd and other Black peoplefrom Breonna Taylor to Elijah McClainwho were killed by police, an end to police brutality, a dismantling of racist systems and symbols (including memorials to Confederate soldiers), and a greater investment in communities in need.

The protests prompted widespread dialogue about racial injustice and the political and cultural systems that support it. The four police officers involved in the killing of Floyd were charged with crimes related to the incident. The Minneapolis City Council agreed to dismantle its police force and rethink how it approaches public safety. And many politicians promised to adjust police budgets so money gets reallocated to support communities directly through improved housing, education, and mental health programs, especially in communities of color.

To understand where the Black Lives Matter demonstrations fit into this rich history, Stacker took a closer look at some of the most famous American protests. Research came from the New York Times, The Week, Time, and Business Insider; government archives; and information from unions and mission-driven organizations. The demonstrations that have made their mark on history range from the Boston Tea Party and Temperance prayer protests to demonstrations for modern-day issues, like civil rights, climate change, nuclear disarmament, reproductive health concerns, LGBTQ+ equality, and gun control.

Keep reading to learn about the important issues that motivated Americans to protestand the impacts of those actions on our society today.

[Pictured: A portrait taken during The Day Without an Immigrant protest on May 1, 2006.]

You may also like: Political Cartoons From The Last 100 Years

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Famous protests in US history and their impacts - Shelbynews

The BFF Binge Fringe Festival of FREE Theatre! Live-Streaming for your viewing pleasure! What’s on today? – Gazette Newspapers

The 5th Annual Santa Monica Playhouse BFF Binge Fringe Festival of FREE Theatre, the only FREE Fringe Festival in the nation, will be a little different this year. We're sure you know why. Despite the challenges of this worldwide pandemic, we embrace an optimism for the future, continuing to produce theatre that aims to connect us, celebrate our strengths and differences, and enrich our lives. Whats on today? Alice and the Wonderful Tea Party, "A winning blend of vaudeville, English pantomime and music hall." DRAMA-LOGUE. Join Alice as she returns to the Wonderland of her youth. Will Alice prevail or are the Cards stacked against her? Will the Queen suffer a heart attack? Will the surprise tea party come off with civili-TEA or hostili-TEA. Help Alice set things aright in this zany musical comedy for kids ages 2 to 102. In this, our 60th year, we're sad we are not able to invite audiences into our theatres and know that live-stream can never replace the human connection that comes from shared space that is so intrinsic and vital to theatre, but safety and health come first. We look forward to seeing everyone in person at BFF 2021. And since were live online this year, we can even touch the lives of friends on the East Coast and beyond. Thanks to generous grants from the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors through the Los Angeles County Department of Arts and Culture, the City of Santa Monica and the Santa Monica Arts Commission, and Playhouse PALS, BFF 2020 will bring you a host of free events online as BFF artists present a series of shows that will have audiences of all ages raving with laughter and tears. BFF 2020 events will include Heather Kellers CHEMO BARBIE (Oct 19, 6:30pm), Wendy Hammers I BROKE UP WITH CANCER (Oct 21, 5pm), ALICE AND THE WONDERFUL TEA PARTY (Oct 25, 1pm), Marilyn Andersons HOW TO LIVE LIKE A MILLIONAIRE WHEN YOURE A MILLION SHORT (Oct 26, 5:30pm), Jannica Olins (IM)Perfekt (Oct 28, 6pm), Carla Delaneys WORTH IT! (Oct 30, 5:30pm), Shelley Fishers family-friendly THE PALLIGATOR SHOW (Nov 2, 2pm), Cindy DAndreas CATSH!T CRAZY (Nov 4, 5:30pm), Bill Berrys ROSE PETALS AND ASHES (Nov 6:30pm), Rahvaunia Johnsons tHis Is Very IMPORTANT (Nov 8, 6pm). All show are PST (Pacific Standard Time). For your live-streaming link, just visit https://www.santamonicaplayhouse.com/thebff2020.html

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The BFF Binge Fringe Festival of FREE Theatre! Live-Streaming for your viewing pleasure! What's on today? - Gazette Newspapers

After Trump, the Republican Party May Become More Extreme – The Atlantic

But the Democrats divisions all look quite civil compared with the problems post-Trump Republicans will face. Trump built his base in the insurgent anti-government, anti-immigrant movement that, during the last recession, came to prominence as the Tea Party. Then he forged a pact with evangelical Christians, to whom he promised a steady supply of socially conservative federal judges, including on the Supreme Court. He also built a strong alliance with his partys anti-abortion-rights observant Catholicsa constituency epitomized by Attorney General William Barr. So Trump campaigns unbowed atop a coalition that, by my estimate, constitutes 65 percent of his party. He has lost swing voters but kept his most avid fans. Among the voters who approve of Trumps job performance, about 70 percent do so strongly.

Todays Republican Party dominates all branches of government in about 15 states that will keep sending successful political leaders to the U.S. House and Senate to fight against immigration, social liberalism, multiculturalism, and equal voting rights. But the party is battling to hold on to statessuch as North Carolina, Georgia, Florida, and Texasthat have large metropolitan areas, growing populations of immigrants and college graduates, and greater political engagement among Black and Latino citizens. And Republican leaders in those states appear poised to follow the self-destructive lead of their California counterparts a generation ago.

Mike Madrid: What Democrats dont understand about Latino voters

California Republicans were the first to act on the economic and cultural fears raised by immigration. As the Latino population grew, state Republicans put Proposition 187 on the ballot in 1994. It barred undocumented immigrants from attending public schools or using public hospitals and required cooperation with federal immigration officials. Its passage had a huge negative impact on Black and Latino support for Republicans, but more important, it led to immigration crowding out other issues. Republicans became a predominantly white, socially conservative, anti-immigration party with little interest in education, the environment, and other issues of interest to moderate voters. Before Proposition 187, Democrats and Republicans were both competitive in races for president and governor and evenly split the states seats in the House of Representatives. But in 2010, Democrats won every statewide office.

Whats instructive is how Republican leaders reacted as their party fell further and further behind. Each year, they fielded fewer moderate candidates; in the 2018 midterm, a Democratic-wave election, California Republicans were annihilated. The Trump-supported gubernatorial candidate got only 38 percent of the vote. In Orange County, once Ronald Reagans suburban heartland, every GOP member of Congress lost. Republicans held on to only seven congressional seats in the whole state of California.

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After Trump, the Republican Party May Become More Extreme - The Atlantic