state | Voter.org

How Did America’s Weirdest, Most Freedom-Obsessed State Fall for an Authoritarian Governor?

March 30, 2023 state, Most, fall, governor, America's, authoritarian, Weirdest, FreedomObsessed0 comment

Illustrations by Brandon Celi This article was featured in One Story to Read Today, a newsletter in which our editors recommend a single must-read from The Atlantic, Monday through Friday. Sign up for it here. In the course of a single month this year, the following news reports emanated from Florida: A gun enthusiast in Tampa built a 55-foot backyard pool shaped like a revolver, with a hot tub in the hammer. A 32-year-old from Cutler Bay was arrested for biting off the head of his girlfriend’s pet python during…

MoveOn: Biden’s State of the Union a “Bold, People-First Playbook to Finish the Job and Deliver for the American People”

February 14, 2023 American, finish, Union, Deliver, Biden's, playbook', Bold, MoveOn, PeopleFirst, state, People0 comment

Washington, D.C. – Statement from MoveOn Executive Director Rahna Epting on tonight’s State of the Union address by President Biden: “Tonight, the American people heard President Biden detail the hard-fought progress of the last two years to build an economy that works for everyone, defend our democracy, lower unemployment, and rebuild our nation from the pandemic. On everything from making health care more affordable to fighting climate change and protecting Social Security and Medicare, the president shared a bold, people-first playbook to finish the job and deliver for the American…

Alliance of Big Tech, Dark Money Groups Partners With Counties in State That Bans ‘Zuckerbucks’ for Elections

January 29, 2023 groups, Elections, Alliance, Counties, Dark, bans, Partners, ‘Zuckerbucks’, Tech, state, money0 comment

The group that distributed most of Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg’s controversial election grants in 2020 has designated at least two Utah counties as part of a new effort, despite a state ban on private money funding election operations. The two local juridictions are Cache County, with a population of 137,00, and Weber County, population 267,000. The U.S. Alliance for Election Excellence, a group launched by the Center for Tech and Civic Life and other left-leaning organizations, designated the Utah counties as participants in its plans for 2024. In 2022, the…

Congress drives CIO authorities deeper down at USDA, Justice, State

December 24, 2022 Congress, down, Justice, deeper, drives, authorities, USDA, state0 comment

While the spotlight shines brightest on the fiscal 2023 omnibus bill around which agency got how much money and for which programs, federal employees can’t lose sight of the consolidated appropriations bill as a key policy document. Scattered throughout the 4,100 page bill, there are nuggets of new or ongoing requirements that impact every part of an agency’s mission. The Senate passed the omnibus bill Dec. 22 by a vote of 68 to 29. At the same time, the language lawmakers’ use provides insight into what they are paying attention…

NDAA backs State Dept efforts to build up workforce, modernize diplomatic mission

December 16, 2022 Mission, Dept., Build, backs, Efforts, NDAA, modernize, workforce, state, diplomatic0 comment

Congress is backing many of the State Department’s plans to modernize its workforce and bring its diplomatic corps into the 21st century in the latest defense policy bill. The fiscal 2023 National Defense Authorization Act lawmakers passed this week directs the department to keep the House and Senate up to date on its plans to stand up its Bureau of Cyberspace and Digital Policy, as well as provide updates on its hiring efforts. The NDAA specifically requires the department to inform lawmakers how well it’s meeting its long-term goal of…

Washington State Ban on Natural Gas Heating Is All Cost, No Benefit

November 10, 2022 state, Washington, Natural, Cost, benefit, Heating0 comment

The Washington State Building Code Council, an unelected board that governs construction standards, on Nov. 4 decided to effectively ban natural gas heating in new-construction homes and office buildings. Advocates of the new restrictions admitted reluctantly that their new requirements will increase the cost of housing, but perhaps even more notable is that the new rules will do nothing to advance the purported goal; namely, reducing the state’s CO2 emissions. The combination of artificially high cost and no benefit makes the new regulations a textbook example of how some politicians…