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North Carolina Republicans advanced extensive legislation Tuesday that would weaken the powers of the incoming governor, attorney general and schools superintendent — all Democrats who were elected two weeks ago — and shift election board appointments to the GOP state auditor.
The final 131-page measure, which also includes setting aside additional funds for Hurricane Helene relief, became public roughly an hour before the GOP-controlled House met to debate it during a lame-duck General Assembly session this week. The House voted largely along party lines Tuesday night for the measure, which the Republican-controlled Senate was expected to take up on Wednesday. […]
Currently the State Board of Elections’ five members are appointed by the governor based on recommendations by the Democratic and Republican parties. The governor’s party always holds three of the seats. Republican legislators have tried for years to wrest away those appointment powers but have been thwarted by courts. Judges have blocked for now a 2023 law that would move board appointment authority from the governor to the General Assembly.
Even with litigation pending, Tuesday’s measure would move the independent state board to the State Auditor’s Office starting next summer. At that time the new auditor — Republican Dave Boliek, who was elected this month — would make appointments. These changes likely would mean Republican control of the board.
In a likely response to complaints about slow vote-counting this month, the bill also would require in 2025 that county election boards count all provisional ballots by three days after Election Day.
* In 2021, Illinois became the second state to fully repeal its HIV-specific criminal law. Indiana…
Indiana laws criminalizing human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) transmission are “outdated” and largely unnecessary, asserts a Thursday report from the University of California, Los Angeles School of Law. […]
Nearly all are felonies punishable by years-long imprisonments and fines of up to $10,000 — and half include enhancements for actual transmission. None require intent to transmit.
Indiana’s contaminated bodily fluids and semen donations bans are the state’s oldest HIV criminal laws, per the report, which found that current U.S. Food and Drug Administration practices are “highly effective” at keeping the blood and plasma supply, as well as semen donations or transfers, safe. […]
In a separate report, the institute found that Indiana has arrested 18 Hoosiers with HIV on charges of donating plasma since 2000 — but not under provisions penalizing actual transmission. Nearly all were convicted of at least one HIV-related crime.
House Speaker Mike Johnson signaled support Tuesday for a Republican effort to ban Democrat Sarah McBride — the first transgender person to be elected to Congress — from using women’s restrooms in the Capitol once she’s sworn into office next year.
“We’re not going to have men in women’s bathrooms,” Johnson told The Associated Press. “I’ve been consistent about that with anyone I’ve talked to about this.”
Johnson earlier in the day emphasized the need to “treat all persons with dignity and respect,” adding, “This is an issue that Congress has never had to address before, and we’re going to do that in deliberate fashion with member consensus on it.”
A resolution proposed Monday by GOP Rep. Nancy Mace of South Carolina would prohibit any lawmakers and House employees from “using single-sex facilities other than those corresponding to their biological sex.” Mace said the bill is aimed specifically at McBride, who was elected to the House this month from Delaware.
South Carolina now faces a lawsuit stemming from a rule dictating who is allowed to use which restrooms at school.
The people who have filed the legal challenge claim they are now facing “grave violations of their civil and constitutional rights” because of it.
The lawsuit focuses on a temporary law in the current state budget, called a proviso, which requires people, including students, to use school restrooms and locker rooms based on their biological sex at birth.
Schools that violate the law by not enforcing it risk losing a quarter of their state funding.
* Alabama…
When the Alabama Legislature approved a near-total abortion ban in 2019, some Republican members of the Legislature downplayed the impact of the legislation, saying it was meant as a challenge to Roe v. Wade and that the state would revisit the issue if Roe fell, possibly in a “heartbeat” bill that would ban the procedure at about six weeks after conception.
“I have prayed my way through this issue and this bill, because it was hard to give up heartbeat,” Rep. Terri Collins, R-Decatur, said at the time. “I believe we can’t get a heartbeat bill until we get Roe v. Wade turned over.”
More than five years later, and over two-and-a-half years after the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade and ended federal abortion rights protections, Alabama’s ban seems unlikely to change despite successes of abortion rights advocates in other parts of the country.
Collins, who sponsored the legislation, said in a recent interview she had asked other lawmakers if they were interested in moving to a heartbeat bill, and she did not find that they did. […]
Seven states earlier this month voted to enshrine or expand abortion rights in their state constitutions, but such a move would face high hurdles in Alabama. The state has no referendum process allowing citizens to put proposed laws on the ballot, requiring any changes to be made by the Republican-controlled Legislature. Even if the Legislature was moved to add exceptions to the law, it would likely face major legal action from anti-abortion rights activists.
* Texas…
Texas’ education board on Tuesday advanced a new Bible-infused curriculum that would be optional for schools to incorporate in kindergarten through fifth grades, one of the latest Republican-led efforts in the U.S. to incorporate more religious teaching into classrooms.
The vote moves the Texas State Board of Education one step closer to signing off on what is known as the “Bluebonnet” textbook, which drew hours of often emotional testimony from school teachers and parents earlier this week.
The board is expected to hold a final vote on the measure Friday.
The curriculum — designed by the state’s public education agency — would allow teachings from the Bible such as the Golden Rule and lessons from books such as Genesis into classrooms. Under the plan, it would be optional for schools to adopt the curriculum though they would receive additional funding if they did so.
posted by Isabel Miller
Wednesday, Nov 20, 24 @ 10:41 am
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==Johnson earlier in the day emphasized the need to “treat all persons with dignity and respect,”==
. . . but we’ll still target a newly elected member of Congress with hatemongering . . .
Comment by Demoralized Wednesday, Nov 20, 24 @ 10:46 am
==North Carolina Republicans advanced extensive legislation Tuesday that would weaken the powers of the incoming governor, attorney general and schools superintendent — all Democrats who were elected two weeks ago — and shift election board appointments to the GOP state auditor.==
I guess Republicans really aren’t into respecting the will of the voters.
Comment by Demoralized Wednesday, Nov 20, 24 @ 10:47 am
MAGA mayhem unfettered for the price of eggs.
Comment by Norseman Wednesday, Nov 20, 24 @ 10:48 am
“lessons from books such as Genesis”
What if a parent doesn’t want their child exposed to Genesis 19:32–35?
– MrJM
Comment by @misterjayem Wednesday, Nov 20, 24 @ 10:50 am
NCGOP doing trying to take the ball and go home, again. They did this exact thing when Cooper was elected, too.
Comment by TJ Wednesday, Nov 20, 24 @ 10:53 am
==advanced a new Bible-infused curriculum==
Republicans are constantly griping about kids being “indoctrinated” in schools and then they come up with crap like this trying to force religion on to kids in school.
Comment by Demoralized Wednesday, Nov 20, 24 @ 11:01 am
=what is known as the “Bluebonnet” textbook=
I am sure I have a group that will demand that we adopt this in the future. Crazy.
Also = Genesis 19:32–35=
I wonder what some of our conservative posters think about teaching (endorsing really) alcohol abuse and incest? Especially given the far right obsession with porn and sexuality. When I have asked people who want the bible taught in public schools they always have a yeah but and never answer the question. I am sure we will get crickets here.
Comment by JS Mill Wednesday, Nov 20, 24 @ 11:12 am
Maybe they can teach about the Bible and how hypocritical the people are who force it on students.
Comment by Grandson of Man Wednesday, Nov 20, 24 @ 11:14 am
The best way to prevent children from growing up and becoming religious, is to force it on them in school.
After attending 8 years of private religious schooling, and looking back on it now after a few decades, I’d day about 85%-90% of my classmates have grown up to want nothing to do with religion.
Sure there are still that 10%-15% it lands with, and sure there will be enclaves where it seems like it has taken over, but it doesn’t take a PhD in math to see in the long term this approach isn’t going to accomplish the indoctrinating intent with children the adults thought it would.
The only reason things like this need to be legislated now, is because if given the choice people would not choose this for themselves. People aren’t dumb. They can see the chasm of discrepancy between religion and the behavior of people who push religion.
–
“The more you tighten your grip, Tarkin, the more star systems will slip through your fingers”
–
The law of unintended consequences is one of my favorite things in this existence.
Comment by TheInvisibleMan Wednesday, Nov 20, 24 @ 11:29 am
Not wanting biological men in women’s facilities is hate-mongering?? What is not having any concern for women’s privacy rights?
Comment by Blanche Wednesday, Nov 20, 24 @ 11:38 am
== Not wanting biological men in women’s facilities is hate-mongering?? What is not having any concern for women’s privacy rights? ==
And the way to guarantee women’s privacy rights is to have the state empowered to check a bathroom user’s birth gender? And what… is the plan to have fully transitioned mtf folks using the women’s restroom?
And the side advocating for this is also advocating for surveillance of women’s menstrual cycles and their out of state medical visits. Yeah, women’s privacy rights is really a really high priority of the right.
Comment by TJ Wednesday, Nov 20, 24 @ 11:43 am
sorry, meant to say “is the plant to have fully transitioned ftm folks using the women’s restroom?”
Comment by TJ Wednesday, Nov 20, 24 @ 11:44 am
==What is not having any concern for women’s privacy rights?==
As a woman, my privacy rights are preserved as soon as I close the door on the stall. Hope this helps.
Comment by yinn Wednesday, Nov 20, 24 @ 11:46 am
===What is not having any concern for women’s privacy rights?===
I’m not sure how you use the bathroom, but I definitely don’t check the other stalls to see people’s genitals. You don’t know who’s trans and who isn’t. Just let people use the bathroom they feel most comfortable in. If you think people are only trans because they want to invade your privacy, I’d recommend doing some research and using single-user bathrooms in the meantime.
Comment by Ally Wednesday, Nov 20, 24 @ 11:47 am
=Not wanting biological men in women’s facilities is hate-mongering??=
Blanche, what are your thoughts on teaching the practice of incest?
Comment by JS Mill Wednesday, Nov 20, 24 @ 11:53 am
@blanche
What is the privacy concern? Care to elaborate
Comment by Deacon blues Wednesday, Nov 20, 24 @ 11:54 am
I have been impressed with Jeff Jackson, the incoming AG for North Carolina. I somehow started receiving his Instagram posts. As a congressman, he was excellent at providing brief articulate and insightful summaries of what was transpiring in Congress. I don’t know of any Illinois elected officials who do anything similar.
Comment by City Guy Wednesday, Nov 20, 24 @ 11:57 am
==Not wanting biological men in women’s facilities is hate-mongering?? ==
The way they are going about it? It absolutely is. The Representative that has introduced this resolution has been nothing but nasty, making sure she calls this newly elected Representative “he” and “him.” It’s hateful. Period. You’re being an apologist which makes you just as bad.
Comment by Demoralized Wednesday, Nov 20, 24 @ 11:57 am
- What is not having any concern for women’s privacy rights? -
I’m having a tough time imagining what practices would lead someone to worry about this while in the restroom.
Comment by Excitable Boy Wednesday, Nov 20, 24 @ 11:59 am
==I’m having a tough time imagining what practices would lead someone to worry about this while in the restroom.==
Apparently these people’s experience in bathrooms is that everyone is going around staring at each other.
Comment by Demoralized Wednesday, Nov 20, 24 @ 12:03 pm
will people have to carry around their birth certificates to show what they were classified as at birth? Close the door to your stall and mind your own business!!
Comment by just because Wednesday, Nov 20, 24 @ 12:07 pm
The GOP is obsessed with bathroom usage. Weird.
Comment by Politix Wednesday, Nov 20, 24 @ 12:08 pm
Unfortunately, there will be many “wedge” issues coming out of DC to divide moderate and progressive Democrats.
Comment by Jane Wednesday, Nov 20, 24 @ 12:09 pm
Maybe its time to compel the U.S. Congress and State Legislatures to provide transgender bathrooms for transgender people. I am sure transgender people can handle the stress of going to a bathroom better than old fuddy-duddy people.
If you are going to create rules for excluding people, then you need to create inclusive environments that equally accommodate those you choose to exclude, regardless the fiscal costs associated with being foolish.
Comment by H-W Wednesday, Nov 20, 24 @ 12:09 pm
Do they not have unisex bathrooms in the building?
If not, build one.
Comment by 32nd Ward Wednesday, Nov 20, 24 @ 12:15 pm
@ Blanche
=== What is not having any concern for women’s privacy rights? ===
Are you suggesting no other person allowed in the bathroom privacy rights, or are you accepting of Lesbians and Transmen in your bathroom?
It seems to me you are just confused as to what constitutes privacy. If you want privacy, close the door your stall and assume you are the only person in that stall. Do your business, and flush.
Comment by H-W Wednesday, Nov 20, 24 @ 12:19 pm
Blanche, please tell me where you have gone into a public women’s bathroom and seen other ladies’ genitals. I know you haven’t. I certainly didn’t when I went into many with my handicapped wife. In fact, rather than
Comment by Norseman Wednesday, Nov 20, 24 @ 12:26 pm
Premature “Say It” error. I just wanted to tell Blanche to Grow Up and be civil.
Comment by Norseman Wednesday, Nov 20, 24 @ 12:32 pm
This is a bad time for our country, about to get much worse January 20. I find it truly sad.
Comment by Friendly Bob Adams Wednesday, Nov 20, 24 @ 12:33 pm
Wait until people in Texas find out what Jesus said about treating hungry people and immigrants. Their minds are gonna be blown.
Comment by Formerly Unemployed Wednesday, Nov 20, 24 @ 12:52 pm
=== would allow teachings … such as the Golden Rule ===
We have this teaching in blue states and had in red states. It’s called diversity and tolerance education.
Comment by Norseman Wednesday, Nov 20, 24 @ 12:54 pm
As to abortion. A number of states have put measures on the ballot for the citizens of the state to decide. I do not see any reason to do this in Illinois, but where it is more controversial just let the voters decide.
Comment by Mason County Wednesday, Nov 20, 24 @ 1:06 pm
Not sure why asking men to use the men’s room is hateful. Possibly the solution is to simply have restrooms that have no assignment of sex. Frankly I don’t care if they are all stalls makes no difference. If there is a urinal and they all line up against the walls suggest men. For the average person probably makes little difference but if you’re a public person that changes the tune.
Comment by clec dcn Wednesday, Nov 20, 24 @ 1:11 pm
==Not sure why asking men to use the men’s room is hateful. ==
You have just illustrated the point with your comment. The Reps pushing this have come out and directly attacked this newly elected Representative, calling the “he” and “him” and using their former name. That is hateful. And the fact that you stated in your comment “asking men” shows how ignorant you are of the discussion.
Comment by Demoralized Wednesday, Nov 20, 24 @ 1:17 pm
Great to see these Republican states quickly getting to work on the issues that decided the election, ie, the economy, immigration, … oh wait, never mind.
Comment by Sir Reel Wednesday, Nov 20, 24 @ 1:24 pm
==Not sure why asking men to use the men’s room is hateful. ==
How do you define a man? Having male genitals? Trans people can receive bottom surgery, therefore having genitals that match their gender, not their sex assigned at birth. Are you checking birth certificates AND genitals at the door? Where do you draw that line? And why on earth does it matter so much to you?
Comment by Ally Wednesday, Nov 20, 24 @ 1:26 pm
1) The new resolution doesn’t just target Members, but also House staff. This could create a toxic work environment on Capitol Hill with transgender staffers being outed against their will because they would be forced to use the opposite bathroom compared to what they were using days and weeks ago. If a Member or a member of their staff has the time to be a creep in the bathroom while on Capitol Hill, they are not doing the job that they were elected to do.
2) The Indiana HIV law not requiring an intent to transmit seems absolutely absurd. Intent to transmit seems like the only reason to prosecute someone in this situation.
Comment by Wisco Expat Wednesday, Nov 20, 24 @ 1:32 pm
Demoralized in this comments string seems extremely upset over various Republican behavior that he/she claims thwarts the will of the voters and/or their civil rights.
I would suggest he check out the latest actions of the Aldermen and Mayor of the People’s Republic Highland Park, Illinois in response to an advisory referendum the public overwhelmingly voted in favor of by a 82% margin. Only two alderman pushed to put the matter on future agenda for consideration. The majority, including the mayor who prefers to run for other offices on a regular basis, decided not to vote to include. The majority are either licking their wounds or studying the situation they created or now looking for loop holes?
Hmmm. Democrats refusing to support Democracy and the Will of the People? Go figure. Now that the public has advised them of their overwhelming opinion, the People’s Republic is doing a quick never mind? And the election scoffers there were magnanimous enough to place that advisory referendum on the ballot? The majority, including the alderperson appointed to fill the remainder of the term of the alderman who had the temerity to win against the established local political machine, was then given a choice between keeping his business or his political position, which started this local ruckus? Where is the outrage here?/snark.
Comment by Louis G Atsaves Wednesday, Nov 20, 24 @ 1:34 pm
McBride’s response indicates where she thinks her constituents’ priorities lie:
We should be focused on bringing down the cost of housing, health care, and child care, not manufacturing culture wars. Delawareans sent me here to make the American dream more affordable and accessible and that’s what I’m focused on.
Comment by Apple Wednesday, Nov 20, 24 @ 1:39 pm
Can a man bring his female infant into the men’s room to change a diaper?
Can my wife bring our 4 year-old into the bathroom with her or must he walk into the men’s room by himself?
Comment by supplied_demand Wednesday, Nov 20, 24 @ 1:49 pm
@demoralized It is a biological fact you are either and man or a woman. It is not hateful. One can change appearance on the outside but not on the biological level. I don’t hate someone because the change how their body looks, I just have to be consistent with biology and science. Bood types are that exact science, and similar situation. You cannot give certain blood transfusions to certain blood types.
Comment by clec dcn Wednesday, Nov 20, 24 @ 1:49 pm
==It is a biological fact you are either and man or a woman==
This is flat out wrong. It is called being intersex and lots of people are born that way. You should read up on it below. Shouldn’t we support God’s will by accepting these people?
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Intersex
Comment by supplied_demand Wednesday, Nov 20, 24 @ 1:53 pm
Louis - are you talking about the non binding referendum on folks who hold liquor licenses being able to also hold office in HP?
You are comparing that to republicans having a state legislature pass laws to remove powers from office holders solely because the new office holders are democrats? For the second time?
Are you really trying to “both sides do it” here?
Comment by Henry Francis Wednesday, Nov 20, 24 @ 1:54 pm
@clec dcn has never heard of intersex people apparently
Comment by Ally Wednesday, Nov 20, 24 @ 1:54 pm
Also, Rich you should be more precise and retitle this to “Meanwhile in Majority Land”.
Comment by 32nd Ward Wednesday, Nov 20, 24 @ 1:59 pm
===and retitle this===
Get your own blog.
Comment by Rich Miller Wednesday, Nov 20, 24 @ 2:04 pm
Genesis 19:32-35
It was as much a sinful world then as it is now.
Comment by Which one is Pink Wednesday, Nov 20, 24 @ 2:11 pm
=Genesis 19:32-35
It was as much a sinful world then as it is now.=
Kind of creepy how no one from the right cares to condemn this kind of behavior. WHat is one to think (fake pearl clutching).
Comment by JS Mill Wednesday, Nov 20, 24 @ 2:38 pm
@Louis:
Thanks for the “yeah, but” argument. It’s what you and your ilk do.
==and/or their civil rights.==
I’m glad you used that term. It is a civil rights issue.
==that he/she claims thwarts the will of the voters==
Where did I say that? I’m talking about human decency which is apparently something you can’t seem to grasp.
Also, the Representative from Delaware is an elected representative. The majority of the people that elected her don’t seem concerned. It’s only a few hatemongers in the Republican Party in Congress that seem to be concerned.
Comment by Demoralized Wednesday, Nov 20, 24 @ 2:47 pm
==It is not hateful.==
Referring to that Representative as a man is, in fact, hateful.
Comment by Demoralized Wednesday, Nov 20, 24 @ 2:50 pm
@Henry Francis, doesn’t seem to be much of a problem in other municipalities in this state, but then again, one individual bucked the political slated system. They then put to an advisory vote anyway and lost, uh, bigly. So what is their plan C?
Let Democracy prevail in Highland Park.
Comment by Louis G Atsaves Wednesday, Nov 20, 24 @ 2:56 pm
The bathrooms I use are far less exciting than those that many people are imagining. Should we start screening for sexual orientation too? Create restrooms for gay Men, straight Men, Lesbian women, straight women? What do we do with the bisexuals? And how do we monitor all these bathrooms?
Comment by ArchPundit Wednesday, Nov 20, 24 @ 3:48 pm
@ Mason County
No. Stop. Women are not “more free” in some states, and “less free” in other states. Neither are men, right? Just stop.
Comment by H-W Wednesday, Nov 20, 24 @ 4:23 pm
@ clec dcn
Wrong. Just stop. In the context of biology (which is irrelevant except for making babies), people are born male, female, and intersexed. That is biology. Three categories that have nothing to do with rooms to deficate and urinate.
Stop. Men and women are created socially. We teach children what to belief. The become what they become. They do not become male, female, or intersexed.
They become children, boys, girls, men, women, old men, old ladies, etc. Gender is performative. It is how we play our our gender to others. It is called, “doing gender.”
And none of this, none, has to do with whether or not a person needs to go to the bathroom, and where they do it. That is called social regulation.
Comment by H-W Wednesday, Nov 20, 24 @ 4:34 pm
@ 32 Ward
=== You should retitle this. Get your own blog. ===
And this is Isabel headline. Remember that.
Comment by H-W Wednesday, Nov 20, 24 @ 4:38 pm
==The bathrooms I use are far less exciting than those that many people are imagining.==
Lol. My thoughts exactly.
Comment by Demoralized Wednesday, Nov 20, 24 @ 4:47 pm
- I would suggest he check out the latest actions of the Aldermen and Mayor of the People’s Republic Highland Park, Illinois in response to an advisory referendum the public overwhelmingly voted in favor of by a 82% margin. Only two alderman pushed to put the matter on future agenda for consideration. The majority, including the mayor who prefers to run for other offices on a regular basis, decided not to vote to include. -
Yes, that’s exactly the same as what happened in North Carolina.
Also I’m sure you’ll be calling your representatives to urge their support of the graduated income tax amendment.
You’re such a shameless phony it’s embarrassing, but you don’t seem to have much shame about anything.
Comment by Excitable Boy Wednesday, Nov 20, 24 @ 4:50 pm
Isn’t the whole bathroom issue totally from 2016? I remember having to tell parents that we didn’t allow random men and women to use our bathrooms at school regardless of gender identity. Is this all the gop has for culture wars now that they won the last election? Sheesh.
And, as the day ends, not one conservative condemnation of the teaching of incest in schools. I guess anything goes as long as you know who is using the stall next to you?
Comment by JS Mill Wednesday, Nov 20, 24 @ 5:59 pm