UPS offers Teamsters new proposal that could prevent strike

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WAVE) - UPS and the Teamsters are on track to reach a deal no later than July 5, according to the Teamster’s Twitter page.

UPS has now provided the Teamsters with a revised proposal with significant movement on wages and other economic languages.

“We are encouraged the Teamsters are ready to continue negotiations and discuss our most recent proposal,” UPS said in a statement. “Productive discussions are critical at this stage of the process. We look forward to the union’s input so we can reach a timely agreement and provide certainty for our employees, our customers and the U.S. economy.”

The labor contract between the two will expire at midnight on July 31 if an agreement is not reached.




https://www.wave3.com/2023/07/01/ups-offers-teamsters-new-proposal-that-could-prevent-strike/

Delaware House Moves to Let Corporations Vote

DOVER, Del. (AP) — Lawmakers in the Delaware House of Representatives have approved legislation authorizing a small town in the southern part of the state to allow business entities, including corporations and limited liability companies, to vote in municipal elections.

Lawmakers voted 35-6 on Friday for the measure, which was sent to the Senate on the final day of this year’s legislative session. The Senate declined to take up the measure, although it could be revisited when the General Assembly reconvenes in January.

The bill authorizes a charter change for the city of Seaford, one of more than a dozen municipalities in Delaware that already allow nonresident property owners to vote. At least four allow corporate entities and trusts to vote in municipal elections, while others restrict such entities to voting in special elections such as annexations, referenda or bond issues.

Charter changes requested by local governments in Delaware are typically approved in the General Assembly in perfunctory fashion without debate or controversy. Seaford’s charter change, which sets no precedent, nevertheless drew national attention because of media campaigns by opposition groups including Common Cause and the American Civil Liberties Union. The criticism resonated with progressive House Democrats, who refused to vote for the measure.







https://apnews.com/article/c9d0e49f5e475b45cb957fbec110d3e7

Tweet of the Weekend

Battle over Wisconsin's top elections official could have ripple effects for 2024

MADISON, Wis. (AP) — A fight over whether Wisconsin’s top elections official will keep her job has potential implications for the 2024 presidential contest in a perennial battleground where statewide margins are typically razor thin.

Meagan Wolfe, the nonpartisan administrator of the Wisconsin Elections Commission, has been a target of conspiracy theorists who falsely claim she was part of a plan to rig the 2020 vote to secure President Joe Biden’s victory over Donald Trump in the state.

Republicans who control the state Legislature have called for Wolfe to resign over how she ran the 2020 contest, even though multiple reports and reviews found the election was fair and the results accurate. Democratic election commissioners are attempting to work around lawmakers to keep Wolfe in office indefinitely after her term ends Saturday.

Both sides rely on arguments that raise unanswered legal questions and could take months to resolve through the courts.

Meanwhile, election observers say the stakes are high for a presidential contest that will be fiercely contested and where election officials and workers still face unrelenting pressure, harassment and threats over the 2020 election.

“The conspiracy theorists are going to jump at anything,” said Kevin Kennedy, who was Wisconsin’s top elections official for 34 years before retiring in 2016 from the board that preceded the elections commission.



https://apnews.com/article/wisconsin-elections-director-reappointment-republicans-trump-2024-ac715fdbe14e94dd647c6788b1b90ddc

Democratic Persuasion and Turnout in Key VA State Senate and House of Delegates Seats

Now that the primaries are over, the parties have their nominees and the focus shifts to this fall’s General Election. Only a handful of seats will decide control of the State Senate and House of Delegates.

There is an old adage “it all comes down to turnout,” but 2022 showed Democrats can win with persuasion even with lower turnout. In reality, both (turning out the base and persuading swing voters) are needed, but depending on the district, either persuasion or turnout will be more important.

It is an open question what turnout will look like this year in Virginia because this is an “off-off” year election with no statewide or federal races. Historically, turnout has been very low in these elections, with just 30% turnout in 2007, 29% in 2011, and 29% in 2015 – before bumping up to 42% in 2019. The higher 2019 number is almost certainly due to Trump being in the White House, with Democrats energized to fight him. This year, we will see if there is a similar turnout number to 2019, or whether it will fall back closer to the pre-Trump numbers.

Given the historically low turnout in this year of the four-year cycle, it is important for Virginia Democrats to work on turning out their voters this fall – but also to make efforts at persuading voters in case voter turnout is lower. For instance, while 2022 didn’t seem like relatively high turnout for a midterm, Democrats still performed well, in part because of persuasion.




https://bluevirginia.us/2023/06/democratic-persuasion-and-turnout-in-key-va-state-senate-and-house-of-delegates-seats

VA House Democrats Introduce 89-Candidate Slate on Path to the Majority

PRESS RELEASE



RICHMOND, VA – The Virginia House Democratic Caucus is pleased to announce a dynamic slate of candidates who reflect the diversity and the culture of the Commonwealth.These are smart, accomplished and trusted leaders in their line of work and in their service to their community. Each person is incredibly and individually equipped with the expertise to govern on day one of the Democratic Majority in the House of Delegates.

Of the 89 candidates on the ballot, there are 46 women, at least 45 are candidates of color, and at least six candidates who are openly LGBTQ+. There are also at least 10 candidates who have proudly served in the United States Armed Forces. The Virginia House Democratic Caucus is proud to have a historically diverse and service driven membership, and we cannot wait to grow our ranks with candidates who will inspire voters and bring grassroots enthusiasm.

House Democratic Caucus Chair Charniele Herring said, “This slate reflects the diversity of today’s Virginia. The stakes in this year’s elections are incredibly high, especially as reproductive rights are on the ballot. Our Democratic candidates are smart and well equipped to help us push back against a dangerous Republican Majority and take back the House this November.”

“We know what to expect from the Republicans,” said Leader Don Scott. “They’re going to give us anti-choice, anti-gun violence prevention, and anti-democracy candidates. That is exactly the kind of leadership that is going to take Virginia backwards. Our candidates are looking to the future. They represent the future of this Commonwealth. They represent excellence. They’ll pave the path to the Majority.”

In addition to representing the diversity of the Commonwealth, the variety of professional backgrounds and personal perspectives that our candidates have, gives them the experience to bring common sense solutions to the real problems facing Virginians.

Our candidates are already trusted leaders in their community. Karen Jenkins (HD-89) serves on the Suffolk School Board and Katrina Callsen (HD-54) serves as the Chair of the Albemarle County School Board. Mike Jones (HD-77) serves the city of Richmond as City Council President and Marty Martinez (HD-29) is the former Vice Mayor of the Town of Leesburg. Mary Person (HD-83) served for eight years as Mayor of Emporia. These leaders know how to govern, create jobs, and have proven records bringing solutions to their communities.

At least ten of our candidates have served or are currently serving in the Armed Forces, representing the United States Army, Navy, Marine Corps and Air Force. These include: Dan Helmer (HD-10), Marcus Simon (HD-13), Joshua Thomas (HD-21), David Reid (HD-28), Marty Martinez (HD-29), Robert Smith (HD-33), Dr. Jarris Taylor (HD-86), Leader Don Scott (HD-88), Jackie Glass (HD-93), and Mike Feggans (HD-97). Leonard Lacey (HD-64) is a thirty-year veteran of the Virginia State Police.

At least five of our candidates are faith leaders in their communities, including: Luke Torian (HD-24), Rob Banse (HD-30), Leonard Lacey (HD-64), Joshua Cole (HD-65), and Mike Jones (HD-77). At least eight of our candidates are current or former small business owners. This includes: Dan Helmer (HD-10), Holly Seibold (HD-12), Laura Jane Cohen (HD-15), Kimberly Moran (HD-51), Jennifer Woofter (HD-52), Debra Gardner (HD-76), Kelly Convirs-Fowler (HD-96), Mike Feggans (HD-97), and Charlena Jones (HD-100).

At least 11 of our candidates are currently or formerly educators, including Holly Seibold (HD-12), Laura Jane Cohen (HD-15), Robert Smith (HD-33), Katrina Callsen (HD-54), Amy Laufer (HD-55), Rachel Levy (HD-59), Joshua Cole (HD-65), Mark Lux (HD-66), Bilal Raychouni (HD-72), Mary Person (HD-83), and Kelly Convirs-Fowler (HD-96).

At least 22 of our candidates are under the age of 40, including: Adele McClure (HD-2), Elizabeth Bennett-Parker (HD-5), Irene Shin (HD-8), Rozia Henson (HD-19), Joshua Thomas (HD-21), Travis Nembhard (HD-22), Briana Sewell (HD-25), Misty Vickers (HD-40), Lily Franklin (HD-41), Kimberly Moran (HD-51), Katrina Callsen (HD-54), Susanna Gibson (HD-57), Joshua Cole (HD-65), Bilal Raychouni (HD-72), Jessica Rowland (HD-74), Destiny Bolling (HD-80), Kimberly Pope Adams (HD-82), Nadarius Clark (HD-84), Jackie Glass (HD-93), Phil Hernandez (HD-94), Alex Askew (HD-95), and Zach Coltrain (HD-98).

A number of our candidates are parents, many of whom are parents of school-aged children. These include: Patrick Hope (HD-1), Dan Helmer (HD-10), Holly Seibold (HD-12), Laura Jane Cohen (HD-15), Kathy Tran (HD-18), Candi King (HD-23), Briana Sewell (HD-25), Atoosa Reaser (HD-27), Sam Rasoul (HD-38), Amy Laufer (HD-55), Susanna Gibson (HD-57), Rachel Levy (HD-59), Jessica Anderson (HD-71), Kimberly Pope Adams (HD-82), Leader Don Scott (HD-88), Jeremy Rodden (HD-90), and Kelly Convirs-Fowler (HD-96).

Our candidates also have the lived experience that resonates with so many Virginians.

Kim Pope Adams (HD-82) is a skilled accountant who earned her MBA while juggling the responsibilities of working full-time and being a single mom.

While balancing an accomplished career as a family law attorney and child advocate, Karen Keys-Gamarra (HD-7) and her husband currently live in a three-generation household, caring for her aging parents and her children. The reality is that for many Virginians, they are the sole caretakers for sick and elderly family members, while also taking care of children in the home. Democrats like Karen understand the challenges of the “sandwich” generation.

As a young man, Kannan Srinivasan (HD-26), was a victim of an automotive accident and was denied Medicaid assistance, leaving him to pay thousands of dollars for life-saving care. Now he serves as Chair of the Virginia Medicaid Board—appointed by Governors McAuliffe and Northam—and helped to expand Medicaid access to more than 2 million Virginians.

Adele McClure (HD-2) and Phil Hernandez (HD-94) were the first in their families to graduate from college.

Katrina Callsen (HD-54) is the daughter of teen parents who dropped out of high school. She went on to attend Yale University where she worked at a local Waffle House and other jobs to put herself through school. These experiences mirror those of the number of students that attend any one of Virginia’s colleges and universities.




https://bluevirginia.us/2023/06/va-house-democrats-introduce-89-candidate-slate-on-path-to-the-majority

SD: Noem is investor in ethanol plant partnered with carbon pipeline company

Gov. Kristi Noem is an investor in an ethanol plant that’s partnered with a company proposing a controversial carbon dioxide pipeline.

The ethanol plant is Granite Falls Energy in Granite Falls, Minnesota. Noem’s financial disclosures from her former service in Congress and her current time as governor reveal that she and her husband are investors in the plant. Summit Carbon Solutions, a company proposing a carbon pipeline through South Dakota, lists Granite Falls Energy as one of its partners.

Noem’s congressional disclosure forms, which require only an estimated range of income rather than an exact amount, say she made between $25,006 and $70,000 in dividends from the plant between her first run for Congress in 2010 until the end of her service as a U.S. representative in early 2019. The state-level disclosures she’s filed since then only require the identification of income sources, not amounts.

The disclosures raise questions about Noem’s lack of support for anti-pipeline legislation, according to Ed Fischbach, an Aberdeen-area farmer whose land is near the pipeline route.

“She and the people in her office wouldn’t even come talk to us when we came to the Capitol,” Fischbach said.



https://southdakotasearchlight.com/2023/06/30/noem-investor-in-ethanol-plant-partnered-with-carbon-pipeline-company/

18 Hasidic Schools Failed to Provide Basic Education, New York City Finds

Eighteen private schools run by the Hasidic Jewish community have been breaking the law by not providing their students with an adequate secular education, New York City officials said on Friday.

The findings were an extraordinary rebuke of the schools, known as yeshivas, which receive hundreds of millions of dollars in public money annually but have long resisted outside oversight.

The determinations about the schools, which offer intensive religious lessons in Yiddish but little instruction in English, math or other secular subjects, marked the first instance of the city concluding that private schools had failed to provide a sufficient education.

The move was all the more remarkable because it was made by a city government that has shied away from criticizing the politically influential Hasidic community. And it stemmed from a long-stalled investigation that spanned eight years and two mayoral administrations and was often hobbled by political interference and bureaucratic inertia.



https://www.nytimes.com/2023/06/30/nyregion/nyc-hasidic-yeshivas-education.html

Supreme Court rulings scramble Congress seats in South for rising GOP stars

A series of Supreme Court rulings gave Democrats a needed jolt to shore up their ranks in the South heading into the pivotal 2024 election. But those rulings also set up a game of musical chairs that could end the political careers of a couple of young Republicans considered future party leaders.

By upholding a section of the Voting Rights Act, the court has essentially forced the legislatures in Alabama and Louisiana to redraw congressional districts in a manner to give Black voters more power, beyond just the single district in each state currently held by Reps. Troy A. Carter (D-La.) and Terri A. Sewell (D-Ala.).

That means at least one lawmaker in each state has to give up safe Republican terrain and get thrust into a district that is, at minimum, highly competitive with a massive amount of new Black constituents who will probably vote overwhelmingly for the Democratic nominee.

These Republicans will have to devote a large amount of time to calling in favors from their allies in the state capitols drawing up the new congressional maps, hoping that when the redistricting music stops they will end up sitting in a safe GOP seat.

“That all comes down to one thing,” said Trey Nix, a Democratic consultant from Alabama with a focus on Southern races. “Who does the legislature hate the most?”



https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2023/07/01/scotus-redistricting-democrats/

Oklahoma Sheriff Who Talked Of Killing Journalists Won't Face Charges

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — A sheriff in southeast Oklahoma who was among several county officials caught on tape discussing killing journalists and lynching Black people won’t face criminal charges or be removed from office, the state’s top prosecutor said Friday.

In a letter to Republican Gov. Kevin Stitt, Attorney General Gentner Drummond said his office and the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation had completed their investigation and found no legal grounds to dismiss McCurtain County Sheriff Kevin Clardy.

“There are countless examples of incidents from across the country where public officials make inflammatory comments that spark severe condemnation,” Drummond wrote. “Oftentimes the offending official resigns in disgrace. Sometimes the outrage fades and the matter is forgotten.

He added: “Regardless, there is no provision of law in Oklahoma to throw elected officials out of office merely for saying something offensive.”



https://www.huffpost.com/entry/bc-us-reporters-threatened-oklahoma_n_649f559ce4b0dcb22c456735