Miami Herald | Tallahassee's Democratic mayor, Andrew Gillum, is 'seriously ... Miami Herald It's been no big secret that Tallahassee Mayor Andrew Gillum has had his eye on the Florida governor's mansion, but now the Democrat is acknowledging it out ... |
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Tallahassee's Democratic mayor, Andrew Gillum, is 'seriously ... - Miami Herald
Since the election of President Trump, Republican lawmakers in at least 18 states have introduced or voted on legislation to curb mass protests in what civil liberties expertsare calling an attack on protest rights throughout the states.
From Virginia to Washington state, legislators have introduced bills that would increase punishmentsfor blocking highways, ban the use of masks during protests, indemnify drivers who strike protesterswith their cars and, in at least once case, seize the assets of people involved in protests that later turn violent.The proposals come after a string of mass protest movements in the past few years,covering everything from police shootings of unarmed black men to the Dakota Access Pipeline to the inauguration of Trump.
Some are introducing bills because they say they're necessary to counter the actions of paid or professional protesters who set out to intimidate or disrupt, a common accusationthat experts agree is largelyoverstated.You now have a situation where you have full-time, quasi-professional agent-provocateurs that attempt to create public disorder, said Republican state senatorJohn Kavanagh of Arizona in support of a measure there that would bring racketeering charges against some protesters.
Protesters in cities across the nation rallied against President Trump's executive order banning U.S. entry for refugees, migrants and foreign nationals for 120 days. Here's a look at some of the protests that took place in airports and city squares across the U.S. after the order was signed. (Dalton Bennett,Erin Patrick O'Connor,Elyse Samuels,Monica Akhtar/The Washington Post)
Others, like the sponsors of a bill in Minnesota, say the measures are necessary to protect public safety on highways. Still other bills, in states like Oklahoma and South Dakota, are intended to discourage protesting related to oil pipelines.
Democrats in many of these states are fighting the legislation. They cite existing laws that already make it a crime to block traffic, the possibilityof a chilling effect on protests across the political spectrum, and concerns for protesters safety in the face of aggressive motorists.
None of the proposed legislation has yet been passed into law, and several bills have already been shelved in committee.
Critics doubtwhether manyof the laws would pass Constitutional muster. The Supreme Court has gone out of its way on multiple occasions to point out that streets, sidewalks and public parks are places where [First Amendment]protections are at their most robust, said Lee Rowland, a senior attorney with the American Civil Liberties Union.
This isby no means the first time in American history that widespread protests have inspired a legislative backlash, says Douglas McAdam, a Stanford sociology professor who studies protest movements. For instance, southern legislatures especially in the Deep South responded to the Montgomery Bus Boycott (and the Supreme Court's decision in Brown v. Board of Education) with dozens and dozens of new bills outlawing civil rights groups, limiting the rights of assembly, etc. all in an effort to make civil rights organizing more difficult, he said via email.
Similarly, he added, laws designed to limit or outlaw labor organizing or limit labor rights were common in the late 19th/early 20th century.
The ACLUs Rowland saysthe new bills are not about creating new rules that are necessary because of some gap in the law. She points out, for instance, thatevery single city and county in the United States already has laws on the books against obstructing traffic on busy roads.
Rather, Rowland says the laws intent is increasing the penalties for protest-related activity to the point that it results in self-censorship among protesters who have every intention to obey the law.
Even the accusationsofpaid or professional agitators, which Trump has promoted, have been leveled at protesters before.
This is standard operating procedure for movement opponents, Stanfords McAdamsaid.Civil rights workers were said to be outside agitators, and the tea party was dismissed as an AstroTurf phenomenon funded from on high by the Koch brothers and others rather than a legitimate grass roots movement. In all these cases, including the present, the charges are generally bogus, withthe vast majority of protesters principled individuals motivated by the force of deeply held values and strong emotion.
But now, social media has made it possible to organize larger protests more rapidly than ever before. The older laws are becoming less effectual in dealing with these kind of groups, said Michael Heaney of the University of Michigan, a political sociologist who studies protest movements. On top of that, the courts have said, Look, the people have a right to protest in this way. So on some level the new legislation represents an attemptby lawmakers to catch up with new realities of 21st-century protesting.
Heres a list of laws that have been introduced or voted on since the election.
Arizona
Arizonas bill, introduced this week, would open upprotests to anti-racketeering legislation, targeting protesters with the same laws used to combat organized crime syndicates.It would alsoallow police to seize the assets of anyone involved in a protest that at some point becomes violent. It recently passed the state Senate on a party-line vote and is now before the House.
Colorado
A bill under consideration in Colorado wouldstrengthen penalties for tampering with oil and gas equipment. Itsintended to prevent activists from shutting off pipelines, a tactic thats been used in other states.
Florida
A bill introduced by Republican George Gainer in the Florida Senate this month would provide criminal penalties for protesters obstructing traffic and exempt driversfrom liability if they struck a protester under certain conditions. It was filed this week, and if enacted would take force on July 1.
Georgia
A "Back the Badge" bill recently passed by the Georgia Senate increases penalties for blocking "any highway, street, sidewalk or other public passage." The bill is sponsored by six Republican senators.
Iowa
A bill supportedby nine Republican sponsors would make protesters who intentionally block highways subject to felony charges and up to five years in prison. The bills lead sponsor told the Des Moines Register it was introduced in response to a November incidentin which a protest Trump shut down part of Interstate 80 in Iowa.
Indiana
An Indiana Senate committee recently toned down a bill that would have allowed police to shut down highway protests using any means necessary. The current version allows police to issue fines for such behavior.
Michigan
A Michigan bill voted on late last year would have increased fines for certain mass picketing behavior, and made it easier for courts to shut down such demonstrations.
Minnesota
Bills under consideration in Minnesota would increase fines for protesters blocking highways and airports. A separate measure before the legislature would make it possible for jurisdictions to charge protesters for the costs of policing the protests.
Missouri
A Republican lawmaker has introduced legislation that would make it illegal for protesters to wear masks, robes or other disguises during protests deemed to be illegal.
Mississippi
A bill before the Mississippi legislature would make obstruction of traffic a felony punishable by a $10,000 fine and a five-year prison sentence.
North Carolina
A North Carolina Republican has pledged to introduce legislation making it a crime to threaten, intimidate or retaliate against current or former state officials, in response to an incident involving the heckling of Gov. Pat McCrory. The Senator proposing the legislation, Dan Bishop, confirmed via email that he still intends to introduce the legislation, perhaps as early as next week, after consulting with potential co-sponsors.
North Dakota
A number of North Dakota bills have been introduced in response to the long-standing protests there against the Dakota Access Pipeline. The measure that drew the most attention was a bill that would have removedpenalties for motorists whostrike protesters with their carin some circumstances.That bill failed to make it out of the House, but a number of other measures increasing penalties for certain types of protest action are advancing through the legislature.
Oklahoma
Inspired by pipeline protests in North Dakota, the Oklahoma legislature is considering a bill that would increase penalties for trespassing on certain pieces of critical infrastructure like pipelines and railways.
Oregon
A novel piece of legislation in Oregon would require public community colleges and universities to expel any student convicted of participating in a violent riot.
South Dakota
A Senate panel in South Dakota recently approved a bill that would increase penalties for certain acts of trespassing and blocking highways. Its a response to pipeline protests in North Dakota, and to the potential for similar protests in South Dakota if the Keystone XL pipeline gets built.
Tennessee
A Tennessee Republican wants drivers to be protected from liability if they inadvertently strike a protester who is blocking a roadway.
Virginia
A Virginia bill that would have increased penalties for people who refused to leave the scene of a riot or unlawful protest died in the state Senatelast month. The bill had been requested by law enforcement.
Washington state
Washington lawmakers are considering a bill to increase penalties for people blocking highways and railways, acts that the bill's sponsor has characterized as economic terrorism.
This story has been updated to include information on legislation pending in Georgia.
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Republican lawmakers introduce bills to curb protesting in at least 18 states - Washington Post
FiveThirtyEight | The Real Republican Maverick: Maine Sen. Susan Collins FiveThirtyEight When most political followers hear Republican senator and maverick, they probably think of John McCain. He ran as part of a team of mavericks with Sarah Palin in 2008, after all. But whether or not McCain deserves the maverick label in general ... One Republican Would Subpoena Trump's Taxes If Russia Probe Goes There U.S. Senator Susan Collins | Maine Public |
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The Real Republican Maverick: Maine Sen. Susan Collins - FiveThirtyEight
In 2013, Bannon was something of an outcast at CPAC. This week he spoke at the conference as one of the rights most powerful figures.CreditPHOTOGRAPH BY T. J. KIRKPATRICK / REDUX
On Thursday, Steve Bannon, President Donald Trumps most influential adviser, and Reince Priebus, Trumps frequently embattled chief of staff, spoke together at the Conservative Political Action Conference, the annual gathering for activists, politicians, and media professionals on the right. Bannon rarely speaks in public, but the two men have been conducting a media tour to tamp down stories about friction between them.
Bannon, who is a large man, was dressed in wrinkled khakis and an open shirt that Priebus teased him about. Priebus was dressed like Alex P. Keaton. Bannon spoke in fiery language, condemning the press and global lites and insisting that Trump would implement the nationalist agenda that he promised in his campaign speeches. This is the other thing that the mainstream media or opposition party never caught, Bannon said. Hes laid out an agenda with those speeches for the promises he made. And our job every day is just to execute on that.
Priebus was milquetoast, and his emphasis was on agenda items that have been free of the controversies that have engulfed Trumps Bannon-inspired plans on immigration and foreign policy. He noted that Trump hit his agenda every single day, whether its T.P.P., whether its deregulation, whether its Neil Gorsuch, Trumps Supreme Court nominee.
If there is a war between the two men to influence Trump, it was clear on Thursday why Bannon is winning. In bureaucratic fights, a White House staffer with strong and clear ideas, even ones that are bad, will beat a rival with no ideas every time.
The Bannon-Priebus appearance was a reminder of how quickly Bannons view of conservatism came to defeat Priebuss. Back in March, 2013, Bannon was something of an outcast at CPAC. In the wake of Mitt Romneys loss in the 2012 Presidential election, conservatives were trying to emphasize their movements diversity and tolerance. The prevailing takeaway from the election was that the right had grown too old, too white, and too intolerantand so CPAC, which often serves as an incubator for ideas emerging on the far right, needed to downplay the fringes of the movement.
The lineup of speakers that year was by no means a collection of squishy Republicans: the two biggest stars were the former Vice-Presidential nominee Sarah Palin and Donald Trump. But the emphasis from the main stage was on a welcoming small-government conservatism, and the energy in the audience came from libertarian activists, who stormed the conference and helped Senator Rand Paul win the meetings Presidential straw poll.
Bannon, who was the head of Breitbart News, roamed the halls as a disgruntled and dishevelled fringe player. Before the conference, he had scanned the schedule and complained that CPACs organizers had cast out the voices representing what he viewed as the real issues on the right: the threat from Islam, illegal immigration, and corporate Americas influence on politics.
He organized an evening of counterprogramming to highlight those issues, which he called the Uninvited. Even at the most conservative gathering in America, Bannon liked to play the role of aggrieved outsider.
On the CPAC sidelines, Bannon described his alternative lineup to an interviewer: A former Attorney General from the Bush Administration talking about jihad and the lites inability to recognize it. Peter Schweizer talking about crony capitalism. Pam Geller, Robert Spencer, Frank Gaffney, Nina Shea talking about the global persecution of Christians. These are huge topics. Illegal immigration. These are huge issues. They have to be vetted.
This is a conservative conference, supposedly, the interviewer asked. Why are these voices being silenced, in your opinion? I dont want to speculate, Bannon said.
Geller was viewed by most Republican leaders as an anti-Muslim extremist. In April, 2013, the month after CPAC, shecalled for profiling of Muslims, surveillance of mosques, and an immediate halt of immigration by Muslims into nations that do not currently have a Muslim-majority population. In 2015, she organized a Draw Muhammad contest, in Garland, Texas, where two men opened fire and were killed by police. Donald Trump, who had not yet surrounded himself with anti-Islam advisers, tweeted, The U.S. has enough problems without publicity seekers going out and openly mocking religion in order to provoke attacks and death. BE SMART. In an interview with Inside Edition he said, I have absolutely no respect for her. Shes putting people at great danger.
Gaffneys views on Islam are so extreme that CPACs board voted to ban him from the event after he accused its leaders of being secret agents for radical Islam and suggested that one CPAC leader was part of an influence operation that is contributing materially to the defeat of our country, supporting a stealthy effort to bring Shariah here.
Two years later, the world view pushed by Geller and Gaffney would become central to Trumps campaign for the Presidency. (Sebastian Gorka, a self-styled expert on Islam and terrorism who now works at the White House, was a regular guest on Gaffneys radio show.)
As for Schweizer, he remains the president of the Government Accountability Institute, a nonprofit that he co-founded with Bannon, in 2012. The institute incubated Clinton Cash, the book by Schweizer that perhaps did more than anything else during the 2016 campaignto frame the Clintons as corrupt tools of an international donor class.
So what was Priebus, who was then the chairman of the Republican National Committee, doing in 2013 while Bannon was promoting these views at CPAC? On the Monday after the conference, Priebus released a now infamous report about how Republicans could take back the White House. The key insight was that Republicans needed to reach out to nonwhite groups, use more tolerant language, and embrace and champion comprehensive immigration reform. Priebus wanted the report to serve as a road map for the Partys 2016 Presidential candidate. Trump, of course, ignored it and turned Hispanics and Muslims into the bogeymen of his campaign. He heeded the direction of Bannon, who argued that increasing the G.O.P.s share of the white vote was a surer path to victory.
It was no wonder, then, that Bannon looked so confident onstage on Thursday, while Priebus seemed fidgety and nervous. Acknowledging that his views have taken over the movement, Bannon at one point turned to Matt Schlapp, the president of the American Conservative Union, which hosts the event, and said, I want to thank you for finally inviting me to CPAC.
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How Steve Bannon Conquered CPACand the Republican Party - The New Yorker
To the editor: Please add Rep. Steve Knight (R-Palmdale) to your list of GOP legislators who are ducking their constituents during the current home district work week. (Congress shouldn't duck the public, Feb. 22)
Staff in his Santa Clarita and Simi Valley offices have not picked up the phone when I have called, nor have they responded to messages. I have tried repeatedly for days to get through.
When I spoke to a staffer in his Washington office, she provided a town hall meeting date of March 4 not this week during the break and couldnt tell us if the meeting is in person or a phone-in session. If its the latter, we know from experience that he will screen callers and allow questions from supporters only.
This is not democracy. It is not representative government. It is cowardice.
Marcy Rothenberg, Porter Ranch
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