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CHEYENNE House Speaker Albert Sommers, R-Pinedale, announced Wednesday that he will dismiss the complaints against an Albany County lawmaker related to social media posts she made almost two weeks ago.

Rep. Karlee Provenza, D-Laramie, has faced criticism and national attention for a post she made March 31 on her Facebook and Instagram pages depicting an older woman holding at her hip a scoped black rifle with an external magazine, and the words Auntie Fa Says Protect Trans Folks Against Fascists & Bigots!

Additional complaints were also made in reference to a post on her TikTok account after the video was reported by online outlets.

This promotion of violence is abhorrent and should not be tolerated by the Wyoming Legislature, Wyoming GOP Chairman Frank Eathorne wrote to the House Speaker, requesting Provenza be stripped of all committee assignments. It should be noted that a similar image was shared by Press Secretary to AZ Governor Katie Hobbs. After warranted public outcry, this official rightfully resigned.

The Wyoming Legislature should never promote political violence especially in the aftermath of the targeted attack on Christians by a transgender activist only one short week ago.

Although Sommers said he personally found Provenzas posts on social media to be inappropriate, uncivil conduct for a member of the Wyoming House of Representatives that reflects a discernable lack of judgment, he made his decision based on the scope of the Joint Rule 22-1 to examine ethics complaints and its application to misconduct involving legislative duties. He also said he took into consideration the protections afforded to legislators under the First Amendment.

Social media has become the preferred platform for political attacks in Wyoming and the nation. People and politicians no longer have to come face to face with someone to attack them or make a political point. Behavior on the internet has become beyond the pale at times, Sommers wrote in a prepared statement. Social media can be used to spread misinformation, foster polarization, and aggregate tensions, representing the worst in politics and personal behavior. Still, it is imperative to remember that political expression is protected speech under the First Amendment to the United States Constitution and Article 1, Section 20 of the Wyoming Constitution.

With this constitutional right also comes personal responsibility. We must remember that even constitutionally protected actions have the potential to deeply hurt others. Free speech is at times a messy thing.

The Wyoming Legislative Service Office provided Sommers with an analysis that said Provenzas social media posts didnt appear to be misconduct involving legislative duties as defined in Joint Rule 22-1. LSO officials added that through their research and knowledge, the House has never previously disciplined a member for similar behavior through formal disciplinary procedures.

Misconduct involving legislative duties, as defined in the rule, encompasses a wide range of issues, from violating Article 3 of the Wyoming Constitution to violence or disorderly conduct during legislative meetings, sessions or during the performance of legislative duties. The LSO broke down each of these areas and how Provenzas actions might apply, and Sommers consulted with House leadership in a meeting Tuesday on what the next step might be.

House Majority Floor Leader Chip Neiman, R-Hulett, attended the meeting, but didnt respond to a request for comment Wednesday.

Sommers came to the conclusion Provenza didnt post the meme during performance of legislative duties or violate other areas of the ethics rule.

The Wyoming Legislature runs on its rules and traditions, Sommers said in the statement. Only one Wyoming legislator in recent memory has been completely removed from committee assignments, and that was an action taken by the body for a course of alleged conduct during legislative sessions and legislative meetings. In another instance, a legislator during a legislative session posted a violent meme on social media in response to the bodys action on a bill, and no disciplinary action was taken.

Sommers said he believes there is room in the future to examine and debate the issue of social media with respect to legislative decorum. He said he hopes that the Management Councils Legislator Ethics Complaint Procedure Subcommittee will look into this during the interim.

The House Speaker acknowledged that Provenza had recognized her conduct was hurtful and inappropriate. She wrote a letter of apology to her colleagues, and he said he appreciated and accepted the steps she took.

I have written Representative Provenza a private letter of reprimand. If Representative Provenza in the future engages in conduct on the internet or during her performance of legislative duties that fails to meet the decorum of the Wyoming House of Representatives, then I will take further action, he said. I do not believe it is my role as presiding officer to police all legislators online activity, especially when they are not performing legislative duties.

He further stated that if he becomes aware of any further escalation of uncivil behavior online by any members of the House that breaches decorum, he will also take appropriate action.

During the Easter season, I am particularly reminded of the importance of compassion for one another, he concluded. In coming to this decision, I was guided by my personal belief in the rule of law and the traditions of the Wyoming Legislature, not what may be politically expedient.

Provenza reacts to decision

Provenza told the Wyoming Tribune Eagle following Sommers decision that it wasnt up to her to decide whether it was fair or not. She said the body will make the judgment call, and history will have the final say.

The Speaker followed the Constitution and state statutes, and our rules and procedures, she said Wednesday evening. Ive respected the decision-making authority of the Speaker in the past and several times through the session, so I will respect it now.

She said she intended the posts to only be seen by her friends, family and community members who she knows personally, and who understand her perspective. She assumed that they would know her belief systems, and never meant the post to be a threat of violence in any way.

What I intended my post to convey, and what I have endorsed publicly on the House floor, is support for the use of the Second Amendment to protect trans people who are facing increased levels of violence, she explained. What is implied in that meme is the same message that is readily assumed and applied for anyone who endorses the use of the Second Amendment to protect ourselves and our families. So, ultimately, it comes down to protection equates to defense, which is viewed much differently than committing violence.

Provenza referenced the caption of the meme she shared on her Facebook page, which originated from an Off Color Decals Instagram page. It was recognizing the Trans Day of Visibility.

Weve been quiet because its been somber and stressful in TN this week, the caption read. There were several TDoV and Drag Ban related events scheduled for today and Saturday in Nashville that had to be canceled because of the increased anti-trans rhetoric online and throughout the city in general.

It went on to address local queer organizations being on red alert, and said it was important to take the time to post at last something today to acknowledge our trans comrades.

The caption concluded with, You are seen. You are loved. And so long as were still breathing, you will be protected.

The Albany County Democrat said she recognized the meme could be seen as crude by many peoples standards, but she reiterated she was intending to support those who are struggling with violence right now.

Walking away from the experience, she said the lesson she learned is that private social media doesnt exist as a state lawmaker. She said she now understands anything can be construed the wrong way.

She said her apology was sincere and genuine, and she plans to walk back into committee meetings and the next session with her head held high. Provenza said she has grown from this experience, and added the impact of the meme is what she is most apologetic for.

It pains me to consider that the families in Tennessee feel that theres a legislator in Wyoming who does not take their pain and grief to heart, she said. Thats absolutely not the case. And it tears me up to think that they might think otherwise.

Its also deeply saddening to me that loved ones of other victims of violence are also grieving, and do so with each new school shooting. Our country is constantly hurting and in pain and recovering from the last tragedy, which is happening weekly at this point. And my failure to recognize that words could be used to hurt people is something that Im truly sorry for.

She also was upset that her post was used against transgender people, and said it inadvertently increased violent rhetoric around them.

I just wish I had the foresight to have prevented that, she said. Because we know they suffer from so much more violence than anyone else. And its just not fair to have dragged them into this discussion.

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House Speaker dismisses complaints against Albany County ... - Wyoming Tribune

New York Rep. George Santos. (Photo illustration: Jack Forbes/Yahoo News; photos: Drew Angerer/Getty Images, Getty Images)

Rep. George Santos, R-N.Y., perplexed many Twitter users when he posted a tweet Thursday night claiming that Democrats want to ban toilet paper.

Republicans are working to put Americans First and lower the cost of living, the freshman member of Congress wrote. Democrats are busy trying to ban toilet paper and gas stoves.

Its not clear what he was referring to. Theres never been an effort to ban toilet paper in either Congress or any state legislature. Some Twitter users mocked Santoss claim with references to imaginary bills like the Ban Toilet Paper Act of 2023.

Other commentators accused him of lying or noted the lack of evidence for his claims some commenters obliquely alluding to Santoss numerous lies about his biography and alleged lies about his campaigns finances to which he did not respond. A few joked that he had uncovered a secret nefarious plot.

Santoss office did not immediately reply to requests for clarification as to what he was referencing.

One possibility is that he may have fallen for an April Fools Day joke. On April 1, New York City Councilman Erik Bottcher, a Democrat from Manhattan, put out a fake press release saying he would introduce legislation to ban single-use paper products including toilet paper, paper towels, facial tissues, paper napkins and cardboard boxes.

He fell for it big-time, Bottcher told Yahoo News on Monday of Santoss claim.

I dont know about you, but my dream is to live in a world where people look at a roll of toilet paper and say, What is that? Bottcher said in his spoof announcement. The text included a few hints that it wasnt on the square, like a quote from a fictional activist, Scottie Cotton, President of CAK (Coalition Against Kleenex), who said, I prefer to think of it as bringing back handkerchiefs.

A few social media users seemed to mistake Bottchers satire for sincerity, but most seemed to get the joke, as did local news outlets one of which built out the prank into a fake news story featuring interviews with skeptical constituents bearing pun names such as John Throne.

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Bottcher took notice of Santoss tweet, impishly responding that Our quest to ban toilet paper may have gone too far.

Bottcher told Yahoo News he was surprised his press release had been taken literally.

Santos outside criminal court in Manhattan, April 4. (Stephanie Keith/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

I thought long and hard about the best April Fools joke to do, and I picked something that I thought was so outlandish that no reasonable person would actually believe it, he said.

This isnt the first time the council member has played a prank. On April 1 of last year, he proposed banning all vehicles in Manhattan except golf carts an idea that some unironically embraced and that he said triggered a few calls from angry constituents.

One reason Santos may have been inclined to take Bottcher's statement seriously is that conservatives have been increasingly concerned that liberals will limit access to popular consumer products for environmental reasons. In February, right-wing Canadian author and professor Jordan Peterson denounced the petty tyranny of a sign in a public restroom encouraging people to use only as many paper towels as they need and to throw used ones into a recycling bin.

Santoss claim may also stem from an atmosphere of growing partisan polarization and increasingly separate sources of information for the left and right, in which news consumers are likely to believe the most extreme, implausible claims about their opponents agenda. For instance, at least 20 conservative politicians claimed last year that public schools are putting out litter boxes for students who identify as cats, despite no evidence of any such occurrence. And a majority of Republicans believe, without evidence, that the 2020 presidential election was stolen through fraud.

On the other side, a meme from the progressive group Occupy Democrats that was widely shared on social media falsely claimed that a majority of congressional Republicans had voted to raise the retirement age for Social Security. (The Republicans mentioned in the ad belong to the Republican Study Committee, which has proposed gradually raising the age for collecting Social Security, but no legislation has come to a vote and its not clear how most of the groups members would vote on such a bill.)

It is, in fact, true that toilet paper has a significant environmental impact, due to all the trees that are cut down to make it: Theaverage U.S. consumer will go through the equivalent of 384 trees just for toilet paper in their lifetime. Deforestation causes loss of wildlife habitats and contributes to climate change, because trees absorb and store carbon dioxide.

Rolls of toilet paper at a Walmart in Houston. (Brandon Bell/Getty Images)

To mitigate the impact of toilet paper production, environmentalists propose using recycled paper instead of virgin wood but not banning the product outright.

The other half of Santoss claim that Democrats seek to ban sales of new gas stoves, an issue that has recently become a common Republican attack is comparatively better grounded. Although neither the Biden administration nor any Democrats in Congress have proposed such a measure, cities such as New York and Los Angeles are phasing out the sale of fossil fuel infrastructure (such as gas stoves and boilers) in homes, and some Democratic legislators and governors have proposed the same at the state level.

In January, Consumer Product Safety Commissioner Richard Trumka Jr. said the agency was open to banning new gas stoves in response to a growing body of scientific research linking them to indoor air pollution and related health risks such as childhood asthma. But after swift backlash, CPSC Chair Alexander Hoehn-Saric said the commission has no plans to consider such a proposal.

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George Santos claims without evidence that Democrats are 'trying to ban toilet paper' - Yahoo News

News

By Josh Christenson

April 11, 2023 | 3:38pm

Rep. Jennifer Wexton (D-Va.) revealed on Twitter Tuesday that she has been diagnosed with Parkinsons disease, but has no plans to step down after being elected to a third House term in November.

If theres one thing that Democrats and Republicans can agree on, its that Parkinsons disease sucks, the 54-year-old Wexton said in a video statement about the brain disorder, which affects more than 8 million people including nearly 1 million Americans.

Today on World Parkinsons Day, Im here to tell you that I have come to learn this firsthand, she added.

Wexton, whose Northern Virginia district covers the outer western suburbs and exurbs of Washington DC, said she was doing well despite the diagnosis and hopes to remain in office for many years.

Im not going to let Parkinsons stop me from being me, she vowed. I hope to keep serving you for many years to come.

Wexton went on to say that Parkinsons is not an untreatable disease, cognitive impairment or death sentence.

It starts in the brain and affects peoples bodies in different ways.

Over the past few months, it has primarily affected my speech and how my mouth moves. You may notice I speak more quickly now. It also has affected how I walk and keep my balance, she explained.

You are welcome to empathize, but dont feel sorry for me. Im working with my doctor on a treatment plan that addresses my symptoms.

Wexton was first elected to Congress in 2018 and defeated Republican challenger Hung Cao in 2022 by nearly six percentage points, holding a seat that many pundits thought would fall in the expected GOP red wave.

During one debate with Cao in October, Wexton struggled to speak while answering a question about ongoing US support for Ukraine following Russias invasion generating speculation that she suffered some kind of episode, according to a C-SPAN user clip of the exchange.

Wexton nevertheless maintains the diagnosis will not prevent her from performing her official duties.

The treatment process is one that requires time and commitment, so youre going to see me have some good days and some days that are not so good, Wexton said.

But I want you to know this: My head and my heart are 100% committed to serving the people of Virginia, and especially my constituents in the 10th Congressional District.

Wexton also noted that with her diagnosis, she joined public figures like [actor] Michael J. Fox, [late] Attorney General Janet Reno and [boxer] Muhammad Ali.

Like them, I too am a fighter.

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Democratic Rep. Jennifer Wexton reveals she has Parkinsons disease and says it 'sucks' - New York Post

Tennessee house Democrat Justin Jones, who was just reinstated to the chamber after being expelled for leading a disruptive gun-control protest on the floor, assaulted a driver and faced serious charges for other misconduct committed while attending racial-justice protests in the summer of 2020.

Footage of rioting outside the state Capitol in 2020 first shared by Scoop Nashville appears to show Jones repeatedly hitting the driver of a car with a traffic cone. The video, which was resurfaced by the Post Millenial, shows Jones and other activists stopping and surrounding the vehicle before the driver escaped.

Jones was charged with assault, assault on an officer, and reckless endangerment, for which he was indicted on two counts after the video was presented to the grand jury in his case. Despite his violent behavior, Jones claimed in June 2021 that he was being peaceful and claims to the contrary were a false narrative.

They will try to push a false narrative portraying me as violent as a way to deflect from their own actions. They will suggest that I am out of order. That is their strategy. However, Im hopeful for the chance to present our evidence in a transparent manner, he tweeted.

Jones alleged that police colluded with prosecutors to weaponize the law as a form of punishment for the mere fact that we chose to stand up.

Last week, Jones, alongside progressive lawmakers Justin Pearson andGloria Johnson,was stripped of committee assignments and ousted from the statehouse by a vote of 72 to 25. All three legislators were accused of egging on protesters, who stood on a balcony within the chambers chanting, Fascists! Fascists! Demonstrators also blocked several entryways and exits, forcing state troopers to step in to assist members in moving throughout the building.

What they did is they hijacked the house floor which has never been done in our history, house speaker Cameron Sexton told National Review of the three lawmakers. They pulled out a bullhorn. They werent recognized. They were ruled out of order and they led a protest from the house floor with a bullhorn to those in the balcony. They shut down the proceedings of the house. We had to go into recess due to their actions.

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Then on Monday, Jones was unanimously appointed as an interim representative for the 52nd district by the Metropolitan Council of Nashville and Davidson County. The Shelby County Board of Commissioners also sent Pearson back to the Tennessee house as an interim representative less than a week after he was kicked out. Both lawmakers will have to win special elections to be officially reinstated.

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Tennessee House Democrat Justin Jones Assaulted Driver during 2020 Protests, Video Shows - Yahoo News

Democrats

Victories in Chicago and St Louis, plus a key judicial race in Wisconsin, argue against tacking to center, leftwingers say

Progressives in the midwest had three reasons to celebrate on Tuesday. In Wisconsin, the liberal judge Janet Protasiewicz delivered a resounding victory in the state supreme court race, flipping control of the court for the first time in 15 years. In Chicago, the progressive mayoral candidate Brandon Johnson prevailed over Paul Vallas, a more conservative Democrat who ran on a tough-on-crime message. And in St Louis, progressives won a majority of seats on the board of aldermen, the lawmaking body for the city.

As they took their victory lap, progressives made clear that they viewed the wins as merely the beginning of a broader trend in Americas elections.

Its a multicultural, multi-generational movement that has literally captured the imagination of not just the city of Chicago but the rest of the world, Johnson said in his victory speech. Lets take this bold progressive movement around these United States of America.

Several lessons can be learned from Tuesdays results, progressive leaders say. They hope their victories send a message to Democratic party leaders about the enduring resonance of abortion access, the popularity of progressives message and the importance of long-term grassroots organizing. The wins also come at a vital moment for progressives, who have criticized Joe Bidens recent move toward the political center on issues such as energy and crime.

Were building a project all across this country, and that project is ascendant, said Maurice Mitchell, national director of the Working Families party. Its both a culmination of years of organizing, and its a validation of the popular appeal of that project.

Reproductive rights appeared to weigh heavily on the minds of Wisconsin voters as they went to the polls on Tuesday. Wisconsin has an abortion ban dating back to 1849 on the books, and anti-abortion advocates have argued that the policy should be enforced following the US supreme courts reversal of Roe v Wade last summer.

The question of enforcing the 1849 ban is expected to soon come before the state supreme court, and the policy seems likely to be thrown out following Protasiewiczs win.

We think that theres a very great chance now that well be able to get this ban off the books and restore access to folks in Wisconsin, said Ryan Stitzlein, senior national political director of the reproductive rights group Naral. This is life-changing for folks.

Protasiewicz made the end of Roe a central focus of her campaign, emphasizing her personal support for legal abortion access and attacking her opponent, conservative Dan Kelly, over his past work for the anti-abortion group Wisconsin Right to Life.

I dont think you can overstate the importance of abortion in this race. Judge Janet led with her support for reproductive freedom, Stitzlein said.

Protasiewicz defeated Kelly by 11 points. The result was extraordinary for the battleground state of Wisconsin, which Biden won by less than one point in 2020. Four years earlier, Donald Trump carried the state with 47.2% of the vote compared with Hillary Clintons 46.5%.

To Stitzlein, Protasiewiczs decisive win should dispel any lingering questions over whether abortion access continues to resonate with voters nearly a year after Roe was overturned. Before the 2022 elections, some Democratic strategists suggested abortion would not sufficiently move the needle with midterm voters, but progressive activists firmly rejected that reasoning.

I actually feel strongly that the longer these bans are in place, the more energy and more anger thats going to be out there because theres going to be more people that are affected by it, Stitzlein said. This is a winning issue for Democrats, for folks that support abortion access because support for abortion access is not partisan, as was demonstrated on Tuesday.

For progressive organizers in Chicago and St Louis, the victories on Tuesday were years in the making.

When Johnson turned his attention to the mayoral race in Chicago, he drew crucial support from his longtime progressive allies. He received hefty assistance from the Chicago Teachers Union, where he has worked for the past 10 years as the organization pushed for progressive reform. And when Johnson ran for the Cook county board of commissioners in 2018, he received an endorsement from the United Working Families, an affiliate of the Working Families party.

Brandon is not an overnight sensation; the coalition that he built is not an overnight coalition, Mitchell said. This was a coalition that had been measured and patient and consistent over years, slowly aggregating the power to be able to seize the victory on Tuesday.

A similar story unfolded in St Louis on Tuesday. The progressive mayor, Tishaura Jones, and the board of aldermen president, Megan Green, endorsed a slate of candidates who were able to flip three seats on the board. Green, who became board president last year, served as a convention delegate for Bernie Sanders during his 2016 presidential campaign.

Its something thats seven, eight years in the making, said Joseph Geevarghese, executive director of the progressive group Our Revolution. Were seeing the fruit of organizing over multiple election cycles.

Our Revolution made 100,000 phone calls and sent 130,000 texts to supporters in St Louis as part of its organizing efforts there, and the group contacted each of its 90,000 Chicago members an average of three times in connection to the mayoral race. The victory in Chicago was particularly meaningful for progressive groups like Our Revolution given that Johnson was outspent nearly two to one on television advertising.

The fact that we were able to out-organize big money with people power, I think, is significant because that usually does not happen, Geevarghese said. I think it really speaks to the growing sophistication of the progressive movement as a political force.

As Democrats look ahead to 2024, when they will attempt to maintain control of the White House and the Senate while flipping control of the House, progressives say there are some important takeaways to learn from Tuesdays results.

Theres something poetic about the victories in Chicago and Wisconsin taking place because there is a through line there, he said, both around what people want which is responsive government, which is an expansion of their freedoms and also what the opposition was saying.

Mitchell saw fearmongering being deployed as a weapon in both Wisconsin and Chicago, particularly around the issue of crime. Vallas, Johnsons opponent in the mayoral race, received the endorsement of the Fraternal Order of Police and pledged to make Chicago the safest city in America, as he attacked Johnson over his past support for the defund the police movement. In the end, Johnson won the race thanks in part to the support of voters living on the citys South and West sides, which report some of the highest levels of violent crime.

Geevarghese argued that Johnsons win should prompt some reflection for prominent Democrats, including Biden, who seem fearful of attacks over being soft on crime. Progressives expressed dismay last month after Biden signed a Republican bill overturning recent changes to the criminal code of Washington DC.

We were able to talk about a broader vision of community safety, which is having good schools, which is having investment in mental health, which is making sure theres good jobs, Geevarghese said of Johnsons win.

Even before the 2024 elections, progressives will have additional opportunities to demonstrate the effectiveness of their message. Philadelphia will hold its mayoral race in November, and every state legislative seat in Virginia will also be up for grabs this fall. Virginias Republican governor, Glenn Youngkin, has called for a 15-week abortion ban.

I think 2024 is an opportunity for us to learn from this coalition that we built and hopefully replicate it in other places, in other states, Mitchell said. Were going to be faced with another existential election on the federal level in not too much time.

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Progressives tout string of wins across US as template for Democrats - The Guardian US