Holcomb making 11-day trip to Australia, Singapore

Posted on by Tom Davies

Gov. Eric Holcomb is leaving this weekend for an economic development trip to Australia and Singapore, adding more foreign travel to his final months in office.

The governor’s office announced Friday that Holcomb will depart Indianapolis on Saturday for Australia and return from Singapore on July 30. Joining him on the trip will be first lady Janet Holcomb, state Commerce Secretary David Rosenberg and Indiana Economic Development Corp. representatives.

The trip will focus on development opportunities in areas such as advanced manufacturing, defense and energy, the governor’s office said.

“Australia and Singapore both represent significant partnership opportunities due to their strengths in bolstering innovation, attracting and developing talent and cultivating growth in critical sectors,” Holcomb said in a statement. “I look forward to taking Indiana’s message across the Pacific and working to foster new opportunities for our businesses and our residents.”

This trip comes after Holcomb traveled to the Netherlands, Belgium and France in June, went to Brazil and Mexico in April and visited Canada in January. It marks Holcomb’s 24th international economic development trip as governor, his office said.

Holcomb’s term as governor ends in January, and he has put much of his focus on economic development efforts in recent months.

Holcomb has hinted at continued international travel while he’s governor and said during the Indiana Global Economic Summit hosted in May by the IEDC that such work was key to helping boost the state’s economy.

“You can’t shrink from your global responsibility to be connected both economically and diplomatically,” Holcomb said.

Holcomb will meet with various government and business officials during stops in Sydney, Melbourne and Singapore.

Former Gov. Robert Orr was the U.S. ambassador to Singapore in 1989-92 under President George H.W. Bush.

Holcomb pointed during the economic summit to the ties Orr built for Indiana as helping to attract Asian investment in Indiana, which has prominently included auto assembly plants by Honda, Subaru and Toyota.

“We still talk about Governor Orr’s relationships that were built in Asia and look at what has come from establishing those relationships decades later,” Holcomb said.

Holcomb’s travel costs are being paid through private donations to the Indiana Economic Development Foundation, his office said.

Tom Davies is a Statehouse reporter for State Affairs Pro Indiana. Reach him at [email protected] or on X at @TomDaviesIND.

Amid the fanfare of the RNC, an exclusive interview with House Speaker Mike Johnson

Posted on by Jeremy Alford

Editor’s note: LaPolitics/State Affairs Managing Editor Jeremy Alford was one of a number of our journalists who covered the Republican National Convention this week for State Affairs. Below is a glimpse into the consistently hectic, rarely unscheduled and quietly ambitious political life of Mike Johnson, speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives.

MILWAUKEE — The man who is second in line to be president hasn’t slept much in the past three days. Being chairman of the Republican National Convention means late-night floor sessions and seemingly endless interviews on behalf of the nominee. To the envy of every politician in downtown Milwaukee, U.S. House Speaker Mike Johnson has also arguably enjoyed more screen time than anyone else lucky enough to bump into a microphone.

Following an interview with Politico and before another with Fox Business host Larry Kudlow, Johnson sat down with State Affairs Thursday afternoon to field seven questions. He weighed in on the top of the GOP ticket, his convention speech that’s serving as the basis for a new book and what another Trump administration might mean for both the Lower Chamber and his own political fate.

Tucked away in the Fiserv Forum, where the NBA’s Milwaukee Bucks play, is Johnson’s personal convention office. The space is located outside the convention floor and inside the House Cloakroom, which is really just the Jockey Club, an upscale lounge for sports enthusiasts that overlooks Deer District Plaza.

Vinyl House Cloakroom signs have been applied to most of the Jockey Club signs — much in the way Johnson’s Louisiana congressional delegation takes over the Washington Hilton each January for Washington Mardi Gras, temporarily rebranding McClellan’s Sports Bar as “The 65th Parish,” signage and all. (Louisiana is home to parishes, rather than counties, and there are 64 of them. Sixty-five, unofficially, when you tally the centerpiece bar at the Washington Hilton.)

On this fourth and final day of the GOP convention, the House Cloakroom provides a panoramic view of the politics invading Deer District Plaza. The expansive village green resembles an ant farm, with reporters asking delegates which speakers they want to hear most, podcasters bellowing about the decline of Western civilization, delegates in funny hats and suited staffers sweating. 

Watching Johnson cross the plaza is a reminder of his newfound status among national Republicans. Elected in October 2023, the speaker makes his way slowly, surrounded by his security detail, which is supposed to help thin the throng around him. But delegates and convention-goers either refuse to move or are unaware they’re holding up a well-armed entourage.

The same crowd that booed former Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell on the convention floor (twice) for not being a better ally to former President Donald Trump seems unfazed by Johnson’s own rocky path to power. Many predicted Johnson wouldn’t last this long holding the Big Gavel, given the slim margin of his victory, an attempt to oust him this past spring and the general unpredictability and divisiveness of the People’s House.

Still, to those who lived it, all of the Hill-anchored drama seems like a political lifetime ago. Back in his makeshift Milwaukee office, Johnson is listening to a pair of staffers fire off details about the next 30 minutes of his schedule. Or rather, he’s trying to hear them. Both. At the same time. That’s because the convention’s loudspeaker system is being pumped into the House Cloakroom’s small business office. 

Johnson is, after all, the convention chairman. His ears are always on.

“Are we going to listen to Kid Rock while we’re doing this?” Johnson asks his staff with a laugh, referencing the convention’s music choice of the moment.

Just a minute or two prior, Johnson had mentioned the possibility of Kid Rock’s appearance that evening, adding a bit of Detroit flair to the final night’s Trumptastic crescendo. Johnson, a former state legislator who made his bones as an attorney focusing on the First Amendment principles of religious independence and free speech, couldn’t help but smile about Kid Rock’s visit.

This is the same speaker who aids his state delegation in the annual act of overtaking a bar like a band of Mardi Gras pirates. As a Louisiana politician, he understands the duality of late-night networking and making church on Sunday mornings. He’s quick with hugs and anecdotes, welcoming of selfies and liked among his Democratic and Republican colleagues in Louisiana and Washington for his sharp sense of humor and almost pathological obsession with rules, bylaws and manuals.

Knowing this interview was being recorded, Johnson asked, “Let’s see if a table outside is quieter.”

It wasn’t.

“It’s louder,” the speaker said, still laughing as the sounds of Kid Rock were amplified. “How is that possible?”

At this point, Johnson was holding hands with his wife, Kelly, a former teacher and pastoral counselor, as he made his way around a corner of the House Cloakroom. A staffer followed, as did the speaker’s security detail. 

Finally, Johnson found a quiet hallway with small tables for two, complete with ornamental lamps. Over his shoulder a large, muted TV broadcast a live Fox News interview with Donald Trump Jr. The speaker pulled up a chair for his wife, asking her to stay. He blinked in a way that suggested he wished for rest. Kid Rock could barely be heard.

Adjusting his eyeglasses, he began explaining the inspiration behind his convention speech, which was a topic of conversation upon arrival at his temporary office.

Q. Hold that thought for a second or so. We want to ask you about that speech and also want to know if you would be open to a position in a Trump White House. Some delegates are already saying you look and sound like a shortlist contender for attorney general.

A. Speaker Johnson: I want to be of my highest and best use for this moment and this opportunity we have as a nation. I think the role of speaker of the House is so important to the legislative agenda before us. And what we’re doing now is very methodically planning an aggressive agenda for the new Congress, for the first 100 days and beyond. Because we’re anticipating we’ll have a unified government. So as the architect of the playbook, it will be really necessary to implement the plays and have continuity of leadership. Look, I’ll serve my country in any way I’m called, but I feel excited about the opportunities that are ahead of us. I have a very important role to play in that, in the role I have now.

Q. You’ve called for a far-reaching investigation into the shooting of former President Donald Trump. What is your anticipated endgame? Do you want more than findings from the new task force and House Oversight Committee? Recommendations? Other actions?

A. We need accountability. We need to ensure this never, ever happens again. I called for the resignation of [U.S. Secret Service] Director [Kimberly] Cheatle and she shows no signs of taking that course. So I called the White House this morning and said they need to fire her. Joe Biden needs to take decisive action. What we know already is completely inexcusable and dangerous. Accountability begins at the top. I told the White House, his right-hand man, Steve Ricchetti, “This can be an actual moment of leadership for the president, politically. This is low-hanging fruit. Show some initiative, for goodness’ sake.” But they won’t, of course.

Q. The party has a vice presidential candidate in Ohio Sen. JD Vance, who at times hasn’t always been a friendly voice for his running mate. Do you get the sense that’s water under the bridge?

A. It is, yeah. I spent time with JD yesterday. We’re becoming fast friends. I have high regard for his intellect, although we have slightly different perspectives about policy issues. But we both agree that’s really healthy for the party. We’re looking forward to leading together. I talked with him for about a half-hour yesterday, just he and I. And we talked about this aggressive agenda for the new Congress and how important it will be for the vice president to be fully engaged in that. We haven’t had a fully engaged vice president in some time. To have him fresh out of the Senate, to know how it works, could be a great benefit to the president.

Q. Your RNC speech about the seven principles of modern conservatism resonated with many delegates. We’ve heard quite a bit of feedback. You created that list years ago, though. What made you bring it back out for that speech, and what originally inspired the list?

A. I was elected to chairman of the Republican Study Committee in 2019. It’s the largest caucus in Congress, the biggest caucus of conservatives. I was just going into my second term, so that was unusual. I mentioned to my colleagues we’re in an unprecedented moment. At the time, in 2019, there was a turbulence in the party and the country — lots of things were being shifted around — and people were losing sight of what it means to be a conservative. What does it mean? As a positive to my colleagues, we had 153 members in the RSC at the time. One day I asked members, “If you were in an elevator downtown today and you had an opportunity with a millennial who had the wrong worldview, what would you say to them to convince them your worldview is preferable? What does it mean to be conservative? If they have a shirt that says, ‘Proud Progressive,’ what do you say?” I think if we created a task force, it would produce a list that looks like this. If you had to condense a library of conservative thought and writing from the founders, from the very beginning, the works that inspired the party platform for the last several decades, and nail it down to one page, what would it be? This is what I think it would be. This is the essence. But really, the core principles of the country itself right now involve speaking with clarity, conviction and consistency more than we ever have. We all need that. I feel more deeply burdened about that today than I did back then.

Q. You mentioned earlier this is the inspiration for a new book. What can you tell us about that? How far are you into the project?

A. It’s almost finished. I was going to try to get it out before the vote, but I don’t think that’s going to happen now. It’s very simple. I’ve been making the case for these seven core principles around the country, Jeremy. I’ve done events in 144 cities in 31 states now. Everywhere I go when I reference this, it resonates deeply. It’s as if people need it. When I’m out and around the country, I have to specify that I’m from Louisiana and I speak in football and hurricane metaphors. Everything to us is one of those. A hurricane metaphor is uncharted waters in choppy seas. There are dark skies on the horizon, right? It’s coming up from the ocean. But the thing is, you have to know where the fixed points are on the horizon. [Late President Ronald] Reagan said in his farewell address, “They called me the Great Communicator. But I really wasn’t. I was just communicating great things. The same great things that have guided our nation since its founding.” That’s the essence of great things. I suggest we’re the stewards of those great things today. We need to know what we believe if we’re going to evangelize and bring people along. People want to know what we’re for, not just what we’re against. That’s going to be central to us moving forward.

Q. What does your travel and fundraising schedule look like this fall in terms of your plans to help incumbents and GOP congressional candidates?

A. It’s endless. I’m trying to be in my district as much as possible. The speaker is also requested to be in every district. So it’s everywhere around the country. It’s a tireless schedule. But we’ve put a slot on the schedule for one, single nap the day after Christmas. I’ll sleep in late December. Between now and then, we’re not stopping.

Q. We’ve got two more questions —

The staffer recording this interview politely made his presence known.

“We have to go. … We have to go, unfortunately,” the staffer said.

Johnson looked up, asking, “What time is Kudlow?”

“Three. Hard. Live. I’m sorry.”

“Live?” the speaker inquired.

“Yes, sir.”

Before standing, Johnson offered to finish our interview by phone. Upon learning the two remaining questions could be condensed into one, he rose to his feet. Someone suggested he could walk and talk.

“Let’s do it,” Johnson said.

The fellowship followed as the speaker slowly made his way to a nearby set of elevators. At what seemed like every corner, he turned to look for his wife, placing his hand in hers or on her back. Despite the convention’s long hours, the sometimes-toxic political environment and the haters who hate everything on social media, there were smiles all around.

Q. A little over two months have passed since a small group of Republican members endeavored to have you removed. As you reflect on that now, where does your mind go?

A. I never skipped a beat. I never looked back. (Where are we going? Who are we following again? This way? Oh. OK!) It’s part of the process. We had the smallest margin in U.S. history. [Former U.S. House Speaker] Newt Gingrich wrote an op-ed for The Washington Times eight weeks ago and said, “Johnson has the most challenging speakership since the Civil War about 160 years ago.” And he made the point that before he became speaker he had 16 years to build a platform and leadership team and structure and fundraising. He said, “Johnson had 15 minutes.” But I had a one-vote margin, you know? That’s behind us. We went through a valley. I kept telling the team to stick together and it’ll be brighter on the other side. I think we’re here now.

ABOUT MIKE JOHNSON

  • Title: 56th speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives (Republican); represents Louisiana’s 4th Congressional District 
  • Residence: Bossier Parish
  • Age: 52
  • Education: Undergraduate degree in business administration from Louisiana State University; juris doctorate from the Paul M. Hebert Law Center at Louisiana State University
  • Occupations: Small-business owner, attorney practicing constitutional law 
  • Hobbies and interests: Johnson has been a conservative talk radio host, columnist, college professor and spokesman for national religious liberty organizations. He has also provided legal counsel for national organizations and community groups and ministries.
  • Family: Married to Kelly since 1999. They have five children — Hannah, Abigail, Jack, Will and Michael.

Jeremy Alford is managing editor of LaPolitics/State Affairs. Find Jeremy on X or at [email protected].

Former Speaker Marvin Barkis dead at 81

Posted on by Brett Stover

Marvin Barkis, Kansas’ last Democratic Speaker of the House, died Friday at the age of 81.

Barkis was first elected in 1978 and served seven terms in the House. House Minority Leader Vic Miller, D-Topeka, confirmed Barkis’ death.

Before serving as speaker from 1991-92, Barkis was the chamber’s minority leader from 1984-90. He was one of only three Democrats to ever hold the top position in the House of Representatives.

Barkis died at a Paola care facility Friday morning, Miller said. He is survived by his wife, Kay, three children and five grandchildren. Barkis’ father, the late Marvin Weaver Barkis, served in the Kansas Senate in the 1950s.

“Barkis read widely, traveled broadly and will be remembered for his love of his family and friends, and for his deep belief in the importance of civic participation and justice,” Miller said in a news release.

A native of Miami County and graduate of Louisburg High School, Barkis attended Ottawa University and earned a law degree from Stanford University in California before returning to Kansas to practice law.

Miller, who also first joined the House in 1979, called Barkis a dear friend and his closest mentor.

“We were two of the few attorneys in the House, so we had a lot in common in terms of our interest,” Miller told State Affairs. “I was always impressed with Marvin’s intellect, his political acumen.”

Gov. Laura Kelly in a written statement praised Barkis’ legislative career.

“Speaker Barkis championed legislation throughout his career that propelled our schools forward and supported Kansas families,” she said. “His contributions to our state will not be forgotten. My deepest condolences go out to his family and loved ones.”

Barkis presided over a 63-62 majority during his tenure as speaker. Despite that narrow margin, the chamber had many accomplishments, including property tax reform.

Under Barkis’ leadership, the Legislature in 1992 passed the School District Finance and Quality Performance Act, which created the state’s modern school funding formula and added extra money for districts with at-risk students or declining enrollment.

“I didn’t get it done just because of Democrats. I got it done because there were a whole lot of Republicans who wanted school finance [reform], they wanted tax things done. …” Barkis said in a 2017 interview with the Kansas Oral History Project, describing what he called a middle-of-the-road approach to leadership.

“None of what I did was an extreme Democrat position,” he said. “I was proud of that, and I was proud of the Republicans that helped me.”

Managing Editor Bryan Richardson contributed to this story.

Brett Stover is a Statehouse reporter at State Affairs Pro Kansas/Hawver’s Capitol Report. Reach him at [email protected] or on X @BrettStoverKS.

Wake Up Call for Thursday, July 18, 2024

Posted on by Yellow Sheet Report Staff
Pima County sample ballot error weakens voter confidence Arizona Capitol Times Pima County’s distribution of 135,541 sample ballots with an incorrect Election Day date could undermine voter confidence in elections, election law lawyers said.  Conservative group targets non-citizens on voter rolls Capitol Media Services A group headed by a former Trump adviser is threatening to sue the state’s 15 counties if they don’t try to check on whether there are non-citizens on their voter registration rolls. Arizona Sen. Mark Kelly mentioned as option to replace President Joe Biden on ticket KTAR Sen. Mark Kelly of Arizona has entered the conversation about a potential replacement for President Joe Biden on the Democratic ticket. COVID cases on the rise again in Arizona, on its way to ‘becoming a common cold’ AZ Mirror As the KP.3 variant becomes the dominant COVID-19 strain across the country, Arizona is seeing a slight increase in cases, but reporting is not entirely complete.  Federal voter form acceptable in Arizona without state rules, appeals court says Your Valley Summary.Arizona won’t be able to block those who sign up to vote using a federal registration form from casting a ballot in the presidential race, at least not now. ‘God’s watching over him’: Trump assassination attempt strengthens Arizona supporters’ conviction at RNC Cronkite News Among the red, white and blue crowd at the Republican National Convention, the support for former President Donald Trump is palpable. Arizona is a ‘lawyer desert:’ State Supreme Court launches apprentice program for those with lower bar exam scores Arizona Luminaria The state Supreme Court has announced an apprenticeship program for law school graduates that creates a new pathway to practice in Arizona and aims to boost the low number of attorneys in the state. Kari Lake had a bad week. Then she went another level down in interview with UK journalist Arizona Republic Despite getting shot at and all, it’s been a pretty good week for Donald Trump. Mark Lamb says Kari Lake offered him a Trump Cabinet position to get out of Senate race Arizona Republic Republican U.S. Senate candidate and Pinal County Sheriff Mark Lamb says that former TV news reader, failed governor candidate and U.S. Senate candidate Kari Lake tried to get him to quit the race, even once offering him a post in a Donald Trump Cabinet. While Kari Lake chanted at the RNC about a wall, Sen. Kyrsten Sinema was fixing a border Arizona Republic At around the same time Tuesday that Kari Lake was leading the Republican National Convention in a “build the wall” chant – You remember, don’t you?

Kansas Daily News Wire July 19, 2024

Posted on by State Affairs

Welcome to the Kansas Daily News Wire, your daily roundup of top state and political stories from newsrooms across Kansas. — Hawver’s Capitol Report/State Affairs

STATE

Aetna alleges health department destroyed KanCare contract bid documents: Aetna’s fight against the Kansas Department of Health and Environment’s decision not to award the company a new KanCare contract continues as Aetna alleges the agency destroyed documents related to the bid process. (Stover, State Affairs)

Kansas won’t force providers to ask patients why they want abortions while a lawsuit proceeds: Kansas isn’t enforcing a new law requiring abortion providers to ask patients why they want to terminate their pregnancies, as a legal challenge against that rule and other older requirements makes its way through the courts. (Associated Press)

Kelly’s PAC endorses against Miller, for Francisco: Gov. Laura Kelly is throwing her support behind four Democratic candidates, including one of House Minority Leader Vic Miller’s primary opponents. (Stover, State Affairs)

Publisher: Documents appear to clear Marion County Record: The owner of the Marion County Record says court documents appear to clear the newspaper of wrongdoing. (KSN)

LOCAL

Former Johnson County Sheriff Denning endorses Republican challenger to Sheriff Hayden: Frank Denning, who spent more than a decade leading the Johnson County Sheriff’s Department, is endorsing Sheriff Calvin Hayden’s Republican challenger – a stunning vote of no-confidence from Hayden’s immediate predecessor. (The Kansas City Star)

Wichita’s 2025 budget proposal showcases sharp divide over priorities: Mayor Lily Wu is navigating her first budget cycle with a new conservative majority on the Wichita City Council after campaigning on the idea that wasteful city spending has unfairly burdened taxpayers. (The Wichita Eagle)

Kansas Youth Leadership Forum students learn about civics at Kansas Statehouse: A group of young leaders from Kansas had their own civics lesson at the Kansas Statehouse. (WIBW)

Overland Park’s CityPlace project to get more incentives as costs go up: Part of the CityPlace mixed-use development in Overland Park will get more economic incentives than initially anticipated. (Johnson County Post)

Howey Daily Wire July 19, 2024

Posted on by Howey Politics Indiana

Happy Friday!

Brian Howey of State Affairs interviewed the state Republican and Democratic gubernatorial nominees. And GOP U.S. Senate nominee Jim Banks addressed the Republican National Convention, making the case that there has been a “paradigm shift” among the American electorate. Also at the convention, State Affairs met with U.S. House Speaker Mike Johnson, who provided a glimpse into his consistently hectic, rarely unscheduled and quietly ambitious political life. More news below. — Howey Politics Indiana/State Affairs

Braun, McCormick on their coming showdown and the state of their parties: Brian Howey of State Affairs spoke with two of Indiana’s gubernatorial nominees, Republican Mike Braun and Democrat Jennifer McCormick, and Democratic lieutenant governor nominee Terry Goodin.

Banks presents his personal biography in RNC speech: Indiana congressman and U.S. Senate nominee Jim Banks addressed the Republican National Convention and joined presidential nominee Donald Trump and vice presidential nominee J.D. Vance in the VIP box. (Howey, State Affairs)

Speaker Johnson: ‘I want to be of my highest and best use for this moment’ — U.S. House Speaker Mike Johnson sat down with Jeremy Alford of State Affairs’ Louisiana for an interview during the Republican National Convention.

STATE

Indiana’s post-pandemic academic recovery slow but measurable, ILEARN data shows: According to Indiana’s Learning Evaluation and Assessment Readiness Network data for last school year, 30.8% of students were proficient in both English/language arts and math. The figure is up from last year, but still lags results from 2019, when 37.1% were proficient in both. (Meeks, State Affairs)

Holcomb announces judicial appointments for Marshall, Grant counties: Gov. Eric Holcomb announced he appointed Janette Surrisi and Nathan Meeks to the Marshall County Circuit Court and the Grant County Superior Court #2, respectively, in an email to Howey Politics Indiana/State Affairs.

Public comment on first draft of diploma rule open through July 30: A news release from the Indiana Department of Education outlined an “ongoing, collaborative process to develop new diploma seals in response to stakeholder feedback,” with comments on the first proposal draft due July 30. (Howey Politics Indiana/State Affairs)

Federal appeals court upholds stay blocking new Title IX rule protecting LGBTQ+ students: The ruling from the 6th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals keeps in place a preliminary injunction that blocked the new rule in six states, including Indiana. (AP)

Firefighters invited to join IDHS program to test for PFAS: The Indiana Department of Homeland Security invited firefighters to apply for a biomonitoring pilot program to measure blood levels of perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances, or PFAS, commonly known as “forever chemicals.” (Parrott, WVPE-FM)

Zimmer Biomet CEO says company can’t make long-term commitment to Warsaw if US 30 isn’t upgraded: The CEO of Kosciusko County’s largest employer, a cornerstone of northeastern Indiana’s orthopedics industry, said the company can’t make a long-term commitment to stay in the region if U.S. 30 isn’t improved. (Longe, Inside Indiana Business)

Indiana sports betting sees year-over-year increase in June: June brought about a significant increase in Indiana sports betting revenue and handle year-over-year, but a decrease from last month, according to analysts. (Simcox, Inside Indiana Business)

Nominations sought for the 2025 Indiana Farm Family of the Year: Beck’s and Indiana AgriNews announced nominations are open for the 2025 Indiana Farm Family of the Year, the 28th consecutive year for the award. To nominate a family, click here. (Howey Politics Indiana/State Affairs)

BSU study: Low wages, child care availability push women out of Indiana’s workforce — High child care costs and low availability are strongly linked to women’s workforce participation according to new research from Ball State University. (Cunningham, WFIU-FM)

Purdue ranked nation’s No. 1 most recognized public university: Purdue placed No. 1 among U.S. public universities and was named the No. 9 most recognized university in the world in the 2024-25 Global University Visibility rankings, according to a news release. (Howey Politics Indiana/State Affairs)

LOCAL

Women accuse top Hogsett aide of preying on subordinates for years: Indianapolis Mayor Joe Hogsett’s right-hand man targeted younger women who worked under him, showering them with praise, poetry and gifts and promising career growth as he pressured them toward intimacy and unwanted sexual encounters, three women told IndyStar. (Colombo & Briggs, IndyStar)

Mayor says Lebanon ‘a lot closer’ to a water solution: Lebanon Mayor Matt Gentry said there’s a line of developments waiting to get into the LEAP District in Lebanon when the city finds water sources to support the projects. (Martorano, WLFI-TV)

Developer cites incentives, abandons Carmel project: A Carrollton, Texas-based developer has walked away from a proposed mixed-use real estate project along Old Meridian Street in Carmel because the city’s incentive for the project was not enough to make it feasible. (Bradley, IBJ)

SoIN Tourism seeks capital project proposals to receive grant funding: The destination marketing organization for Clark and Floyd counties says it will award a total of up to $1 million to support placemaking projects to make southern Indiana more visible. (Brown, Inside Indiana Business)

Vermillion County first responders express concerns over ambulance response times: First responders in Vermillion County say that ambulance response times are creating potentially unsafe situations. (Verbanic, WTHI-TV)

Fort Wayne city councilmen call out Allen County Commissioners over EMS woes: Three members of the Fort Wayne City Council wrote in an op-ed published by The Journal Gazette that “the problem of our weakening EMS ambulance service is entirely solvable because it is entirely created by the failure of Allen County and Fort Wayne elected officials.”

Jefferson County Council advances innkeeper’s tax increase: The Jefferson County Council advanced an ordinance that would increase Jefferson County’s innkeeper’s tax with final approval anticipated to come at next month’s meeting. (Demaree, Madison Courier)

Goshen unveils response vehicle for people in crisis: The vehicle to be used by Behavioral Health Response Coordinator James Ballard will offer a new option to transfer patients to mental health facilities and decrease the need for ambulances. (Fouts, Elkhart Truth)

St. Joseph County Election Board rules against school board candidate ‘Ben Dallas MAGA’: The St. Joseph County Election Board ruled against Penn-Harris-Madison School Board candidate Ben Dallas, who filed as “Ben Dallas MAGA.” (Lumma, WSBT-TV)

GENERAL ASSEMBLY

Errington to host town hall on high school diploma proposal: State Rep. Sue Errington, D-Muncie, announced she will host a town hall for constituents to learn more about the proposed redesign of Indiana’s high school diploma courses. The event is scheduled for July 26 at 6 p.m. at the Muncie Public Library, 1700 W McGalliard Rd. (Howey Politics Indiana/State Affairs)

CONGRESS

Young calls for Biden to remove Secret Service leadership: In a series of posts on X responding to the assassination attempt on Donald Trump, U.S. Sen. Todd Young, R-Ind., called on President Joe Biden to “decisively remove leaders who fail to maintain public safety and national security.” (Howey Politics Indiana/State Affairs)

Congressional schedule: The House and Senate are out.

CAMPAIGNS

Mrvan has cash lead in CD1, but GOP dominates in federal races: Democratic U.S. Rep. Frank Mrvan goes into the fall campaign with a $1 million cash advantage over his Republican challenger, although that could disappear quickly if national money again pours into what is likely Indiana’s only competitive congressional race. (Davies, State Affairs)

McCormick hosts reproductive rights town hall in Fort Wayne: Democratic gubernatorial nominee Jennifer McCormick answered a range of questions about reproductive health, sexual education and health care in the state during a town hall at the Allen County Public Library. (Abbot, WBOI-FM)

Vance coming to Fort Wayne: GOP Vice Presidential nominee J.D. Vance is coming to Fort Wayne next week for a fundraiser, Allen County Republican Party Chairman Steve Shine confirmed. (Kelly, Indiana Capital Chronicle)

PRESIDENTIAL 2024

Top Democrats prepare for campaign without Biden: President Joe Biden enters a perilous stretch in his fight to remain in the presidential race as allies and donors begin looking to a future where a new candidate sits atop the ticket. (The Wall Street Journal)

Details on Trump’s health after shooting trickle out: Former President Donald Trump has maintained a highly visible presence at the GOP’s national convention this week, but little information has been released on his recovery or any lingering health effects five days after an assassin’s bullet struck him in the ear at a campaign rally. (The Hill)

NATION

White House schedule: President Joe Biden has no public events scheduled. Vice President Kamala Harris will receive briefings and conduct internal meetings with staff.

A context of our current economic ‘crisis’

Posted on by Morton Marcus

A recent comparison of the American economy under Donald Trump and Joe Biden consisted of nine indicators, each better under Trump than under Biden. Unaccompanied by dates or sources, these data were impossible to verify. They were devoid of context and were the very essence of political propaganda.

From January 2017, when Trump took office, the U.S. unemployment rate declined rather regularly from 4.7% to 3.5% in February 2020, according to the U.S. Census Bureau’s Current Population Survey. Over that period, the year-over-year rate of inflation hovered around 2%, per the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ Consumer Price Index. That’s the magic level adopted and consecrated by the Federal Reserve as normal or desirable.

But then COVID-19 hit in the spring of 2020. The unemployment rate jumped from 3.5% in February to 4.4% in March, hitting an astounding 14.8% in April.

Pandemic. Millions sick. Confinement to home. Mask mandates. Tempers raw. People not shopping, working or dining out; a stalling economy. Inflation in January 2020 was at 2.5%. By March it was down to 1.5%, and in May it hit 0.1%. Certainly, policymakers wanted to avoid deflation when falling prices discourage purchasing and producing goods.

Without any experience in such matters, what should be done? The prudent expedient: Pump money out to consumers so they will not suffer from unemployment and to business owners so not all will have to close their doors. With remarkable speed, checks were delivered to tens of millions of households and businesses, whether they needed them or not.

And that was the catch. Billions of dollars went to people and businesses who did not need the money. The checks went to the wealthy as well as the poor. The funds flowed to firms where jobs were saved and to others where stocks were repurchased, enriching top executives and other shareholders.

It worked. The unemployment rate fell to 6.4% and the inflation rate climbed to 1.4% by the time Biden was inaugurated. But would the trend hold after two such infusions of money?

The inflation rate seemed stuck at that 1.4% level and the decline in unemployment was showing signs of stalling.

Maybe one more stimulus check would do the job.

With all that money, many consumers paid down debt and even put cash aside. Lest ye forget, executives and shareholders, as well as well-heeled pensioners, are consumers too. They found new TVs and cell phones to buy and vacations to be taken. In spite of high rents and interest rates, more affluent consumers demanded more housing.

Constricted by the pandemic, supply chains were overwhelmed. Inflation soared to a high of 9.1% in June 2022 over the same month in 2021.

Then, as it will, reality replaced glee. Credit card debt climbed rapidly and savings were depleted. Consumers reacted to high prices with their usual epitaphs aimed at the White House although inflation fell to about 3% and unemployment closed in on 4%.

That’s the context for any data comparing the Trump and Biden administrations. The “Biden” inflation was inherited in large part from the panic of the “Trump” response to COVID. The checks sent indiscriminately to consumers and businesses were not as beneficial as the later “Biden” moves to improve the nation’s infrastructure.

Long-term thinking always trumps short, knee-jerk solutions, however well-intended.

Morton J. Marcus is an economist. Reach him at [email protected] and follow him and John Guy on the “Who Gets What?” podcast, available at mortonjohn.libsyn.com.

‘You’ve got 10 minutes with the speaker’

Posted on by Jeremy Alford

A glimpse into the consistently hectic, rarely unscheduled and quietly ambitious political life of Mike Johnson

MILWAUKEE — The man who is second in line to be president hasn’t slept much in the past three days. Being chairman of the Republican National Convention means late-night floor sessions and seemingly endless interviews on behalf of the nominee. To the envy of every politician in downtown Milwaukee, U.S. House Speaker Mike Johnson has also arguably enjoyed more screen time than anyone else lucky enough to bump into a microphone.

Following an interview with Politico and before another with Fox Business host Larry Kudlow, Johnson sat down with State Affairs Thursday afternoon to field seven questions. He weighed in on the top of the GOP ticket, his convention speech that’s serving as the basis for a new book and what another Trump administration might mean for both the Lower Chamber and his own political fate.

Tucked away in the Fiserv Forum, where the NBA’s Milwaukee Bucks play, is Johnson’s personal convention office. The space is located outside the convention floor and inside the House Cloakroom, which is really just the Jockey Club, an upscale lounge for sports enthusiasts that overlooks Deer District Plaza.

Vinyl House Cloakroom signs have been applied to most of the Jockey Club signs — much in the way Johnson’s Louisiana congressional delegation takes over the Washington Hilton each January for Washington Mardi Gras, temporarily rebranding McClellan’s Sports Bar as “The 65th Parish,” signage and all. (Louisiana is home to parishes, rather than counties, and there are 64 of them. Sixty-five, unofficially, when you tally the centerpiece bar at the Washington Hilton.)

On this fourth and final day of the GOP convention, the House Cloakroom provides a panoramic view of the politics invading Deer District Plaza. The expansive village green resembles an ant farm, with reporters asking delegates which speakers they want to hear most, podcasters bellowing about the decline of Western civilization, delegates in funny hats and suited staffers sweating. 

Watching Johnson cross the plaza is a reminder of his newfound status among national Republicans. Elected in October 2023, the speaker makes his way slowly, surrounded by his security detail, which is supposed to help thin the throng around him. But delegates and convention-goers either refuse to move or are unaware they’re holding up a well-armed entourage.

The same crowd that booed former Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell on the convention floor (twice) for not being a better ally to former President Donald Trump seems unfazed by Johnson’s own rocky path to power. Many predicted Johnson wouldn’t last this long holding the Big Gavel, given the slim margin of his victory, an attempt to oust him this past spring and the general unpredictability and divisiveness of the People’s House.

Still, to those who lived it, all of the Hill-anchored drama seems like a political lifetime ago. Back in his makeshift Milwaukee office, Johnson is listening to a pair of staffers fire off details about the next 30 minutes of his schedule. Or rather, he’s trying to hear them. Both. At the same time. That’s because the convention’s loudspeaker system is being pumped into the House Cloakroom’s small business office. 

Johnson is, after all, the convention chairman. His ears are always on.

“Are we going to listen to Kid Rock while we’re doing this?” Johnson asks his staff with a laugh, referencing the convention’s music choice of the moment.

Just a minute or two prior, Johnson had mentioned the possibility of Kid Rock’s appearance that evening, adding a bit of Detroit flair to the final night’s Trumptastic crescendo. Johnson, a former state legislator who made his bones as an attorney focusing on the First Amendment principles of religious independence and free speech, couldn’t help but smile about Kid Rock’s visit.

This is the same speaker who aids his state delegation in the annual act of overtaking a bar like a band of Mardi Gras pirates. As a Louisiana politician, he understands the duality of late-night networking and making church on Sunday mornings. He’s quick with hugs and anecdotes, welcoming of selfies and liked among his Democratic and Republican colleagues in Louisiana and Washington for his sharp sense of humor and almost pathological obsession with rules, bylaws and manuals.

Knowing this interview was being recorded, Johnson asked, “Let’s see if a table outside is quieter.”

It wasn’t.

“It’s louder,” the speaker said, still laughing as the sounds of Kid Rock were amplified. “How is that possible?”

At this point, Johnson was holding hands with his wife, Kelly, a former teacher and pastoral counselor, as he made his way around a corner of the House Cloakroom. A staffer followed, as did the speaker’s security detail. 

Finally, Johnson found a quiet hallway with small tables for two, complete with ornamental lamps. Over his shoulder a large, muted TV broadcast a live Fox News interview with Donald Trump Jr. The speaker pulled up a chair for his wife, asking her to stay. He blinked in a way that suggested he wished for rest. Kid Rock could barely be heard.

Adjusting his eyeglasses, he began explaining the inspiration behind his convention speech, which was a topic of conversation upon arrival at his temporary office.

Q. State Affairs: Hold that thought for a second or so. I want to ask you about that speech. But I also wanted to know if you would be open to a position in a Trump White House. Some delegates are already saying you look and sound like a shortlist contender for attorney general.

A. Speaker Johnson: I want to be of my highest and best use for this moment and this opportunity we have as a nation. I think the role of speaker of the House is so important to the legislative agenda before us. And what we’re doing now is very methodically planning an aggressive agenda for the new Congress, for the first 100 days and beyond. Because we’re anticipating we’ll have a unified government. So as the architect of the playbook, it will be really necessary to implement the plays and have continuity of leadership. Look, I’ll serve my country in any way I’m called, but I feel excited about the opportunities that are ahead of us. I have a very important role to play in that, in the role I have now.

Q. You’ve called for a far-reaching investigation into the shooting of former President Donald Trump. What is your anticipated endgame? Do you want more than findings from the new task force and House Oversight Committee? Recommendations? Other actions?

A. We need accountability. We need to ensure this never, ever happens again. I called for the resignation of [U.S. Secret Service] Director [Kimberly] Cheatle and she shows no signs of taking that course. So I called the White House this morning and said they need to fire her. Joe Biden needs to take decisive action. What we know already is completely inexcusable and dangerous. Accountability begins at the top. I told the White House, his right-hand man, Steve Ricchetti, “This can be an actual moment of leadership for the president, politically. This is low-hanging fruit. Show some initiative, for goodness’ sake.” But they won’t, of course.

Q. The party has a vice presidential candidate in Ohio Sen. JD Vance, who at times hasn’t always been a friendly voice for his running mate. Do you get the sense that’s water under the bridge?

A. It is, yeah. I spent time with JD yesterday. We’re becoming fast friends. I have high regard for his intellect, although we have slightly different perspectives about policy issues. But we both agree that’s really healthy for the party. We’re looking forward to leading together. I talked with him for about a half-hour yesterday, just he and I. And we talked about this aggressive agenda for the new Congress and how important it will be for the vice president to be fully engaged in that. We haven’t had a fully engaged vice president in some time. To have him fresh out of the Senate, to know how it works, could be a great benefit to the president.

Q. Your RNC speech about the seven principles of modern conservatism resonated with many delegates. I’ve heard quite a bit of feedback. You created that list years ago, though. What made you bring it back out for that speech, and what originally inspired the list?

A. I was elected to chairman of the Republican Study Committee in 2019. It’s the largest caucus in Congress, the biggest caucus of conservatives. I was just going into my second term, so that was unusual. I mentioned to my colleagues we’re in an unprecedented moment. At the time, in 2019, there was a turbulence in the party and the country — lots of things were being shifted around — and people were losing sight of what it means to be a conservative. What does it mean? As a positive to my colleagues, we had 153 members in the RSC at the time. One day I asked members, “If you were in an elevator downtown today and you had an opportunity with a millennial who had the wrong worldview, what would you say to them to convince them your worldview is preferable? What does it mean to be conservative? If they have a shirt that says, ‘Proud Progressive,’ what do you say?” I think if we created a task force, it would produce a list that looks like this. If you had to condense a library of conservative thought and writing from the founders, from the very beginning, the works that inspired the party platform for the last several decades, and nail it down to one page, what would it be? This is what I think it would be. This is the essence. But really, the core principles of the country itself right now involve speaking with clarity, conviction and consistency more than we ever have. We all need that. I feel more deeply burdened about that today than I did back then.

Q. You mentioned earlier this is the inspiration for a new book. What can you tell me about that? How far are you into the project?

A. It’s almost finished. I was going to try to get it out before the vote, but I don’t think that’s going to happen now. It’s very simple. I’ve been making the case for these seven core principles around the country, Jeremy. I’ve done events in 144 cities in 31 states now. Everywhere I go when I reference this, it resonates deeply. It’s as if people need it. When I’m out and around the country, I have to specify that I’m from Louisiana and I speak in football and hurricane metaphors. Everything to us is one of those. A hurricane metaphor is uncharted waters in choppy seas. There are dark skies on the horizon, right? It’s coming up from the ocean. But the thing is, you have to know where the fixed points are on the horizon. [Late President Ronald] Reagan said in his farewell address, “They called me the Great Communicator. But I really wasn’t. I was just communicating great things. The same great things that have guided our nation since its founding.” That’s the essence of great things. I suggest we’re the stewards of those great things today. We need to know what we believe if we’re going to evangelize and bring people along. People want to know what we’re for, not just what we’re against. That’s going to be central to us moving forward.

Q. What does your travel and fundraising schedule look like this fall in terms of your plans to help incumbents and GOP congressional candidates?

A. It’s endless. I’m trying to be in my district as much as possible. The speaker is also requested to be in every district. So it’s everywhere around the country. It’s a tireless schedule. But we’ve put a slot on the schedule for one, single nap the day after Christmas. I’ll sleep in late December. Between now and then, we’re not stopping.

Q. I’ve got two more questions —

The staffer recording this interview politely made his presence known.

“We have to go. … We have to go, unfortunately,” the staffer said.

Johnson looked up, asking, “What time is Kudlow?”

“Three. Hard. Live. I’m sorry.”

“Live?” the speaker inquired.

“Yes, sir.”

Before standing, Johnson offered to finish our interview by phone. Upon learning the two remaining questions could be condensed into one, he rose to his feet. Someone suggested he could walk and talk.

“Let’s do it,” Johnson said. 

The fellowship followed as the speaker slowly made his way to a nearby set of elevators. At what seemed like every corner, he turned to look for his wife, placing his hand in hers or on her back. Despite the convention’s long hours, the sometimes-toxic political environment and the haters who hate everything on social media, there were smiles all around.

Q. A little over two months have passed since a small group of Republican members endeavored to have you removed. As you reflect on that now, where does your mind go?

A. I never skipped a beat. I never looked back. (Where are we going? Who are we following again? This way? Oh. OK!) It’s part of the process. We had the smallest margin in U.S. history. [Former U.S. House Speaker] Newt Gingrich wrote an op-ed for The Washington Times eight weeks ago and said, “Johnson has the most challenging speakership since the Civil War about 160 years ago.” And he made the point that before he became speaker he had 16 years to build a platform and leadership team and structure and fundraising. He said, “Johnson had 15 minutes.” But I had a one-vote margin, you know? That’s behind us. We went through a valley. I kept telling the team to stick together and it’ll be brighter on the other side. I think we’re here now.

Jeremy Alford is managing editor of LaPolitics/State Affairs. Find Jeremy on X or at [email protected].

ABOUT MIKE JOHNSON
  • Title: 56th speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives (Republican); represents Louisiana’s 4th Congressional District 
  • Residence: Bossier Parish
  • Age: 52
  • Education: Undergraduate degree in business administration from Louisiana State University; juris doctorate from the Paul M. Hebert Law Center at Louisiana State University
  • Occupations: Small-business owner, attorney practicing constitutional law 
  • Hobbies and interests: Johnson has been a conservative talk radio host, columnist, college professor and spokesman for national religious liberty organizations. He has also provided legal counsel for national organizations and community groups and ministries.
  • Family: Married to Kelly since 1999. They have five children — Hannah, Abigail, Jack, Will and Michael.

Insider for July 19, 2024

Posted on by NC Insider

YOU DON’T SAY

“We had the best second quarter of any election year we’ve ever had in the history of our committee, and then the Democrats beat us by $7 million.”

U.S. Rep. Richard Hudson, chairman of the National Republican Congressional Committee, on GOP fundraising. (The News & Observer, 7/18/24)

Robinson Fundraising

Colin Campbell, WUNC Radio, 7/18/24

It’s rare for North Carolina political figures to publish an autobiography while running for office, but Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson has made his 2022 book a central part of his campaign for governor.

He’s done book signings for “We Are The Majority” during campaign fundraisers, and invitations to some of his fundraising events have included a free copy of the book as part of the ticket package. He’s also done direct mail fundraising campaigns where potential donors can receive the book if they contribute $75 or more.

“My friend, ‘We Are The Majority’ is a book that needs to be read by every Republican, Independent and conservative Democrat voter who’s considering me for Governor,” Robinson wrote in the fundraising letter. “Frankly, nothing would make me happier than to see 10,000 copies end up in the hands of grassroots leaders, fellow elected officials, moms, dads, seniors — folks just like you!”

So, how much is Robinson’s campaign spending to purchase copies of the book for donors? The campaign hasn’t disclosed that figure anywhere in his campaign finance reports or ethics disclosure forms.

Asked about the omission, campaign spokesman Mike Lonergan said in an email that “these promotions were handled directly by the vendors. The campaign reported the expenses as required.” Lonergan did not answer a follow-up question from WUNC about which vendor listed in the campaign finance reports was responsible for the book purchases.

Some of Robinson’s campaign spending appears to be lumped into categories labeled “consultant.” His campaign lists a total of $450,000 spent this cycle on “consultant — political” through the firm Conservative Connections, led by his campaign manager Conrad Pogorzelski. And reports list $1.12 million spent on “consultant — fundraising” through the firm The Whillier Group, led by a former staffer for Lt. Gov. Dan Forest.

But Robinson’s campaign lists other purchases of gifts for donors and supporters separately. He’s spent nearly $45,000 on campaign “merch” through a Florida-based company called The MAGA Mall USA Corp., the report shows.

The company’s website offers red “Mark Robinson For Governor” hats alongside former President Donald Trump’s signature “Make America Great Again” hats, as well as anti-Joe Biden apparel with messages like “Joe and the Ho Gotta Go.”

Robinson doesn’t list proceeds from the book on ethics disclosure forms filed with the State Ethics Commission. The form requires candidates and elected officials to list any source of income that exceeds $5,000. Robinson lists only his lieutenant governor’s salary and his wife’s nonprofit salary for 2023. Asked about the ethics disclosure, Robinson’s campaign said, “revenue from book sales did not meet the threshold for disclosure.”

Earning less than $5,000 in the first full year of a book’s publication would mean Robinson sold significantly less than other politicians who have written books. Business Insider reported that in 2020, more than 20 members of Congress earned more than $5,000 from book royalties and advances, with some making more than $300,000.

While sales figures for Robinson’s book aren’t publicly available, it’s currently ranked #82,986 in sales on Amazon and #437 in political leader biographies. About a month after it was published in 2022, it ranked #3,052 among books on Amazon and was the 22nd most popular title among biographies of political leaders.

Bob Hall, a longtime campaign watchdog who has filed complaints about Robinson’s past campaign finance reports, said the book purchases need to be disclosed. “That income should be reported somewhere, either on his ethics statement as income, or on his campaign finance report is the campaign’s income,” Hall said.

Campaign finance reports vary significantly on how much they list individual expenses versus a lump sum to a consultant. House Rules Chairman Destin Hall’s latest report includes an array of expenses like lodging, mileage and office supplies in a single payment to his campaign consultant. By contrast, Republican lieutenant governor candidate Hal Weatherman’s report lists separate expenses for purchases like yard signs, banners and flag patches to place on campaign t-shirts.

The State Board of Elections is still reviewing a complaint filed by Hall three years ago. The complaint says Robinson’s 2020 finance report included unexplained cash withdrawals, spending on inappropriate expenses like medical bills and clothing, and donations that exceeded the maximum limit. “They are overwhelmed and underfinanced, so it’s hard to say” when the investigation might conclude, Hall said. [Source]

Chronic Absenteeism

Matthew Sasser, State Affairs Pro, 7/18/24

Education professionals at an American Enterprise Institute event Wednesday issued a clarion call to state leaders and school districts around the country to cut students’ chronic absenteeism by 50% over the next five years. 

Chronic absenteeism is defined as missing 10% of the school year, equivalent to at least 18 calendar days.

Nat Malkus, deputy director of education policy studies at American Enterprise Institute, said this nonpartisan goal remains the most urgent issue facing schools today. 

“It’s necessary because leadership at the top needs to raise this as the top priority for this school year,” Malkus said. “This is not something to start in on in December. … This is one of those places where the bully pulpit at the state level can raise priorities, and that can trickle down. So, yes, districts need the support and the pressure from states to turn this around.”

The goal of cutting the rate by 50% over the next five years is ambitious, audacious and aspirational but achievable, according to Denise Forte, president of The Education Trust, a nonprofit organization committed to advancing policies to dismantle racial and economic barriers in the American education system. 

In 2019, 15% of K-12 students in the United States were considered chronically absent, Malkus said, according to data collected by the Return 2 Learn Tracker. 

“Pre-pandemic, chronic absenteeism was not a minor issue,” Malkus said. “Chronic absenteeism is related just to a bevy of negative effects. It’s not complicated — I think schools are good. I think being in schools consistently is good, and the data bears this out.”

Data for the 2020 and 2021 school years remains difficult to track due to the lack of in-person learning. In 2022, rates for chronic absenteeism skyrocketed to 90% across the country. 

“I’m a data guy. I do all kinds of education data,” Malkus said. “I’ve never seen anything like it. …. There’s no jurisdiction or state that didn’t increase dramatically.”’

While no state was immune to the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, chronic absenteeism reflected existing gaps between high- and low-achieving schools, with lower-performing schools having fewer regular student attendance. 

Hedy Chang, executive director of Attendance Works, a national initiative aimed at advancing student success by addressing chronic absence, noted that while absenteeism rates in many school districts are slowly recovering, some are getting worse. Another challenge for policymakers, Chang noted, is the difficulty of comparing rates across states that define chronic absenteeism or what constitutes a regular school day differently. 

“This is the real threat that we’re looking at now — is that chronic absenteeism doesn’t go back down, that it becomes a new normal,” Malkus said about a post-pandemic casualness that has taken root. 

It’s going to take more than just a political response, according to Malkus, but a sustained cultural response that parents can buy into and reestablish learning and regular attendance as priorities. 

Angélica Infante-Green, commissioner of elementary and secondary education for the Rhode Island Department of Education, said a survey in her state asked parents if two days of student absence made a difference. 

“We saw that they didn’t think it made a difference,” Infante-Green said. “That was really important data for us to get out there and say, ‘OK, where were the districts where this happened? Where were the schools? Let’s get [our student absenteeism campaign] out there.”

Learning loss from the pandemic has been identified as a key area for educators to hone in on, but Malkus said it’s for naught if students aren’t sitting ready to receive instruction in the classroom now. 

“I don’t see any root of pandemic learning loss being fixed that doesn’t go through fixing this chronic absenteeism rate,” Malkus said. “We’re talking about somewhere on the order of six and a half million more kids chronically absent post-pandemic than pre-pandemic.”

Forte said it’s going to take everybody — parents, state leaders, educators — to make the goal of getting kids back in the classroom a reality. 

“This is a change in our norms and routines and behaviors,” Malkus said about the goal-setting, adding that many of his colleagues have dismissed the importance of this issue. 

“It’s a big deal for your community, your school, your kids — the numbers do not lie. I think it’s incumbent on us to really realize that we do have a role, and I think it’s important for us to not just treat this as a goal for state leaders or some district superintendent to hold, but it’s important for us as America, as our school districts, as our communities, to cut chronic absenteeism and to do it now before it becomes a new normal.”

Drought Conditions

Jane Winik Sartwell, Carolina Public Press, 7/18/24

After the driest June in recorded North Carolina history, farmers across the state are coping with the impacts of intense drought. According to the US Drought Monitor, 22 North Carolina counties are experiencing severe drought, while one county — Columbus County, a rural, agriculturally driven county in the southeastern part of the state — is in an extreme drought.

From early June to mid-July, Whiteville, Columbus County’s biggest population center, received 1.07 inches of rain, a 24-year low. The suddenness of this drought is what surprises the state’s drought experts the most.

“If you asked somebody on Memorial Day, ‘Are we at any risk of drought?’ they would have called you crazy,” Corey Davis, drought expert at the North Carolina State Climate Office, told Carolina Public Press.

“It wasn’t one of these typical droughts, where it just kind of creeps up month after month and gets slowly worse,” Klaus Albertin, chair of the North Carolina Drought Management Advisory Council, told CPP.  “This has been so sudden.” 

On July 2, 10 counties were classified as experiencing severe or extreme drought. By July 9, that number had jumped to 22.

These counties fall into three geographic clusters: the southeast, central Coastal Plains, and the northwest Piedmont.

  • Southeastern counties in severe and extreme drought: Columbus, Robeson, Bladen, Pender
  • Central Coastal Plains counties in severe drought: Bertie, Martin, Pitt, Beaufort, Craven, Pamlico, Lenoir, Greene, Wayne
  • Northwest Piedmont counties in severe drought: Surry, Stokes, Forsyth, Yadkin, Wilkes, Alexander, Iredell, Davie, Catawba, Caldwell

This past week brought a few inches of rain to the state, but not enough to pull the counties like Columbus out of their deficit, and entirely too late for corn farmers.

“The corn is basically decimated,” Gary Lanier, Columbus County’s economic development director, told CPP. “You look out in the field and see brown spokes. It’s killing our farmers.”

It’s too late in the season to replant, and many farmers are looking to crop insurance to keep them from going bankrupt. Still, Lanier explained, “crop insurance only covers 70% of your average production for five years. Farmers are still going to lose something like $200/acre.”

About 100 miles north of Whiteville, in rural Greene County, the Farm Service Agency is currently discussing a disaster declaration. According to Hannah Massengill, field crops extension agent for Greene County, farmers there expect anywhere from a 70% to 80% loss on the corn crop.

“(The emergency) declaration would initiate various support mechanisms for our farmers,” Trey Cash, economic development director for Greene County, told CPP in an email. “While this assistance is greatly valued, it’s important to acknowledge that our farmers prefer to sustain their livelihoods through their hard work and successful harvests.”

Because of the drought’s suddenness, crops have been hit much harder than drinking water supply. Reservoirs and aquifers are, for the most part, still full from the heavy rains in May. Only five voluntary water conservation notices have been issued on account of the drought throughout the state, including one in Whiteville.

In Wilkes County, in the western part of the state, the level of the Kerr Scott Reservoir dropped just one inch below the normal level on Tuesday for the first time all season.

In Forsyth County, home to Winston-Salem and the largest population of any county currently under severe drought conditions, only one out of the three factors needed to trigger the emergency water management plan has occurred: the drought declaration itself. The level of system demand and the flow of the Yadkin River remain unaffected. [Source]

Woodson Retirement

Korie Dean, The News & Observer, 7/18/24

NC State University Chancellor Randy Woodson will retire next summer, ending a 15-year tenure leading the Wolfpack. He announced his plans to retire at a meeting of the NC State Board of Trustees in closed session Thursday afternoon.

“As I told the trustees, it’s been my honor, and really the honor of my professional career, to serve as chancellor of this great university now for almost 15 years,” he said in open session afterward.

Woodson became the Raleigh university’s 14th chancellor in 2010. With a research background in molecular plant biology, he joined NC State after more than two decades at Purdue University in Indiana, where he became provost in 2008.

Woodson’s announcement of his upcoming retirement comes at a time of significant turnover for chancellors across the UNC System. Already this year, new leaders have been named for four universities in the 17-campus system, and three additional searches are underway or soon-to-begin.

UNC System President Peter Hans addressed the turnover Wednesday after a meeting of the ongoing UNC-Chapel Hill chancellor search, saying he attributed much of the trend to natural cycles, such as chancellors reaching their retirements or choosing to make changes in their career after the COVID-19 pandemic.

At a time when the average tenure for college presidents and chancellors nationwide is less than six years, Woodson’s nearly 15-year tenure at NC State stands out. Woodson is one of the longest-serving chancellors currently in the UNC System. (North Carolina A&T State University Chancellor Harold Martin, who officially retires next month, is the longest-serving.) He is the third-longest-serving chancellor in NC State history. [Source]

Convention Speeches

Danielle Battaglia, McClatchy, 7/18/24

Just hours before former President Donald Trump is set to take the stage at the Republican National Convention Thursday night, a North Carolina congressman delivered his own speech to an audience of 50,000.

U.S. Rep. Richard Hudson, a Republican from Southern Pines, gave the second speech of Thursday night, which marked the last evening of the Republican National Convention. He then joined Trump in his presidential box to watch the convention.

“A Republican House is … essential to ensuring Donald Trump’s success as our president,” Hudson told the convention. “Can you imagine? Can you imagine what Nancy Pelosi’s protege, Hakeem Jeffries, would do if he was speaker of the House, to undermine Donald Trump?”

Hudson had teased portions of his speech in an exclusive interview with McClatchy on Wednesday afternoon and explained why he believed it was essential for the House to have a Republican president and why Trump needs a majority in the House.

Hudson serves as chairman of the National Republican Congressional Committee, and in the role oversees the campaign to elect Republicans to the House. This week, campaign finance reports were due to the Federal Election Commission.

“We had the best second quarter of any election year we’ve ever had in the history of our committee,” Hudson said. “And then the Democrats beat us by $7 million.”

Historically, Democrats raise more than Republicans, Hudson said, which he adds come from their connections to labor unions, billionaires and some Democratic foundations. By one measure, Hudson said, Democrats outspent Republicans by $100 million in the last election cycle, even as Republicans gained enough seats to narrowly take over the House.

“We lost eight to 10 seats because we got outspent” in those races, Hudson said. “So my goal has always been keeping it close. Overall, they’ve out-raised us, but I’ve kept the cash-on-hand difference very tight, so as long as we start with how much money we have to spend, if I can keep that close, we’re going to be very successful.”

North Carolina has only one truly competitive House race, and that’s the 1st Congressional District race, between incumbent Democratic Rep. Don Davis and retired Army Colonel Laurie Buckhout.

“I’m really excited about Laurie Buckhout,” Hudson said. “I think she’s going to win. Roll Call said that Don Davis is the second most vulnerable Democrat. He’s a good guy. He’s affable. I like him, but he doesn’t vote right.”

In May, Voteview, which tracks the political ideology of each member of Congress, showed that Davis votes with his party 88% of the time, while the rest of the state’s Democrats vote with the party at least 94% of the time.

Hudson said looking around the country, he’s feeling good about how House Republicans are spending their campaign dollars, and the strategy they have to maintain the House majority.

Also on Thursday, Charlotte evangelist Franklin Graham prayed for former President Donald Trump and for unity in the wake of the recent attempt on Trump’s life. Speaking to convention-goers in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, after professional wrestler Hulk Hogan and before Trump himself, Graham offered a moment of reflection, praying “for the leaders of our nation, whether they’re Republican, Democrat or Independent.”

Graham is president of the Charlotte-based Billy Graham Evangelistic Association, named for his late father, Billy Graham. He also leads the Boone-based Samaritan’s Purse, an international crisis-response organization. He expressed condolences to the family of Corey Comperatore, who was shot and killed by a man accused of trying to assassinate Trump at a Saturday rally in Pennsylvania. “I cannot explain why God would save one life and allow another one to be taken. I don’t have the answer for that,” he said.

Graham said during his remarks he was speaking “as a private citizen.” He praised Trump for appointing conservative judges during his presidency and for his administration’s work to help get American pastor Andrew Brunson freed from a Turkish prison in 2018.

Annette Albright, who ran for the Charlotte-Mecklenburg school board multiple times, also spoke Thursday.

During her 2023 campaign for an at-large seat on the CMS board — a nonpartisan election — Albright and two other candidates faced accusations from a progressive group for having ties to the Republican Party of Mecklenburg County. Both Albright and the MeckGOP have denied those allegations. But since the election, Albright has been a vocal critic of Democrats on social media.

Asked whether speaking at the Republican convention would affirm those past claims made against her, Albright told The Charlotte Observer last week she has “to go where I am respected and where I am appreciated and where I’m wanted.”

On Thursday, she said she’s registering as a Republican and planning to vote for Trump because she’s in favor of school choice and more discipline in schools. She sued CMS for wrongful termination after she was fired after a 2016 video circulated of her being attacked by students at Harding High School. The suit was settled in 2018. “It didn’t take long for me to realize that public schools are a part of the problem,” she told the convention. [Source 1] [Source 2]

Teacher Resignations

Amy Diaz, WFDD Radio, 7/18/24

A handful of women gathered inside of Jessica McCrory’s living room in Winston-Salem one afternoon in April. She was hosting a meetup for the advocacy group MomsRising, where members organize around issues impacting women, mothers and families. A couple of the women brought their babies, which made sense, seeing as the topic of discussion for this gathering was the state’s shortage of child care.

One by one the moms went around the room sharing their own experiences of having children, struggling to find care, and for some, leaving their jobs. McCrory started them off. She said she decided to take a year off to sort out child care, and then go back. She looked for day cares, half-day options, and potentially hiring a nanny, or asking family members to fill in the gaps. But she says the only solution that made sense was for her to stay home. What she thought would be one year away from school, turned into 12.

North Carolina, and Forsyth County specifically, are considered child care deserts. The average monthly cost for a day care program is about $800 per child, but even parents who can pay for that struggle to find slots. And the issue stands to worsen.

Federal emergency child care stabilization funds ran out in June. The North Carolina legislature allocated roughly $68 million to providers to compensate, somewhat, for the loss. But experts say without further investment, more and more of these centers will close. That impacts employees in all sectors. But with a teacher shortage happening simultaneously, some believe the two issues may be linked.

According to North Carolina’s State of the Teaching Profession Report, child care needs was one of the top reasons teachers left their jobs last year, right behind making a career change and retiring with full benefits.

The state lost 709 teachers in the 22-23 school year because they had family responsibilities. Over the past five years, that reason has accounted for nearly 3,000 public school teachers leaving their jobs.

And it’s not just teachers leaving their jobs. A report by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce published this year found that child care issues result in an estimated loss of more than $5.5 billion annually for North Carolina’s economy.

The research also found that because of these challenges, a quarter of surveyed households in the state experienced changes to their employment situation— with another 15% of working parents planning to leave their jobs within the next year.

In North Carolina, about 80% of teachers are women. But the landscape of child care options in the state doesn’t make it easy for mothers to stay in those jobs. And for the ones that do, the conditions and demands of being a teacher make it difficult to do their other job— being a mom. [Source]

 

Ballot Suit

Steve Harrison, WFAE Radio, 7/18/24

The Justice For All Party said Thursday that it will file a lawsuit challenging the North Carolina Board of Elections decision this week not to certify the organization as a political party. That decision means its candidate, progressive academic Cornel West, can’t appear on the state’s ballot for president.

Italo Medelius, the chair of North Carolina’s Justice For All Party, said the group was “expecting the denial” and “has a legal team ready.” He said the group “fully expects to be on the ballot in November.”

The Democratic-majority elections board voted 4-1 to certify the We The People Party, allowing Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to appear on the ballot for president. But it voted 3-2 against allowing Justice for All a spot on the ballot, after elections board staff found people who said they either hadn’t signed the party’s petition or didn’t know what it was for.

After the vote, West wrote on social media that “Democracy is under attack! The NC Board of Elections and the Democrats are blocking the Justice For All Party from the ballot. We must stand up and fight back! Demand justice and ensure every vote counts.” [Source]

Judicial Recusal

Noah Pransky, Brooke Williams and Andrew Botolino, ProPublica, 7/18/24

Concerns that judges on the nation’s highest courts have not properly disclosed personal conflicts — and have failed to recuse when such issues arose — have been at the center of a recent national debate. Supreme Court Justices Clarence Thomas and Samuel Alito have faced calls to recuse themselves from cases due to their wives’ political activities. Chief Justice John Roberts’ wife has a high-powered job as a headhunter for law firms with Supreme Court practices.

Last year, ProPublica exposed how Thomas and Alito took trips funded by billionaires but failed to properly disclose them. In 2021, The Wall Street Journal found at least 131 judges broke the law by hearing cases in which they had a financial interest. And in 2020, Reuters identified thousands of judges who broke the law but remained on the bench.

A ProPublica analysis found a lack of transparency regarding conflicts plagues federal and state courts where loose rules, inconsistent enforcement and creative interpretations of guidelines routinely allow judges to withhold potential conflicts from the parties before them.

In an examination of more than 1,200 federal judges and state supreme court justices, ProPublica, in partnership with student journalists at Boston University, found dozens of judges, including both Republican and Democratic appointees, who chose not to recuse when facing potential appearances of impropriety involving familial financial connections. Ethics experts say that the judges’ interpretation of the rules may often lie within the letter of the law, but at the expense of its spirit.

In North Carolina, Supreme Court Justice Phil Berger Jr. has repeatedly heard cases in which his father, Senate President Pro Tem Phil Berger Sr., not only publicly lobbied for a specific result but also was a named party in the case. The justice repeatedly sided with his father’s interests, including cases in which Phil Berger Sr. was a named defendant: a challenge to the constitutionality of a partisan redistricting plan and a challenge to a voter ID law spearheaded by Phil Berger Sr.

The justice had recused himself from the voter ID case while serving on the Court of Appeals but said he did not need to as Supreme Court justice because his father was a defendant only in his “official capacity.”

Amid calls to bring conflict-of-interest laws into the 21st century, a bevy of Band-Aids have been proposed, but no comprehensive solutions. Experts hesitate at the suggestion of tougher recusal rules, fearing mass disqualification could shut down the judiciary. Most also reject the idea of limiting judicial spouses’ careers or speech.

The Brennan Center for Justice at NYU School of Law proposed a series of reforms in 2016, including independent review of all motions for disqualification — at both the U.S. and state supreme courts — so judges don’t effectively serve as the final arbiters of their own biases. Brennan also advocated ending the common practice of judges keeping their reasons for recusal — or non-recusal — secret, which can stymie the appeals process and create a void in case law.

Critics have argued the reforms could slow the wheels of justice and allow political actors to weaponize recusal.

Many advocates for reform see transparency measures as an achievable next step. “The fix is really hard,” said Amanda Frost, professor of law at the University of Virginia. But “transparency would improve the process for everyone.” [Source]

 

Harris Rally

Dawn Baumgartner Vaughan and Emmy Martin, The News & Observer, 7/18/24

Vice President Kamala Harris returned to North Carolina on Thursday, a week after her last visit here, and spoke to supporters at a campaign event in Fayetteville. This is Harris’s seventh visit to the Old North State this year, according to her campaign.

It’s her second visit since President Joe Biden’s June 27 debate with former President Donald Trump, who is speaking at the Republican National Convention on Thursday, the final night of the event.
Harris talked about the RNC and Trump making his pick for vice president, Ohio Sen. J.D. Vance, saying Trump’s selection was trying to distract people from attention on Trump’s record as president and Project 2025, the Heritage Foundation-written policy plan for a Trump presidency. She said Trump was suggesting that he and Vance “are going to prioritize the middle class. But we are not buying it.”

Harris also said that Republicans are trying to proclaim themselves as the party of unity, “but if you claim you stand for unity, you need to do more than just use the word.”

She criticized Republicans for abortion restrictions and those who wanted to overturn the 2020 election.

The vice president’s speech echoed her speech a week ago in Greensboro and previous campaign speeches, giving highlights of their administration’s successes, like keeping the cost of prescription drugs down for older people.

Air Force Two landed at Pope Army Airfield around 12:30 p.m., according to the press pool, and Harris was greeted by Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper. Also greeting her were Cumberland County Board of Commissioners Chairman Glenn Adams; Fayetteville Mayor Mitch Colvin; Lt. Gen. Christopher Donahue, commander of the XVIII Airborne Corps and Fort Liberty; and Col. Allen C. Morris Jr., commander of the 43rd Air Mobility Operations Group and Task Force Gryphon.

As a crowd waited for Harris, Cooper took the stage at Westover High School in the school’s Gene Arrington Gymnasium. His speech echoed previous campaign speeches, and he talked about what “Donald Trump’s America” would be.

“This election is not just about what president we want to have, this election is about what kind of country we want to be,” Cooper said.

Earlier, Colvin received applause after mentioning the Biden administration’s investment in historically Black colleges and universities. Fayetteville is home to an HBCU, Fayetteville State University. The gymnasium echoed with cheers and claps from the crowd as several speakers emphasized flipping North Carolina blue. [Source]

 

Convention Guests

Danielle Battaglia and Korie Dean, The News & Observer, 7/17/24

They’ve been called “patriotic fraternity brothers.” And on Wednesday night, seven members of UNC-Chapel Hill fraternities appeared at the Republican National Convention carrying American flags and being honored for having “protected our American flag.”

The seven men walked down the front two aisles of Fiserv Forum in front of the 50,000 people attending the convention. Their walk took four of them past the delegates from their home state, as well as those from Ohio, Louisiana, Nebraska and Missouri.

Delegates reached out to shake their hands or give them a pat on the back, as Brian Kelley sang “American Spirit” on stage with a choir from Milwaukee’s Holy Redeemer Institutional Church of God in Christ.

Alex Johnson, one of the fraternity members, took a microphone from his back pocket and explained that when “a mob” of pro-Palestinian protesters tried to remove the American flag from the Chapel Hill campus, the fraternity brothers protected it out of respect. “Too many people have sacrificed everything for it,” he said. “The least we could do was keep it flying. And tonight we are proud to honor our flag again.”

The group was among two dozen individuals or groups described as “everyday Americans” tapped to speak at the four-day convention. The Trump campaign described the speakers as people “who have faced immense hardship and are worse off under the Biden-Harris administration.”

The fraternity members went viral this spring for keeping the American flag that hangs on UNC’s Polk Place from touching the ground after pro-Palestinian protesters attempted to remove it on April 30, a day that saw 36 people charged in connection to a “Gaza Solidarity Encampment” that had been set up on the quad for several days. The protesters’ attempted removal of the flag marked the second time that day they had done so. An earlier attempt was successful, and interim Chancellor Lee Roberts led police in restoring it to the flagpole.

The day after the hours-long flag stand-off, a GoFundMe online fundraiser appeared in honor of the fraternity members, asking for money to “throw ‘em a rager.” With an original goal of $15,000, the fundraiser eventually garnered more than $500,000. The money is being used to plan and throw “Flagstock 2024,” an invite-only event to be held on Sept. 2 with a performance by John Rich of the country duo Big & Rich.

Leftover funds not used for the party will be donated to charities, possibly including Back the Blue NC, Wounded Warrior Project, Children of Fallen Patriots and Zeta Beta Tau Foundation to Combat Anti-Semitism, according to the GoFundMe. [Source]

 

Price Interview

Sydnee Scofield, WTVD News, 7/18/24

As a growing number of sitting Democrats call for President Biden to step aside in his bid for re-election over concerns about his fitness for office, a longtime Democratic Congressman from North Carolina is weighing in. David Price represented parts of the Triangle on Capitol Hill for more than 30 years, leaving office in 2022.

“I’ve been in politics a long, long time, and I’ve never seen a decision or more critical or important than this one,” Price said about who the Democratic nominee will be in the fall.

Though President Joe Biden has been clear that he intends to stay in the race, making comments that he believes he’s the only person who can beat Donald Trump, Price echoed Rep. Nancy Pelosi’s remarks, saying Biden still has a decision to make. “It needs to be a decision that is made very, very carefully with the due regard for his own condition, his own capability, but also with the country’s needs at this time, which I think very much include a Democratic candidate’s ability who’s able to prosecute a vigorous, hard-hitting campaign,” Price told ABC11.

He would not directly address whether he thinks Biden should step aside, but if he does, he believes Vice President Kamala Harris would be a natural choice to take over the ticket.

“It would be interesting and important, of course, who she was paired with, and there have been interesting conversations about that, including our own Governor (Cooper) but I think Kamala Harris has performed well as Vice President,” Price said.

Regardless of who the Democratic nominee is – Price reiterated how high the stakes are in November. He referenced the rhetoric coming out of Milwaukie this week at the Republican National Convention, and the concern about the future of NATO if Donald Trump wins in November. He also mentioned Trump’s decision to run alongside J.D. Vance as “truly regrettable,” calling him “the most extreme possible choice.” [Source]

Carbon Plan

Peter Castagno, Port City Daily, 7/18/24

Energy consultants, attorneys, and environmentalists raised concerns Duke Energy’s carbon plan disproportionately benefits the utility’s shareholders ahead of next week’s hearings for the utility. Duke’s top shareholders are also the biggest investors in new proposed pipelines in North Carolina.

Expert witness hearings regarding Duke’s near-term and long-term energy plans begin Monday. Duke representatives, utility staff, and intervenors including the Environmental Defense Fund, the Southern Environmental Law Center, and NC WARN will testify before the Utilities Commission over the next few weeks. 

H.B. 951, a 2021 state law, requires Duke to reach carbon neutrality by 2050 and reduce carbon dioxide emissions to 2005 levels by 2030. The company’s most recent plan, introduced in January, includes replacing coal with natural gas infrastructure as its largest energy source over the next decade. The NC Utilities Commission is currently reviewing the plan and expected to reject or approve it in November. 

Duke’s near-term action plan includes: 

  • Increasing natural gas production by 8,925 MW by 2033
  • Increasing solar energy by 6,460 megawatts by 2031
  • Increasing battery storage by 2,700 MW by 2031 
  • Expanding hydroelectric storage by 1,834 MW by 2034 
  • Adding 600 MW of advanced nuclear power by 2035

Critics including Will Scott, the southeast climate and clean energy director of the Environmental Defense Fund, argue the plan should put greater emphasis on offshore wind, solar, and battery storage. Scott said technological improvements and federal incentives will make renewables a cleaner and more affordable long-term energy source and allow the utility to meet clean energy transition timelines put forward in H.B. 951.

However, he told PCD the regulatory structure determining Duke’s returns incentivizes large new gas infrastructure projects that benefit shareholders above ratepayers. The Utilities Commission sets a guaranteed “return on equity” during Duke’s rate increase approvals — generally around 10% — which ensures returns for capital invested in its projects.

Under H.B. 951, Duke is allowed to fully own any resource except utility scale solar and solar plus storage, providing an incentive to focus on projects it can charge to its rate base. Duke also lobbied for the bill to include multi-year rate-increase requests, providing greater certainty to shareholders. [Source]

 

Asheville Reparations

Sarah Honosky, Asheville Citizen Times, 7/18/24

At its final scheduled meeting on July 15, the historic Community Reparations Commission had a clear message: We need more time.

Commission Chair Dewana Little reviewed a six-month extension request, taking the CRC through the end of the year, which will be presented to Asheville City Council on Aug. 27, city spokesperson Kim Miller said July 17.

City staff responded after Little’s proposal with a recommendation that some commission members say comes in “opposition” to their request: For the city to continue its current level of support only through October.

The process has not always been a smooth one. In July 2020, Asheville City Council passed a resolution supporting reparations for Black Asheville, which tasked the city with establishing a process to develop short-, medium- and long-term recommendations to repair damage caused by public and private systemic racism. Shortly after, the county passed a similar resolution.

Asheville and Buncombe County are among the first locales in the country to undertake such an effort.

Little said an extension was needed, in part, due to some of the accompanying complications — Like “repeated changes” around project management, inconsistent timelines, delays in accessing data and lack of time/capacity for research. In the more than two years since its formation in April 2022, the reparations commission has seen three different project managers, as well as turnover in both the city and county’s equity offices and on the commission itself. In May, Dwight Mullen stepped down as chair and was replaced by Little.

With the extension, Little said they could finalize the report, continue community engagement efforts, form and organize an accountability council, create a nonprofit to establish a private fund for reparations and more. This is work she said is necessary to complete the “full charge” of the CRC.

This was not the first call for an extension. In October, the CRC requested an eight-month extension to their two-year timeline, which would have prolonged the process until December 2024. Both city and county agreed only to a June extension.

Commissioner Dwayne Richardson likened the reparations process to “trying to build a car while we drive it,” and said it feels sometimes as though the goals of the reparations commission are “pushing against” the objectives of city and county government. The county is not considering an extension request. Spokesperson Lillian Govus said the county would continue staffing the commission via its Equity and Human Rights Office. Once the commission finalizes its recommendations, she said, they will go before the Board of Commissioners for consideration “as appropriate.” [Source]

 

Catch Reporting

Gareth McGrath, USA Today Network, 7/18/24

North Carolina’s recreational fishermen will have a year reprieve from having to report their catches of several popular fish species to state regulators. But the requirement, which has proven unpopular with fishermen and even state officials, isn’t going anywhere.

The new rule requires that anyone who recreationally harvests red drum, flounder, speckled trout, striped bass, and weakfish in the state’s coastal or inland waters must report that harvest to the N.C. Division of Marine Fisheries (DMF).

Additionally, the law requires anyone holding a commercial fishing license who is engaged in a commercial fishing operation to report all fish harvested to DMF, regardless of sale. The requirement was originally scheduled to come into effect on Dec. 1, but it will now be delayed until December 2025 after Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper declined to veto or sign the Senate bill that included the catch-reporting delay language.
The original House bill that included the reporting language also was vetoed by Cooper, who expressed concerns about a host of provisions in the regulatory reform legislation. But the governor’s veto was overridden by Republicans who have supermajorities in both chambers of the N.C. General Assembly.

The N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission (WRC) and DMF are still working out all the fine details. But according to a DMF informational posting on the new rules, recreational fishermen would be required to report how many fish were caught, when they were caught, the area where they were harvested, and the type of gear used.

While nearly everyone admits the new requirements will mean more red tape and potential headaches for fishermen, the hope is it will eventually provide regulators with better data.

That’s vital since both recreational and commercial fishermen often question the accuracy of information scientists use to determine catch quotas and harvest windows, especially with popular sought-after species like flounder. State fisheries officials have faced enormous criticism in recent years as they have shortened the recreational flounder window from a year-round open season just a few years ago to only two weeks in 2023 and a complete closure in 2024 − even as some fishermen report seeing large and healthy flounder populations in coastal waters. [Source]

Traffic Circle

Richard Stradling, The News & Observer, 7/18/24

Pinehurst may be best known for golf, but many residents also say they were attracted by the feel of the place — a village of small shops and restaurants, historic homes and inns all shaded by its namesake trees. And residents say adding to that ambiance is a big, wooded traffic circle where U.S. 15-501, N.C. 211 and N.C. 2 meet about a mile from the center of town.

The N.C. Department of Transportation says the 68-year-old traffic circle is inefficient, no longer safe and can’t handle the growing volume of cars. After years of study, the NCDOT has proposed replacing the circle with a large intersection and a new connector road. But many residents don’t want the circle and its trees replaced in the name of efficiency. More than 2,000 have signed a petition asking NCDOT to find a way to improve the circle without destroying it — a message echoed on lawn signs throughout the village.

Hundreds of residents who showed up at Pinehurst Elementary School on Tuesday for the first of three NCDOT meetings to learn more about the proposal and give their feedback. Some had ideas and alternatives, ranging from adding speed bumps and an extra lane to the circle to building a new bypass road around town.

The Pinehurst Traffic Circle was built in 1956, when the population of surrounding Moore County was about a third of what it is now. About 50,000 cars and trucks a day passed through the circle last year, according to NCDOT, resulting in frequent backups as cars merge and crisscross to get in and out of the circle. All that merging results in an unusually high number of crashes, according to NCDOT.

There have been about 840 over the past five years, mostly rear-end collisions as one driver decides to go while the one in front doesn’t, said Craig Scheffler of HNTB, the contractor drawing up the plans for NCDOT. No one has been killed, but those crashes — one every 2.2 days on average — caused an estimated $31 million in damage, according to NCDOT. And conditions will only get worse as the county grows, Scheffler said.

NCDOT projects that about 80,000 cars and trucks will pass through the circle each day by 2050. “Where is that extra 30,000 going to go?” he said. “They’re going to cut through neighborhoods. They’re not going to wait 10, 15 minutes to get through the circle.” [Source]

Legislative Sessions, Studies and Meetings

LB: LEGISLATIVE BUILDING. LOB: LEGISLATIVE OFFICE BUILDING

HOUSE COMMITTEE MEETINGS

Tuesday, July 23

  • 9:00 A.M. | House Select Committee on Oversight and Reform, Auditorium.

HOUSE CALENDAR

Monday, July 29, 2024

  • House Convenes at 12:00 P.M.

SENATE CALENDAR

Monday, July 29, 2024

  • House Convenes at 12:00 P.M.

HOUSE & SENATE: Reconvening allowed under provisions of SB 916, if no sine die adjournment previously adopted.

  • Monday, July 29 to Thursday Aug. 1
  • Monday, Sept. 9 to Wednesday, Sept. 11
  • Wednesday, Oct. 9
  • Tuesday, Nov. 19 to Friday Nov. 22
  • Wednesday, Dec. 11 to Friday Dec. 13

N.C. Government Meetings and Hearings

BOLD ITEMS ARE NEW LISTINGS

Friday, July 19

  • 8 a.m. | North Carolina Medical Board Meeting – July 2024 Meeting, 3127 Smoketree Court, Raleigh.
  • 1 p.m. | North Carolina African American Heritage Commission, Thomas Day State Historic Site, Milton.

Monday, July 22

  • 9 a.m. | Criminal Justice Education and Training Standards Commission  – Executive Committee Meeting, 2211 Schieffelin Road Apex.

Tuesday, July 23

  • 11 a.m. | Economic Investment Committee  –  Meeting, 301 N. Wilmington St. Raleigh.
  • 1 p.m. | Governor’s Environmental Justice Advisory Council meets, Halifax County Community College, 100 College Drive, Weldon.

Wednesday, July 24

  • 8:30 a.m. | NC Soil & Water Conservation Commission  – Business Session, Trinity Road at Martin Bldg, Raleigh.
  • 10 a.m. | NC Joint Reentry Council meets, Food Bank of Central and Eastern North Carolina, 1924 Capital Blvd, Raleigh.

Thursday, July 25

  • 9 a.m. | N.C. Teachers’ and State Employees’ Retirement System & Local Governmental Employees’ Retirement System  – TSERS and LGERS Boards of Trustees Meeting, 3200 Atlantic Ave, Raleigh.
  • 9 a.m. | North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission  –  Commission Business Meeting, 1751 Varsity Drive, Raleigh.
  • 1:30 p.m. | NC State Health Plan for Teachers and State Employees  – State Health Plan Board of Trustees, 3200 Atlantic Ave, Raleigh.

Wednesday, July 31

  • 10 a.m. | North Carolina State Board of Education meets, 1 South Wilmington St, Raleigh.

Thursday, Aug. 1

  • 6 p.m. | The North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality’s Division of Air Quality Public Hearing on Moriah Energy Center Draft Air Quality Permit, Vance-Granville Community College, 200 Community College Road, Henderson.

Monday, Aug. 5

  • 9 a.m. | The Board Development Committee of The North Carolina Partnership for Children meets, The meeting will be held via Zoom. You may contact Yvonne Huntley at 984.221.1242 or email at [email protected] for additional information.

Tuesday, Aug. 6

  • 9 a.m. | The Council of State meets. 1 South Wilmington St, Raleigh.

Monday, Aug. 19

  • 2 p.m. | The Executive Committee of The North Carolina Partnership for Children meets, The meeting will be held via Zoom. You may contact Yvonne Huntley at 984.221.1242 or email at [email protected] for additional information.

UNC Board of Governors

23 S. WEST STREET, SUITE 1800, RALEIGH

Wednesday, July 24

  • T.B.A. | The UNC Board of Governors, UNC System Office.

Thursday, July 25

  • T.B.A. | The UNC Board of Governors, UNC System Office.

N.C. Utilities Commission Hearing Schedule

DOBBS BUILDING, 430 NORTH SALISBURY STREET, RALEIGH

Monday, July 22

  • 2 p.m. | Expert Witness Hearing – Duke Energy Carolinas, LLC and Duke Energy Progress, LLC 2023 Biennial CPIRP | E-100 Sub 190
  • 2 p.m. | Expert Public Witness Hearing – Joint Application of DEP and NCEMC for CPCN to Construct a 1360MW Electric Generating Facility in Person County, NC | E-2 Sub 1318, EC-67 Sub 55
  • 2 p.m. | Expert Witness Hearing – Application for CPCN for 850 MW Natural Gas-Fired Combustion Turbine Electric Generating Facility Located at 8320 NC Highway 150 E, Terrell, NC 28682 in Catawba County | E-7 Sub 1297

Other Meetings and Events of Interest

BOLD ITEMS ARE NEW LISTINGS

Saturday, July 27

9 a.m. | North Carolina Federation of Young Republicans Convention, The Farm at 95, Selma.m at 95, Selma.

Ortiz flush while opponent bets bottom dollar

Posted on by Arizona Legislative Report Staff

Ortiz’s only opponent in the LD24 senate race, Mario Garcia, who is running as a Democrat, had no money in his campaign fund as of June 30th, according to second quarter finance reports. Garcia loaned himself $5,022.37 in February and $20,220 in May. The company that Garcia was using for political consulting, Strategic Political Marketing, announced on April 19 that it was no longer representing him as a candidate because Mario had lied to them about attending a Kari Lake fundraiser. Despite this, Garcia spent $11,700 on print advertisements in May and an additional $1,549 on mailers. In June, Garcia paid $3,400 to Sergio Arellano for consulting services. The address listed on the finance report for Arellano is also the address for The King’s Barber Shop and Salon in Phoenix. Garcia spent his last money on more mailers in June. He did not respond to our reporter’s request for comment by our deadline. Ortiz raised $74,271 in the second quarter and finished with $64,146 on hand. Ortiz’s highest donation of more than $10,000 came from The PAC for America's Future, and her highest expense was $9,989 on mailers. Ortiz also has the endorsement of the current LD24 Senator, Anna Hernandez, who is leaving the Legislature to run for Phoenix City Council.  

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