It's time to turn and face the strange. This week, 32 legislatures are back in session. By the end of the month, we'll be up to about 40.
But even though we're just a few days in to making laws, it seems we're already dealing with scary monsters (and super creeps).
- Under Pressure: On Thursday, the Democratic-majority Maine House declined to impeach Gov. Paul LePage, whose latest notorious act included making nakedly racist remarks about the source of the state's heroin problem.
- wtf? This non-impeachment isn't nearly as lame as it sounds. Running against LePage's antics will help deliver a Democratic majority in the state Senate this fall and shore up Democratic numbers in the House. Democrats are better off letting LePage be LePage than wasting taxpayer money on an impeachment attempt that would likely fail in the GOP-controlled Senate, anyway.
- This is not America: As soon as their respective legislative sessions began, GOP senators in Missouri and Virginia evicted the press from their chamber floors.
- Last Thursday, the Republican-controlled Missouri Senate voted to banish reporters from their table near the front of the chamber. (A section of the upper gallery will be renovated to accommodate the media, how nice.)
- After initially trying to claim the change was needed to accommodate more staffers, the GOP Senate President Pro Tem admitted that he's still sore about reporters tweeting about conversations between lawmakers on the chamber floor last year --- which he proclaimed "our space. That's not your space," even though the space in which the state's laws are made should really belong to everyone, yes?
- On Wednesday, reporters in Virginia attempted to take their customary place at tables near the Senate dais as session kicked off, only to be shunted to the Senate gallery at the behest of GOP Senate Majority Leader Tommy Norment. But why?
- Last year, Norment accused the press of forcing consideration of ethics legislation in the wake of former Gov. McDonnell's felony corruption convictions.
- He got super pissed when reporters had the temerity to report on an affair he'd had with a General Assembly lobbyist.
- And he was fit to be tied when reporters broke the news of his (ultimately successful) power play for Senate leadership posts at the expense of other members of his own party.
- Norment can't help but be aware that the cramped quarters, obstructed view of the floor, lack of timely access to copies of votes and floor amendments, dearth of writing space, and minimal access to electrical outlets would hinder reporters' ability to do their job.
- One Virginia statehouse reporter waxed nostalgic about a similar episode in Georgia in 2007, when Republicans suddenly restricted press to the media gallery while the House was in session.
- Democrats objected to Norment's maneuver, and the Society of Professional Journalists is calling for lawmakers in Missouri and Virginia to demonstrate their commitment to transparency and reverse these attempts to "silence the press" by returning reporters to their normal working conditions.
Speaking of disturbing trends...
- Low: The hot new trend among Republican lawmakers this year seems to be pushing bills that discriminate against and/or criminalize transgender folks, especially kids.
- An Indiana bill would send someone to jail for up to a year and impose a fine of up to $5,000 for entering a bathroom that does not match up with their birth gender.
- A Virginia bill would also require all public buildings (including schools) implement policies that restrict bathroom use to those "whose anatomical sex matches" the gender designation of that bathroom. (Just a $50 civil fine, though, how gracious!)
- Missouri SB 720 specifically restricts school restroom and locker room use to "students of the same biological sex."
- Heathen: Those so-called "religious freedom" bills that are actually designed to legalize LGBT discrimination are making a comeback, too.
- Late last year, Indiana's SB 100 was possibly the most anti-LGBT LGBT rights bill ever and drew fire from both pro- and anti-discrimination groups.
- A new "anti-discrimination" bill would protect everyone included in LGB, but transgender Hoosiers would be denied civil rights protections.
- Session has barely started in Georgia, and already three freedom-to-discriminate bills are in the mix.
- One is a broad measure that died in the House last year, and the two new ones would allow businesses to discriminate against LGBT customers and protect clergy who refused to perform same-sex marriages.
Pro tip! Watch for this piecemeal approach in other statehouses this year. Broad RFRA measures are SO 2015.
- Rebel rebel: Another theme to keep an eye on in sessions around the country is preemption. Right-wing GOP majorities in state capitols are trying to override local control to thwart progressive city and county measures on LGBT rights, gun safety, worker pay and leave, and other items.
- A great example on immigration is making its way through the Arizona legislature right now. The same folks who gave us the notorious SB 1070 want to preempt a grassroots effort in Phoenix to create a city ID that would be available to undocumented workers or people who entered the country illegally. (Such an ID would help residents access city programs, banks, and other services. Heaven forfend!)
- Changes: On Tuesday, Democrats pulled off a stunning upset in a special election in Oklahoma to flip a seat that had been Republican since 1990. And we were outspent. And this in a seat that gave Romney 70 percent of the vote.
- But wait, it gets better! This was the second Democratic special election pickup in Oklahoma this cycle. And it comes in the wake of two other special election pickups in suburban districts in the run-up to November's general election, where Democrats performed well in similar regions in Virginia and New Jersey.
- Something in the air: What does this all mean? Good things for downballot Democrats, especially ones running in a presidential election year.
- Thursday's child: Yesterday, Virginia GOP Del. Rick Morris delivered a historical salute on the House floor to abolitionists who worked to end slavery 150 years ago.
- Which is nice, right? Except no. Turns out Rep. Morris was exploiting the horror of slavery to pivot to a diatribe against abortion rights, equating slavery with abortion as a "national sin."
The following 32 state legislatures are meeting actively this week: ARIZONA, CALIFORNIA, COLORADO, DELAWARE, FLORIDA, GEORGIA, IDAHO, ILLINOIS, INDIANA, IOWA, KANSAS, KENTUCKY, MAINE, MARYLAND, MASSACHUSETTS, MICHIGAN, MISSISSIPPI, MISSOURI, NEBRASKA, NEW HAMPSHIRE, NEW JERSEY, NEW YORK, PENNSYLVANIA, RHODE ISLAND, SOUTH CAROLINA, SOUTH DAKOTA, TENNESSEE, VERMONT, VIRGINIA, WASHINGTON, WEST VIRGINIA and WISCONSIN.
Also meeting: DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA, GUAM, PUERTO RICO andUNITED STATES VIRGIN ISLANDS.
ARIZONA
The Legislature convened for the 2016 legislative session January 11.
Governor Doug Ducey (R) delivered the State of the State address January 11.
COLORADO
The General Assembly convened for the 2016 legislative session January 13.
Governor John Hickenlooper (D) delivered the State of the State addressJanuary 14.
DELAWARE
The Legislature convened for the 2016 legislative session January 12.
FLORIDA
The Legislature convened for the 2016 legislative session January 12.
Governor Rick Scott (R) delivered the State of the State address January 12.
The deadline for legislators to introduce bills in the House and Senate was January 12.
GEORGIA
The Legislature convened for the 2016 legislative session January 11.
Governor Nathan Deal (R) delivered the State of the State address January 13.
IDAHO
The Legislature convened for the 2016 legislative session January 11.
Governor Butch Otter (R) delivered the State of the State address January 11.
INDIANA
Governor Mike Pence (R) delivered the State of the State address January 12.
The deadline to introduce bills in the House was January 12.
IOWA
The Legislature convened for the 2016 legislative session January 11.
Governor Terry Branstad (R) delivered the State of the State address January 12.
KANSAS
The Legislature convened for the 2016 legislative session January 11.
Governor Sam Brownback (R) delivered the State of the State address January 12.
LOUISIANA
The Legislature convened January 11 for an organizational session to judge the qualifications and elections of the members, take the oath of office, organize the two houses and select officers.
MARYLAND
The Legislature convened for the 2016 legislative session January 13.
MICHIGAN
The Legislature convened for the 2016 legislative session January 13.
NEBRASKA
Governor Pete Ricketts (R) will deliver the State of the State address January 14.
NEW JERSEY
The Legislature adjourned the 2015 legislative session January 11.
The Legislature convened for the 2016 legislative session January 12.
Governor Chris Christie (R) delivered the State of the State address January 12.
NEW YORK
Governor Andrew Cuomo (D) delivered the State of the State address January 13.
SOUTH CAROLINA
The Legislature convened for the 2016 legislative session January 12.
SOUTH DAKOTA
The Legislature convened for the 2016 legislative session January 12.
Governor Dennis Daugaard (R) delivered the State of the State address January 12.
TENNESSEE
The Legislature convened for the 2016 legislative session January 12.
VIRGINIA
The General Assembly convened for the 2016 legislative session January 13.
Governor Terry McAuliffe (D) delivered the State of the Commonwealth address January 13.
WASHINGTON
The Legislature convened for the 2016 legislative session January 12.
Governor Jay Inslee delivered the State of the State address January 12.
WEST VIRGINIA
The Legislature convened for the 2016 legislative session January 13.
Governor Earl Ray Tomblin (D) delivered the State of the State address January 13.
WISCONSIN
The Legislature convened for the 2016 legislative session January 12.
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