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Voter ID ballot initiative signatures validated
(The Center Square) – Signatures for a Nevada ballot initiative on voter ID have been validated. 185,573 people signed a petition from Repair The Vote PAC to get Voter ID on the ballot this November. As previously reported by The Center Square, the required number is 102,362, with an equal number of signatures coming from every congressional district. ...
Seattle may jolt electric rates due to high demand as state pushes electrification
(The Center Square) – The City of Seattle is expecting rates for City Light customers to rise 5.4% next year due to increasing demand, extreme weather, and impacts of low-water flow on hydroelectric generation capacity, even as the state continues to push for a total transition to clean energy. A 5.4% increase is about $4.88 more a month for a typical residential bill or $1.95 more a month for a typical residential Utility Discount Program bill. ...
Washington's primary election ballots to arrive in the mail soon
(The Center Square) – Ballots for Washington’s Aug. 6 primary election will soon be showing up in registered voters' mailboxes. The ballot includes candidates for governor and several other state level elected offices, such as attorney general and lands commissioner, as well as Washington’s U.S. House districts and a U.S. Senate seat. In Washington, the top two vote-getters advance to the general election, regardless of their partisan affiliations. ...
Candidates for WA commissioner of public lands make their case to voters
(The Center Square) – Candidates vying to be Washington state’s next commissioner of public lands presented their visions for the office at a Thursday League of Women Voters-sponsored forum at Clark College in Vancouver. The commissioner of public lands oversees Washington’s Department of Natural Resources, which is responsible for nearly 6 million acres of public lands. Current Commissioner Hilary Franz announced earlier this year that she will step down after...
Phoenix Sky Harbor to see $36 million renovation using federal funds
(The Center Square)— Phoenix Sky Harbor’s utility plant is expected to get major updates using federal taxpayer dollars. Thirty-six million from the 2021 Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act was allocated to the project as part of the Airport Terminal Program within the law with a price tag of over $1 trillion in total. “Our historic bipartisan infrastructure law continues to deliver for Arizona communities,” Sen. Mark Kelly stated. “This investment...
Campaign contributions flow in race to replace retiring McMorris Rodgers
(The Center Square) – Federal Election Commission filings show more than $1.6 million raised at the end of the second quarter by candidates in the 5th Congressional District in Washington state. Earlier this year, U.S. Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers, a Republican who has represented the eastern Washington district in the House of Representatives for nearly 20 years, announced she would not seek reelection, triggering a high-profile race for the congressional seat. ...
Many celebrate as military education benefit program restored
(The Center Square) — Two months after lawmakers passed the commonwealth's biennial budget containing changes to its tuition assistance program for some military families, legislators reconvened at the Capitol Thursday and passed legislation fully reinstating the program. Representatives from Veterans of Foreign Wars attended the session and extolled the outcome afterward. “Today ends over two months of uncertainty and anxiety endured by the families of our fallen and disabled military...
Police officer demoted following sensitive social media post
(The Center Square) – Ten days without pay and a demotion, including salary adjustment, is the punishment for a small-town police officer in North Carolina following a sensitive post to social media after an assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump. Brandon Richardson, formerly a detective sergeant with the Tarboro Police Department, is being reclassified to corporal rank and pay, Town Manager Troy Lewis wrote in an email to The Center Square on Friday afternoon. He’ll also go through remedial training in social media usage. ...
Pritzker enacts 68 bills impacting drivers, immigrants, child victims, mobile homes
(The Center Square) – Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker signed 68 bills Friday that affect drivers, those who violate immigration laws, victims of child abuse, mobile homes and more. During the spring session that ended in May, the Illinois General Assembly approved more than 450 bills out of both chambers. On Friday, Pritzker’s office announced dozens are now law, including a measure preventing professional license denial or disciplinary action against someone based solely on immigration status or an immigration violation. ...
Out soon? Biden faces growing calls to withdraw 2024 White House bid
(The Center Square) – President Joe Biden faces a growing tidal wave of opposition and calls for him to leave the presidential race from his own party, with more elected Democrats coming out against him seemingly every day. Meanwhile, unconfirmed media reports from multiple outlets have suggested Biden is considering bowing out of the race and could make the announcement in the coming days. Despite those reports, Biden’s campaign released...
Man indicted in organized retail theft bust in Arizona
(The Center Square)— A crackdown on organized retail theft in Maricopa County continues. Jeremy James Beene, 30, was indicted on June 28 on 42 counts of organized retail theft and four different counts of shoplifting. Beene allegedly stole roughly $60,000 worth of items from The Home Depot locations around the county, and the county attorney’s office said he owned up to buying and selling the stolen goods in order to obtain drugs. ...
Texas OLS surpasses 516,000 apprehensions of illegal border crossers
(The Center Square ) – Texas’ border security mission, Operation Lone Star, has surpassed more than 516,000 apprehensions of illegal border crossers since it began in early 2021. As of Friday, OLS officers have apprehended more than 516,300 illegal foreign nationals and made more than 45,300 criminal arrests, with more than 39,400 felony charges reported. Texas law enforcement officers statewide have also seized more than 505 million lethal doses of...
Newsom vetoes bill requiring accountability for $5.3 billion in broadband funds
(The Center Square) - California Governor Gavin Newsom vetoed a widely supported bill that would have required the state to annually report on its progress in using billions of dollars in state and federal funding to expand broadband internet access, saying the bill is redundant. The bill author said the governor’s solution only requires the state to report its progress for one year, which leaves no benchmark for future comparison and accountability. ...
South Carolina ranks seventh for religious liberty
(The Center Square) — South Carolina ranked among the best states for protecting religious liberty, coming in seventh on a ranking of all 50 states. The Palmetto State earned a score of 63.7%, ranking it just ahead of Utah and just behind Ohio, according to the third annual "Religious Liberty in the States" from the Center for Religion, Culture & Democracy, an initiative of First Liberty Institute. The index explores legislation in all 50 states and how it protects religious liberty. ...
South Carolina ranks seventh for religious liberty
(The Center Square) — South Carolina ranked among the best states for protecting religious liberty, coming in seventh on a ranking of all 50 states. The Palmetto State earned a score of 63.7%, ranking it just ahead of Utah and just behind Ohio, according to the third annual "Religious Liberty in the States" from the Center for Religion, Culture & Democracy, an initiative of First Liberty Institute. The index explores legislation in all 50 states and how it protects religious liberty.
Georgia ranks 30th for protecting religious liberty
(The Center Square) — Georgia ranked as the 30th best state for protecting religious liberty, according to a review of all 50 states. The Peach State earned a score of 39.9%, ranking it just ahead of Nevada and just behind Idaho, according to the third annual "Religious Liberty in the States" from the Center for Religion, Culture & Democracy, an initiative of First Liberty Institute. The index explores legislation in all 50 states and how it protects religious liberty.
Georgia ranks 30th for protecting religious liberty
(The Center Square) — Georgia ranked as the 30th best state for protecting religious liberty, according to a review of all 50 states. The Peach State earned a score of 39.9%, ranking it just ahead of Nevada and just behind Idaho, according to the third annual "Religious Liberty in the States" from the Center for Religion, Culture & Democracy, an initiative of First Liberty Institute. The index explores legislation in all 50 states and how it protects religious liberty. ...
Democrats sue Kemp over leadership committee law
(The Center Square) — Georgia Democrats have filed a federal lawsuit against Republican Gov. Brian Kemp, saying a measure he signed three years ago that allows him to effectively "sidestep" campaign finance restrictions. Kemp signed Senate Bill 221 into law in May 2021. Under the so-called "LC Law," some politicians can chair leadership committees and receive contributions from their members or supporters. Democrats contend the law violates the U.S. Constitution's...
Illinois quick hits: Police look for suspect after murder of USPS worker; State EPA announces waste collection days
Police look for suspect after murder of USPS worker Chicago police are looking for the suspect in connection with the shooting death of a United States Postal Service letter carrier. The 48-year-old woman was shot around 11:30 a.m. Friday. According to police, the victim was rushed to a nearby hospital, where she was pronounced dead. No one is in custody. State EPA announces waste collection days ...
Seattle mayor proposed $1.7M in hiring freeze savings to boost public safety
(The Center Square) – Seattle Mayor Bruce Harrell has proposed $1.7 million to go toward a public safety initiatives as part of his proposed mid-year supplemental budget package. The money would come from savings generated by a hiring freeze Harrell announced earlier this year, as well as anticipated healthcare cost savings. The money would go to recruiting and training general public safety staff, abating dangerous buildings, and improving sexual assault investigations. Harrell’s office said these investments will be net revenue neutral. ...
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