Republicans

The Oklahoman reports: The Senate Education Appropriations subcommittee presented its budget recommendation for the Oklahoma State Department of Education Wednesday, which nixed a $3 million request by the agency to place Bibles in classrooms. In January, Walters presented his agency’s proposed budget to the subcommittee, which included $3 million to place Bibles in classrooms. The request was not considered by …

The Tallahassee Democrat reports: Less than half of young LGBTQ Floridians feel accepted in their communities, according to a new report released by The Trevor Project. The Trevor Project, a nonprofit that provides crisis support for LGBTQ young people, surveyed almost 1,000 young LGBTQ Floridians about their mental health, and 48% felt the community they live in was accepting of …

Johnson City’s ABC affiliate reports: A bill to make public school systems require students seeking to enroll to show documentation of U.S. citizenship or legal status passed Tennessee’s Senate Education Committee 5-4 Wednesday. The bill, which is co-sponsored by Rusty Crowe (R-Johnson City) in the Senate, would allow public school systems to charge tuition to students who aren’t documented in …

NBC News reports: Hayden Haynes, the chief of staff to House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., and one of the most powerful aides on Capitol Hill, was arrested after President Donald Trump’s joint address to Congress on suspicion of drunken driving after his car struck a Capitol vehicle, two law enforcement sources told NBC News. One of the sources told NBC …

NBC News reports: The Republican-controlled House on Thursday voted to censure Rep. Al Green, D-Texas, for disrupting President Donald Trump’s address to Congress on Tuesday. The vote was 224-198, with 10 Democrats joining all Republicans in voting in favor of the censure resolution. Green voted present. As the vote proceeded, Green sat by himself along the center aisle. Following the …

“I am grateful to move HJR0051 forward with a positive recommendation to the State and Local Committee. I believe it is important to seek Almighty God’s hand of blessing in our state. As our Founders sought His help, I think it is important to seek His help today. If we are to pass on a free and prosperous state to …

NOTUS reports: Lawmakers are scrambling to avoid a government shutdown, as members of both parties say they don’t want funding to lapse next week. But one person might not mind if Congress misses the deadline: Elon Musk. “Sounds great,” he wrote last week on X of a potential shutdown. Musk has already demonstrated his ability to derail Republican leaders’ plans …

Austin’s NRP affiliate reports: A student LGBTQ+ organization is suing Texas A&M University over its newly adopted policy banning drag performances on its public campuses. The federal lawsuit was filed Tuesday on behalf of the Queer Empowerment Council, a coalition of student groups at Texas A&M University-College Station. The lawsuit aims to block the university from enforcing the policy, which the …

NBC News reports: Elon Musk met with Senate Republicans for nearly two hours in a closed-door lunch meeting Wednesday, seeking to reassure them amid voter anxiety over the sweeping cuts his Department of Government Efficiency is making. They discussed a “rescission” package that the White House could send to Congress to codify his cuts through a measure that can get …

Mediaite reports: The official campaign account of House Republicans referred to Rep. Adriano Espaillat (D-NY) as “an illegal immigrant” on Wednesday, prompting fierce backlash. On Tuesday night, Espaillat delivered the Spanish-language response to President Donald Trump’s address to a joint session of Congress. The lawmaker, who represents parts of Manhattan and the Bronx as part of New York’s 13th congressional …

Axios reports: Florida’s next attorney general could be the ex-congressman who almost became President Trump’s U.S. attorney general: Matt Gaetz. In a hypothetical primary matchup against Attorney General James Uthmeier, Gaetz was favored 39%-21%, according to a recent survey of likely Republican voters by Tony Fabrizio, one of the nation’s top pollsters who works for Donald Trump and several GOP …

The New York Times reports: Florida’s insurance regulator has demanded an unusually intrusive trove of data on millions of prescription drugs filled in the state last year, including the names of patients taking the medications, their dates of birth and doctors they’ve seen. The Florida Office of Insurance Regulation in January sought this information from pharmacy benefit managers like UnitedHealth’s …

Fox News reports: Competing resolutions to censure Rep. Al Green, D-Texas, are causing some division within the House GOP on Wednesday. The Texas Democrat was thrown out of President Donald Trump’s address to a joint session of Congress on Tuesday night after repeatedly attempting to interrupt the speech, minutes after it began. Rep. Dan Newhouse, R-WA, a moderate Republican, announced …

Courthouse News reports: Lawmakers in the Texas Senate Education K-16 Committee gave initial approval Tuesday to two bills that would put more Christian teachings and practices in public schools, setting Republicans up with a second chance after similar proposals failed to become law in 2023. Senate Bill 10, authored by Weatherford Republican Senator Phil King [photo], would require a 16 by …

Roll Call reports: After a cycle that delivered them full power in Washington, Republicans are still pushing to change federal election law — and some Democrats are sounding a renewed alarm. A proposal that aims to bar noncitizens from voting could disenfranchise millions of American women and serve a larger strategy, Rep. Delia Ramirez argued Tuesday. “The SAVE act is …

The Texas Tribune reports: Six years after Texas lawmakers inadvertently triggered the state’s booming consumable hemp market, one chamber of the Legislature is pushing to shut down the industry by barring products that contain THC. Yet even with the backing of Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, the powerful Texas Senate leader, the proposal to ban THC faces uncertain prospects in the …

Government Executive reports: The Veterans Affairs Department is planning to lay off tens of thousands of employees throughout its organization later this year, according to an internal memorandum distributed to top staff on Tuesday. VA will soon kick off a departmentwide review of its mission, organization and structure, according to the memo, which was obtained by Government Executive. It will …

“You know how you make America great again? Tell Donald Trump to go to hell. He’s a race-baiting, xenophobic, religious bigot. He doesn’t represent my party. He doesn’t represents the values that the men and women who wear the uniform are fighting for. He’s the ISIL man of the year.” – GOP Sen. Lindsey Graham, when he was running against …

The Kentucky Lantern reports: Kentucky lawmakers would endanger vulnerable minors by approving a bill to protect conversion therapy, warned a coalition representing psychologists, social workers and the LGBTQ community during a committee hearing. Rep. David Hale, R-Wellington, House Bill 495’s primary sponsor, dismissed opponents’ arguments, including personal testimony from speakers who told stories of experiencing abuse and harm from conversion therapy …

The New Republic reports: Republican lawmakers were met with fire and fury over the weekend as their constituents hounded them for failing to intervene in a budget resolution that will result in billions in cuts to Medicaid. One Republican has decided the best option is to threaten criminal charges for Americans who dare to dissent against Trump’s agenda. Wisconsin Rep. Derrick …