Republicans

The Washington Post reports: Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) vetoed what would have been one of the nation’s most restrictive bans against children using social media on Friday, drawing a line in the debate over kids’ online safety over concerns the bill did not allow parents to supervise teens’ activity. But unlike laws in Utah and Arkansas blocking kids under …

Courthouse News reports: Planned Parenthood traffics minors across states lines to obtain secret abortions, Missouri’s attorney general claims in a lawsuit filed Thursday. Attorney General Andrew Bailey, a Republican, filed the suit in Boone County circuit court seeking an order stopping the actions. Bailey claims in the complaint to have video of Planned Parenthood staff members acknowledging they take minors …

Gainesville’s ABC affiliate reports: The University of Florida is firing all employees in positions related to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) according to a memo sent on Friday. It follows the passage of a state law in 2023 targeting college funds spent on DEI. UF officials say they have closed the Office of the Chief Diversity Officer, eliminated DEI positions …

Reuters reports: The Michigan Republican Party is in turmoil. The fight to oust Kristina Karamo, elected as Republican party chair in Michigan last year, has become increasingly bitter and personal, leaving deep divisions in the local party. At the center of that battle is Bree Moeggenberg. The 44-year-old member of the Republican state committee – a governing board for the …

Florida Politics reports: It could be significantly harder for unhoused people to sleep in public spaces soon, as the House has passed legislation cracking down on the practice and compelling counties to set up homeless camps. The Republican Rep. Sam Garrison bill has been called a “carrot and stick” approach to managing the homeless problem in the state. “The status …

The Associated Press reports: A federal judge is upholding provisions of new Arizona laws that would require counties to verify the status of registered voters who haven’t provided proof of U.S. citizenship and cross-check voter registration information with various government databases. In a ruling Thursday, U.S. District Judge Susan Bolton concluded Arizona legislators did not discriminate when they adopted the …

“Being a father in today’s challenging world can be a heavy task. With the constant bombardment of information and influences from all angles, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed and uncertain about the best way to guide your children. “The challenges we have experienced, especially in the last few years, with schools being shut down, social shut downs, and the depression …

NBC News reports: Republican presidential candidate Nikki Haley said that all of former President Donald Trump’s legal cases should be “dealt with” before the presidential election. “I think all of the cases should be dealt with before November,” she said Thursday in an interview with NBC News’ “Meet the Press” moderator Kristen Welker in Falls Church, Virginia, where voters will …

The Texas Tribune reports: Donald Trump said Thursday during a visit to the Texas-Mexico border that Gov. Greg Abbott is “absolutely” on his short list of potential vice presidential candidates for his 2024 run. During a joint interview with Abbott on Fox News, the former president was asked by host Sean Hannity whether Abbott was under consideration for the position. …

The Associated Press reports: Kentucky school districts could hire retired law officers or military veterans to serve as armed guardians offering security at schools under a bill advanced by a state Senate committee on Thursday. The proposal cleared the Senate Education Committee and heads to the full Senate next. It would still need House approval if it gains Senate passage. …

Florida Politics reports: Senators voted to make Florida the first state to ban the sale of lab-grown meat. But a majority rejected a proposal to put a five-year sunset on that restriction. As lawmakers debated an agriculture package (SB 1084) on the floor, Republican Sen. Jay Collins said he doesn’t think cultured meat products will be ready for consumption anytime …

Politico reports: Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas) said in a statement Thursday he will run to succeed Mitch McConnell as Republican leader, becoming the first to officially announce his candidacy for the job. “I am asking my Republican colleagues to give me the opportunity to succeed Leader McConnell,” he said. “I believe the Senate is broken — that is not news …

The Texas Tribune reports: A federal judge in Austin on Thursday halted a new state law that would allow Texas police to arrest people suspected of crossing the Texas-Mexico border illegally. The law, Senate Bill 4, was scheduled to take effect Tuesday. U.S. District Judge David Ezra issued a preliminary injunction that will keep it from being enforced while a …

NBC News reports: Alabama Sen. Katie Britt will deliver the Republican response to President Joe Biden’s State of the Union address on March 7, two sources with direct knowledge tell NBC News. Britt, who has endorsed former President Donald Trump, was sworn into office last year. She is the first woman elected to the Senate from Alabama, and at 42, …

The Birmingham News reports: The Alabama House of Representatives has passed a bill intended to provide legal protections to in vitro fertilization clinics, a move that supporters acknowledged was not a permanent solution to questions about the legal status of embryos created through IVF. The bill passed by a vote of 94-6. It moved to the Senate, which passed a …

Florida Politics reports: The House gave a second reading to a bill (HB 1223) that would reverse gun control rules enacted after the Parkland shooting by lowering the minimum age to buy a gun from 21 to 18. Aponsor Rep. Bobby Payne, a Palatka Republican, argued that banning 18-year-olds from buying shotguns and rifles was unconstitutional since those teenagers can …

Axios reports: House Homeland Security Committee Chair Mark Green has reversed course on retiring and will run for re-election, the Tennessee Republican confirmed to Axios. Green said he reconsidered his retirement after receiving pressure from GOP senators, including Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.), and former President Trump. “While my strong desire was to leave Congress at the end of this year, since …

Louisville Public Media reports: legislation to erode worker’s protections in Kentucky have begun moving through the legislative process this year, including a bill to allow teenagers to work longer and later hours. Another measure in that surge of legislation would strip Kentucky’s meal and rest break protections as well as seventh-day overtime. Both bills would weaken Kentucky labor laws. They …

Bloomberg News reports: The House passed a temporary funding bill to avert a Saturday partial US government shutdown, sending the bill to the Senate for a vote as soon as Thursday night. The bill would extend funds for some departments through March 8 and others through March 22 as lawmakers work out differences on delayed full-year spending packages for the …

Mediaite reports: On Wednesday, Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-MS) blocked the Senate bill that would have protected IVF treatment on a federal level, claiming it was an issue that should be left up to the states. But she had another reason: IVF could lead to “human-animal chimeras.” While it’s not unpredictable for a Republican to believe that some issues are better …