Republicans

The Washington Post reports: Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton asked the state’s highest court on Wednesday to stop election officials from allowing voters to cast absentee ballots while citing fears of the coronavirus. In a filing with the Texas Supreme Court, Paxton argued that officials in five counties overstepped their authority by recommending that voters who are concerned about contracting …

Roll Call reports: Rep. Steve King said he and House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy agreed he should be able to sit on committees, a privilege King was stripped of when he made racist comments in early 2019, but some top Republicans are not open to the idea. Republican Conference Chairwoman Liz Cheney of Wyoming — the third-highest ranking Republican in …

The Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel reports: The Wisconsin Supreme Court has struck down Gov. Tony Evers’ order shutting down daily life to limit the spread of coronavirus — marking the first time a statewide order of its kind has been knocked down by a court of last resort. The state’s highest court, which is controlled by conservatives, sided with Republican lawmakers Wednesday …

The Washington Post reports: Mike Garcia, a businessman and former Navy pilot, defeated state Assemblywoman Christy Smith, who conceded the election Wednesday. Although mail-in ballots remained uncounted, Garcia had a comfortable 12-point lead over Smith in the 25th District, north of Los Angeles. Garcia will finish the term of Katie Hill, the Democratic congresswoman who resigned last year amid allegations …

The Sioux City Journal reports: Northwest Iowa Congressman Steve King said House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy has agreed to a process by which the nine-term incumbent can get “exoneration” and back on committees that were stripped in January 2019 after King’s controversial published remarks about white supremacy. “On April 20, Kevin McCarthy and I reached an agreement that he would …

Talking Points Memo reports: Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY) stood by the biting comments he made to top White House COVID-19 task force official Dr. Anthony Fauci about the doctor’s opinion that it would be premature to reopen the country right now. Paul argued that “we really need to have competition among the experts,” pointing to British epidemiologist Neil Ferguson’s projection …

Austin’s ABC News affiliate reports: On Tuesday, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton issued a letter to Travis County and the city of Austin, warning some requirements in the city and county’s stay-at-home orders are unlawful and must change to meet the state’s most recent order. According to Paxton, those requirements include “strict and unconstitutional demands” on houses of worship, restrictions …

ABC News reports: As the long-term effects of the devastating coronavirus pandemic become more apparent and the country assesses reopening, some vulnerable Senate Republicans appear to be shifting their campaign messaging away from their ties to President Donald Trump. Although Arizona Sen. Martha McSally hosted Trump in his first visit outside of Washington since the country began re-opening, he hasn’t …

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports: Gov. Brian Kemp extended some coronavirus restrictions Tuesday as he eased other limits imposed during the pandemic, setting the stage for summer camps to reopen and some state employees to return to offices within a week. The governor ordered bars, nightclubs and live performance venues to remain shuttered through the end of May, which he said …

Madison’s Fox affiliate reports: The Associated Press has declared Minocqua Republican state senator Tom Tiffany the winner in the 7th Congressional District over Tricia Zunker, with the race called around an hour after polls closed. With more than 99% of precincts reporting at 10:30pm, Tiffany took the race by about 14 points with 57% of the vote to Democrat opponent …

USA Today reports: Sen. Mitt Romney, R-Utah, said U.S. testing for coronavirus is “nothing to celebrate” because the country “treaded water” during the early stages of the pandemic while other countries such as South Korea tested people aggressively to curb the outbreak. President Donald Trump said Monday the country prevailed in testing for the virus because it has conducted 9 …

The Daily Beast reports: It’s almost certain that Rep. Greg Steube (R-FL) did not intend to prohibit the president from steering campaign funds to his own hotels, resorts, and golf clubs. He introduced a bill this month explicitly designed to target campaign spending by a House colleague, Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-MN). But the language of his legislation would very likely …

Raw Story reports: Dr. Anthony Fauci on Tuesday slapped down an attempt by Sen. Rand Paul to downplay the potential negative effects of the coronavirus on children. During a Senate hearing on America’s COVID-19 response, Paul pushed Fauci to say that it will be safe to send children back to school in the fall because they are far less likely …

The Daily Beast reports: Days after the Justice Department controversially dropped charges against Mike Flynn, Senate GOP Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) is set to expand a highly political Justice Department’s surveillance authorities during a vote this week to renew the 2001 PATRIOT Act. Under cover of redressing what President Trump and his allies call the FBI’s “witch hunt” over collusion …

Des Moines’ ABC News affiliate reports: Gov. Kim Reynolds on Monday revealed she is adopting a “modified quarantine plan” following a visit last week to the White House where staff have tested positive for COVID-19. Reynolds and Dr. Caitlin Pedati, the state medical director and epidemiologist, visited the the White House Wednesday for an Oval office meeting with President Trump …

The Associated Press reports: Indiana Attorney General Curtis Hill, who has sought national attention as an anti-abortion and tough-on-crime crusader, will have his law license suspended for 30 days over allegations that he drunkenly groped a state lawmaker and three other women during a party, the state Supreme Court ruled Monday. The unanimous court decision said that the state’s attorney …

The Washington Post reports: The Republican National Committee has asked the federal government to provide personal protective gear for political conventions this summer, underscoring the challenges of staging the quadrennial events during a pandemic that has already caused the deaths of more than 78,000 Americans. RNC Chairwoman Ronna McDaniel said in an interview that the gear was needed for both …

CNN reports: The governor of South Dakota has given an ultimatum to two Sioux tribes: Remove checkpoints on state and US highways within 48 hours or risk legal action. Gov. Kristi Noem sent letters Friday to the leaders of the Oglala Sioux Tribe and the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe demanding that checkpoints designed to prevent the spread of coronavirus on …

Charleston’s The State reports: Gov. Henry McMaster announced on Friday that he will allow indoor dining at restaurants starting Monday, May 11, though each restaurant will determine whether to open its doors to customers in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic. The S.C. Restaurant and Lodging Association had previously pushed to have indoor dining at restaurants by May 18. The …

The Detroit Free Press reports: Censured Royal Oak City Commissioner Kim Gibbs has found herself in the news again, this time for being caught shoplifting. The embattled elected official issued a statement Wednesday evening on the misdemeanor shoplifting offense. “I would like to apologize to my family, friends and especially my constituents for my substantial lapse in judgement today, Wednesday, …