10 votes

Weekly US politics news and updates thread - week of March 21

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Tags: usa, politics, recurring.weekly

This thread is posted weekly - please try to post all relevant US political content in here, such as news, updates, opinion articles, etc. Extremely significant events may warrant a separate topic, but almost all should be posted in here.

This is an inherently political thread; please try to avoid antagonistic arguments and bickering matches. Comment threads that devolve into unproductive arguments may be removed so that the overall topic is able to continue.

6 comments

  1. kfwyre
    Link
    Thousands of Sacramento teachers strike as Minneapolis walkout continues

    Thousands of Sacramento teachers strike as Minneapolis walkout continues

    Thousands of teachers and other school workers in Sacramento walked off the job Wednesday as the California capital became the second big U.S. school district this month to see a work stoppage over pay and staffing shortages as a teachers strike in Minneapolis entered its third week.

    The disputes in Sacramento and Minneapolis, where teachers walked out March 8, come as school districts across the country deal with fallout from the coronavirus pandemic and limited resources.

    8 votes
  2. [4]
    kfwyre
    Link
    2 vetoes in 24 hours: Governors’ decisions on anti-transgender bills signal Republican unease

    2 vetoes in 24 hours: Governors’ decisions on anti-transgender bills signal Republican unease

    Republican governors in Utah and Indiana this week vetoed two bills that aim to bar transgender students, especially trans girls, from competing in school sports that match their gender identity.

    Both governors, in letters to statehouse leaders, said that the bills would expose their states’ high school athletic associations to lawsuits and that they see ongoing legal action against anti-trans bills in other states as a major deterrent to passing such a bill in their state.

    While their vetoes are likely to be overridden, the governors’ responses are part of a small but growing reluctance among some Republican officials to back legislation that has been pushed overwhelmingly by members of their own party. Their responses also suggest that multiple lawsuits by the ACLU and Lambda Legal against anti-trans bills in states including Arkansas, West Virginia, and Tennessee are sending a message that the legislation is not worth legal and financial headaches.

    8 votes
    1. nukeman
      Link Parent
      One theory I’ve heard is that legislators across the US (at all levels) have trended toward “showy” legislation and one-upping, rather than substantial policy making, leaving the latter to the...

      One theory I’ve heard is that legislators across the US (at all levels) have trended toward “showy” legislation and one-upping, rather than substantial policy making, leaving the latter to the judiciary and the executive. This sorta makes sense, especially considering legislators may come from more partisan districts, whereas governors are elected on an at-large basis.

      10 votes
    2. [2]
      kfwyre
      Link Parent
      Utah bans transgender athletes in girls sports despite veto

      Utah bans transgender athletes in girls sports despite veto

      GOP lawmakers in Utah pushed through a ban on transgender youth athletes playing on girls teams Friday, overriding a veto and joining 11 other states with similar laws amid a nationwide culture war.

      A veto letter from Gov. Spencer Cox drew national attention with a poignant argument that such laws target vulnerable transgender kids already at high suicide risk.

      Business leaders also sounded the alarm that the ban could have a multimillion-dollar economic impact on Utah, including the possible loss of the NBA All-Star Game next year. The Utah Jazz called the ban “discriminatory legislation” and opposed it.

      6 votes
      1. kfwyre
        (edited )
        Link Parent
        I normally try not to editorialize on what I submit here, but in case anyone doesn’t realize how overblown and discriminatory a statewide ban is, consider the following paragraph from the article:...

        I normally try not to editorialize on what I submit here, but in case anyone doesn’t realize how overblown and discriminatory a statewide ban is, consider the following paragraph from the article:

        Utah has only one transgender girl playing in K-12 sports who would be affected by the ban. There have been no allegations of any of the four transgender youth athletes in Utah having competitive advantages.

        Four kids. Four kids are the “threat” the entire state legislature is responding to1 — and in enough force to override a veto. K-12 sports has never been solely about competition and has always been about helping kids develop and identify their passions. “Protecting” the sanctity of competition in this context is just the paper-thin cover story for outright, flagrant discrimination.

        Also, it’s not just Utah:

        Not long ago efforts to regulate transgender kids’ participation in sports failed to gain traction in statehouses, but in the past two years groups like the American Principles Project began a well-coordinated effort to promote the legislation throughout the country. Since last year, bans have been introduced in at least 25 states, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures. This week, lawmakers in Arizona and Oklahoma passed bans.

        Twenty five states. Twenty five states.

        Our trans kids deserve so much better.

        1. The actual number of trans athletes in Utah K-12 schools is undoubtedly higher. The fact that the number cited is so low is proof that many kids are unfortunately forced to remain in the closet, which is in part a direct effect of the state’s legislated discrimination which has an additional chilling effect beyond just an outright ban in sports. This law will keep kids in the closet and make them believe the lie that they don’t have the right to be who they are nor deserve support, whether on the field or off. This hurts all trans kids, not just athletes, and not just those in Utah. Though four kids are the focus here, the actual effect is far greater in magnitude.

        11 votes
  3. FrankGrimes
    Link
    Ginni Thomas Pressed Trump’s Chief of Staff to Overturn 2020 Vote, Texts Show I should be shocked at this, but I'm not really. I don't know how this anyone with even a tiny bit of ethics could...

    Ginni Thomas Pressed Trump’s Chief of Staff to Overturn 2020 Vote, Texts Show

    In February 2021, he wrote a dissent after the majority declined to hear a case filed by Pennsylvania Republicans that sought to disqualify certain mail-in ballots. And this past January, he was the only justice who voted against allowing the release of records from the Trump White House related to the Jan. 6 attack.

    I should be shocked at this, but I'm not really. I don't know how this anyone with even a tiny bit of ethics could continue to serve on the court, but with the way news cycles work, this will likely be forgotten in a week.

    7 votes