Former Football Coach Enters Georgia Senate Race
'I'm running because our state needs new leadership in Washington D.C., and professional politicians like Jon Ossoff are the problem,' Dooley said in a statement.
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Newsweek
17 minutes ago
- Newsweek
GOP Senator Changed Child Rape Law After Relative Accused of Sex With Minor
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. An 18-year-old in Utah who was accused of having sex with a 13-year-old avoided jail after the laws governing sexual offenses were changed while his relative was president of the state Senate. Senate President J. Stuart Adams confided to legislators that the law relating to his relative's case should be reviewed in a large bill that was passed in 2024, according to a report from The Salt Lake Tribune. Adams told The Salt Lake Tribune: "Some have suggested this change was made to benefit the case I was made aware of involving the high school senior. That is simply not true. "While the sponsor of [the bill] was aware of the case, I did not request the legislation and did not intervene or give input on the drafting of the bill." Newsweek reached out to Adams via email for further comment. Why It Matters The fact that the 18-year-old was related to someone with significant political power in Utah has raised questions over whether or not the legislation was adopted in order to make the sentencing less strict. While the law did not apply retroactively and the 18-year-old was not charged with the new lower-level crime created by the bill, they nonetheless avoided further jail time and were not required to register as a sex offender after the bill was passed. What To Know SB213, a 49-page bill sponsored by Republican Senate Majority Leader Kirk Cullimore, passed into law in March 2024, changing sentencing rules over sex between teenagers. Prior to the bill passing, the 18-year-old could have faced a charge of child rape, a first-degree felony that would have required them to register as a sex offender, along with a prison sentence ranging anywhere from six years to life in jail. However, the bill allowed a clause that lets 17-year-olds receive a less serious third-degree charge of unlawful sexual activity to be extended to 18-year-olds, provided they were still in high school. The new bill did not apply to cases brought before it became law, but the 18-year-old was not given any jail time beyond the initial week they had spent, after they pleaded guilty to reduced charges. Prosecutor and defense attorney for the case, Cara Tangaro, said in court hearings that the legislation had been crucial to the improved plea deal, telling Judge Rita Cornish at sentencing, "You saw the legislative change. We all agree that's not retroactive, but the government did change their offer based on that." The bill's sponsor, Cullimore, told the Tribune that Adams had requested that the charges against the relative be looked into for the legislation. Adams denied using his political power to benefit a relative. The Utah State Capitol in Salt Lake City. The Utah State Capitol in Salt Lake City. Getty Images What People Are Saying The mother of the 13-year-old told The Salt Lake Tribune: "I feel like a law is the law, regardless of who you are, but that wasn't what was going on here. I feel like [the 18-year-old] just got special nobody was going to say anything about it." What Happens Next Utah will continue to use the new law for sex offenses going forward for all cases.
The Hill
18 minutes ago
- The Hill
House Republican: Johnson needs to ‘show some leadership,' end redistricting ‘chaos'
Rep. Kevin Kiley (R-Calif.) called out Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) and Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) over their responses to redistricting efforts across the country, saying the chaos needs to end. 'Ultimately I think that the Speaker needs to step up and show some leadership here because even our own members in states that might in some theoretical way, mathematical way stand to benefit from new maps, they don't like what's going on either,' Kiley told MSNBC's Chris Jansing on Tuesday. 'They don't like the prospect of having their district broken up or having communities they've represented, been voted in by, taken out of their district.' Kiley, who represents a competitive House district, said on Monday he will introduce legislation on Monday that would block states from redrawing their congressional districts prior to the 2030 census. 'It's not a good thing for either Democrats or Republicans. It's certainly not a good thing for the country,' he continued. 'So I think that the Speaker and Leader Jeffries need to show some leadership here to bring this chaos to an end, and I think that the bill that I have offered gives them the opportunity to do just that.' In the same interview, Kiley also criticized California Gov. Gavin Newsom's (D) efforts to redraw maps in California as a means of fighting back against Republican redistricting efforts in red states. Newsom has said he wants to abolish the state's Independent Redistricting Commission. 'The old saying is that voters should choose their representatives; representatives shouldn't choose their voters,' Kiley said. 'And I think that what's happening right now across the country, and especially in California, is a very unhealthy thing for democracy.' The redistricting fight jumped into overdrive in Texas this week after state Democratic lawmakers fled the Lone Star State for blue states including Illinois, Massachusetts, and New York.
The Hill
18 minutes ago
- The Hill
Schatz locks down votes to replace Durbin as whip
Hawaii Sen. Brian Schatz (D) has locked down the votes he needs to replace Sen. Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) as Senate Democratic whip once Durbin retires from Congress at the end of next year, according to a person familiar with Schatz's support. Schatz, the Democratic chief deputy whip, has also earned the endorsement of Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer (N.Y.) to succeed Durbin as whip in 2027. 'I'm grateful for the support from so many of my colleagues. I intend to continue earning their support in the months to come,' the Hawaii Democrat said in a statement. It would be the biggest change to the Senate Democratic leadership team since Schumer ascended to leader after the 2016 election. Durbin has served as Democratic whip since 2005, first under the leadership of Senate Democratic Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.), from 2005 to 2017, and then under Schumer from 2017 until today. Punchbowl News first reported that Schatz had collected enough votes and Schumer's support. Schatz, 52, formally launched his bid to become Democratic whip in April, telling The Washington Post at the time: 'Not everybody loves the aspects of politics that occurs on the floor. … This is where I think I can be most useful.' He assumed his Senate office in December of 2012, making him Hawaii's senior senator by a few days. He previously served as the Aloha State's lieutenant governor.
