Lawmakers working to the last minute as time runs out to get their bills to crossover
Mobile sports betting made it out of a key committee but may not make it for a vote, and a DEI ban in Georgia public schools is finally getting a vote in the Senate.
Georgia democrats rallied on the steps of the State Capitol as they tried to highlight and push their agenda.
They were critical of the Republican agenda and, they claimed, the inability not to have a fair hearing on their own agenda.
'Y'all, those aren't just policies. These are not just policies. These are our values and actions and represent our fundamental belief in fairness that Georgia should work for all of us, not just the most wealthy,' state Rep. Sam Park said.
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Earlier in the day, Gov. Brian Kemp signed the amended budget. That budget helps get Georgia through the rest of the fiscal year. It includes more than $1 billion for hurricane relief, school safety and tax relief. Something he'd like to see continued but only with diligent budgeting.
'From my perspective, my goal is to continue to see how we can keep lowering tax rates,' Kemp said.
Newnan Republican state Sen. Matt Brass got his bill passed with bipartisan support to increase the amount of THC allowed in medical cannabis oil and allow doctors to prescribe it more often.
'There's just so many people out there in pain, and we just want their doctors to be able, like I said, have all the tools they need to take care of their people,' Brass said.
The bill to ban DEI from Georgia public schools appears to have failed in the Senate.
Other bills that passed are one that would prevent cities or counties from requiring firearm safe storage devices, and a bill that would codify the ability of legislative committees to conduct investigations like the one currently investigating Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis.

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The Hill
26 minutes ago
- The Hill
Live updates: Texas GOP issues arrest warrants in redistricting showdown with Democrats
Texas Democrats who have taken refuge in blue states to protest GOP-led redistricting in the Lone Star State face civil arrest warrants after missing a legislative session on Monday. Texas House Speaker Dustin Burrows (R) signed the warrants, which allow for the Democrats' arrests, as Gov. Greg Abbott on Monday called their protest 'crazy bluster' and said the state would push ahead with redrawing maps. 'Democrats are freaking out because they are realizing Texas has the authority to redistrict, and we're going to do so in a way that's going to lead to these additional seats that will vote Republican, and they will be serving in Congress in the next session,' Abbott told Fox News's Sean Hannity on Monday night. Democratic National Committee (DNC) Chair Ken Martin told CNN on Monday night that Republicans are getting what they asked for: 'Donald Trump, Greg Abbott, Ken Paxton, they said they wanted a showdown. And guess what? That's exactly what they're getting. A showdown.' The Texas House needs two-thirds of its members present to vote; Democrats' absence has deprived the chamber of that quorum. It will convene its second legislative day, likely without Democrats, on Tuesday. In Washington, President Trump is set to join CNBC for an interview Tuesday morning and sign an executive order on later in the afternoon. Just days ahead of his new tariff scheme taking effect and in the wake of a weak jobs report, he faces concern from Republicans on Capitol Hill. Catch up here:
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
Des Moines School Board Chair Jackie Norris running for Joni Ernst's US Senate seat
Des Moines School Board Chair Jackie Norris is running for the U.S. Senate in 2026, becoming the latest Democrat seeking to take on Republican U.S. Sen. Joni Ernst. "Look, I think it's time for an educator in the Senate," she told the Des Moines Register. "Former teacher, school board member. I have seen firsthand the invisible burdens that are on the shoulders of families right now." Norris, 54, has a lengthy political resume. She worked on campaigns for former Iowa Gov. Tom Vilsack and former President Barack Obama and was chief of staff to former First Lady Michelle Obama. She is the president and owner of Horizon Group, a research and consulting firm, and previously served as CEO of Goodwill of Central Iowa. She is married to John Norris, a former Iowa Democratic Party chair, gubernatorial candidate and Polk County administrator. They have three sons. Jackie Norris says she's 'very proud' of Des Moines Public Schools' policy limiting cell phones Norris, who worked as a high school government teacher in Perry, Ames and Johnston, said "families are in crisis" and are struggling to afford child care, health care and housing while young people also struggle with anxiety and depression. She pointed to her efforts as a school board member to pass a district-wide policy limiting cell phone use during class time. The district's Hoover High School previously adopted a similar policy in an effort to improve students' grades and their mental health. "We heard loud and clear that we needed to improve the conditions where students can learn and teachers can teach," she said. "And so cell phone addiction was becoming an issue. Kids were struggling with mental health challenges, they weren't hitting their mark on academic outcomes, and so moving forward and passing a cell phone policy for 30,000 students is something I'm very proud of." Norris' school board seat will be on the ballot this fall. She said she does not plan to run for reelection as she mounts a Senate campaign. 'I'm going to bring my whole self to this campaign' Norris is the fourth Democrat to formally enter the race. State Sen. Zach Wahls of Coralville, state Rep. J.D. Scholten of Sioux City and former Knoxville Chamber of Commerce Director Nathan Sage of Indianola have all announced campaigns. State Rep. Josh Turek of Council Bluffs is preparing to launch a campaign this month. Norris said, "I'm going to bring my whole self to this campaign." "I'm going to work hard," she said. "I'm going to use the network that I have all across this country to raise the funds necessary to be competitive and also remind people that Joni Ernst is not what we want in the Senate and we have an opportunity to flip the seat and we need the best candidate to do it. And I'm that candidate." Jackie Norris criticizes Joni Ernst for Medicaid comments, support for Pete Hegseth Sen. Joni Ernst, R-Iowa, has been scrutinized this year for comments she made at a May 30 town hall, saying, "Well, we all are going to die" after a constituent shouted that people would die due to Medicaid cuts in President Donald Trump's budget bill. The next day, Ernst shared a sarcastic apology video that she filmed while walking through a cemetery. Ernst ultimately voted for the bill, which extends and deepens tax cuts signed by Trump in 2017 while cutting Medicaid spending by nearly $1 trillion over a decade. The nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office says 10 million people are expected to become uninsured over a decade as a result of the bill. Norris characterized Ernst's remarks as "some pretty flippant comments about people who are going to face real harm." "Those types of callous remarks make it really clear that she is not in touch with how Iowans are feeling and how serious it is," she said. Norris also said that she is a military mom and respects Ernst's military service, but was disappointed by her support for Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth. Ernst, the first female combat veteran to serve in the U.S. Senate, had expressed concerns about Hegseth, who previously said he didn't believe women should serve in combat roles. She questioned Hegseth about the topic during his confirmation hearing before ultimately voting to confirm him after he affirmed women would continue to be able to serve in combat roles, "given the standards remain high." "She is a woman who served in the military, and yet she seems pretty comfortable letting women be disrespected by the secretary of defense," Norris said. "I think she's lost her way. I think she's lost her integrity." Still, Norris said her approach to governing is to solve problems regardless of party. She pointed to her work for Points of Light, a nonprofit Republican former President George H.W. Bush founded. "My approach is always going to be to find the best win for Iowa," she said. "And if that means working with people who are strange bedfellows so be it, because we should all want to work for the betterment of our state. And quite honestly I think Americans are going to believe in government if they actually see us putting them ahead of our own party loyalties." Ernst has hired a campaign manager but has not formally announced that she will seek a third term in 2026, prompting speculation about her plans. Two Republicans have said they intend to challenge Ernst for the GOP nomination: former state Sen. Jim Carlin and Joshua Smith. Stephen Gruber-Miller covers the Iowa Statehouse and politics for the Register. He can be reached by email at sgrubermil@ or by phone at 515-284-8169. Follow him on X at @sgrubermiller. This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: Des Moines School Board Chair Jackie Norris running for US Senate


NBC News
an hour ago
- NBC News
Texas redistricting vote at a standstill after Democrats scatter: Morning Rundown
The Texas House approved arrest warrants for Democrats who fled the state to block a GOP-favored redistricting plan. Attorney General Pam Bondi orders a grand jury investigation into the Obama administration's review of Russia's actions during the 2016 election. And the double-edged sword facing travel influencers in Afghanistan. Here's what to know today. Texas House approves the arrests of Democrats who fled the state Republican lawmakers voted to issue arrest warrants for dozens of Democrats who fled Texas to block the GOP's plan to redraw the state's congressional lines. The House requires a quorum to proceed with a vote and with 51 of the state's 62 Democratic House members out of the state, the legislation is effectively stalled. 'They've shirked their responsibilities under the direction and pressure of out-of-state politicians and activists who don't know the first thing about what's right for Texas,' said Republican Speaker Dustin Burrows. Shortly after gaveling in, Republican lawmakers locked the chamber doors and moved for the sergeant-at-arms to 'send for' the lawmakers 'under warrant of arrest, if necessary.' Republican Gov. Greg Abbott called for a special session of the Legislature this summer with redistricting on the agenda, an issue President Donald Trump has said would allow the GOP to pad their slim majority in the U.S. House with five more seats. The move enraged many Democrats who consider it a power play to prioritize House seats before passing legislation to address the disastrous floods that killed over 100 people in Kerr County, San Antonio, this summer. Inside the chamber, they proceeded with a House vote and signed the civil arrest warrants, but Democrats have shrugged off threats so far. A majority traveled to Illinois and others to Boston and Albany, N.Y., but their next steps aren't clear. The special legislative session cannot last more than 30 days, but Abbot could continue to call new sessions indefinitely. U.S. ties with India, a key security partner in Asia, are being tested by trade, tariffs and New Delhi's purchases of Russian oil. Meanwhile, the European Union will pause its plan to impose retaliatory tariffs on U.S. goods while trade negotiations continue. White House officials began their search for a permanent replacement after Trump fired former Bureau of Labor Statistics Commissioner Erika McEntarfer. Ron DeSantis has a longstanding presence in the Florida GOP, but after losing his presidential bid, the momentum within the state's Republican Party seemed to shift towards Trump. Pam Bondi orders grand jury probe of Obama administration review of 2016 election Attorney General Pam Bondi has ordered Justice Department prosecutors to launch a probe into whether Obama administration officials committed federal crimes in a review of Russia's actions during the 2016 election. Trump and his supporters have long claimed that intelligence and law enforcement officials attempted to undermine his first term by overstating Russia's interference in the 2016 election and investigating Trump's aides over any possible contacts with Moscow. Special Counsel Robert Mueller found that Russia intervened in 2016 to undercut Hillary Clinton but found no evidence that the Trump team colluded with the Kremlin, as some on the left had previously suggested. In an official letter signed by Bondi, an unnamed federal prosecutor is now instructed to begin presenting evidence to a grand jury to secure potential federal indictments. The letter doesn't specify what the charges will be, who the grand jury will investigate or give a timeline for completion. The announcement is the latest in a series of actions by the Trump administration designed to rewrite the history of the 2016 election and seek retribution against those whom Trump accuses of trying to sabotage his first term in the White House. The Agriculture Department allowed West Virginia, Florida, Colorado, Louisiana, Oklahoma and Texas to bar participants who receive SNAP benefits from using their aid for certain types of processed foods. A federal judge rejected 'Sean Diddy' ' Combs' efforts to be released from prison ahead of his sentencing. A bronze statue depicting Confederate Gen. Albert Pike will be reinstalled in Washington, D.C, after demonstrators toppled and burned it in 2020. Staff Pick: Travel influencers boost tourism to Taliban-run Afghanistan When I read about the three-month solo trip Margaritta, a 33-year-old travel influencer from Germany, took through Afghanistan, my heart soared. It is rare to read anything about Afghanistan that isn't about war, violence or extremism, so it was a welcome relief to find someone appreciating the country's heart-stoppingly beautiful landscape and fascinating history. Margaritta says that she 'felt fantastic' and safe in Afghanistan. She and other travel influencers explore the country's landlocked, mountainous terrain and its tribal culture, with their glowing account contesting what has been painfully evident over the decades: that the country is unsafe and hostile to women. Here's the thing: Afghanistan is one of the world's most violent countries, and arguably one of the worst places to be born a girl (if you look at maternal mortality rates, as well as laws that prohibit girls from studying beyond the age of 12 and women from working outside the home -- just to name a few). I fear Margaritta and others' sunny travelogues risk whitewashing the harsh realities of life for the people of Afghanistan, not only its women. They also betray a lack of interest in or understanding of why some of us — wealthy, white Westerners — might be 'treated like a queen.' In sum, it's great to share your adventures, but probably while keeping at the front of your mind that millions of people may well be living desperately difficult lives under harsh and austere circumstances that rosy travelogues might entirely miss. — Brinley Burton, a ssistant managing editor NBC Select: Online Shopping, Simplified Ever heard of onion shampoo? No, well, it's the latest trend that is supposed to promote hair growth. Don't worry, it won't leave your strands smelling funky. Want to learn how to make matcha? Class is now in session for matcha making 101. Tea experts share a step-by-step guide and what to look out for when shopping for products.