Last Tuesday President Biden drew jeers from many Republicans in the audience during his State of the Union address when he said some of those lawmakers are aiming to cut Social Security and Medicare. Amidst the GOP taunting, the President added “Anybody who doubts it, contact my office. I’ll give you a copy of the proposal.” Although Biden assured the audience and the American people that these…
Qualified Immunity = Get Out of Jail Free Card
Last week, New Mexico State Representative John Block’s (R-51) proposed repeal of sections 41-4A-1 though 41-4A-13 of the New Mexico Civil Rights Act was tabled by a vote of 4-2. The proposed bill, HB 109 is mothballed, for now. The New Mexico Civil Rights Act, sponsored by state Rep. Georgene Louis (D- 26) and New Mexico House Speaker Brian Egolf (D-47) was passed into law…
This is not Texas
Threats to a woman’s right to choose aren’t just limited to “red” states but can happen in localities and counties in which conservative thinking dominates both politics and ordinances. Last week, Raul Torrez (New Mexico Attorney General) called on the carpet municipalities in the predominately “blue” Land of Enchantment for passing ordinances regulating access to abortions. Torrez filed a suit against Roosevelt and Lea…
Handmaid in America
As if eliminating a woman’s right to an abortion wasn’t enough last year, the state of Missouri passed a dress code last week that requires women in the GOP-controlled State House of Representatives to cover their arms. The new rule (Rule 98) was co-sponsored by Rep. Ann Kelley (R-127), who initially wanted everyone to have to wear blazers while in the chamber, but GOPers relaxed the proposal over opposition…
Insults, lies, and Russian Oligarchs
Lately, the American people have been inundated and bombarded with insults, conspiracy theories, lies, and such downright vicious rhetoric between lawmakers on Capitol Hill and at the state level that I fear we may accept these traits as the norm in the political sphere. The mudslinging continues. A prime example of common nasty insults is…
Dysfunctional House Follies
“A house divided against itself cannot stand.” Abraham Lincoln It took a historic 15 votes, but Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) finally got his wish last Saturday and will replace Nancy Pelosi as Speaker of the House. However, it didn’t happen without plenty of drama, spectacle, and discord in the Grand Old Party. The in-fighting between MAGA loyalists and more moderate…
2022: A Busy Year for the Biden Administration
No matter what the haters, Fox News talking heads, and right-wingers say, the facts speak for themselves: President Joe Biden did a bang-up job in 2022. Let’s take a look at some of the facts: The Inflation Reduction Act Biden signed the Inflation Reduction Act in August to bring down costs, reduce the deficit, and take aggressive action on climate change. The…
Twitter Gag Order
Twitter’s recent ban of accounts belonging to several notable tech journalists who hail from many of the nation’s top news outlets shouldn’t be a surprise given what we know of its newest CEO. The multi-billionaire and CEO of SpaceX and Tesla, claims to be in favor of free speech, and stated that “Free speech is the bedrock of a functioning democracy, and Twitter is…
Queerphobia
Attacks on the LGBTQ+ community are on the rise, fueled by the MAGA movement and right-wing groups that claim to be Christian. These groups argue that LGBTQ individuals and drag queens are grooming children and sexually abusing them, Texas Governor Gregg Abbott wants to label gender-affirming treatment for transgender kids as child abuse, and books featuring queer and LGBTQ subjects are being banned from schools. More…
On the Rails: Workers get Shortlined
This week Congress got involved in a labor dispute between railway workers and freight corporations. Although most labor disputes don’t typically involve US legislation, in this case, an antiquated law regulating railway labor (which also includes airlines) turned an economic issue into a political one. The Railway Labor Act of 1926 is one of the first labor laws passed in the US and…