The Montana House of Representatives voted to censure Democratic state Rep. Zooey Zephyr, the state's first transgender lawmaker, after she spoke out against proposed legislation that would ban gender-affirming care for transgender minors. The censure bars Zephyr from the floor for the remainder of the legislative session, but she has vowed to continue to fight for the rights of transgender people in Montana. The proposed legislation, which has been widely criticized by LGBTQ rights groups, would make it illegal for doctors to provide gender-affirming care to minors.
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House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) is making progress on his $4.8 trillion package, which would enable the House GOP to use the debt-ceiling as a bargaining chip in negotiations with the Senate and White House. After making changes overnight to win over holdouts, McCarthy is inching closer to passing the bill on the House floor, with a vote expected as early as today. This vote is a major test for McCarthy, who must not lose more than four GOP votes for the bill to pass, and will be a key indicator of his ability to lead the House GOP and negotiate with the Senate and White House.
President Joe Biden has announced his bid for reelection, setting himself up as the Democratic Party's bulwark against the Republican Party led by Donald Trump. His campaign has hired Julie Chavez Rodriguez, Quentin Fulks, and Jen O'Malley Dillon as campaign manager, deputy campaign manager, and campaign manager respectively. With the president's announcement, the race for the White House is officially underway.
Montana Representative Zooey Zephyr has been at the center of a standoff in the state legislature for the past two weeks, after making remarks about legislation that members of the transgender community consider matters of life and death. Supporters of Zephyr have gathered outside the statehouse and argued that the gag order imposed on her is an infringement of her First Amendment rights, while the legislature has yet to comment on the situation. The controversy has sparked a national debate over the rights of transgender individuals and the power of the legislature to silence dissenting voices, with no resolution in sight.
Scotty Campbell, a Tennessee State Representative, resigned from his House seat after an Ethics Subcommittee report revealed he had violated the legislature's workplace discrimination and harassment policy. The report did not provide any details on the specifics of the violation, and Campbell has not commented on the situation. The House of Representatives has a zero-tolerance policy for workplace discrimination and harassment, and the House Ethics Subcommittee is responsible for investigating any complaints of violations.
Montana House Speaker has refused to allow transgender lawmaker Rep. Zooey Zephyr to speak on the House floor until she apologizes for comments she made about a bill to ban gender-affirming medical care for transgender youth. In response, activists held a "die-in" protest in the state Capitol rotunda to demonstrate their support for Zephyr, who has refused to apologize and is continuing to fight for the rights of transgender people in Montana.
Tennessee State Lawmaker Rep. Scotty Campbell Resigns Suddenly After Ethics Violation Becomes Public
Tennessee State Lawmaker Rep. Scotty Campbell Resigns Suddenly After Ethics Violation Becomes Public
Rep. Scotty Campbell of Tennessee resigned suddenly on Thursday due to an ethics violation that was made public. The violation was related to the Legislature's workplace discrimination and harassment policy, though no further information was provided. This comes two weeks after Campbell joined fellow Republicans in expelling two Black Democratic legislators for protesting in support of gun control on the state House floor.
At a House Homeland Security Committee hearing, Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) called Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas a "liar" and accused Rep. Eric Swalwell (D-Calif.) of having a "sexual relationship with a Chinese spy" without offering any evidence. Rep. Mark Green (R-Tenn.), the chair of the committee, barred Greene from speaking any further and plans to have a conversation with her about her comments and the expected decorum of the committee. The incident has sparked debate about the appropriateness of Greene's comments and what action, if any, will be taken against her.