Wisconsin Democrats look to boost local journalism | Missouri Republicans cobble stupid ideas together | School voucher boosters need some extra help with math | Key Attorney General races in the 2024 elections
- Wisconsin Dems Propose Legislation To Support Journalism
- https://wisconsinexaminer.com/brief/democrats-propose-ways-of-bolstering-local-news/
Amid widespread layoffs in the journalism industry and ongoing concerns about newsroom closures and consolidations, Wisconsin Democrats are proposing some ways of boosting the local journalism industry.
A package of bills — coauthored by Reps. Jimmy Anderson (D-Fitchburg), Jodi Emerson (D-Eau Claire) and Sen. Mark Spreitzer (D-Beloit) — would create a tax credit for people who subscribe to local newspapers, a fellowship program to get individuals into the field, and a Civic Information Consortium Board that would award grants to local news.
Rep Anderson said “Local journalism is essential to our democracy. It keeps voters informed and engaged on the issues that matter most to their communities, and local reporters also play an important role in keeping officials accountable to their constituents. But local news is dying.”
“News deserts are disproportionately located in rural areas, low-income areas, and communities of color. The three bills in this package are designed to ensure that all Wisconsinites can access high quality, reliable local journalism.”
The journalism fellowship program would be administered by the University of Wisconsin System. Under the program, a panel of UW journalism professors and industry experts would choose 25 fellows to match with participating newsrooms for a one-year fellowship.
Participants, who would be required to hold a two- or four-year degree in journalism, media, communications or a similar program, would receive a $40,000 salary.
Another bill would create a nonrefundable tax credit as a way of encouraging people to subscribe to their local newspaper. When subscribing to a qualifying local newspaper, taxpayers could receive a tax credit equal to 50% of the amount paid to subscribe. The credit would be limited to a maximum of $250 in each taxable year.
- Missouri Proposed Change On Initiative Petitions Creates An Electoral College Outcome
- https://missouriindependent.com/2024/02/05/as-few-as-1-in-5-voters-could-defeat-initiative-petitions-under-missouri-senate-proposal/
- BY: RUDI KELLER - FEBRUARY 5, 2024 10:00 AM
As few as 1 in 5 voters could defeat initiative petitions under Missouri Senate proposal
The legislation set for debate in the Senate would require a majority vote in 82 state House districts and a statewide majority to approve constitutional amendments
Called a concurrent majority, an analysis of voting patterns by The Independent shows that the change would make it possible for as few as 20% of voters to determine the outcome of statewide ballot measures.
Tim Jones, state director of the Missouri Freedom Caucus, pushing the change, said “This to me is a very similar concept to the electoral college.”
The proposal is taking on new urgency for GOP leaders because a proposal to overturn Missouri’s abortion ban could be on the ballot in November. Republicans see changing the rules as the only way to defeat it.
Opponents claim the idea undermines majority rule, which has determined the outcome of constitutional questions in Missouri since 1846.
Chuck Hatfield, an attorney representing Protect Majority Rule, which is raising money for a possible campaign against the amendment said, “Their goal is to make sure that even when an overwhelming majority of Missourians overall support a measure, rural voters can still defeat it,”
Democrats in the Senate, who have been content to let the GOP civil war play out without interfering, are “vehemently” opposed to any effort to change the current simple majority to pass ballot measures
- Red State School Voucher Programs Need To Go Back To School For Basic Math
- https://www.thenation.com/article/society/school-vouchers-red-state-budgets/
- JENNIFER C. BERKSHIRE and JACK SCHNEIDER
For GOP lawmakers who view public education as a quasi-socialist project, the gaping hole in state budgets left by subsidizing private school tuition is a feature, not a bug.
In Arizona, taxpayers are now staring down a $400 million shortfall, with an even bigger bill coming due next year. How did the Grand Canyon State go from sitting on a huge cash reserve to facing a rising tide of red ink? Simple. Voucher proponents suggested that paying for private school tuition would cost taxpayers $65 million a year; but as it stands, the program is on track to cost roughly 15 times that. All told, Arizona taxpayers are likely to spend close to a billion dollars reimbursing the cost of tuition and luxury expenses—including ski resort passes, pianos, and theme park tickets—for families whose children were never enrolled in the public schools.
It isn’t just Arizona’s problem. Over the past two years, multiple states have enacted universal or near-universal voucher programs that far exceed initial cost projections. In Iowa, Governor Kim Reynolds pushed an expansive voucher program that gives $7,500 to any Iowa family for private school tuition. But demand for the program among parents who already send their kids to private schools, most of which are religious, has far exceeded expectations. Now Iowans are on the hook for the tuition of 17,000 private school students—a bill that will total $345 million a year next year. The same story has unfolded in Ohio, Arkansas, West Virginia, and elsewhere.
It wasn’t just the price tag that voucher proponents were deceptive about—it was also the projected beneficiaries of such programs. Advocates promoted vouchers as a benefit for poor students, students with disabilities, and students in struggling schools. Yet the reality has looked very different. As The Wall Street Journal recently reported, the vast majority of parents taking advantage of these tuition coupons are those who already send their kids to private schools.
- Key State Level Attorney General Elections for 2024
- https://centerforpolitics.org/crystalball/articles/this-years-key-attorney-general-and-secretary-of-state-races/
- By Louis Jacobson 2024 State Races
This year, there will be 17 elections for Secretary of State and Attorney General in states across the U.S., but only a few are on track to be competitive. Today we’ll talk about the Attorney General races in North Carolina and Pennsylvania.
North Carolina: Open seat (Josh Stein, D, is running for governor)
In a hot election cycle in North Carolina with lots of competitive races and open seats, the AG contest could prove unusually compelling. It has been over a century since the state elected a Republican to this office, although this race could be exceedingly close—just as the last few contests have been.
The two frontrunners for the open AG seat are both sitting members of Congress: Republican Dan Bishop and Democrat Jeff Jackson. Bishop is a favorite of the GOP’s conservative wing, having been a member of the House Freedom Caucus and a thorn in the side of former Republican House Speaker Kevin McCarthy. Jackson—who joined the AG race after effectively being drawn out of his seat in re-districting last year—has attracted a national following for his posts on TikTok.
While Bishop appears to have a clear shot at the GOP nomination, Jackson must first win a March 5 primary against Durham County District Attorney Satana Deberry, and attorney and veteran Tim Dunn. Louis Jacobson at Sabato’s Crystal Ball says if Jackson and Bishop do meet in November, the race could go either way and is a true toss-up.
In Pennsylvania’s AG election this year, Both party primaries are on track to be competitive.
The Democrats have five credible candidates: former Auditor General Eugene DePasquale, former Bucks County Solicitor Joe Khan, former top Philadelphia public defender Keir Bradford-Grey, veteran and state Rep. Jared Solomon, and Jack Stollsteimer, the district attorney in populous Delaware County near Philadelphia.
The Republicans have two: York County District Attorney Dave Sunday, who has been endorsed by the state party, and veteran and state Rep. Craig Williams.
In the Democratic primary, DePasquale, as the only candidate from western Pennsylvania, and Bradford-Grey, as the only Black candidate, may have an edge in a contest where as little as 21% of the vote could be enough to win the nomination. On the GOP side, Sunday should have a modest edge.
The general election should be highly competitive, and it could swing depending on the dynamics on the rest of the ballot, including how the competitive races for president and Senate play out. There has been some ticket-splitting in Pennsylvania in recent presidential cycles, though. In 2016, as Republicans won the presidential and Senate races, Democrats won the contests for Attorney General, Auditor, and Treasurer. In 2020, as Joe Biden flipped the state, Republicans took back the Auditor and Treasurer posts.
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