California lawmakers propose repeal of discriminatory Prop. 8, say it’s time to 'right this wrong'

Daily Kos Staff

Tuesday February 14, 2023 · 1:50 PM PST

2023/02/14 · 13:50

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - SEPTEMBER 28: (L-R) Evan Low and Scott Wiener speak onstage during Equality California's Special 20th Anniversary Los Angeles Equality Awards at the JW Marriott Los Angeles at L.A. LIVE on September 28, 2019 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Matt Winkelmeyer/Getty Images for Equality California) — Assemblyman Evan Low and state Sen. Scott Wiener

A pair of state lawmakers have introduced a proposal that would enshrine marriage equality in California, and repeal from its constitution the discriminatory 2008 measure that recognized “only marriage between a man and a woman.” Even after numerous court rulings—notably the Supreme Court’s landmark 2015 decision recognizing marriage equality nationally—the initiative remains on the books.

Passage of state Sen. Scott Wiener and Assemblyman Evan Low’s proposal seems like a no-brainer in a state with a Democratic supermajority. But just like Proposition 8 was passed by voters, it would also need to be repealed by voters.

Should two-thirds of the state legislature approve the proposal, it would once again need to go in front of voters. With the most extreme faction of the already right-wing Supreme Court publicizing its wish list to strike down key rights, the lawmakers say it’s time for the state to strike the bigoted language from the state constitution once and for all.

Gabe Ortiz

Daily Kos Staff

Tuesday February 14, 2023 · 12:19 PM PST

2023/02/14 · 12:19

ScreenShot2023-02-14at12.00.19PM.png — Greg Abbott

One of the oldest anti-immigrant tropes is that undocumented people are a massive drain on our government’s resources, despite paying billions of dollars in local, state, and national taxes annually. The truth is that Republican officials are the actual moochers. The Texas Tribune reports that Gov. Greg Abbott’s Operation Lone Star border stunt needs nearly $2 billion to continue running through the two-year budget cycle beginning in September.

Nearly $460 million is needed to keep the political stunt operational just through this August, a top Texas Military Department (TMD) official said. Maj. Gen. Thomas Suelzer revealed that Abbott had already given TMD nearly $290 million swiped from other agencies just to keep Operation Lone Star running for a couple months, from January to March. But, please, keep telling us how immigrant families are the burdens to taxpayers.

Gabe Ortiz

Daily Kos Staff

Tuesday February 14, 2023 · 9:16 AM PST

2023/02/14 · 09:16

WASHINGTON, DC - SEPTEMBER 15: U.S. President Joe Biden speaks during an event in the Rose Garden of the White House September 15, 2022 in Washington, DC. During the event Biden announced a tentative labor agreement between freight rail companies and unions representing tens of thousands of workers. Also pictured is Secretary of Labor Marty Walsh (R). (Photo by Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images) — President Joe Biden and Labor Secretary Marty Walsh.

The Biden administration announced this week that the Labor Department will now have authority to issue certifications in support of special visas that are granted to undocumented immigrants who are victims of certain crimes, including workplace violations, and who aid officials in investigations.

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) will for the first time be able to issue these certifications when the agency during investigations “identifies qualifying criminal activities, including manslaughter, trafficking, extortion, felonious assault, forced labor and obstruction of justice,” the Labor Department said. Immigrant and labor rights advocates have for years been pushing for OSHA to have U- and T-Visa certification authority.

Gabe Ortiz

Daily Kos Staff

Monday February 13, 2023 · 1:14 PM PST

2023/02/13 · 13:14

WASHINGTON, DC - JANUARY 05: U.S. Rep.-elect Matt Gaetz (R-FL) (L) sits with Rep.-elect Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA) in the House Chamber during the third day of elections for Speaker of the House at the U.S. Capitol Building on January 05, 2023 in Washington, DC. The House of Representatives is meeting to vote for the next Speaker after House Republican Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) failed to earn more than 218 votes on several ballots; the first time in 100 years that the Speaker was not elected on the first ballot. (Photo by Win McNamee/Getty Images) — Matt Gaetz and Marjorie Taylor Greene

House Republicans last week held a sham impeachment hearing relating to Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas. If you missed this hearing in the chambers of Congress, that’s because it wasn’t held there at all, but rather at an off-site conference room belonging to the right-wing Heritage Foundation organization.

Just to give you a taste of the seriousness of this pretend hearing, it was led by Marjorie Taylor Green, Matt Gaetz, and Ronny Jackson, the troubled congressman who when serving as White House doctor claimed that the insurrectionist president could live to be 200 years old. Andy Biggs, the Republican congressman who infamously described Jan. 6 as a “normal tourist visit” and later defied a related subpoena, touted the pretend-hearing as a “forum” where four “expert witnesses” were set to provide testimony.

The witnesses certainly were notable. But that wasn’t because of any valuable testimony they might’ve provided (they didn’t), but rather because of who they were and the kind of views they’ve promoted. Spoiler: They’re hateful views.

Gabe Ortiz

Daily Kos Staff

Monday February 13, 2023 · 11:34 AM PST

2023/02/13 · 11:34

FLORENCE, AZ - JULY 30: Folders for illegal immigrants flown back to Guatemala on a repatriation flight await to be filed at the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detention facility for illegal immigrants on July 30, 2010 in Florence, Arizona. Most immigrants at the center are awaiting deportation or removal and return to their home countries, while some are interned at the facility while their immigration cases are being reviewed. ICE in Arizona holds almost 3,000 immigrants statewide, all at the detention facilities in Florence and nearby Eloy. Arizona, which deports and returns more illegal immigrants than any other state, is currently appealing a judge's ruling suspending controversial provisions of Arizona's immigration enforcement law SB 1070. (Photo by John Moore/Getty Images) — Folders accompanying migrants set to be deported from the U.S, 2010

Nearly two migrants affected by last year’s data leak that compromised the safety of thousands of asylum-seekers have filed a lawsuit against Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) acting director Tae Johnson and other top officials, alleging that the November 2022 breach and public posting of private information could place them in harm if they are returned to their home countries.

Federal immigration officials acknowledged this risk, last month releasing from detention nearly 3,000 migrants hurt by the data breach. Plaintiffs seek class-action status to protect more than 6,000 migrants from deportation and ensure other critical relief, the lawsuit said.

Gabe Ortiz

Daily Kos Staff

Monday February 13, 2023 · 9:16 AM PST

2023/02/13 · 09:16

CLEARWATER, FL - NOVEMBER 05: Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis gives a campaign speech during the Unite & Win Rally at the OCC Roadhouse & Museum on November 5, 2022 in Clearwater, Florida. DeSantis continues campaigning against Democratic gubernatorial candidate Charlie Crist ahead of the midterm elections on November 8th. (Photo by Octavio Jones/Getty Images) — Ron DeSantis.

Florida Republicans used a special session to rush through what the Miami Herald describes as a “secretive immigration program” that will allow Gov. Ron DeSantis to massively expand his cruel policy that last year tricked migrants onto Martha’s Vineyard-bound flights. Republicans passed legislation purporting to give the book banner authority to transport migrants from not only Florida, but from anywhere in the nation.

Of course, Desantis was already doing this. Remember that he sent his people to Texas to search out victims during the initial phase of his stunt using human beings as political props. But advocates warned this new bill goes even further, in effect allowing Florida to “hunt” down migrants. Millions have been set aside “to pay Florida law enforcement or contractors to track down and identify immigrants who are ‘intending’ to travel to Florida and ‘inform’ them about the relocation program,” the Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC) Action Fund said. “Inform”? “Trick” is more accurate.

Gabe Ortiz

Daily Kos Staff

Thursday February 09, 2023 · 12:39 PM PST

2023/02/09 · 12:39

Celia Cruz performs; "On Stage at the Kennedy Center: The Mark Twain Prize" will air November 21, at 9 p.m. on PBS. (Photo by KMazur/WireImage) — Celia Cruz performs; "On Stage at the Kennedy Center: The Mark Twain Prize" will air Nov. 21, at 9 PM on PBS.

Late superstar Celia Cruz is set to become the first Afro Latina to appear on a U.S. quarter. The U.S. Mint this month announced that the legendary performer is among five 2024 honorees selected to appear on the coin as part of the American Women Quarters Program.

The four women honored alongside Cruz include Patsy Takemoto Mink, the first woman of color in Congress, Civil War-era surgeon and suffragette Dr. Mary Edwards Walker, National Organization for Women co-founder Pauli Murray, and American Indian activist and poet Zitkala-Ša.

“All of the women being honored have lived remarkable and multi-faceted lives, and have made a significant impact on our nation in their own unique way,” said Mint Director Ventris C. Gibson.

Gabe Ortiz

Daily Kos Staff

Thursday February 09, 2023 · 11:19 AM PST

2023/02/09 · 11:19

Rep. Paul Gosar (R-AZ) attends a House Oversight and Reform Committee hearing titled The Capitol Insurrection: Unexplained Delays and Unanswered Questions, regarding the January 6 attack on the US Capitol, in Washington, DC, on May 12, 2021. (Photo by JONATHAN ERNST / POOL / AFP) (Photo by JONATHAN ERNST/POOL/AFP via Getty Images) — Very normal man Paul Gosar

It wasn’t just Colorado’s Lauren Boebert. Arizona’s Paul Gosar was also among Republican members to push racist conspiracy theory during a House Oversight hearing on the U.S./Mexico border this week.

Gosar used Tuesday’s hearing to push the false belief that the Biden administration “may be trying to flood the United States with ‘illegal aliens’ as part of a deliberate effort to change the makeup of the nation,” Rolling Stone reported. Gosar, a violent troll with confirmed white supremacist ties, wondered aloud if Democrats were intent on “changing our culture,” and falsely claimed a supposed “invasion” at the U.S.-Mexico border.

RELATED STORY: House Republicans melt down over factual tweet noting their embrace of racist conspiracy theory

Gabe Ortiz

Daily Kos Staff

Thursday February 09, 2023 · 8:51 AM PST

2023/02/09 · 08:51

EL PASO, TX - AUGUST 15: People gather at a makeshift memorial honoring victims outside Walmart August 15, 2019 in El Paso, Texas. 22 people were killed in the Walmart during a mass shooting on August 3rd. A 21-year-old white male suspect remains in custody in El Paso which sits along the U.S.-Mexico border. (Photo by Sandy Huffaker/Getty Images) — People gather at a makeshift memorial honoring victims outside Walmart August 15, 2019 in El Paso, Texas.

The self-characterized white nationalist mass shooter who in August 2019 targeted the peaceful El Paso community and carried out the deadliest attack against Latinos in modern U.S. history has pleaded guilty to 90 federal hate crimes and firearm violations, federal prosecutors said.

The Justice Department announced on Wednesday that the 24-year-old pleaded guilty to 45 violations of the Matthew Shepard and James Byrd Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act, and 45 counts of using a firearm during and in relation to crimes of violence. The racist mass killer agreed to the plea in exchange for avoiding the death penalty, The New York Times reports. Each of the 90 violations that the killer pleaded to carries a life sentence, prosecutors said. However, he could still face death for state capital murder charges, for which he has not yet been tried.

“This guilty plea cannot bring back those whose lives were lost, or heal those still suffering,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department's Civil Rights Division, “but it does put us firmly on the path to justice.”

Gabe Ortiz

Daily Kos Staff

Wednesday February 08, 2023 · 1:27 PM PST

2023/02/08 · 13:27

WASHINGTON, DC - FEBRUARY 07: U.S. Supreme Court Associate Justices Brett Kavanaugh (L) and Amy Coney Barrett talk before President Joe Biden delivers the State of the Union address to a joint session of Congress in the House Chamber at the U.S. Capitol on February 07, 2023 in Washington, DC. The speech marks Bidenâ€™s first address to the new Republican-controlled House. (Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images) — Brett Kavanaugh and Amy Coney Barrett

The Biden administration recently said it’ll terminate the national emergency declaration tied to the novel coronavirus pandemic by early May, a decision that left many wondering if it also means an end to Title 42, the debunked public health order that’s used the virus as an excuse to turn away asylum-seekers.

While the administration attempted to end that public health order this past December, it was blocked by the Supreme Court following a Republican-led lawsuit. We got more clarity this week, when the Justice Department asked the justices to dismiss the litigation, citing the upcoming end to the national emergency declaration.

RELATED STORY: Biden admin's move ending national pandemic emergency could finally mean end to Title 42 policy

Gabe Ortiz

Daily Kos Staff

Wednesday February 08, 2023 · 11:05 AM PST

2023/02/08 · 11:05

WASHINGTON, DC - FEBRUARY 07: U.S. President Joe Biden delivers his State of the Union address during a joint meeting of Congress in the House Chamber of the U.S. Capitol on February 07, 2023 in Washington, DC. The speech marks Biden's first address to the new Republican-controlled House. (Photo by Win McNamee/Getty Images) — Joe Biden

President Biden, during Tuesday night’s State of the Union address, announced a massive boost in efforts tackling fentanyl trafficking at the U.S.-Mexico border, adding to ongoing measures that have already seen historic seizures by the federal government. Under the efforts, Customs and Border Protection (CBP) plans to install more than 120 new “large-scale scanners” at ports of entry, where the vast majority of drug seizures are made.

Currently, border officers have the capacity to inspect “around two percent of passenger vehicles and about 17 percent of cargo vehicles,” a Biden administration fact sheet said. With the added technology, agents will be able to increase that to 40% of passenger cars and 70% of cargo vehicles, respectively. “These investments will crack down on a major avenue of fentanyl trafficking, securing our border and keeping dangerous drugs from reaching our country.”

Gabe Ortiz

Daily Kos Staff

Wednesday February 08, 2023 · 9:25 AM PST

2023/02/08 · 09:25

WASHINGTON, DC - JANUARY 31: (L-R) U.S. U.S. Rep. James Comer (R-KY), Chairman of the House Oversight and Reform Committee, Rep. Jim Jordan (R-OH) and Rep. Paul Gosar (R-AZ) participate in a meeting of the House Oversight and Reform Committee in the Rayburn House Office Building on January 31, 2023 in Washington, DC. The Committee met today for their first meeting of the 118th Congress to outline their agenda and vote on Committee rules. (Photo by Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images) — James Comer, Jim Jordan, and Paul Gosar, who was restored to committee by Republicans after endorsing political violence

Something truly extraordinary happened at Tuesday’s House Oversight Committee hearing, when Republican chairman James Comer had a fit over an entirely factual tweet sent by the committee’s Democratic members earlier in the day. That tweet linked to a report by an immigrant rights advocacy group showing how several of the committee’s GOP members have amplified white supremacist conspiracy theory.

That’s just a fact—Comer himself had done it. “They want more people to roll into the United States,” he told Fox & Friends just this past December, America’s Voice said. “They believe this is part of their social equality campaign to fundamentally change America.” That’s replacement conspiracy theory, folks. But not only is it a fact that elected Republicans have boosted these racist theories, they did it during this very hearing.

RELATED STORY: Jim Jordan's Judiciary Committee pitches a fit after reporter calls out border lie

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Biden admin lays waste to GOP's fentanyl lies, announcing new measures to crack down on trafficking

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