Category: Local Interest,

Hawaii becomes 26th state to decriminalize marijuana – ABC News

On By peanutgallerynhIn American Injustice System,, Drugs & Drink,, Hawaii,, Money, Class, and Poverty,Leave a comment

Under the new law, people caught with small amounts of marijuana will no longer face a misdemeanor charge that had been punishable by up to 30 days in jail and a $1,000 fine. Now people caught with 3 ounces or less of weed can still be hit with a citation carrying a $130 fine, but no jail term.

…While Ige took a hands-off approach to decriminalizing pot, he vetoed two other marijuana bills passed by the legislature.

He struck down legislation that would have made it legal for people to transport medical cannabis from island to island, and another bill that would have created an industrial hemp licensing program.

Hawaii becomes 26th state to decriminalize marijuana – ABC News

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Black Voters Sue Over Mississippi’s Jim Crow-Era Election Law

On By peanutgallerynhIn Domestic Affairs,, Gulf Coast Region,, Race,Leave a comment

Since Reconstruction in Mississippi — the state with the highest percentage population of African-Americans — there has not been a single black statewide office holder.

…The framers explicitly stated, “It is the manifest intention of this Convention to secure to the State of Mississippi ‘white supremacy,’ ” according to the journal of the proceedings.

…To that end, they adopted a two-tiered path to win statewide office, like governor or attorney general. Candidates must get both a majority of the popular vote, and win in a majority of Mississippi’s 122 state house districts, (only 42 of which are majority black). Otherwise, the state house of representatives gets to decide who wins.

Black Voters Sue Over Mississippi’s Jim Crow-Era Election Law : NPR

Shrimp boat captain arrested for attacking rival fishing ‘in his spot’

On By peanutgallerynhIn Gulf Coast Region,, Money, Class, and Poverty,Leave a comment

Russell reportedly dropped his boat’s anchor and began circling the victim’s boat, wrapping the anchor in the other boat’s nets and lines. 

After becoming entangled, Russell allegedly dragged the other boat away from where it was fishing, damaging the other vessel and causing it to take on water. 

Shrimp boat captain arrested for attacking rival fishing ‘in his spot’ | wwltv.com

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An anti-democratic outrage in North Carolina

On By peanutgallerynhIn Domestic Affairs,, Local Interest,Leave a comment

But on this morning — after telling Democrats that there would be no votes — the House Republicans used the skeletal session to ambush Democrats with the biggest vote of the year.

…Rep. Deb Butler, a Democrat from the coast, immediately stood and objected. Other members asked to be recognized so they could object, but the speaker refused to recognize them and proceeded with the vote.

…When they called the surprise vote, barely half the members of the body were present — almost all of them Republicans. They had planned this.

An anti-democratic outrage in North Carolina – New York Daily News

what thaaaa?

California bans private prisons – including Ice detention centers

On By peanutgallerynhIn American Injustice System,, Local Interest,, Money, Class, and Poverty,, Race,, The Americas,Leave a comment

Currently, one company, the Geo Group, operates four private prisons in California under contract with the California department of corrections and rehabilitation. The contracts for these four prisons expire in 2023 and cannot be renewed under AB32, except to comply with a federal court order to reduce crowding in state-run facilities.

…The bill’s author, the assemblymember Rob Bonta, originally wrote it only to apply to contracts between the state’s prison authority and private, for-profit prison companies. But in June, Bonta amended the bill to apply to the Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency’s four major California detention centers.

…Two of Ice’s largest immigrant detention centers in California are operated by the Geo Group through complicated contracts that use cities as middlemen.

…This complicated subcontracting model allowed Ice and Adelanto to forgo competitive bidding for the center’s operations subcontract.

…“To expand their detention center, Geo Group and Ice would have to cut their ties with the city of Adelanto,” said Jose Servin, the communications coordinator of the California Immigrant Youth Justice Alliance.

Geo Group asked both cities to break off their Ice contracts and the cities agreed. Ice then provided Geo Group with temporary contracts to operate Adelanto and Mesa Verde. Both agreements expire next March, after AB32 is expected to go into effect.

“My understanding is AB32 would prevent new contracts for these facilities,” said Panah. “The fact they’re on a one-year bridge, it won’t allow them to move from the one-year contract to a longer-term contract.”

…Servin said that while the new law was a significant victory, there was one other thing immigrants rights groups were concerned about. When several sheriffs’ departments canceled their contracts to house Ice detainees last year, instead of freeing the detainees, Ice moved many of them to prisons in Colorado and Hawaii.

California bans private prisons – including Ice detention centers | US news | The Guardian

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Black Governors in Connecticut

On By peanutgallerynhIn Local Interest,, Race,, Schools,Leave a comment

[Black residents]  had their own, parallel governments in Connecticut for almost 100 years, beginning around the mid-18th century.

…The tradition began about 1750, when white Colonists believed it was a pragmatic way to handle the slaves and keep them in line. In later years, they also wanted to train African Americans to govern themselves and handle disputes.

Initially, the first black governors were either leaders of their African tribes or the slaves of wealthy officials. They were chosen in bona fide elections.

…Some black governors were chosen for having a master who was governor.

…Some of the black governors descended from African nobility. 

…Some of the governors were elected by black people from throughout the state, and some were elected for their town or area.

…Eventually, the race for the black governor’s job became elaborate, with an election held a week after the white election in the spring. Qualifications to vote for blacks included owning a pig and a sty. Black women were banned from voting, as white women were from the white men’s elections.

After the vote by hand or by acclamation, the black governor came out often dressed with a military uniform and with a sword, riding a horse in a long parade that included his government. His master paid for the celebration.

…There were other black officials in New England — including five governors in Rhode Island and black kings in New Hampshire and Massachusetts. But, Connecticut had the most and longest run of black governors.

…In Connecticut, the black governor shared responsibility with a lieutenant governor, magistrates and justices of the peace and sheriffs who helped administer and enforce the law.

BLACK GOVERNORS IN CONNECTICUT? THERE WERE MANY, BUT THEY ARE … – Hartford Courant

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Florida’s former Democratic party chair agrees to revocation of law license

On By peanutgallerynhIn Domestic Affairs,, Gulf Coast Region,Leave a comment

Maddox, who also ran in the past for governor, attorney general and agriculture commissioner, was suspended from practicing law Aug. 15 after pleading guilty to honest-services wire fraud, honest-services mail fraud and conspiracy to defraud the United States.

The charges were part of a federal investigation into Tallahassee city government, where Maddox served as a city commissioner. He faces a maximum of 45 years in prison and $750,000 in fines when he is sentenced in mid-November. In the Supreme Court filing, Maddox agreed to reimburse The Florida Bar for costs incurred in his disciplinary cases and to take other steps.

Florida’s former Democratic party chair agrees to revocation of law license

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History and Hoping for a New Hampshire Miracle

On By peanutgallerynhIn Domestic Affairs,, Granite State,, Media and Culture,Leave a comment

Even though it flies in the face of all the glib certainties TV pundits are fond of proclaiming …[is that] it is too soon to be writing off anyone with a credible record and proven history of winning elections (with the strong exception of Bill de Blasio and Tulsi Gabbard).

…I recall pundits declaring with voice-of-God certainty in late summer of 2015 that the only Republicans who could plausibly win the 2016 nomination were Jeb Bush and Marco Rubio.

New Hampshire voters, in particular, are late deciders—and, even then, mercurial in their selections. 

“Most New Hampshire voters aren’t really paying attention yet,” said pollster Andy Smith, the director of the University of New Hampshire’s Survey Center. 

…TV [and] print [news] would rather ballyhoo the shallow preferences of voters who are, in truth, still undecided than admit how much of the 2020 campaign is still in flux.

…The secret of winning a presidential nomination—or coming tantalizingly close—lies in peaking at the right moment. …”t’s a lot better to pop in January than to pop in August.” 

The Also-Rans Hoping for a New Hampshire Miracle | The New Republic

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Big Papi surprises fans with 1st pitch at Fenway

On By peanutgallerynhIn Boston,Leave a comment

Ortiz, introduced on the public-address system as a symbol of “resilience, strength, triumph and love,” ran up the steps from the dugout to the field, appearing strong and healthy, before throwing a pitch to former teammate Jason Varitek.

…”I want to thank you for all for your prayers, all of them came home,” he told the crowd.

Ortiz also thanked his former Red Sox teammates for their visits and support, as well as some players on the Yankees who had come to see him as he was convalescing.

…Ortiz, known as Big Papi, was a 10-time All-Star and three-time World Series winner with the Red Sox from 2003 through 2016, thrilling fans with late-game dramatics in the postseason. A street across from Fenway Park has been named for the slugger.

He further endeared himself to the fans with his heartfelt and profane speech at Fenway Park days after the 2013 Boston Marathon bombing, urging the city to be “Boston Strong.”

Big Papi surprises fans with 1st pitch at Fenway

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Vermont is not New Hampshire

On By peanutgallerynhIn Granite State,, Media and Culture,Leave a comment

Aesthetics, however, is where the similarities between Vermont and New Hampshire end. Though the physical landscapes of these two bucolic states share much in common, their political landscapes are quite different. In fact, from a policy and political standpoint, these two neighboring states are on opposite ends of the spectrum. 

With annual state spending equivalent to 17% of state GDP, Vermont has the seventh largest state government in the country relative to the size of its state economy. New Hampshire, meanwhile, with state spending equaling less than 8% of GDP, has the smallest state government in the country except for Texas. 

Vermont, New Hampshire, And Joe Biden’s Confusion

Bill O’Brien is a tool. If he “got” New Hampshire, he’d still be in control of the NH House.

We asked 100 New Hampshire insiders about the Democratic field at the State Democratic Convention

On By peanutgallerynhIn Domestic Affairs,, Granite State,Leave a comment

The largely friendly tone among the different campaigns’ supporters and “Anybody But Trump” signs were a stark contrast to the event in 2016. The party’s annual convention that year was marred by chants and boos, forcing former Democratic National Committee Chairwoman Debbie Wasserman Schutlz to stop speaking.

In a sign of unity this year, hundreds of delegates agreed to hold signs for whichever candidate was speaking at the time, regardless of which contender they backed personally. The only jeers were when several candidates couldn’t remember or pronounce the names of the state’s congressional members.

We asked 100 New Hampshire insiders about the Democratic field. Here’s who they favor. – POLITICO

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