Archive for the ‘State Legislature News’ Category
ND: Republicans to Pick Senate and House Leaders
Last Updated on Tuesday, 16 November 2010 01:17 Written by rslcpol Tuesday, 16 November 2010 01:17
From Inforum.com:
North Dakotans want property tax relief and a slowdown in recent steep spending growth, according to Republican floor leaders in the state Legislature.
Sen. Bob Stenehjem, R-Bismarck, the Senate’s majority leader, and his House counterpart, Rep. Al Carlson, R-Fargo, were re-elected Monday night without opposition to new two-year terms in their leadership posts.
Among Republican lawmakers, the only contested position was a three-way race for House speaker, won by Rep. David “Skip” Drovdal, R-Arnegard, after five ballots. Drovdal defeated Reps. Kathy Hawken, R-Fargo, and Larry Bellew, R-Minot.
It was Drovdal’s third campaign for the job, which involves presiding over the House’s floor sessions and assigning bills to committees for hearings. The House speaker serves one two-year term.
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IL: Republicans Look to play Bigger Role
Last Updated on Tuesday, 16 November 2010 01:16 Written by rslcpol Tuesday, 16 November 2010 01:16
From Chicago Tribune:
They lost the governor’s race and are still a minority in the General Assembly, but Illinois Republicans say voters have offered up no mandate for Democrats to raise taxes or continue “out-of-control” borrowing.
As lawmakers return to Springfield this week for their fall session, Republican leaders aren’t swaggering about their party’s overall gains in midterm elections. But neither are they conceding that Gov. Pat Quinn or his fellow Democrats in the legislature can continue to run government the way they have.
Quinn’s win won’t mean carte-blanche support for an income tax increase, they say, even though he’s advocated one for nearly two years before winning election on that pledge, claiming for his own the post he took over when Rod Blagojevich was impeached and ousted.
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Politico: Democrats’ Losses were Wide and Deep
Last Updated on Tuesday, 16 November 2010 01:08 Written by rslcpol Tuesday, 16 November 2010 01:08
From the Politico:
Republicans have already gained as many as 60 seats in Congress, but when GOP gains are looked at on a state-by-state basis, the bloody picture for Democrats nationwide becomes even more gruesome. Several state legislatures made historic transitions to Republican hands — some for the first time since the 19th century — and nearly an entire generation of state Democrats saw its ranks obliterated. Here is POLITICO’s look at states that saw the political landscape change dramatically.
• Alabama’s most monumental shift came in the state Legislature, in which Republicans gained control of both the House and the Senate for the first time since 1874. State Sen. Robert Bentley’s win kept the governor’s mansion in GOP hands, and Republicans picked up a net of seven seats in the Senate and 19 seats in the House. In the state’s most contested U.S. House seat, Martha Roby defeated freshman Democratic Rep. Bobby Bright.
• Wisconsin was painted red as Ron Johnson defeated Democratic Sen. Russ Feingold, Republican Scott Walker won the open governor’s race and two House seats flipped: Republican Sean Duffy won the seat of retiring Appropriations Committee Chairman Dave Obey, and roofing contractor Reid Ribble defeated Democratic Rep. Steve Kagen. But perhaps the Republicans’ most historic victory was gaining control of the state Assembly and the Senate — marking the first time the GOP has had total control of the state government since 1998 and the first time one party won control of both houses on the same day since 1938.
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Indiana Republicans Ready to take Control
Last Updated on Tuesday, 16 November 2010 01:06 Written by rslcpol Tuesday, 16 November 2010 01:06
From IndyStar.com:
There will be cheers and back-slapping today as Republicans officially take control of the Indiana House and Senate.
But the partying can’t last long, as lawmakers face a daunting list of challenges, including putting together a new state budget.
The Senate, where Republicans now hold a supermajority of 37-13, will come in at 1 p.m. for the one-day organizational meeting. The House, where Republicans now have a 60-40 advantage over the Democrats, will arrive at 1:30 p.m.
Topping today’s agenda will be swearing in those who won in the Nov. 2 election, including Republican Wendy McNamara, who is clinging to an eight-vote margin over Democrat Bob Deig in a race that appears destined for a recount. And Brian Bosma, an Indianapolis Republican, will officially be elected speaker of the House, taking over from B. Patrick Bauer, D-South Bend.
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MT: Are Democrats in the Permanent Minority?
Last Updated on Monday, 15 November 2010 02:08 Written by rslcpol Monday, 15 November 2010 02:08
From BillingsGazette:
In the wake of Nov. 2’s electoral wipeout for Montana Democrats, one has to wonder: Could Democrats be on their way to becoming a permanent minority at the Montana Legislature?
Veteran Democrats in the Treasure State say no, and that this month’s heavy losses were the result of a “perfect storm” of bad political circumstances that doomed Democratic candidates from Pablo to Plentywood.
Two of the state’s top political scientists also say they’re not convinced Montana Republicans have delivered a knockout blow, and that Democrats could very well stage a comeback in legislative races in the near future, if political and economic winds shift.
New legislative districts also will be drawn for the 2014 elections and could help change the parties’ political fortunes.
Yet the current districts are seen as marginally favorable to Democrats — and Democrats have won an outright majority in either the House or Senate only once since 2004.
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Are Days Numbered for Alabama Democrats?
Last Updated on Monday, 15 November 2010 02:04 Written by rslcpol Monday, 15 November 2010 02:04
From al.com:
What do dinosaurs and Democrats have in common?
They once roamed Alabama.
That’s one of the jokes making the rounds after what was a triumphant election for Alabama Republicans and a disaster for state Democrats.
But behind the joke is a real question: In the wake of a historic election that saw Democrats lose every single statewide race and lose control of the Legislature for the first time in 136 years, is the Alabama Democratic Party, like the dinosaur, extinct?
“Obviously the Democrats were beaten badly in Alabama, more than ever before. But, the truth is the Democratic Party in Alabama has been on life support since 1986 and on Tuesday, Nov. 2, the Republicans pulled the plug,” said Natalie Davis, a longtime professor of political science at Birmingham-Southern College. Guy Hunt won the governor’s race in 1986, becoming the first Republican to hold that job since Reconstruction.
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GOP Takes Control of Louisiana House
Last Updated on Monday, 15 November 2010 01:29 Written by rslcpol Monday, 15 November 2010 01:29
From klfy.com:
Republicans will have the majority in Louisiana’s House of Representatives for the first time since Reconstruction, with the party switch of a New Orleans lawmaker.
Democratic Rep. Walker Hines announced Friday he is switching to the GOP.
Hines’ move gives Republicans 51 seats in the 105-member chamber. Democrats will have 50, and there are four independents. Democrats control the state Senate.
In a statement, Hines says his discontent with Democrats has grown over the past few years. He says he disagrees with the policies of President Barack Obama, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and the national Democratic Party, including Obama’s now-lifted moratorium on deepwater drilling.
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NH: Four Vie for Speaker of the House
Last Updated on Monday, 15 November 2010 11:48 Written by rslcpol Monday, 15 November 2010 11:48
From Concord Monitor:
The race for House speaker is on, pitting old-guard leadership against a constitutionalist, libertarian-leaning view popular among newcomers.
Republican state Reps. Gene Chandler of Bartlett, Bill O’Brien of Mont Vernon, John Reagan of Deerfield and Susan Emerson of Rindge are vying for the position, which will be decided by the Republican caucus Thursday. Chandler and O’Brien are likely to be the top vote-getters. So far, O’Brien has spent about $7,500 on the race, Chandler has spent $4,300 and Reagan $2,300. Emerson did not file a report with the secretary of state.
Chandler, entering his 15th term, has a long history of Republican leadership. He was speaker from 2000 to 2004, with stints as majority leader, Republican policy leader, and most recently, senior assistant Republican leader. This past election, he chaired the political action committee aimed at recruiting and electing Republicans to the House.
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GA: Two More Lawmakers Leave Democrat Party and Join Republicans
Last Updated on Wednesday, 10 November 2010 01:20 Written by rslcpol Wednesday, 10 November 2010 01:10
From AJC.com:
Two long-time South Georgia Democratic lawmakers on Tuesday made the switch to the Republican side of the General Assembly.
Reps. Bob Hanner of Parrott and Gerald Greene of Cuthbert are now listed on the Georgia General Assembly’s website as being Republicans.
Neither lawmaker could be reached for immediate comment, but the office of Speaker David Ralston, R-Blue Ridge, confirmed the changes Tuesday. But Hanner has served as a Democrat in the House since 1975 and Greene was sworn in in 1983, also as a Democrat.
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CO: Leadership Changes at the Legislature
Last Updated on Tuesday, 9 November 2010 01:45 Written by rslcpol Tuesday, 9 November 2010 01:45
From Colorado Statesman:
The caucuses of the Colorado House Thursday elected their new leaders, leaving out some of those who had led the caucuses in the past.
In the new Republican majority, Rep. Frank McNulty, R-Highlands Ranch, was elected Speaker of the House. McNulty, as was the case for all of the Republicans elected Thursday, had no public opposition.
House Republicans were in a jubilant mood Thursday — the leadership elections were marked most by jokes and laughter and celebration of their victory two days prior.
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