Blue 812 News Issue 21

Last week, the Supreme Court heard opening arguments on Trump’s Executive Order banning birthright citizenship, a thing which is codified in the Constitution 127 years ago and was further affirmed by Congress through the Nationality Act of 1940, 84 years ago. However, this case is not really about that. Like so many things in this administration, this is a Trojan Horse to kill nationwide injunctions, a legal tool Republican absolutely loved while Biden was in office (my student loans could have been forgiven!).

Right now, who knows where this could go. While some of the court’s conservatives have called for the abolition of these nationwide injunctions in the past, on Thursday they didn't seem so certain, especially after Solicitor General D. John Sauer opened his argument insisting Trump is right in saying the Fourteenth Amendment has in fact been being wrongly interpreted this whole time! For 127 years! And no one noticed until now.

After questioning from the liberal justices, with Justice Amy Coney Barrett jumping in partway through, even Justice Brett Kavanaugh seemed skeptical of the administration’s argument as he asked a series of practical questions, such as: "What do hospitals do with a newborn? What do states do with a newborn?" In other words, what is step one under this plan?

"Federal officials will have to figure that out," Sauer answered, prompting Kavanaugh to ask, "How?"

In other SCOTUS news, the Supreme Court maintained its block on the Trump administration’s use of the Alien Enemies Act to deport Venezuelan migrants, a significant setback for the White House’s radical deportation agenda.

Okay, I was going to write about how the GOPgirlies are fighting and can’t get that budget bill passed in the House Budget Committee, but then they went and passed it late Sunday night. The package includes a major spending increase for immigration enforcement and the military, and it would extend Trump's 2017 tax cuts, which are scheduled to expire at the end of this year. It includes a series of cuts to Medicaid (but I thought they weren’t going to cut that?), food assistance and clean energy funding to pay for the trillions of dollars in tax cuts and new red ink. Of course, the bill will still need changes before it secures the votes to pass the full House. And if it does, it will face plenty of challenges in the Senate, where Republicans have made it clear it won't pass without major changes.

Two days ago, hardliners didn’t think the budget was terrible enough, but Speaker Johnson made some deals and now vomit emoji. Those conservatives have insisted that Medicaid work requirements take effect immediately and that the clean energy tax credits be eliminated sooner. Also, four Republicans thought the cuts should have been even crueler, so they just voted ‘present’.

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Now, just weeks after the budget legislative session ended in late April, and weeks after signing HB 1461, which would make it easier for his administration to implement a new toll road anywhere in the state, Governor Mike Braun has said he sees no viable alternative to toll roads across Hoosier highways in Indiana. . I-70 was the only highway specifically mentioned during Braun’s comments while speaking in members of Munster’s business community, so I can’t wait to pay to drive across town.

According to a state government document ‘strategic tolling plan’ from 2018 cars would receive a transponder sticker, likely as part of yearly registration, to track your movements on Indiana’s highways. Hoosier commuters would pay between 4 and 7 cents per mile, depending on the plan, and those who do not have a responder (connected to a bank account for regular deductions!) will be charged 50% higher toll rates and billed by mail.

INDems have an alternative for Governor Braun that most Hoosiers actually support: legalizing and regulating cannabis. In the 2024 fiscal year, Michigan raised $331 million in tax revenue from cannabis sales.

Wabash Valley Resources has received the final permits to begin construction on two injection wells for carbon dioxide sequestration, according to a press release from the Environmental Protection Agency.

There are no changes from the 2024 permits for the projects, one in West Terre Haute and one in Vermillion County, so obviously public comments were taken into account. The EPA also opted not to exercise its discretion to allow any additional public notice or comments. I mean, why would they? Literally nothing more at TribStar.

From Chop Wood, Carry Water: Apparently Hakeem Jeffries is trying to block Jasmine Crockett from gaining the ranking Democrat position on the House Oversight Committee. Let’s call him and tell him to back off. She’s the right person for the job.

‭(202) 225-5936‬ or (718) 237-2211‬ or (718) 373-0033‬

We can say something like:

My name is ____ and I”m calling Rep. Jeffries in his capacity as Minority Leader. I understand he’s trying to elevate Rep. Stephen Lynch over Rep. Jasmine Crockett to be the new ranking member of the Oversight Committee. THIS is exactly what makes everyone so mad at the Democratic party. Voters want Rep. Crockett in that position. This shouldn’t be hard. Elevating an older, white man over Jasmine Crockett in this moment would be a political misstep of epic proportions. It’s also just wrong. Don’t do it. Thanks.

A new Hoosier-created Sunday news show is available on YouTube called HoosLeft This Week, hosted by HoosLeft podcast host Scott Aaron Rogers. Described as “a Sunday morning politics show for Indiana without the bad-faith arguments”, it’s hosted on the Project Next Movement’s YouTube page, along with other Indiana news videos. I haven’t watched any of it, but there are some familiar names and I’m always interested in more news and analysis about the Hoosier state.

***don’t forget to check out the Nasty Women events calendar!***

Indivisible Wabash Valley has launched a calendar for the Southern Indiana/Wabash Valley area

Monday, May 19th at 6pm: The Monroe County Republican Party asked Lt. Gov. Micah Beckwith to hold a Town Hall in Bloomington. It didn’t work the first time, so now they're planning it at the (much smaller) Ellettsville Town Hall.

Monday, May 19 at 6pm: The Vigo County School Corporation Board of Trustees will meet at the Administrative Building in West Terre Haute.

The VCSC Board has also moved all agendas and meeting notes online! Interested community members can also "subscribe" to receive meeting notices and other announcements. VCSC Board meetings are public and can be watched via YouTube livestream.

Tuesday, May 20th at 5pm: Nasty Women Meeting at the Vigo County Public Library main branch

The Missouri legislature voted to ban child marriage by raising the minimum age for marriage to 18 in all instances. Here’s an easy-to-understand summary of Indiana’s marriage laws, and the laws themselves if you like legalese.

Speaker Mike Johnson finally named his appointees to a nonpartisan, independent congressional ethics and oversight board, ending an unprecedented delay in getting the office up and board functional. Why would a Republican be avoiding oversight and ethics?

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer is placing holds on all Justice Department political appointees in response to Trump's acceptance of a $400 million luxury jet as a gift from Qatar's royal family. I can’t believe they weren’t already on hold due to… literally everything that has happened since January 20th.

A federal appeals court ruled that Elon Musk and DOGE must resume efforts to hand over internal documents about their operations to CREW, a nonpartisan watchdog group.

Omaha, Nebraska's three-term Republican Mayor Jean Stothert lost to her Democratic challenger John Ewing in a huge upset. Ewing, who will also be Omaha’s first Black mayor, won 56% of the vote. Stothert was hoping to be elected to her fourth term.

Trump's time in the White House runs out in:

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