state lawmaker

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He Just Got Elected in W. Virginia. Now He's in Custody

Joseph de Soto, GOPer-turned-Dem in state House, is accused of threats against other pols

(Newser) - Joseph de Soto's celebration of his election last month to West Virginia's House of Delegates was a short-lived one. The 61-year-old Republican-turned-Democrat was arrested early Thursday by State Police in Martinsburg, after police say a probe found he'd made "several threatening/intimidating threats against government officials,"...

Dem Lawmakers Hit With Bomb Threats, a Day After GOPers

At least 5 members of Congress from Connecticut targeted, including Sen. Chris Murphy

(Newser) - At least five Democratic members of Congress from Connecticut were targeted by bomb threats on their homes Thursday, the lawmakers or their offices said. Sen. Chris Murphy and Reps. Jim Himes, Joe Courtney, John Larson, and Jahana Hayes all reported being the subject of such threats, per the AP . Police...

Lawmaker Settles With Drag Queens, to the Tune of $200K

NH Rep. David Love falsely called one a sex offender, accused one of 'rubbing butts' with kids

(Newser) - A New Hampshire state lawmaker is about to be out $200,000 after a defamation settlement with two drag queens was reached. In a suit filed in April 2022 by Robert Champion and Michael McMahon, the two said that GOP Rep. David Love of Derry had accused Champion of being...

Vermont Republican Caught Soaking Democrat's Bag

Mary Morrissey's 'apology holds about as much water as my canvas bag,' says Jim Carroll

(Newser) - Beginning in January, Vermont state Rep. Jim Carroll began finding himself with a very wet bag. It was all so weird. He'd have no actual water in the bag of his belongings, then suddenly the fabric would be sopping. After a while, the Democrat began to suspect his colleague,...

Daughter of Missouri Lawmaker Killed in Haiti

Ben Baker's daughter Natalie Lloyd and husband Davy ambushed by gangs in Port-au-Prince

(Newser) - The UN estimates 2,500 people have been hurt or killed during the first quarter of this year amid the ongoing gang violence in Haiti, and now, a Missouri state lawmaker has received tragic news of his own out of the island nation, per KOAM . "My heart is broken...

Lawmaker Sorry for Leaving Loaded Gun in State Capitol

Colleagues accuse Colorado Republican Don Wilson of 'dangerous' behavior

(Newser) - Colorado Rep. Don Wilson will need to be a bit more careful with his guns moving forward. The Republican state lawmaker had to apologize Thursday after leaving a loaded gun in a bathroom at the State Capitol, where it sat on a shelf in a single-occupancy bathroom for about 20...

They Flew In for NCAA Tourney, Got Accused of Being 'Invaders'

Michigan GOP state Rep. Matt Maddock said college basketball players were 'illegal' immigrants

(Newser) - March Madness' Sweet 16 tourney kicked off Thursday, and four teams traveled this week to Detroit in preparation for their weekend games. A Republican lawmaker in Michigan didn't see them as NCAA basketball players, however, when their planes landed Wednesday night, reports FOX 2 . "Happening right now. Three...

Utah Lawmaker Turns Bridge Collapse Into DEI Debate

Gubernatorial candidate Phil Lyman criticizes port of Baltimore commissioner, who offers DEI consulting

(Newser) - A GOP lawmaker running for governor of Utah blamed the deadly collapse of Baltimore's Francis Scott Key Bridge on efforts to promote diversity, equity, and inclusion. In an apparent effort "to boost his gubernatorial campaign," Utah Rep. Phil Lyman took to X on Tuesday to attack Port...

Lawmakers Reject 'Crazy' Bill on Exotic Pets

NH legislation would have made it easier to keep kangaroos, monkeys, skunks

(Newser) - Lawmakers in New Hampshire have voted down a proposal to make the state a bit more like a zoo. The Republican-sponsored House Bill 1325 would've allowed residents to keep animals such as red-tailed kangaroos, small-tailed monkeys, foxes, otters, skunks, and raccoons as pets without the need for a permit...

Baby Pig Tossed Around at Mardi Gras Has a New Home

Louisiana Rep. Lauren Ventrella was 'moved' by story of Earl 'Piglet' Long after incident at parade

(Newser) - A baby pig has found his forever home after being saved by a Good Samaritan who saw it being tossed around at a Mardi Gras parade in New Orleans. WBRZ reports that Earl "Piglet" Long is now set to "live his best porking life" with Louisiana state Rep....

Lawmaker Hit for Backing Racist Conspiracy Theory

Michigan State Rep. Josh Schriver, who tweeted about great replacement theory, loses staff

(Newser) - A Republican state lawmaker in Michigan lost his committee assignment and staff Monday, days after posting an image of a racist ideology on social media, per the AP . House Speaker Joe Tate, a Democrat who's Black, said he won't allow the House to be a forum for "...

More GOP Leaders Want to Boot Legislator Over Slur-Filled Rant

Footage shows North Dakota lawmaker spewing homophobic, anti-migrant comments at police

(Newser) - Local Republican Party leaders of a North Dakota lawmaker's own district joined calls on Friday for him to step down after his vulgar comments to police earlier this month during his traffic stop and arrest on a charge of drunken driving, the AP reports. In a Facebook statement, the...

Ex-Lawmaker Served 45 Years, Faces Sex Crimes Charges

Former North Dakota state Sen. Ray Holmberg is accused of traveling to Prague for sex with minor

(Newser) - A former longtime North Dakota lawmaker has been indicted on a federal charge alleging he traveled to Prague with the intent to rape a minor. The four-page indictment against former Republican state Sen. Ray Holmberg also charges him with one count of receiving images depicting child sexual abuse. The indictment...

Michigan Moves to Repeal Law Against Cohabitation
Now, Just One State Remains
With Cohabitation Ban
UPDATED
Jul 18, 2023 12:58 PM CDT

Now, Just One State Remains With Cohabitation Ban

Mississippi is the holdout as Michigan moves 'into the current century'

(Newser) - Unmarried couples are now free to cohabitate in Michigan. Gov. Gretchen Whitmer has signed legislation repealing a 1931 law that banned unmarried couples from living together, with penalties of up to a year in prison and a $1,000 fine, per the Michigan Advance . Though it's been a long...

Pol Predicts 'Violence From Dads Like Me' on All-Gender Bathrooms

Illinois state Sen. Neil Anderson: I'd 'beat the living piss' out of men in unisex bathrooms with my child

(Newser) - An Illinois lawmaker is making headlines for his reaction to a bill that would greenlight mixed-gender bathrooms in his state. On Thursday, Illinois senators debated HB 1286 , which would allow for the creation of public multi-occupancy restrooms that individuals of any gender can use. Per the Washington Post , these bathrooms...

Lawmaker in Texas Resigns Before He Can Be Expelled

GOP Rep. Bryan Slaton is accused of inappropriate sexual conduct with a 19-year-old

(Newser) - A Republican Texas state lawmaker resigned Monday ahead of an expected vote to expel him after an investigation found he had inappropriate sexual conduct with a 19-year-old intern, per the AP . The resignation letter of Rep. Bryan Slaton, 45, did not address the allegations. “I look forward to spending...

Rep Who Spoke Up for Trans Rights Faces Expulsion

GOP has frozen Montana Rep. Zooey Zephyr from speaking after 'blood on their hands' remark

(Newser) - Montana Republican leaders will vote Wednesday on censuring or expelling lawmaker Zooey Zephyr, a transgender state representative who's been silenced in the House since last week after telling colleagues that if they voted for a bill to ban gender-affirming medical care for transgender children, they'd "have blood...

GOP Lawmaker Rants Against 'Demon' Transgender People

Florida Rep. Webster Barnaby got pushback from both Dems, Republicans after 'mutant' remarks

(Newser) - On Monday, a legislative hearing was held in Florida over the Safety in Private Spaces Act , which would bar anyone from using a restroom if it didn't match the sex they'd been assigned at birth. Comments from one particular lawmaker, however, stunned colleagues on both sides of the...

Here's What Didn't Get Tennessee Lawmakers Fired

GOP leaders have blocked attempts to punish their members

(Newser) - The Tennessee House chamber where Republicans expressed outrage this week at a breach in decorum was filled daily, for years, by the sound of their colleague ringing a cowbell to mask the lack of applause. A lawmaker's office chair was urinated on by a fellow Republican, a reporter who...

Tennessee Dems Face Expulsion for Gun Reform Chants

Reps. Gloria Johnson, Justin Jones, Justin Pearson accused of 'disorderly behavior'

(Newser) - Three Democrats in Tennessee are on the verge of being ousted from the state House after leading protesters in chants in support of gun control. Reps. Gloria Johnson, Justin Jones, and Justin Pearson approached the podium between bills on Thursday without being recognized to speak, USA Today reports. Using a...

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