GOP AGs warn Maine to kill ‘totalitarian’ bill making sanctuary state for sex-change surgeries, or be sued
FIRST ON FOX – A group of Republican attorneys general are sending a warning shot to the state of Maine for a bill under consideration that would effectively establish Maine as a sanctuary state for procedures like sex-change surgeries for minors – a move the AGs say is “totalitarian.” The bill, known as LD 227, would prohibit “interference” with abortion or sex change procedures, legally protect medical workers from facing lawsuits, and could potentially permit concealment of medical records from plaintiffs seeking legal action against a provider. In other words, a parent whose child went to Maine for a sex-change surgery would have no legal recourse, even though they live in a state where such operations are illegal. A group of 16 attorneys general, led by Tennessee’s Jonathan Skrmetti, sent a letter Monday to Gov. Janet Mills, Attorney General Aaron Frey, and state legislature leadership calling the bill a “novel effort at state-sanctioned culture war litigation tourism.” While it’s “extremely unusual” for states to interject themselves into another state’s lawmaking, the AGs said LD 227’s “unique constitutional transgressions” merit their comment. MAINE CONSIDERS BILL THAT WOULD ESTABLISH ‘LEGAL RIGHT’ TO ABORTION, TRANSGENDER SURGICAL PROCEDURES “If Maine pursues LD 227’s constitutionally defective approach, we will vigorously avail ourselves of every recourse our Constitution provides,” the AGs write. Skrmetti and the others say that LD 227 would undermine the “lawful policy choices” of their respective states’ citizens “by imposing on the rest of the country Maine’s views on hotly debated issues such as gender transition surgeries for children.” The AGs said the bill’s “far-reaching provisions are unprecedented.” LD 227 would apparently form a liability shield to anyone aiding or offering unlawful services to out-of-state citizens. It would also create a private right of action for damages against law enforcement, prosecutors, and other officials in states that are enforcing their respective state laws, even laws whose constitutionality has been confirmed by federal appellate courts. “On top of that,” the AGs write, “LD227 purports to block valid orders and judgments from our state courts enforcing laws upheld by federal appellate courts.” The AGs say the bill as currently drafted violates the U.S. Constitution and flouts the federalist structure that allows each state to engage in self-government responsive to the will of its citizens. ‘GENDER-AFFIRMING’ TREATMENTS DON’T BENEFIT YOUTH, SAYS PEDIATRICIANS GROUP: ‘IRREVERSIBLE CONSEQUENCES’ The states’ top prosecutors say the Constitution’s full faith and credit clause, and federal statutes implementing it, mean that “no state cause of action should ever accrue from a different State lawfully enforcing its own permissible laws or executing valid judgments.” The AGs write further that the bill’s “ill-considered attempt to influence and intimidate officials in other States could also trigger a rapid tit-for-tat escalation that tears apart our Republic.” “If one State does not like another State’s regulatory regime with respect to cars, or food, or alcohol distribution, or whatever else, it could create a tenuous jurisdictional hook to allow the same sort of extraterritorial bullying attempted by LD 227. State officials would be dragged into legal battles in far-flung jurisdictions, thwarting their ability to focus on protecting their own citizens consistent with their own duly-enacted laws,” they wrote. There are currently at least 23 states that restrict or ban transgender surgical procedures for minors. Proponents of the bill in Maine, including Planned Parenthood, argue it will provide much needed protection for medical providers in the state. “This bill is fundamentally about access to health care,” Lisa Margulies, a spokesperson for Planned Parenthood, said during a hearing to consider the bill last week. “And resisting the devastating impacts of health care restrictions enacted by other states, and those are enacted not for medical reasons, but for political reasons.” INVESTIGATION FINDS ‘DRAMATIC’ INCREASE IN TRANSGENDER SURGERIES, NEARLY TRIPLING PROCEDURES IN THREE YEARS Patience Crozier, a director for the LGBTQ+ Legal Advocates and Defenders (GLAD) organization, suggested restrictive laws in other states against the procedures are “really horrible attacks on transgender people.” “I think, in Maine, where reproductive and transgender health care is legal, this bill is really important to state the values of Maine and make sure that we’re protecting our providers from those attacks from other states,” Crozier said. Still several Republicans in the legislature remain concerned about the 21-page bill. The measure is expected to hit more hurdles before potentially reaching a floor vote in the coming weeks. “Maine has every right to decide what Maine’s laws are and how those laws should be enforced. But that same right applies to every State. One State cannot control another. The totalitarian impulse to stifle dissent and oppress dissenters has no place in our shared America,” the AGs stated in their letter. Officials from the state of Maine did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment. Fox News Digital’s Jamie Joseph contributed to this report.
House GOP leaders tear up Biden’s new $7.3T budget proposal: ‘Reckless spending’
House Republican leaders are blasting President Biden’s proposed plan for how to fund the government in fiscal year 2025. “The price tag of President Biden’s proposed budget is yet another glaring reminder of this Administration’s insatiable appetite for reckless spending and the Democrats’ disregard for fiscal responsibility. Biden’s budget doesn’t just miss the mark – it is a roadmap to accelerate America’s decline,” read a joint statement by House Speaker Mike Johnson, R– La., Majority Leader Steve Scalise, R– La., Majority Whip Tom Emmer, R– Minn., and GOP Conference Chair Elise Stefanik, R– N.Y. “While hardworking Americans struggle with crushing inflation and mounting national debt, the President would increase their pain to spend trillions of additional taxpayer dollars to advance his left-wing agenda.” The U.S. national debt is currently just over $34.5 trillion, according to the U.S. Debt Clock. SOARING DEFICITS TO PUSH PUBLICLY HELD DEBT TO RECORD LEVEL IN 4 YEARS Biden’s $7.3 trillion budget plan, which he unveiled Monday, includes proposals to hike taxes on corporations and high-income households. It lays out roughly $5 trillion in tax increases overall, which the White House said would be split evenly between corporations and the top 2% of earners. It also aims to push forward his progressive policies, like dedicating $8 billion over 10 years to the American Climate Corps and $3 billion for the Green Climate Fund, which helps developing countries fight climate change. The budget proposal also includes $1.8 billion toward boosting development programs in the STEM fields that have an emphasis on diversity, equity, inclusion and accessibility. BIDEN, IN STATE OF THE UNION, TO CALL FOR WEALTH TAX AND HIGHER TAXES ON BUSINESSES The budget is largely symbolic and has virtually no chance of passing the Republican-controlled House. However, it is a significant part of the president’s pitch to voters as he seeks to win another term in November. House Republicans advanced their own budget last week, led by Budget Committee Chairman Jodey Arrington, R-Texas, aimed at cutting $14 trillion in federal spending over 10 years by slashing federal benefits and social programs, among other areas. It also aims to reduce taxes and roll back Biden’s green energy subsidies. FORMER PRESIDENTIAL SPEECHWRITERS REACT TO BIDEN’S ADDRESS CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP Congressional leaders are beginning to discuss the roadmap to funding fiscal year 2025, even as negotiations continue on how to fund the remainder of fiscal year 2024, which began on Oct. 1, 2023. Disagreements over federal spending have fueled historic levels of division on Capitol Hill. Congress passed half of their 12 spending bills in a massive $460 billion package last week, and the remainder must be funded by March 22 to avoid a partial government shutdown.
Trump lawyers motion to adjourn Manhattan DA trial until after SCOTUS rules on presidential immunity
Lawyers for former President Trump filed a motion Monday to adjourn the trial stemming from Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg’s charges related to hush money payments until after the Supreme Court rules on presidential immunity. The trial in New York City is set to begin on March 25 with jury selection, but the former president and 2024 GOP presumptive nominee’s attorneys are requesting the trial be put on hold. “The Court should adjourn the trial pending Supreme Court review of the scope of the presidential immunity doctrine in Trump v. United States, which is scheduled to be argued before the Supreme Court on April 25, 2024,” the motion states, adding that it should also be adjourned “following an evidentiary hearing outside the presence of the jury, preclude evidence of President Trump’s official acts at trial based on presidential immunity.” The motion comes after Judge Juan Merchan set March 25 for jury selection and announced that the trial is expected to last six weeks. Bragg indicted Trump on 34 counts of falsifying business records in the first degree in April. Trump pleaded not guilty to all charges. Trump and his attorneys sought to have the case dismissed altogether, but Merchan denied the request last month. Bragg alleged Trump “repeatedly and fraudulently falsified New York business records to conceal criminal conduct that hid damaging information from the voting public during the 2016 presidential election.” TRUMP SLAMS BRAGG AFTER PLEADING NOT GUILTY: ‘I NEVER THOUGHT ANYTHING LIKE THIS COULD HAPPEN IN AMERICA’ The charges are related to alleged hush money payments made during the 2016 presidential campaign. In 2019, federal prosecutors in the Southern District of New York opted out of charging Trump related to the payments made to adult film actress Stormy Daniels and former Playboy model Karen McDougal. The Federal Election Commission also tossed its investigation into the matter in 2021. TRUMP PLEADS NOT GUILTY TO 34 FELONY COUNTS OF FALSIFYING BUSINESS RECORDS LINKED TO 2016 HUSH MONEY PAYMENTS The motion from Trump’s attorneys comes after the Supreme Court, last week, set April 25 to hear arguments on the issue of presidential immunity. A ruling on the matter is expected in late June. The pending question before the high court stemmed from Trump’s appeal following charges out of Special Counsel Jack Smith’s election interference case. By agreeing to hear arguments on the matter, the Supreme Court has paused the Smith trial altogether. That trial was initially expected to begin on March 4 – the day before Super Tuesday. Trump and his legal team, in requesting the Supreme Court review the issue of presidential immunity, said that “if the prosecution of a President is upheld, such prosecutions will recur and become increasingly common, ushering in destructive cycles of recrimination.” “Criminal prosecution, with its greater stigma and more severe penalties, imposes a far greater ‘personal vulnerability’ on the President than any civil penalty,” the request states. “The threat of future criminal prosecution by a politically opposed Administration will overshadow every future President’s official acts – especially the most politically controversial decisions.” Trump’s request states that the president’s “political opponents will seek to influence and control his or her decisions via effective extortion or blackmail with the threat, explicit or implicit, of indictment by a future, hostile Administration, for acts that do not warrant any such prosecution.” SUPREME COURT TO HEAR ARGUMENTS IN TRUMP PRESIDENTIAL IMMUNITY CASE ON APRIL 25 Smith charged the former president with conspiracy to defraud the United States; conspiracy to obstruct an official proceeding; obstruction of and attempt to obstruct an official proceeding; and conspiracy against rights. Those charges stemmed from Smith’s investigation into whether Trump was involved in the Jan. 6 Capitol riot and any alleged interference in the 2020 election result. Trump pleaded not guilty to all charges in August. This will be the second time this term the Supreme Court will hear a case involving the presumed Republican presidential nominee. Last week, the Supreme Court sided unanimously with the GOP frontrunner in his challenge to Colorado’s attempt to kick him off the 2024 primary ballot. The high court ruled in favor of Trump’s arguments in the case, which will impact the status of efforts in several other states to remove the likely GOP nominee from their respective ballots. The court considered for the first time the meaning and reach of Article 3 of the 14th Amendment, which bars former officeholders who “engaged in insurrection” from holding public office again. Challenges have been filed to remove Trump from the 2024 ballot in over 30 states. TRUMP SPEAKS AFTER SUPREME COURT RULING, TELLS BIDEN TO ‘FIGHT YOUR FIGHT YOURSELF’ In reacting to that ruling last week, Trump shifted his sights to the issue of presidential immunity. “A great win for America. Very, very important!” Trump told Fox News Digital in an exclusive interview after the ruling. “Equally important for our country will be the decision that they will soon make on immunity for a president – without which, the presidency would be relegated to nothing more than a ceremonial position, which is far from what the founders intended,” Trump told Fox News Digital. “No president would be able to properly and effectively function without complete and total immunity.” He added, “Our country would be put at great risk.”
El Paso judge blocks Ken Paxton’s efforts to subpoena Annunciation House
The judge questioned Paxton’s true motives to investigate the shelter, saying there is “a real and credible concern” the state has a predetermined goal of shutting down Annunciation House.
Kansas Sen. aims to block airlines from letting migrants fly via controversial app at D.C. airport
FIRST ON FOX: A Republican from Kansas, Sen. Roger Marshall, is introducing legislation that would strip airlines of their gate access at one of the country’s top airports if they allow migrants onto their planes who have been verified using the controversial CBP One app. Marshall’s End Aerial Invasion Act, co-sponsored by Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah, would ban airlines from operating at Reagan Washington National Airport if they “transport any alien using the CBP One Mobile Application 15 for the purposes of identification.” The CBP One app was first introduced during the Trump administration for cross-border transit at ports, but was expanded last year by the Biden administration to allow migrants seeking to enter the U.S. to upload data and make appointments to be processed into the U.S. HAWLEY DEMANDS ANSWERS FROM TSA ON MIGRANTS USING CONTROVERSIAL APP TO BOARD PLANES: ‘THIS IS OUTRAGEOUS’ According to DHS, currently, up to 1,450 migrants are allowed into the country each day at ports of entry via parole. Separately, the CBP One app is used to bring in up to 30,000 migrants from Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua and Venezuela (CHNV) each month via a separate parole process. Republicans have accused the administration of abusing the parole law, which the administration has denied. They have also raised concerns about the use of the CBP One app to verify documentation when boarding airplanes. CBP has stressed that those who have entered the country are vetted using biographic and biometric information, and those who are paroled have already provided a photograph. Parolees are not granted an automatic path to citizenship, and Republicans have said that the CBP One app is being used to wave in otherwise illegal immigrants. Many have expressed skepticism about how the verification can match that of those going through normal processes. “The crisis at our southern border worsens every day, threatening our sovereignty and compromising our national security,” Marshall said in a statement. “Americans’ safety will always come first; that is why this legislation is so important.” BIDEN ADMIN AGAIN INCREASES NUMBER OF MIGRANTS ALLOWED INTO US VIA CONTROVERSIAL APP The bill states that: “An air carrier may not operate an aircraft in air transportation between Reagan Washington National Airport and any other airport if the air carrier has provided, or facilitated the provision of, transportation of any alien using the CBP One Mobile Application for the purposes of identification.’’ “Allowing illegal migrants to enter our country and then board airlines free of charge without proper I.D. or vetting is unbelievable,” he said, arguing that the administration is undermining national security. The administration has pushed back on criticism of use of the app, saying that those without ID go through a “stringent identity matching process” and additional screening, and are denied boarding if they cannot be identified. Those who pose threats to security or public safety are turned over for investigation. “The Department of Homeland Security works to detect and prevent individuals who pose national security or public safety risks from entering the secure areas of an airport to depart on a domestic flight or entering the United States upon arrival from another country,” a spokesman told Fox News Digital last month. “Recent reports that noncitizens have lower security bars for traveling on domestic flights are false. Noncitizens without acceptable forms of ID must undergo additional, more robust screenings to fly within the United States.” MAYORKAS CALLS POLICY TO LET 30K MIGRANTS FLY IN EACH MONTH A ‘KEY ELEMENT’ OF BORDER PLAN AFTER LEGAL WIN “The use of CBP One to verify noncitizens’ identities allows TSA to verify that individuals are who they claim to be and that they have been vetted and processed by DHS into an appropriate immigration pathway. These individuals are most commonly awaiting a hearing before an immigration judge and have a legal basis to remain in the United States for that hearing. Collaboration between CBP and TSA on this enhanced security program began in 2021.” The bill comes as the Biden administration’s policies around immigration have faced additional scrutiny as the border crisis becomes a top election-year issue. Both former President Donald Trump and President Joe Biden visited the southern border earlier this month.
Kansas senator aims to block airlines from letting migrants fly via controversial app at DC airport
FIRST ON FOX: Sen. Roger Marshall, a Republican from Kansas, is introducing legislation that would strip airlines of their gate access at one of the country’s top airports if they allow migrants onto their planes who have been verified using the controversial CBP One app. Marshall’s End Aerial Invasion Act, co-sponsored by Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah, would ban airlines from operating at Reagan Washington National Airport if they “transport any alien using the CBP One Mobile Application 15 for the purposes of identification.” The CBP One app was first introduced during the Trump administration for cross-border transit at ports, but it was expanded last year by the Biden administration to allow migrants seeking to enter the U.S. to upload data and make appointments to be processed into the U.S. HAWLEY DEMANDS ANSWERS FROM TSA ON MIGRANTS USING CONTROVERSIAL APP TO BOARD PLANES: ‘THIS IS OUTRAGEOUS’ According to DHS, up to 1,450 migrants are currently allowed into the country each day at ports of entry via parole. Separately, the CBP One app is used to bring in up to 30,000 migrants from Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua and Venezuela each month via a separate parole process. Republicans have accused the administration of abusing the parole law, which the administration has denied. They have also raised concerns about the use of the CBP One app to verify documentation when boarding airplanes. CBP has stressed that those who have entered the country are vetted using biographic and biometric information, and those who are paroled have already provided a photograph. Parolees are not granted an automatic path to citizenship, and Republicans have said that the CBP One app is being used to wave in otherwise illegal immigrants. Many have expressed skepticism about how the verification can match that of those going through normal processes. “The crisis at our southern border worsens every day, threatening our sovereignty and compromising our national security,” Marshall said in a statement. “Americans’ safety will always come first; that is why this legislation is so important.” BIDEN ADMIN AGAIN INCREASES NUMBER OF MIGRANTS ALLOWED INTO US VIA CONTROVERSIAL APP The bill states that, “An air carrier may not operate an aircraft in air transportation between Reagan Washington National Airport and any other airport if the air carrier has provided, or facilitated the provision of, transportation of any alien using the CBP One Mobile Application for the purposes of identification.’’ “Allowing illegal migrants to enter our country and then board airlines free of charge without proper I.D. or vetting is unbelievable,” he said, arguing that the administration is undermining national security. The administration has pushed back on criticism of the use of the app, saying that those without ID go through a “stringent identity matching process” and additional screening, and are denied boarding if they cannot be identified. Those who pose threats to security or public safety are turned over for investigation. “The Department of Homeland Security works to detect and prevent individuals who pose national security or public safety risks from entering the secure areas of an airport to depart on a domestic flight or entering the United States upon arrival from another country,” a spokesman told Fox News Digital last month. “Recent reports that noncitizens have lower security bars for traveling on domestic flights are false. Noncitizens without acceptable forms of ID must undergo additional, more robust screenings to fly within the United States.” MAYORKAS CALLS POLICY TO LET 30K MIGRANTS FLY IN EACH MONTH A ‘KEY ELEMENT’ OF BORDER PLAN AFTER LEGAL WIN “The use of CBP One to verify noncitizens’ identities allows TSA to verify that individuals are who they claim to be and that they have been vetted and processed by DHS into an appropriate immigration pathway. These individuals are most commonly awaiting a hearing before an immigration judge and have a legal basis to remain in the United States for that hearing. Collaboration between CBP and TSA on this enhanced security program began in 2021.” The bill comes as the Biden administration’s policies around immigration have faced additional scrutiny as the border crisis becomes a top election-year issue. Both former President Trump and President Biden visited the southern border earlier this month.
New York has the highest number of government union workers, report finds
New York has the country’s highest number of government union workers, according to a new report. On Monday, the Commonwealth Foundation released a report titled “State of the Unions: Examining Union Membership in State Government,” which found that while union membership is declining across the country, public sector unions are thriving. Those very unions, meanwhile, have thrown considerable amounts of cash behind Democratic causes in recent years. “The report demonstrates that some state governments are even more beholden to unions than we thought,” David Osborne, the Commonwealth Foundation’s senior fellow of labor policy, told Fox News Digital. BIDEN ADMIN SCRUBS WEBPAGE SHOWING HOW TAXPAYERS FUND UNION ACTIVITIES “Not only do unions play politics and lobby with union members’ money, but they also have members directly affecting public policy and driving political decisionmaking as state employees,” Osborne continued. “It’s a level of influence no other special interest group would be permitted to exercise.” According to the report, New York has the highest number of workers represented by a government union (around 219,000) and the most state government dues-paying members (around 174,000). The foundation, however, found that Connecticut had the highest “union density” rate due to its entire government workforce belonging to public unions. The “union density” rate refers to “the number of dues-paying union members compared to the total number of state employees,” which “gives a sense of the overall level of union entrenchment in state government,” according to the report. Additionally, the foundation noted that the states with the five lowest union density rates – Arizona, Florida, Louisiana, Colorado, and North Dakota – have labor laws “generally more friendly to workers than other states.” “When coupled with the grades of the states with the highest union density rates, this data suggests that when a state’s legal environment does not blatantly favor government unions, state employees are more likely to decline unionization and union membership,” the group said. The Commonwealth Foundation sought public records from all 50 states for its study but received information from just 27 of them. The group says California, Illinois and Missouri withheld the requested information using laws that exempt unions from such requests. REPUBLICANS WARN BIDEN ADMIN’S FOREIGN FARM WORKER RULE IS ‘GIVEAWAY TO BIG LABOR’ The new report follows a previous analysis from the group that found the nation’s four largest government unions — the American Federation of Teachers (AFT), National Education Association (NEA), American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME) and Service Employees International Union (SEIU) — spent a staggering $708 million on politics to propel Democratic Party causes in the last election cycle. The unions combined to pump the massive sum into lobbying and contributions to political organizations and candidates in federal, state, and local races during the 2022 midterm elections. “Government unions use this power not only to advance leftist causes but also to elect political leaders who will protect their interests and influence,” Osborne previously said. “The result, unfortunately, is that federal, state and local governments are increasingly led by politicians who care more about union executives than union members or taxpayers.” According to the report, unions spent more on what the Commonwealth Foundation deemed political activity than on categories closely aligned with membership support. “Most of a union’s revenue comes from its membership, in the form of member dues. Given this fact, it may make sense for the unions to allocate most financial resources toward membership support,” that report states. “However, this is not the case. The four largest government unions spent over $2.79 billion in 2021 and 2022, yet representational activities, the spending category most closely linked to membership support, only accounted for $554 million, or less than 20 percent of total expenditures.” Among its notable political expenditures was a combined $157 million between the unions’ PACs at the federal level, including disbursements of $38 million to the Sen. Chuck Schumer-aligned Senate Majority PAC, $30 million to the NEA Advocacy Fund and $28 million to the SEIU Political Education and Action Fund/United We Can. The union PACs also sent $8.34 million directly to candidates, with an overwhelming majority ($8.29 million) benefiting Democrats. Sen. Raphael Warnock of Georgia was the top recipient, and his campaign landed over $60,000 from the PACs. Additionally, the Commonwealth Foundation discovered that around $145 million had made its way to the state and local levels throughout the 2022 election cycle. The four unions did not respond to past Fox News Digital’s requests for comment on the previous report.
US, coalition forces defeat Houthis’ ‘large-scale attack’ in Red Sea, shoot down at least 28 drones
The Pentagon said U.S. and coalition forces defeated a “large-scale attack” by Iranian-backed Houthis in the Red Sea this weekend, shooting down at least 28 drones. The escalated attack is one of the largest in the past few months. Earlier in the week, an anti-ship ballistic missile struck the MV True Confidence, killing three and marking the first lives claimed since attacks began. On Saturday, U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) said, “Following further engagements through the morning, U.S. and Coalition forces downed a total of at least 28 uncrewed aerial vehicles between 4:00 a.m. and 8:20 a.m. (Sanaa time) on March 9. No U.S. or Coalition Navy vessels were damaged in the attack and there were also no reports by commercial ships of damage.” An update announcing the defeat added, “US and Coalition Defeat Houthi Attack in Red Sea Area Between 4 a.m. and 6:30 a.m. (Sanaa time), Iranian-backed Houthi terrorists conducted a large-scale uncrewed aerial vehicle (UAV) attack into the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden. BIDEN TO HAVE US MILITARY BUILD A PORT IN GAZA “CENTCOM and coalition forces identified the one-way attack (OWA) UAVs and determined that they presented an imminent threat to merchant vessels, U.S. Navy, and coalition ships in the region,” it said. “U.S. Navy vessels and aircraft along with multiple coalition navy ships and aircraft shot down 15 OWA UAVs. These actions are taken to protect freedom of navigation and make international waters safer and more secure.” U.S. Army Vessel General Frank S. Besson departed Virginia on Saturday en route to the Eastern Mediterranean carrying the first equipment to establish a temporary pier in Gaza after President Biden announced the plan during his State of the Union address on Thursday. The U.S. conducted an additional humanitarian aid drop on Sunday. In that latest drop alone, CENTCOM said, “U.S. C-130’s dropped over 27,600 U.S. meal equivalents and approximately 25,900 bottles of water into Northern Gaza, an area of great need, allowing for civilian access to the critical aid.” THE SITUATION IN THE RED SEA IS ‘DRAMATICALLY ESCALATING’: GRIFFIN During his State of the Union address, Biden said of the emergency mission to establish a temporary pier on the coast of Gaza that “no U.S. boots will be on the ground.” “A temporary pier will enable a massive increase in the amount of humanitarian assistance getting into Gaza every day,” Biden said Thursday. “And Israel must also do its part. Israel must allow more aid into Gaza and ensure humanitarian workers aren’t caught in the crossfire.” Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder said Friday humanitarian aid drops will continue as part of a “full court press” plan to deliver aid to the region. “The DoD maintains the ability to provide unique capabilities from offshore without a U.S. military presence within Gaza,” Ryder added of the planned pier along the Gaza coast. “We’re coordinating with other nations to assist with operating the causeway and distributing aid into Gaza. The concept that is being planned involves the presence of U.S. military personnel on military vessels offshore, but does not require U.S. military personnel to go ashore.”
South Carolina budget proposal would include raises for teachers and state workers
Teachers and state employees would get raises under a spending plan being debated by the South Carolina House this week, but many other state agency requests are being rejected as the influx of money from pandemic relief and good economic times slows. South Carolina is in a good place economically, with revenues up despite tax cuts, House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Bruce Bannister told his colleagues last week as he gave a brief overview of the proposed $13.2 billion budget for next fiscal year. With unemployment at a historic low, the $1.7 billion extra that lawmakers have to spend would be quite a boon. But Bannister said state agencies made about $4.7 billion in requests. SOUTH CAROLINA BECOMES 29TH STATE IN NATION WITH CONSTITUTIONAL CARRY LAW: ‘HARD-FOUGHT VICTORY’ “We’re going back to sort of normal budget levels, and with the requests, this actually ends up being a pretty tight budget year,” the Republican from Greenville said. South Carolina’s budget was about $13.8 million this fiscal year. The House budget session starts Monday with the approval of the dozens of sections of the spending plan on which House members agree. Debate will begin after that, and if it’s like the last few years, it will feature the chamber’s most conservative members taking up social issues such as eliminating money they say goes toward university diversity initiatives. INCUMBENT SC REP TIMMONS HIT WITH RESURFACED VIDEOS OF APPARENT SUPPORT OF DEI IN CONGRESS The proposed 2024-25 fiscal year budget still contains a lot of new spending. It would put $200 million toward raising teacher pay. Every teacher would get a raise and the minimum salary for a starting teacher would be increased to $47,000 a year — a nearly 70% increase from a decade ago. The budget also would allow teachers to get a yearly raise for each of their first 28 years instead of their first 23. All state employees would get raises, too. Those making less than $66,666 would get a flat $1,000 raise, while those who earn that amount or more would get a 1.5% pay bump. The state also would pay $107 million to cover the increase in health insurance premiums for workers — something each budget has done for more than 10 years. Homeowners would share in $500 million in property tax relief as the state taps into a surplus created from a sales tax increase in 2006. The average savings would range from $277 to $472, state officials said. Gov, Henry McMaster wanted to spend that $500 million on bridge repairs. The House plan includes $200 million to replace bridges, many of which are at least 60 years old. Representatives included a similar amount in their budget for this year, but the Senate removed it. The House budget would spend $100 million to continue income tax cuts that are bringing the state’s top income tax rate from 7% to 6%. The House would give state universities $61 million in exchange for freezing tuition increases, and would pay technical colleges $95 million to continue to provide scholarships for students who want to fill critical jobs in health care, manufacturing and education. The proposed budget would give $8 million to the South Carolina Election Commission to help enforce the state’s new early voting law. It would allocate $5 million to continuing the work to move the Department of Motor Vehicles to a new computer system that will support an app with a mobile driver’s license and electronic vehicle titles. The work needs to be finished by the end of the decade or the old system will likely crash, said Republican Rep. Heather Ammons Crawford, of Socastee. Law enforcement wouldn’t get as large increases as it did in previous budgets. There is $7 million to lease a new Department of Juvenile Justice jail and $1.6 million to hire two trial teams at the state attorney general’s office that local prosecutors can invite to their courthouses to help handle growing backlogs in criminal cases. HARD-PARTYING SC WOMAN CHARGED WITH KILLING BRIDE ON WEDDING NIGHT ADMITTED TO ALCOHOLISM: JAILHOUSE CALLS “The last two years of raises we have given to law enforcement and the Department of Corrections have worked. Morale is up, they’ve been able to hire and retain much better,” said Republican Rep. Phillip Lowe, of Florence. The House budget would also continue what supporters say are investments in economic growth. About $55 million would be set aside to further expand the state port in Charleston and $29 million would be spent on improvements at the main airports in Myrtle Beach, Greenville and Charleston. Finally, $2 million is in the House budget to promote events around the 250th anniversary of the American Revolution, including a campaign to remind people that events in South Carolina helped turn the tide of that war in the favor of the newly created United States.
Sen. Bob Menendez pleads not guilty to new charges
Sen. Bob Menendez, D-N.J., pleaded not guilty in Manhattan Federal Court Monday to charges of bribery and obstruction of justice. The arraignment regarding an 18-count superseding indictment against Menendez, his wife Nadine Menendez and New Jersey businessmen Wael Hana and Fred Daibes took place Monday morning. Sen. Menendez and his wife, who arrived at 10:41 a.m. for the 11 a.m. hearing, are accused of obstructing justice while being investigated for accepting hundreds of thousands of dollars of bribes, including cash, gold, and a Mercedes-Benz, in exchange for using Menendez’s power and influence as a senator to seek to protect and enrich Daibes and Hana, and benefit the governments of Egypt and Qatar. SEN MENENDEZ CHARGED WITH OBSTRUCTION OF JUSTICE IN ANOTHER SUPERSEDING INDICTMENT The new charges allege Menendez and his wife received gifts from Jose Uribe, a former co-defendant, in exchange for favors. Uribe pleaded guilty to bribery charges earlier this month and agreed to testify in the corruption case. Hana’s attorney said his client does not intend to do the same. “We believe we’ll be totally vindicated,” defense attorney Lawrence Lustberg said after the hearing that lasted 15 minutes. “Let me say in particular that the allegations against him with regard to serving the government of Egypt somehow are completely without legal and factual basis. Mr. Hana has no intention of pleading guilty and cooperating, and he will not do that.” Menendez and his wife are also charged with conspiracy to commit extortion under color of official right, conspiracy to commit obstruction of justice and obstruction of justice. In addition, Menendez is charged with acting as a foreign agent. He was removed as chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee last fall. BOB MENENDEZ’S CORRUPTION CASE CO-DEFENDANT PLEADS GUILTY TO 7 COUNTS, COOPERATING WITH INVESTIGATORS Menendez has denied any wrongdoing and has refused to resign, but has not announced if he will run for re-election. When asked after court Monday if he had ruled out a run for re-election, he responded, “Nope,” before making clear, “I wouldn’t be announcing it in a courtroom.” All four defendants entered not guilty pleas Monday. The trial is scheduled for May 6, and the government anticipates needing four to six weeks for their case, where they may call DNA, fingerprint and other experts. The defense says they only need one week. Fox News’ Maria Paronich, Jeremy Copas, and Grace Taggart contributed to this report.