“Repeal” bills are apparently in these days. First, the House tried to repeal the Affordable Care Act with a bill that would strip health coverage from 24 million people, now North Carolina lawmakers have reached a deal to “repeal” the discriminatory HB 2, the so-called “bathroom bill.” To recap: HB 2 is the North Carolina law that bars transgender people from using the bathroom in accordance with their gender identities and prevents localities from passing nondiscrimination protections.
So this new bill seems good right? Not quite. The bill the state legislature passed yesterday keeps many of HB 2’s most harmful pieces in place. The “repeal” bill still targets transgender people and prevents cities from passing local nondiscrimination ordinances until 2020. It harms transgender students by prohibiting schools from establishing nondiscrimination policies that help trans students succeed and harms all workers by prohibiting cities from passing nondiscrimination laws and raising wages. LGBTQ North Carolinians deserve a full repeal of HB 2 and this isn’t it.
ACTION OF THE DAY
Got a minute? Or two or 30? We’ve got some actions for you. The Senate is scheduled to vote on Trump’s Supreme Court nominee Judge Gorsuch on Monday. Gorsuch is Scalia 2.0, in other words an extreme conservative. And on top of that, no president has ever made a lifetime appointment while facing such fundamental questions about his claim to the presidency. Check out our toolkit for all the actions you can take to resist Gorsuch. Then make your weekend plans here.
WHAT’S TRENDING
Neon signs. The government’s spells out “Muslim Ban” in big, bold letters, according to U.S. District Judge Derrick Watson from Hawaii, who yesterday issued a scathing 24-page order that temporarily blocks all key parts of President Trump’s revised executive order. Sound familiar? Watson’s move yesterday extends his previous ruling from earlier this month, which froze Trump’s ‘softened’ Muslim Ban 2.0 just hours before it was supposed to go into effect. The courts have spoken not once, not twice, but many times against the President’s dangerous and unlawful policy. Last night’s ruling is a clear rejection of the politics of hate, and a sure sign that resistance to Trump’s Muslim Ban is grounded in the rule of law.
Move Over… Devin Nunes (R-CA), The House Intel Committee Chairman has proven too partisan to lead the Russia investigation, so now the Senate’s stepping up to bat. Senate Intel Committee Leaders Burr(R-NC) and Warner (D-VA) pledged yesterday to conduct an aggressive and bipartisan Russia investigation, and interview key Trump and intelligence officials along the way. The Senate investigation “amounts to a credibility test for Republicans under the Trump administration,” so stay tuned.
Time off. A typical argument against guaranteeing any sort of paid leave is that it will hurt small businesses that can’t afford to provide their workers with paid time off. But a new CAP and Small Business Majority poll found that a vast majority of small business owners—70 percent—support a national paid family and medical leave insurance program. Full details on the poll here.
Repeal. Nobody likes it. Their words, not ours. According to a new poll, 62 percent of Americans disapprove of Trump and co.’s faulty attempt to repeal the Affordable Care Act and replace it with Trumpcare. Unsurprisingly, Ryan is already in talks to try it again anyway.
Results. Mick Mulvaney, Trump’s Budget Chief, said the Meals on Wheels program (which is completely defunded under Trump’s proposed budget) is “just not showing any results.” Tell that to the more than 2 million people, including 500,000 Veterans, who depend on the service.
UNDER THE RADAR
Trump U. The gift that keeps on giving. Today, a San Diego Judge will decide whether to accept the $25 million settlement in the case against Trump University. Trump University was no institution of higher learning. More than 6,000 students got a theatrical sales presentation instead of a legitimate course on real estate. At the end of the day, Trump University is another testament to Trump’s willingness to use others for a profit.
GOOD NEWS
Football and freedom. Doesn’t get much more American than that. On Tuesday, NFL players from the Philadelphia Eagles, Detroit Lions and other retired and free agents met with lawmakers on Capitol Hill to advocate for criminal justice reform. Among the topics were privatized prisons, community policing, and rehabilitation programs.