Right on Crime
What to know: Why are Republicans terrified of “nonexistent” crime, The American Prospect wonders.
The TPPF take: For too many years, the D.C. government has encouraged more crime and fewer meaningful police interactions.
“This has emboldened bad actors to take the risk of looting, carjacking, and assaulting because they know they won’t be stopped by D.C. police and even more likely the charges won’t be pursued,” says TPPF’s Brett Tolman. “The Constitution is clear: D.C. is federal land under federal jurisdiction. If local law enforcement cannot manage the crime, federal law enforcement officers are not only able to step in — they are supposed to.”
For more on D.C. crime, click here.
They’re Back
What to know: Most of the Texas Democratic lawmakers who fled the state to deny the House a quorum are back in the Lone Star State.
The TPPF take: They also say their accomplished their mission.
“That mission, they say, was to show the country that Texas was trying to gerrymander the state’s congressional map,” says TPPF’s Sherry Sylvester. “Unfortunately for them, even their media allies pointed out that they had decamped to three states where Democrats have notoriously gerrymandered the maps—New York, Illinois and Massachusetts—eliminating almost a dozen Republican seats. What the Texas Democrats actually accomplished was to show the country that gerrymandering was not some kind of Republican trick.”
For more on redistricting, click here.
The Death Star
What to know: An appeals court has thrown out challenges to the state’s so-called “Death Star Bill,” which prevents cities from overregulating their citizens.
The TPPF take: TPPF attorneys are challenging dozens of ordinances passed by the city of Dallas under the new law.
“The ordinances we’re challenging mostly fall into three categories: ridiculous, duplicative, and radical,” says TPPF’s Nathan Seltzer. “All of them are unlawful. The state of Texas can’t file suit under the Death Star bill. Instead, the bill empowers ordinary Texans with the right—and the duty—to fight back against oppressive city regulations.”
For more on the Death Star Bill, click here.