A Republican proposal to strip Democratic Gov. Tim Walz of the emergency powers he used to close schools as the coronavirus pandemic took hold in Minnesota passed its first test in the state Senate on Wednesday.
All previous attempts at the Legislature to roll back Walz's emergency powers have failed along party lines. The proposal highlights the political divisions over how best to address the safety concerns about reopening schools, while also considering the needs of children who have fared poorly with distance learning.
“There has been great consternation and concern about the closure of our public schools for in-person student learning,” said Sen. Carla Nelson, of Rochester. She said her bill “puts the decision making where it should be, which is the locally elected school board.” [Read More]
House to vote on stripping Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene from 2 key committees Republican Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene faces a House vote Thursday that could strip her from her committee assignments, following uproar over her history of trafficking in racism, anti-Semitism and baseless conspiracy theories, along with her support for violence against Democrats prior to taking office.
The vote comes a day after the House Rules Committee advanced a resolution, put forth by Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz, D-Fla., to remove Greene from her assignments on two top committees: Budget and Education and Labor.
Greene has been rebuked by Democrats and many in her own party, including Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, who called rhetoric like hers a "cancer" on the GOP.
House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy released a statement Wednesday night condemning Greene's past comments but didn't indicate that any party disciplinary action would be taken against her.
Greene is not the only Republican congresswoman who faced questions about her political future this week. [Read More]
