District of Columbia, Montana | November 3, 2021
Sen. Hawley Introduces Bill to Help Taiwan Arm Itself Against Potential China Invasion
District of Columbia, Montana | November 3, 2021
Sen. Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) on Tuesday introduced legislation that seeks to bolster Taiwan’s ability to defend itself in the event that the self-ruled island were attacked by China.
“Taiwan is in grave danger, but the future is not yet written,” wrote Hawley in a press release introducing the Arm Taiwan Act of 2021. The bill (pdf), Hawley said, would strengthen Taiwan’s defenses against a Chinese invasion by allocating $3 billion annually for a new Taiwan Security Assistance Initiative to ramp up the island’s deployment of asymmetric defense capabilities… (Excerpts from the Epoch Times)
Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Iowa, Missouri, Montana, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Texas | July 29, 2021
A dozen GOP governors urge Supreme Court to let states regulate abortion
Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Iowa, Missouri, Montana, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Texas | July 29, 2021
A dozen Republican governors on Thursday urged the Supreme Court to eliminate federal protections for abortion and instead allow states to regulate abortion.
Led by South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster, the group argued in a legal filing that the court’s landmark 1973 decision in Roe v. Wade, which established the constitutional right to abortion, and subsequent rulings unlawfully encroach on states’ rights.
“The judicial constitutionalization of abortion represents an unwarranted intrusion into the sovereign sphere of the States,” they wrote. “Returning to the States the plenary authority to regulate abortion without federal interference would restore the proper (i.e., constitutional) relationship between the States and the Federal Government.”
The amicus brief endorsed Mississippi’s effort to have Roe v. Wade overruled next term, and was signed by the Republican governors of Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Iowa, Missouri, Montana, Oklahoma, South Carolina and Texas….(Excerpts from The Hill)
Montana | June 1, 2021
Montana Attorney General Bans Critical Race Theory
Montana | June 1, 2021
The highest-ranking prosecutor in the state of Montana has declared Critical Race Theory to be a violation of state and federal law, and has banned the far-left theory in Montana’s schools, as reported by ABC News.
Attorney General Austin Knudsen (R-Mont.) made his announcement on Thursday, after he was asked for his opinion by the state’s Superintendent of Public Instruction Erise Arntzen (R-Mont.). His declaration bans the concept not only from Montana’s schools, but from employee training as well.
The far-left American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) released a statement criticizing Knudsen’s decision, falsely accusing him of attempting to “impose an alternate version of American history – one that erases the legacy of discrimination and lived experiences of black and brown people.”
“Our country needs to acknowledge its history of systemic racism with the present-day impacts of racial discrimination,” the ACLU statement falsely claimed. “This includes being able to teach and talk about these concepts in our schools.”
Similarly, a spokesperson for the Montana Federation of Public Employees, a union that represents both government workers and public school teachers, claimed that the ban was aiming to “politicize school curriculum.”
Knudsen’s decision ultimately bans a number of practices from the public sector, including schools. With regards to education, teachers in Montana are now forbidden from giving students different grades based solely on their race, as well as forcing students to admit to “privilege” as a result of their race, and prohibits the mandating of “training” that includes lectures on privilege and racism.
“Committing racial discrimination in the name of ending racial discrimination is both illogical and illegal,” Knudsen said in his announcement of the ban. “Montana law does not tolerate schools, other government entities, or employers implementing CRT and antiracist programming in a way that treats individuals differently on the basis of race or that creates a racially hostile environment.”..
(Excerpts from the Virginia Star)
Montana | May 20, 2021
19 States Urge Biden to Reinstate Keystone After Colonial Pipeline Hack Caused Mass Gas Shortages
Montana | May 20, 2021
A 19-state coalition urged President Joe Biden to reinstate the Keystone XL Pipeline and reverse his energy policies because of the recent gas shortages.
Gas shortages along the east coast caused by a cyberattack on the Colonial Pipeline prove the need for reliable gas pipelines in the U.S., the 19-state coalition led by Montana Attorney General Austin Knudsen wrote in a letter to Biden on Monday. The U.S. needs better energy infrastructure if the shutdown of one pipeline leads to such extreme spikes in prices and lines at gas stations, the state attorneys general said.
“A temporary shutdown of one pipeline’s full-capacity operations shouldn’t bring half the country to the brink,” the coalition of states wrote to Biden. “We need more safe and clean energy sources. And that includes the Keystone XL Pipeline.”
Biden revoked the Keystone XL Pipeline’s federal permit hours after he was sworn into office on Jan. 20. The White House explained that the U.S. would focus on developing a “clean energy economy” instead of installing gas pipeline..
(Excerpts from the Tennessee Star)
Alaska, California, Connecticut, Delaware, District of Columbia, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Puerto Rico, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Texas, Utah, Virginia, Washington, Wisconsin, Wyoming | May 17, 2021
Enough! State Attorneys General URGE Facebook to Scrap Instagram for Kids
Alaska, California, Connecticut, Delaware, District of Columbia, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Puerto Rico, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Texas, Utah, Virginia, Washington, Wisconsin, Wyoming | May 17, 2021
The National Association of Attorneys General had to urge Facebook to drop a potentially “harmful” project targeted at kids. Apparently, Facebook needs to be encouraged to protect children online.
Attorneys general from 44 states and territories sent a letter to Facebook Chief Executive Officer and founder Mark Zuckerberg. The Attorneys General urged Zuckerberg to scrap plans to develop an Instagram platform for children under the age of 13. Facebook is the parent company of Instagram. ..
(Excerpts from MRC News)
Montana, South Carolina | May 10, 2021
South Carolina, Montana to Stop Providing Pandemic-Related Welfare
Montana, South Carolina | May 10, 2021
The states of South Carolina and Montana have both decided in recent days to put an end to their handouts of federal unemployment benefits as a result of the coronavirus pandemic, in an effort to encourage residents to return to the workforce, as per CNN.
Montana Governor Greg Gianforte (R-Mont.) said in his announcement that “incentives matter, and the vast expansion of federal unemployment benefits is now doing more harm than good. We need to incentivize Montanans to return to the workforce.” Instead, Governor Gianforte announced that the state government will be providing $1,200 checks as bonuses to every citizen who returns to work, using the state’s share of the recent $1.9 trillion stimulus package to pay for it.
In South Carolina, Governor Henry McMaster (R-S.C.) announced on Thursday that the state would be ending their share of federal unemployment benefits, since “what was intended to be a short-term financial assistance for the vulnerable and displaced during the height of the pandemic has turned into a dangerous federal entitlement, incentivizing and paying workers to stay at home rather than encouraging them to return to the workplace.”..
(Excerpts from the Tennessee Star)