AUDIO:

TOPICS:  REGISTER TO VOTE; APPLY FOR MAIL-IN BALLOT; News & Commentary: Governor Abbott Delivers 2023 State Of The State Address February 16, 2023; Greg Abbott’s ‘State of the State’ Was a Weird, Alarming Infomercial; What’s an emergency item? Here are Governor Abbott’s seven and why they matter; Abbott calls for expanding school voucher programs, increased border security in State of the State; ACLU of Texas Responds to Gov. Greg Abbott’s State of the State; Fact-checking Gov. Abbott’s “State of the State” address; Gov. Greg Abbott taps into parent anger to fuel reelection campaign; MIKE’S RESPONSE TO ABBOTT’S 2023 STATE OF THE STATE ADDRESS; Bags or bins? Bellaire City Council asking for public input before disposing of current garbage bag program; METRO awarded $5M grant for Westheimer BOOST corridor project; Illinois poised to mandate paid leave for nearly all workers; Sanders calls Haley’s proposal for age-based competency tests ‘absurd’; More.

Thinkwing Radio with Mike Honig (@ThinkwingRadio) is now on Wednesdays at 11AM (CT) on KPFT FM-HD2, Houston’s Community Station. You can also hear the show:

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Welcome to Thinkwing Radio with Mike Honig where we discuss local, state, national, and international stories. My co-host and show editor is Andrew Ferguson.

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1. Make sure you are registered to vote! VoteTexas.GOV – Texas Voter Information
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3. MIKE: You may have heard that Governor Greg Abbott gave a State of the State speech last week. If you didn’t, don’t feel bad, because that by design. It was reported and broadcast exclusively by NexStar. If you heard about the speech, but very little about the content, I’m sure you were not alone in that, either. And if you thought coverage of the speech was scanty, there was even less coverage of responses. It actually took me a fair amount of time and effort to find coverage and opinions on Abbott’s speech. So, before we get to our regular flow of stories and analysis, we’re going to cover Abbott’s speech.
   1. You can read the full text of the speech here: Governor Abbott Delivers 2023 State Of The State Address; February 16, 2023 | Austin, Texas | Press Release, GOV.TEXAS.GOV
   2. REFERENCE: Greg Abbott calls for legislative action on school choice, property taxes and fentanyl in State of the State; During his biennial State of the State speech, the Republican governor named seven emergency items that lawmakers can vote on immediately. by Patrick Svitek | TEXASTRIBUNE.ORG | Feb. 16, 2023, Updated: 8 PM Central
   3. REFERENCE: Watch the Texas Democratic Party Response to the State of the State Speech Here.
4. From The Texas Observer, a self-described a progressive nonprofit news outlet and print magazine covering the Lone Star State. …: Greg Abbott’s ‘State of the State’ Was a Weird, Alarming Infomercial; “I’m speaking to you from the manufacturing floor of Noveon,” announced Texas’ fearless leader to a limited audience before laying out yet another right-wing agenda. by Gus Bova | TEXASOBSERVER.ORG | February 17, 2023, 12:31 AM, CST (The Texas Observer is a progressive nonprofit news outlet and print magazine covering the Lone Star State. …)
   1. On Thursday night, GOP Governor Greg Abbott used his fifth State of the State speech, a biennial address mandated by the Texas Constitution, to cut an ad for a large television conglomerate and a corporation that manufactures “rare earth magnets.” The three-term governor, fresh off an easy reelection, also took the chance to snub the Capitol press corps and unveil a list of policy priorities that, while soundly regressive, was perhaps a touch less vicious than it might have been.
   2. Bucking tradition, Abbott chose not to give his address—which clocked in at a tight 20-odd minutes—in Austin’s state House chamber during a joint legislative session with media present. Instead, he spoke at the facility of Noveon Magnetics in San Marcos with lawmakers invited but no press besides Nexstar Media, which carried the speech. At one point, attendees had even been told to sign a nondisclosure agreement. …
   3. … Thursday’s padlocked event represented a new affront to transparency in Texas, which comes as the state Senate is also exiling reporters from the chamber floor. As John C. Moritz wrote recently for the Corpus Christi Caller-Times, “When it’s left to the politicians to decide the terms of how the public is informed, that whole experiment in self-government thing can unravel in a hurry.” …
   4. … Abbott unveiled more emergency items than he has in years prior. His seven priorities were: property tax relief, banning COVID restrictions, so-called education freedom, school safety, limiting incarcerated Texans’ access to bail, tightening border security, and addressing fentanyl overdoses. …
   5. [T]he package will … rightfully alarm Texas liberals. Property tax relief, for example, may benefit some, but both legislative chambers are presently proposing that about half the state’s budget surplus go to property tax relief rather than to fixing broken governmental services and safety-net programs. And “education freedom,” for Abbott, refers to a hodgepodge of measures that includes “education savings accounts”—the current rebrand of “school vouchers,” which amount to redirecting public funds to private schools. …
5. What’s an emergency item? Here are Governor Abbott’s seven and why they matter; Abbott’s top priorities for the legislative session included property tax reform, ending COVID restrictions, expanding school choice, increasing safety, tightening bail restrictions, hardening the border, and addressing the fentanyl crisis. By Andrew Schneider | HOUSTONPUBLICMEDIA.ORG | | Posted on February 16, 2023, 9:21 PM
   1. [W]hy do emergency items matter? According to the Texas Constitution, the House and Senate can’t pass legislation during the first 60 days of a regular session – which this year started on January 10. There are only two exceptions: When four-fifths of either chamber votes to suspend that rule or if the governor declares the matter an emergency.
   2. Now that Abbott has declared his emergency items, lawmakers can immediately start working on bills related to those topics.
   3. Here’s a complete list of Abbott’s emergency items.
   4. Cutting property taxes: Abbott already signaled this would be a top priority during his inauguration last month. When naming property tax relief as emergency item number one, Abbott pointed to the state’s record budget surplus. …
   5. Ending COVID restrictions forever: Emergency item number two would bring an end to remaining COVID restrictions throughout the state, blocking local governments and school districts from enacting or continuing the use of COVID-related emergency powers or mandates. Carried to its logical end, this would limit Abbott’s own emergency powers, which have remained in force since March 2020. …
   6. Education freedom for all Texans: Abbott’s third emergency item, presented as “education freedom,” appeared to contain a number of conservative priorities — including expanding school choice through greater use of Education Savings Accounts — as well as taking aim at alleged liberal influence on school curricula.
   7. A number of rural Republicans have expressed concerns that Abbott’s school choice programs would defund public schools that represent the only options for most of their students, while diverting money to private schools only accessible to the wealthy. In his address, Abbott claimed any efforts to expand school choice would come while providing full funding for public schools.
   8. School safety: Abbott provided few details for emergency item four, described as strengthening school safety. He declined to make reference to any specific events that may have inspired the item, notably the mass shooting at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde last year. Families of the 19 students and two teachers killed in that tragedy have vowed to visit the Capitol weekly and push the governor to enact stricter gun laws.
   9. On his website, he followed up by posting details of his school safety initiative. It includes calls for expanded funding for technology upgrades, hardening equipment, and expanded mental health resources – but no firearms restrictions.
   10. Ending “revolving door” bail: The governor was much more explicit in pointing a finger at Houston and Harris Count in giving his motivation for emergency item number five, a further tightening of bail restrictions to build on those the Legislature passed in September 2021. He pointed to the case of Harris County constable’s Deputy Omar Ursin, whose alleged killers were out on bail for murder at the time Ursin was shot to death. “Harris County’s revolving bail practice is literally killing people,” Abbott said. …
   11. Harris County is currently under a federal court consent decree regulating its misdemeanor bail system, following a finding that its prior cash bail system was unconstitutional. Its felony cash bail system is the subject of a separate, ongoing lawsuit.
   12. Securing the border: Emergency item six would build on Abbott’s ongoing efforts to strengthen the border, blaming President Joe Biden for what he described as a crisis. “We must impose a mandatory minimum jail sentence of at least ten years for anyone caught smuggling illegal immigrants in the United States or here in Texas,” Abbott said, noting that House and Senate leaders had proposed adding $4.6 billion to strengthen border security.” …
   13. Fighting The Fentanyl Crisis: Finally, emergency item seven would address the fentanyl crisis, which Abbott linked to the border crisis through the actions of Mexican drug cartels. [Abbott said,] “To end cartel killings of Texans, we must do two things,” “Call fentanyl deaths what they are — poisonings — and prosecute them as murders. We must also increase the supply of lifesaving Narcan, so that we can save more Texans who are ambushed by fentanyl.”
6. Abbott calls for expanding school voucher programs, increased border security in State of the State; Abbott gave his speech from Noveon Magnetics, a manufacturer of earth magnets based in San Marcos. Traditionally, State of the State addresses are given in the chamber of the Texas House during a joint legislative session. By Sergio Martínez-Beltrán, The Texas Newsroom | HOUSTONPUBLICMEDIA.ORG | Posted on February 17, 2023, 9:29 AM (Last Updated: February 17, 2023, 10:28 AM)
   1. Border security — Abbott spent much of the speech talking about border security, an issue that was a cornerstone of his last gubernatorial campaign. He called out President Joe Biden and claimed the Democrat is not enforcing immigration laws. But he praised Republicans in the Texas Legislature for supporting his border-security initiative Operation Lone Star. The Legislature has proposed spending $4.6 billion on the effort. …
   2. … ‘education freedom’ — Thursday’s speech signaled what many political observers already knew: Education, particularly school vouchers and school choice, will be a big issue during this year’s legislative session. …
7. ACLU of Texas Responds to Gov. Greg Abbott’s State of the State; Media Contact-Kristi Gross, ACLU of Texas, media@aclutx.org | February 16, 2023
   1. Tonight, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott announced his highest priorities for the 2023 legislative session in his annual State of the State address. Among his emergency items, he named billions of dollars for anti-immigrant measures, additional mandatory minimum sentences, and policies that would threaten locally elected district attorneys and judges.
   2. In response to Abbott’s remarks, the American Civil Liberties Union of Texas issued the following statement from Executive Director Oni Blair:
   3. “The governor has chosen to ignore the real issues Texans face. His legislative agenda is designed to distract and divide Texans by targeting groups like public school students, educators and immigrants.
   4. “We have an unprecedented surplus of taxpayer money that could be used to benefit all Texans for generations to come. Now is the time to adequately prepare our energy grid for extreme weather, ensure every student receives a high quality education that acknowledges diverse history and identities in a safe and supportive environment, and expand healthcare access to decrease maternal mortality, especially for Black mothers. While the governor continues to push failed policies and political stunts, we the people of Texas will keep working toward a better future.”
8. Fact-checking Gov. Abbott’s “State of the State” address; by: Ryan Chandler, Kelsey Thompson | NEXSTAR via CW33.COM | Posted: Feb 20, 2023 / 08:21 AM CST, Updated: Feb 20, 2023 / 08:21 AM CST
   1. MIKE: You can read the whole article by clicking on the story link. I’ve cherry-picked several items.
   2. “Per-student funding is at an all time high.” Partly true. While Texas’ per-student funding has increased more than previous years’ allotments, research database Education Data Initiative found Texas’ K-12 schools are ranked 39th in funding and 44th in spending nationally.
   3. “We have one of the best high school graduation rates in America.” — True. The National Center for Education Statistics reports Texas ranks in the top eight states for high school graduation rates at about 90%. Iowa and Alabama tie for first at 92%. The national average is 86%.
   4. “In just two years, more than 100 people were murdered in Houston by criminals who were let out on multiple felony bonds.” — Sources report conflicting data. … Harris County refuted the governor targeting these comments toward them.
   5. “Sometimes people forget that fact that in America people are still innocent until proven guilty and being held ahead of trial is not supposed to be punitive,” Scott Spiegel with Harris County Precinct Two said. “Harris County actually did something to address the issue of bail by requiring ten percent down for certain violent crime since the bail industry had started getting people out on one to two percent down.”
   6. “This past year, the U.S. set a record for the most illegal crossings ever.“ —Mostly true, but needs context. The United States saw more than 2.76 million migrants cross the U.S. border during fiscal year 2021-22, per data from the U.S. Customs and Border Patrol. That figure topped the 1.96 million migrants who entered illegally during FY21, per the CBP.
   7. However, estimates from the Department of Homeland Security anticipate closer to four million people illegally crossed the border in 2000, per NPR reporting. The difference then came down to the number of migrants apprehended.
   8. Department officials said immigration authorities caught a significantly smaller percentage of people who crossed the border in 2000, with approximately 1.6 million migrants apprehended and an estimated two million migrants who were not caught. …
9. MIKE: For context on the issue of parental rights, I found this article in the TEXASTRIBUNE from a year ago: Greg Abbott taps into parent anger to fuel reelection campaign; Abbott promises a “parental bill of rights” amendment to the Texas Constitution. Current education code already provides an array of parent protections when it comes to schools. by Brian Lopez | TEXASTRIBUNE.ORG | Jan. 26, 2022, 5 AM Central
   1. In the midst of continuing Republican-led political fights over what is allowed to be taught in public schools — namely over race, gender and sex — Abbott has put parental rights at the center of his reelection platform. …
   2. “‘Parental rights’ has become a proxy for the anger people feel about government, specifically towards public schools,” said Brandon Rottinghaus, a political science professor at the University of Houston. “This ‘bill of rights’ is mostly a repackaging of policies already in place, including current law and recently passed regulations, but the bright bow on the package is politically attractive.” …
   3. Abbott is following a recent national conservative roadmap that is proving successful.
   4. Across the country, conservatives are campaigning more on the notion that “critical race theory” is taught in secondary public schools and it must be eradicated because, as they say, it unfairly makes white children feel bad. … [C]ritical race theory…is an approach to thinking about history that is, so far, not being taught at all in Texas schools. …
   5. The “Parental Rights and Responsibilities” section of the state education code gives parents a wide range of access and veto powers when it comes to their children. They can remove their child temporarily from a class or activity that conflicts with their religious beliefs. They have the right to review all instructional materials, and the law guarantees them access to their student’s records and to a school principal or administrator. Also, school boards must establish a way to consider complaints from parents. …
   6. In late October [2021], parents at a North Texas school district pressured officials to remove a book from a high school library: “Gender Queer: A Memoir” by Maia Kobabe, a 239-page graphic novel depicting Kobabe’s journey of gender identity and sexual orientation. The book contains a few pages of explicit illustrations depicting oral sex, which outraged parents in the district.
   7. During the same month, state Rep. Matt Krause, R-Fort Worth, sent a list of some 850 books about race and sexuality — including Kobabe’s — to school districts asking for information about how many are available on their campuses.
   8. Then, in November [2021], Abbott asked the Texas Education Agency to investigate criminal activity related to “the availability of pornography” in public schools, saying that the agency should refer such instances “for prosecution to the fullest extent of the law.”
   9. Abbott has also asked the agency, along with the Texas State Library and Archives Commission and the State Board of Education, to develop statewide standards preventing “obscene content in Texas public schools.” …
10. MIKE’S RESPONSE TO ABBOTT’S 2023 STATE OF THE STATE ADDRESS
    1. MIKE: We want to share some of our thoughts on the Governor’s comments. Andrew first. Andrew?
    2. ANDREW: This speech is another fine example of Abbott and Texas Republicans’ main strategy: refuse reality, twist the truth, and govern with greed. Let’s consider the consequences of the Governor’s so-called “public policy”.
    3. ANDREW: Trying to dismantle useful public health policy like COVID restrictions will just let the pandemic take more lives. COVID is not over, despite conservatives’ efforts to pretend it is. But body counts only matter to Republicans if they’re electorally exploitable.
    4. ANDREW: Abbott’s “school safety” plan is missing a key element, but it isn’t gun control. The plan should address the root causes of all mass violence: hatred and hunger. If kids can go to school with full stomachs and a home to come back to, and can learn in class to care for others, why some people are treated unfairly, and how they can help build a world where that doesn’t happen, they’ll have no reason to hurt others. But as long as Republican donors profit from hatred and hunger, Abbott will take no real action, and mass violence will continue.
    5. ANDREW: Republicans around the country continue to insist that there is a crisis at the border. I disagree. Are there millions of undocumented crossings? Sure. But there’s nothing wrong with that. The fact is that as long as the US remains a major economic center, people are going to have to move here to find work and survive. We shouldn’t deny them that just because of their country of origin or if they have a criminal record.
    6. ANDREW: Finally, I will say I liked one thing about the Governor’s speech: his support for Narcan. The “fentanyl crisis” is overblown, and clearly a vehicle for base-pleasing xenophobia. But the right person with Narcan at the right time can save the life of someone who is overdosing on any opioid. I think that’s worth it, regardless of why the overdose happens. If Governor Abbott is serious about enabling life-saving intervention, he should push for a Good Samaritan law to protect anyone overdosing on anything and anyone trying to render aid from legal consequences. Most states have one, and it could only lead to more saved lives.
    7. ANDREW: Mike?
    8. MIKE: The Governor spoke a lot about how great Texas is for Texas business, but not so much about how great Texas is for Texans. With a $33 billion surplus, how about a reduction in sales taxes, which are regressive taxes that hit poor Texans the hardest?
    9. MIKE: How about leaving local tax policies to localities, instead of hobbling local governments at the state level?
    10. MIKE: Perhaps we can fund more human services for Texans by adding a progressive, incremental property surtax on homes worth more than $1 million and index it to inflation.
    11. MIKE: How about allowing Universal healthcare through Medicaid expansion? That will keep Texas’s work force healthy and productive instead of punishing people with diseases and illnesses that they can’t afford doctors for.
    12. MIKE: The governor says, “Schools are for education, not indoctrination. Schools should not push woke agendas. Period.” But education IS indoctrination. In civics. In loyalty to country and the Constitution. And in recognizing that American and world history is messy and not rose-colored. And what is a “woke agenda”?
    13. MIKE: In the Florida case of Warren vs. DeSantis, when “Asked what “woke” means more generally, [Ryan Newman, DeSantis’ General Counsel] Newman said “it would be the belief there are systemic injustices in American society and the need to address them.” (In Warren vs. DeSantis, DeSantis officials answer: What does ‘woke’ mean? (By Gray Rohre | FLORIDAPOLITICS.COM | December 3, 2022)).
    14. MIKE: This notion of correcting for systemic and historical injustices — even injustices within the lifetimes of our current leaders — is what Gov Abbott and Texas Conservatives seem to find so repugnant.
    15. MIKE: How about Texas schools doing a better jobs of teach how our Constitutional government is supposed to work and focusing more on civics and good citizenship?
    16. MIKE: Abbott wants to put a “Parental Bill of Rights” into the Texas Constitution. Aside from the fact that there are already plenty of laws protecting parents’ rights in Texas, we don’t need every law that Conservatives want for their agendas in the Texas Constitution. The Texas Constitution has been amended 517 times since its adoption in 1876. That’s pathetic. Haven’t Texas legislatures learned how to actually legislate instead enshrining in the Constitution their political wish list of the present?
    17. MIKE: Abbott also says he wants “school choice through state-funded Education Savings Accounts.” This is another way of framing “school choice vouchers”, a plan that will take money from public schools and give it to private and parochial schools, as well as home-schools. How are schools supposed to adjust to lower funding? The answer can essentially be described as, “do more with less”; the Conservative Texas magical mantra for reduced funding of anything.
    18. MIKE: For some people, vocational education is what they benefit from most. But most people will have at least 3 careers in their lifetimes, and will change jobs more often than that. A better general education, and options for free continuing education, will help keep Texas workers become qualified and adaptable for the jobs to come within their working lives.
    19. MIKE: Abbott talks about training “our future entrepreneurs, scientists, and leaders.” How about making higher education more affordable so those young future entrepreneurs, scientists, and leaders can have a debt-free education. This would increase the pool of educated future leaders to keep Texas and America strong.
    20. MIKE: The governor says, “Children must also have safe schools. We must establish the safest standards, and then use the newly created Chief of School Safety to mandate compliance with those standards, and we must provide more mental health professionals in our schools.” In principle, I agree. Mental health deserves more assistance and funding than it gets from Texas state government, and that’s true in pretty much every state.
    21. MIKE: As for safety in schools, I think there’s a direct line between the liberalization of gun ownership and school shooting, as well as other mass shootings.
    22. MIKE: The governor complains about illegal migrants crossing the US border. Does he know that the US Border Patrol, otherwise known as S. Customs and Border Protection — or the CBP — is short-staffed in spite of ongoing efforts to hire? Perhaps Governor Abbott could spend some of the $4.6 billions of Texas taxpayer dollars he proposes putting into pointless and personally disruptive deployments of Texas Guard troops into helping the US government recruit Texans for the US border patrol.
    23. MIKE: There are a lot of things that Governor Abbott could have addressed in his speech that he didn’t. There are many ways Governor Abbott could have discussed making life better for the average Texan, and not just Texas business, but he didn’t.
    24. MIKE: Maybe Governor Abbott will discuss these things in his next State of the State address, but he probably won’t.
    25. MIKE: The next gubernatorial election is in 2026. Maybe Texas voters will do better.
11. ANDREW: Bags or bins? Bellaire City Council asking for public input before disposing of current garbage bag program; By Melissa Enaje | COMMUNITYIMPACT.COM | 7:10 PM Feb 21, 2023 CST, Updated 8:06 PM Feb 21, 2023 CST
    1. Bellaire City Council members are exploring alternative options to its longstanding garbage bag disposal program with the intention of having the public weigh-in on their preference during a future City Council meeting. …
    2. … Council Member Ross Gordon called the city’s current program an antiquated system and brought up the idea of having trash bins versus trash bags and what that entails in terms of each option’s efficiency and cost. “When we order our next garbage truck, for example, are we ordering a bin-loading truck or are we ordering a back-loader for trash bags? That I think is a really good budget discussion,” Gordon said.
    3. For more than 20 years, Bellaire residents have paid the city for garbage bags, as part of their utility bill, which are then distributed three times a year. … Inviting residents to weigh in on the discussion will help the city leaders get a better idea on what purchases will need to take place during the city’s next budgeting process in September.
    4. MIKE: Rear loaders use 3 people and are probably cheaper to buy. Bin loaders often have only a driver, but are likely more complex and expensive. I always use trash bags. They’re lighter and one-way. Interesting question.
12. METRO awarded $5M grant for Westheimer BOOST corridor project; By Shawn Arrajj | COMMUNITYIMPACT.COM | 5:18 PM Feb 21, 2023 CST, Updated 5:18 PM Feb 21, 2023 CST
    1. The Metropolitan Transit Authority of Harris County will receive $5 million in federal grants to make improvements to its Westheimer Road corridor bus route. …
    2. The funding will help METRO implement its BOOST corridor treatment—which stands for “bus operations optimized systems treatment”—along the Westheimer’s Route 82, … that connects downtown Houston with Uptown, Greenway, Westchase and West Oaks.
    3. METRO has identified 17 of its most used bus routes for BOOST corridors, which involve installing and improving sidewalks; accessibility upgrades; installing new bus shelters and lighting; providing digital real-time bus arrival information at stops; and making improvements to traffic signals for better timing with buses. …
    4. MIKE: I think investing in efficient bus routes makes more long-term sense. They’re more adaptable than light rail, and using electric buses would be even better.
13. Illinois poised to mandate paid leave for nearly all workers; Requiring paid vacation is rare in the U.S. While critics say it poses a burden for small-business owners, advocates say it could be a boon for parents and low-income workers. By The Associated Press via NBCNEWS.COM | Feb. 19, 2023, 11:58 AM CST
    1. … Expansive paid leave legislation requiring Illinois employers to give workers time off based on hours worked, to be used for any reason, is ready for action by Democratic Gov. J.B. Pritzker, who said he will sign it. …
    2. Fourteen states and Washington, D.C., require employers offer paid sick leavevia similar laws, although employees may only use it for health-related issues. What sets Illinois’ new legislation apart is workers won’t have to explain the reason for their absence as long as they provide notice in accordance with reasonable employer standards. …
    3. Illinois’ [law] will reach nearly all employees and has no limit based on the business size.
    4. Seasonal workers such as lifeguards will be exempt, as will federal employees or college students who work non-full-time, temporary jobs for their university.
    5. The legislation would take effect on Jan. 1, 2024. Employees will accrue one hour of paid leave for every 40 hours worked up to 40 hours total, although the employer may offer more. Employees can start using the time once they have worked for 90 days. …
    6. Newly elected House Republican leader Tony McCombie said the mandated benefits could have a “detrimental effect” on small businesses and nonprofits “in an already unfriendly business climate.”
    7. “We all want a great working environment with an equitable work/life balance,” she said in an emailed statement. “However, Senate Bill 208 failed to address the concerns of those providing that work environment.” …
    8. Small business advocacy organization National Federation of Independent Business opposes the bill, saying that it “imposes a one-size fits all mandate on all employers.” …
    9. Molly Weston Williamson, paid leave policy expert and senior fellow at think tank Center for American Progress, called the Illinois legislation “a huge step in the right direction.”
    10. In addition to establishing workers’ right to paid time off, the bill forbids employers from retaliating against employees for using it. This is key to making sure “low-income workers or other folks who are more vulnerable are really, practically able to take the time,” Williamson said.
    11. Paid leave is both a labor rights issue and a public health issue, Williamson said. Service workers like Van who handle food and beverage without paid time off are more likely to go to work sick and to send their children to day care sick, “at which point they get everyone else sick,” she said. …
14. Sanders calls Haley’s proposal for age-based competency tests ‘absurd’; “We are fighting racism, we’re fighting sexism, we’re fighting homophobia — I think we should also be fighting ageism,” Sen. Bernie Sanders said. By Olivia Olander | POLITICO.COM | 02/19/2023 10:51 AM EST
    1. Bernie Sanders called presidential hopeful Nikki Haley’s suggestion of an age-based competency test for politicians “absurd,” speaking Sunday on CBS’s “Face the Nation.”
    2. “We are fighting racism, we’re fighting sexism, we’re fighting homophobia — I think we should also be fighting ageism,” Sanders (I-Vt.) said to host Margaret Brennan.
    3. Instead, politicians should be judged for their beliefs, the 81-year-old said.
    4. “There are a lot of 40-year-olds out there who ain’t particularly competent,” Sanders said. “Older people, you know, you look at the individual. I don’t think you make a blanket statement.” …
    5. Haley, the 51-year-old former governor of South Carolina, announced her bid for the Republican nomination for president last week. In her announcement speech, calling for “a new generation,” she expressed support for a policy mandating mental competency tests for politicians older than 75.
    6. Former President Donald Trump, 76, has announced a run for re-election, and a host of other Republicans have also hinted at possible campaigns. President Joe Biden, 80, is also expected to run again.
    7. MIKE: I place a high value on lifetime experience, but I think for president and VP, life-expectancy matters, as does mental acuity. I believe elders’ wisdom can be well-utilized in other governmental positions.
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