Latest news with #Democratic-controlled
Politico
a day ago
- Politics
- Politico
Wes Moore accuses Trump of ‘a lack of seriousness' in dealing with Iran
Maryland Gov. Wes Moore, a combat veteran who led troops in the Army's 82nd Airborne Division in Afghanistan, accused President Donald Trump of displaying 'a lack of seriousness' in dealing with the ongoing conflict between Israel and Iran. 'As someone who has worn this uniform, and you know, along with my fellow service members risked my life in defense of this country, to see such a free-wheeling conversation about issues of life and death is disappointing,' Moore said in an interview Thursday. Moore's comments come a day after Trump said at the White House that he delivered an 'ultimate ultimatum' to leaders in Tehran about disarming their nuclear program while also telling reporters 'I may do it, I may not do it' with regard to the U.S. striking Iran's nuclear sites. On Thursday, the White House said Trump will make a decision on whether to strike Iran within two weeks. Moore, seen as a rising star in the Democratic Party and a potential 2028 presidential contender, emphasized the huge stakes at play in the ongoing and escalating Mideast conflict. 'These are serious issues and these are very serious times,' Moore said. 'The lack of seriousness that is surrounding these conversations, the whole 'will I-won't I' playing games is not helpful to this larger conversation. … These are people's lives on the line.' The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The first-term governor has been sharpening his critiques of the Trump administration after previously saying he was 'not the leader of the resistance.' Moore had previously railed against the Trump administration's issuing pink slips to federal workers and said those moves posed a threat to the nation's national security and global competitiveness. Moore's comments come as the nation is observing Juneteenth, a federal holiday that marks the official end of slavery in the nation and a day where the governor unveiled a series of actions, including one that makes some 7,000 people convicted for simple cannabis possession eligible for pardon. The nation's only Black governor, who is up for reelection in 2026, has been criticized by some in his party over a decision to veto a reparation's bill passed by Maryland's Democratic-controlled state Legislature. The measure called for a yearslong study of race-based inequality in the state. Recently, Moore has been raising his national profile ahead of a potential bid for the White House — even as he continues to publicly deny he's running. He was in early primary state South Carolina last month delivering a brief speech at Rep. Jim Clyburn's annual fish fry, and also served as the keynote speaker at a South Carolina Democratic Party dinner and fundraiser — both must-attend events for Democratic White House hopefuls. In early May, Moore traveled to Pennsylvania, one of the nation's most important swing states, to deliver a commencement address at Lincoln University, a historically Black college, while also appearing on 'The View.' In March, he served as the headliner at the annual Gridiron Club dinner. When asked Thursday whether his time in South Carolina changed his mind about launching a presidential run, he responded: 'The reception was very good. And I'm still not running.'
Yahoo
a day ago
- Business
- Yahoo
More local governments in Pennsylvania would be able to tax more to cover fire, EMS costs under new bill
This story was produced by the State College regional bureau of Spotlight PA, an independent, nonpartisan newsroom dedicated to investigative and public-service journalism for Pennsylvania. Sign up for Talk of the Town, a weekly newsletter of local stories that dig deep, events, and more from north-central PA, at STATE COLLEGE — Hundreds of local governments in Pennsylvania would gain expanded taxing power to fund their cash-strapped fire departments and emergency medical services under a bill advancing in the legislature. Last year, the state legislature gave some local governments the ability to levy higher property taxes to fund fire companies and EMS providers. Now, a bill that would expand that opportunity to over 1,400 more municipalities has passed the Democratic-controlled state House. Local governments in Pennsylvania decide how to fund these emergency services for their communities. Governing boards can pay for these costs out of their main account, usually called the general fund, or they can set money aside using a special real estate tax and restrict that income to only fire or EMS services. David Greene, executive director of the Pennsylvania Local Government Commission, a legislative agency, described such a dedicated property tax as a 'lock box mechanism.' It 'gives the public an understanding that that portion of their tax bill is going [to] and is guaranteed for that specific purpose,' he told Spotlight PA. But for decades, state law has imposed an upper limit on how much local governments can tax property owners for these purposes: no more than 3 mills for a fire tax, and no more than half a mill for an EMS tax. These kinds of limits have been criticized by some as arbitrary. But that changed — to a small extent — last year when state lawmakers approved Act 54, which raised the fire tax limit to 10 mills and the EMS tax cap to 5 mills for about 150 boroughs and townships in Bucks, Delaware, and Montgomery Counties, according to a count compiled by the Pennsylvania Local Government Commission. In Bucks County's Northampton Township, the board of supervisors decided it was 'absolutely critical' to fund a full-time fire department that is on call every hour of the day, Township Manager Robert Pellegrino told Spotlight PA. The trouble was that the township was already charging property owners the maximum rate of a fire tax it could under state law: $3 for every $1,000 of the assessed value of a property — or 3 mills. That translates to about $1.8 million, which is less than one-third of the township fire department's budget, Pellegrino said. Before the tax cap increase, Northampton Township had limited options to make up the difference. It could transfer money from its general fund, which could put severe strain on other services like police, or it could raise its taxing limits through a voter referendum, which Pellegrino said is an 'unsustainable model.' Pellegrino said his township worked with state legislators on behalf of the measure. Northampton Township was one of the three local governments (all in Bucks County) that have exercised this new, higher taxing authority so far. 'It's a huge relief and a very big help,' Pellegrino told Spotlight PA. Northampton Township is able to almost entirely fund its fire department with the new tax. At least 855 of the state's 2,558 municipalities impose some form of fire tax, according to a database maintained by the Department of Community and Economic Development, which includes tax information submitted by about 80% of local governments. The same dataset showed 224 local governments reported having a tax for ambulance, rescue, and emergency services. A Spotlight PA analysis of state data found that among municipalities that have a form of fire tax, about 7.5% have reached or exceeded the cap. For those with an EMS tax, 62% have met or gone beyond half a mill. The increases allowed by Act 54 were 'a step in the right direction,' state Rep. Chris Pielli (D., Chester), prime sponsor for House Bill 393, wrote in a memo seeking support from his colleagues. His proposal would allow second-class townships in Pennsylvania — where a majority of commonwealth residents live — the same 10-mill limit for a fire tax and 5-mill cap for an EMS tax. Pielli, a former township supervisor, told Spotlight PA that his proposal has the support of local fire and EMS agencies. He said that funding is only one aspect of the crisis facing public safety services and that additional actions in Harrisburg, like tax breaks for first responders, should be considered. 'This is a problem that requires a multipronged approach,' Pielli said. Nearly 90% of the state's 1,770 registered fire departments are entirely staffed by volunteers, according to the U.S. Fire Administration. A 2021 survey of Pennsylvania's 744 certified EMS agencies found more than half of them had experienced a budget deficit, according to the Center for Rural Pennsylvania, a legislative agency. Many local fire companies and EMS providers have sounded the alarm on funding and operational challenges. 'EMS systems are collapsing under the weight of outdated reimbursement models [and] the lack of funding to maintain 24/7 readiness and workforce attrition,' Janette Swade, executive director for the independent Pennsylvania Emergency Health Services Council, told Spotlight PA in an email. Swade's organization doesn't take positions on legislation, including Pielli's. But she said raising municipal EMS taxes, increasing mutual aid among agencies, and establishing EMS authorities are some solutions the council supports. David Sanko, executive director of the Pennsylvania State Association of Township Supervisors, told Spotlight PA that the higher taxing limits proposed in Pielli's bill would enable better local decision-making. Arden Knapp, chair of the Pleasant Township Board of Supervisors in Warren County, told Spotlight PA the proposed measure is 'really necessary.' Knapp's rural township now taxes the maximum rates for both fire and EMS services, but revenue continues to be strained, because a third of the township's land mass is public forest that does not generate tax income. The township is 'taking every bit of that EMS tax' as well as additional monies from the general fund to ensure ambulance services for residents, he said. Part of the cost goes to hiring a private, nighttime ambulance, because staffing has been a struggle. Knapp said he believes residents will support a potential increase because they realize the financial reality of fire and ambulance services — something Pellegrino, Sanko, and Pielli told Spotlight PA they have observed. 'When you're dealing with municipalities, I think for the most part, they try to be as responsible as possible and set the rates precisely [as] what they believe is the reasonable amount of revenue that they need,' Greene, of the Local Government Commission, said. The commission tracks which municipalities take advantage of Act 54 and studies the impacts. Some key questions Greene and his agency will study include why municipalities opt to levy these special real estate taxes, how the increased funding is spent, and whether higher fire and EMS taxes alleviate fundraising pressures. The commission's assistant director, Kristopher Gazsi, said the study will hopefully inform future bills. and help us reinvigorate local news in north-central Pennsylvania at Spotlight PA is funded by foundations and readers like you who are committed to accountability and public-service journalism that gets results. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Axios
3 days ago
- Politics
- Axios
Left and right make strange bedfellows when it comes to Beacon Hill transparency
Deehan here, back with Spill of the Hill, my column unraveling Massachusetts politics. Far-left Democratic activists who want to transform the way Beacon Hill does business can't get the time of day at the State House, so they're looking to team up with another constituency that wants to end the status quo at the capitol — the MassGOP. Why it matters: Nothing brings the two groups of outsiders together as much as the Democratic-controlled Legislature, which, they say, has opposed or stalled efforts to make lawmaking more accountable. What they're saying: "You're seeing groups from both the far left and the far right kind of come together. The common denominator is a lack of transparency and accountability," MassGOP chairwoman Amy Carnevale told Axios. Driving the news: The Coalition to Reform Our Legislature couldn't get lawmakers to hold a public hearing on its bills to decentralize salary perks for House and Senate members and to create an independent fiscal impact bureau, so it booked a room at a church across the street for its own "hearing." "There have been at least two decades, maybe three, of decreasing democracy in the institution across the street, and that's a tragedy," former Lexington Rep. Jay Kaufman said. The coalition's goal is to reduce the control leadership has over members and make it easier to see the effects of bills without relying on interest groups to make projections. Coalition executive director Scotia Hille said the group couldn't find a single legislator willing to file either of the bills, something that is usually done without opposition. Between the lines: Lawmakers won't touch the reform effort because they, for the most part, like things the way they are on the hill. After all, nearly every Democrat voted to reinstall Speaker Ron Mariano and Senate President Karen Spilka as leaders this year. It's hard to blame them since there's little public outcry over how the General Court conducts itself. About 10% of incumbents faced primaries last year. 20% of districts had competition from both Democrats and the GOP, the lowest rate in the country. What's next: Electeds don't seem to care much for the proposed reforms. Neither do the voters who consistently put them in office. Reality check: Lawmakers are still fighting to stop the auditor's ballot question to let her oversee some of their spending.
New York Post
3 days ago
- Politics
- New York Post
Long Island doubles down on anti-sanctuary stance, top cop pledges to work with ICE: ‘They have a job to do'
Long Island officials are doubling down on their anti-sanctuary stance and pledging to help federal immigration authorities — in stark contrast to several other municipalities across the country. Cops and elected officials pledged that Nassau and Suffolk counties aren't and wouldn't be sanctuaries for undocumented immigrants, brushing off calls from activists pushing back on what they claim is overreach from Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in a massive crackdown on illegal immigration. 'They have a job to do, and we are going to support them the same way we support the DEA or the FBI chasing terrorists,' Nassau Police Commissioner Patrick Ryder told The Post. Advertisement 5 Nassau Police Commissioner Patrick Ryder told The Post that the county will support ICE during immigration raids. Dennis A. Clark 5 Federal agents seen at immigration court at the Jacob K. Javitz Federal Building in Manhattan on June 9, 2025. Getty Images Police in both counties said they would only assist ICE when directly called upon — which has not happened so far — but said they wouldn't hesitate to help, while vowing there would be no raids at schools, hospitals or churches. Advertisement President Trump has announced the national crackdown will target major cities and Democratic-controlled governments with sanctuary policies on the books. The comments come as activists have pushed back on the Trump administration's hardline stance on illegal immigration, and launched a series of protests against the crackdown. 'We have spoken to ICE and they're on board with us,' Ryder said. 'We will not go into a house of worship, we will not go into a school, and we will not go into a hospital. We also do not ask the immigration status of any victim or any witness, we don't do that, that's our policy in Nassau County.' 'Long Island is not a sanctuary county and will not become one,' a Suffolk County spokesperson said. Suffolk County officials said they're following the same protocols — and standing by them, despite a $60 million court ruling earlier this year tied to their past work with ICE. Advertisement 5 People protesting against the Trump administration's immigration policies in Manhattan on June 14, 2025. A judge ruled Suffolk violated state law and the Fourth Amendment by holding hundreds of immigrants past their release dates at ICE's request between 2016 and 2018. But Suffolk officials told The Post those suspected law breakers had been arrested on unrelated charges and were only identified as undocumented during routine booking. Many were held past their release dates because ICE failed to pick them up on time, they said. Tensions over ICE enforcement hit home earlier this month when Brentwood resident Elzon Lemus, a 23-year-old U.S. citizen, was briefly detained by ICE agents during a caught-on-video traffic stop in Westbury. Advertisement 5 Elzon Lemus at a press conference with his lawyer. FOX 5 New York Thousands protested at various locations over the weekend, from police headquarters in Mineola to the Hamptons. Nassau County Legislator Debra Mulé said Long Island families are being terrorized by 'indiscriminate ICE raids.' 'We all want safe communities, and no reasonable person would object to prosecuting and punishing those who endanger public safety — up to and including deportation after a case has been fully adjudicated — but that is not what is happening in Nassau County or our nation,' Mulé, a Democrat, said. Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman (R) shot back that he was 'disturbed' that some 'would prefer to spend tens of thousands of dollars in taxpayer money to prosecute and incarcerate illegal criminals who have an illegal immigration status when they can simply be removed from our county.' Blakeman said Nassau will continue to work with federal, state and local partners in an effort to 'keep all communities safe.' 5 Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman confirmed that the county will work with all types of law enforcement to 'keep all communities safe.' Brandon Cruz/NY Post But Lemus' encounter — along with the $60 million legal fight in Suffolk, Nassau's controversial program to eventually deputize 10 county detectives in partnership with ICE, and the wave of protests — has only deepened the divide over how far local governments should go in cooperating with ICE. 'They said they're looking for criminals, but in reality, they're the criminals,' Lemus told reporters. Advertisement The growing tension has also caught the attention of state officials, with Attorney General Letitia James now investigating probing Nassau's agreement with federal immigration authorities. 'We're just trying to do the right thing,' Ryder told The Post. ICE did not respond to a request for comment.
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Trump directs ICE to expand deportations in Democratic-run cities, undeterred by protests
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump on Sunday directed federal immigration officials to prioritize deportations from Democratic-run cities, a move that comes after large protests erupted in Los Angeles and other major cities against the Trump administration's immigration policies. Trump in a social media posting called on U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials 'to do all in their power to achieve the very important goal of delivering the single largest Mass Deportation Program in History.' He added that to reach the goal officials 'must expand efforts to detain and deport Illegal Aliens in America's largest Cities, such as Los Angeles, Chicago, and New York, where Millions upon Millions of Illegal Aliens reside.' Trump's declaration comes after weeks of increased enforcement, and after Stephen Miller, White House deputy chief of staff and main architect of Trump's immigration policies, said ICE officers would target at least 3,000 arrests a day, up from about 650 a day during the first five months of Trump's second term. At the same time, the Trump administration has directed immigration officers to pause arrests at farms, restaurants and hotels, after Trump expressed alarm about the impact aggressive enforcement is having on those industries, according to a U.S. official familiar with the matter who spoke only on condition of anonymity. Protests over federal immigration enforcement raids have been flaring up around the country. Opponents of Trump's immigration policies took to the streets as part of the 'no kings' demonstrations Saturday that came as Trump held a massive parade in Washington for the 250th anniversary of the U.S. Army. Saturday's protests were mostly peaceful. But police in Los Angeles used tear gas and crowd-control munitions to clear out protesters after the event ended. Officers in Portland, Oregon, also fired tear gas and projectiles to disperse a crowd that protested in front of a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement building well into the evening. Trump made the call for stepped up enforcement in Democratic-controlled cities on social media as he was making his way to the Group of Seven economic summit in Alberta, Canada. He suggested to reporters as he departed the White House for the G7 on Sunday evening that his decision to deploy National Guard troops to Los Angeles was the reason the protests in that city went peacefully. 'If we didn't have the National Guard on call and ready, they would rip Los Angeles apart,' Trump said. The shift also come as Trump is grappling with the impact his mass deportation effort is having on key industries that rely on workers in the country illegally. Trump posted on his Truth Social site Thursday that he heard from hotel, agriculture and leisure industries that his 'very aggressive policy on immigration is taking very good, long time workers away from them' and promised that changes would be made . That same day Tatum King, an official with ICE's Homeland Security Investigations unit, wrote to regional leaders telling them to halt investigations of the agriculture industry, including meatpackers, as well as of restaurants and hotels, according to the U.S. official.
