Midwest

Democratic governors form resistance group against Trump

Published

1 year ago

November 13, 2024

Democratic governors form resistance group against Trump

As Democrats prepare to contend with the coming administration of President-elect Donald Trump, Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker and Colorado Gov. Jared Polis are co-chairing a new coalition called Governors Safeguarding Democracy.

While the initiative’s website describes it as “a nonpartisan alliance of governors” aiming to bolster “American democracy,” both co-chairs are Democrats.

“There’s been outreach to Republican governors,” Pritzker said, according to the Chicago Sun-Times. “Good conversations, I might add, and there is continued interest by lots of governors. But I’m not going to name the ones that we’ve talked to.”

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Left: Colorado Gov. Jared Polis and Illinois Gov. J. B. Pritzker (Getty Images)

The website names “fast-moving disinformation campaigns” and “cyberthreats” as examples of “threats to our democracy.”

“Donald Trump is going to bring people into his administration who are absolute loyalists to his cult of personality and not necessarily to the law,” Pritzker said, according to the New York Times. “Last time, he didn’t really know where the levers of government were. I think he probably does now. And so I think that the threat remains great.”

Trump, who decisively won the 2024 presidential election, will take office on Jan. 20, 2025, next year.

“There’s not an overnight erosion that occurs on Jan. 20,” Polis said, according to the New York Times. “There’s a threat of an ongoing erosion over the future administration, and we want to prevent that from occurring.”

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President-elect Donald Trump dances at a campaign rally at the J.S. Dorton Arena on Nov. 4, 2024, in Raleigh, N.C. (Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)

During an appearance on MSNBC’s “Morning Joe,” Polis said of Trump, “we’re gonna work with him and his administration however we can for our state.”

He said that it is important to protect democratic institutions, ensuring that elections, court decisions, and the rule of law persist across Republican and Democratic administrations.

Pritzker, who also appeared on the program, said the effort is “about responding to concerns that governors will have about dealing with what … seems to be an onslaught from the new administration.”

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President-elect Donald Trump (Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)

The Governors Safeguarding Democracy website includes a donations page with an optional pronouns field where donors can select from various choices such as “Ve/Ver/Vis,” “Xe/Xem/Xyrs,” and more.

“Governors Safeguarding Democracy is supported by Governors Action Alliance. Governors Action Alliance (GovAct) is a fiscally sponsored project of Global Impact, a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt organization,” the donation page notes.

Fox News Digital reached out to request comments from Polis and Pritzker, and in both cases press secretaries for the governors responded by providing the press release about the initiative.

The press release never mentions President-elect Trump.

“At this critical moment in our history, we must unite to protect the foundations of our democracy and ensure our institutions withstand threats and persevere in their mission to improve the lives of our people,” Pritzker said, according to the press release. “Governors Safeguarding Democracy will serve as a powerful force in state-level efforts to ensure that our democracy lives up to our ideals and thrives for generations to come.”

“In this moment, protecting democracy has never been more relevant or important, and doing so demands strong leadership at the state level,” Polis said, according to the press release. “Governors Safeguarding Democracy shows our shared dedication to defending the democratic principles upon which our country is built.”

Alex Nitzberg is a writer for Fox News Digital.

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South Dakota

Feeding South Dakota

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2 minutes ago

February 27, 2026

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Wisconsin

Wisconsin DNR opens 2026 elk season applications March 1, with more Central Zone tags

Published

44 minutes ago

February 27, 2026

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Wisconsin DNR opens 2026 elk season applications March 1, with more Central Zone tags

(WLUK) — Applications for Wisconsin’s 2026 elk season open next week.

The DNR says the application period begins Sunday, Mar 1 and will close on Sunday, May 31.

Selected applicants will be notified in early June.

For the third year in a row, there will be increased opportunity to pursue elk within the Central Elk Management Zone (formerly Black River Elk Range), as additional bull elk and antlerless harvest authorizations will be available through the state licensing system. The 2026 elk quota for the Central Elk Management Zone is six bull elk and six antlerless elk, up from a quota of four bull and five antlerless in 2025.

The Northern Elk Management Zone (formerly Clam Lake Elk Range) quota will be eight bull elk, subject to a 50% declaration by Ojibwe tribes.

During the open application period, applicants will have the choice to submit one bull elk license application and/or one antlerless elk license application, separately. Applicants can apply to any unit grouping with an associated quota for that authorization type (bull or antlerless). The order of drawing will be bull licenses first, followed by antlerless licenses. As a reminder, only one resident elk hunting license can be issued or transferred to a person in their lifetime, regardless of authorization type.

In 2026, there will be one continuous hunting season, opening Saturday, Oct. 17, and continuing through Sunday, Dec. 13, eliminating the split-season structure that was in effect from 2018-2025. This offers elk hunters more opportunities and flexibility to pursue elk in Wisconsin.

Wisconsin residents can submit elk license applications online through the Go Wild license portal or in person at a license sales agent. The application fee is $10 for each of the bull elk and antlerless elk drawings and is limited to one application per person, per authorization type. The DNR recommends that all applicants check and update their contact information to ensure contact with successful applicants.

For each application fee, $7 goes directly to elk management, monitoring and research. These funds also enhance elk habitat, which benefits elk and many other wildlife. If selected in the drawing, an elk hunting license costs $49.

Before obtaining an elk hunting license, all selected hunters must participate in a Wisconsin elk hunter education course. The class covers Wisconsin elk history, hunting regulations, biology, behavior and scouting/hunting techniques.

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Midwest

Kansas law invalidates transgender driver’s licenses and birth certificates

Published

5 hours ago

February 27, 2026

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Kansas law invalidates transgender driver’s licenses and birth certificates

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Kansas has officially invalidated driver’s licenses and birth certificates for transgender residents who changed their sex designation on government documents under a law that took effect Thursday.

Roughly 1,700 individuals in Kansas will be required to obtain a new standard driver’s license at a cost of $26, according to the House Substitute for Senate Bill 244.

The state’s vehicle division informed residents that no grace period will be offered for those who need to update their IDs, according to The Kansas City Star.

“Please note that the Legislature did not include a grace period for updating credentials. That means that once the law is officially enacted, your current credentials will be invalid immediately, and you may be subject to additional penalties if you are operating a vehicle without a valid credential,” the Kansas Department of Revenue’s vehicle division said.

Trans rights activists take part in a protest April 20, 2024. (Carl Court/Getty Images)

The law also establishes clear rules for shared private spaces in government buildings, restricting their use to a single sex. This applies to facilities such as restrooms, locker rooms, changing rooms and shower rooms where individuals may be partially or fully undressed.

The bill further reinforced a strict definition of sex and gender as an “individual’s biological sex, either male or female, at birth.”

Consequently, individuals or entities who violate the space restrictions may face significant civil penalties or potential criminal charges.

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A drone aerial view of downtown Wichita (Joe Sohm/Visions of America/Universal Images Group via Getty Images)

Individuals are also given the right to take legal action if someone of the opposite biological sex violates their privacy in these spaces.

Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly, whose veto of the bill was ultimately overridden by the Republican-led Kansas Legislature Feb. 18, had previously called it a “poorly drafted bill with significant, far-reaching consequences.”

“It is nothing short of ridiculous that the Legislature is forcing the entire state, every city and town, every school district, every public university to spend taxpayer money on a manufactured problem,” she said. “Kansans elected them to focus on education, job creation, housing and grocery costs.”

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Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly previously tried to veto a bill that ultimately went into effect Feb. 26, 2026, restricting identification preferences for transgender state residents. (Rich Sugg/Kansas City Star/Tribune News Service via Getty Images)

Under the bill, entering a multiple-occupancy space designated for the opposite sex constitutes a violation. After a first warning, a second offense could result in a $1,000 civil penalty and a third or subsequent violation is treated as a class B misdemeanor.

Anyone who believes their privacy has been violated in such a setting may bring a civil lawsuit against the violator and seek $1,000 in liquidated damages, according to the bill.

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Government entities, such as state agencies or local districts, that fail to align with the new regulations are subject to steep fines. Entities face a $25,000 civil penalty for a first violation and $125,000 for each subsequent violation.

The law provides specific exceptions for entering spaces designated for the opposite sex, including custodial or maintenance work, medical or emergency aid, law enforcement duties, assisting someone who needs help or children under 9 accompanied by a caregiver.

Bonny Chu is a Digital Production Assistant at Fox News Digital.

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