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Newsom signs bill protecting transgender youths and families fleeing red-state policies

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Newsom signs bill protecting transgender youths and families fleeing red-state policies

Once more heralding California as a refuge from discriminatory insurance policies in conservative states, Gov. Gavin Newsom signed a invoice into regulation on Thursday that goals to guard transgender youths and their households from bans towards gender-affirming care.

Senate Invoice 107 by state Sen. Scott Wiener (D-San Francisco) offers for a spread of safeguards meant to dam out-of-state makes an attempt to penalize households that come to California looking for medical remedy for transgender kids and teenagers or transfer to the state to keep away from penalties for already looking for that remedy elsewhere.

In a signing message, Newsom stated that state legal guidelines making an attempt to ban medical take care of transgender folks youthful than 18 “demonize” the neighborhood and are an act of hate.

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“In California we imagine in equality and acceptance. We imagine that nobody needs to be prosecuted or persecuted for getting the care they want — together with gender-affirming care,” Newsom stated. “Mother and father know what’s finest for his or her children, and they need to be capable of make selections across the well being of their kids with out concern. We should take a stand for parental alternative.”

The brand new regulation prohibits California courts and attorneys from imposing subpoenas requested by different states about gender-affirming take care of minors, and healthcare suppliers from releasing medical info.

The invoice additionally declares that any potential out-of-state arrest warrant for violating legal guidelines associated to such care shall be given “the bottom regulation enforcement precedence.”

“Whereas assaults on the transgender neighborhood are usually not new, we’re experiencing alarmingly blatant makes an attempt to make use of laws, coverage and political rhetoric to limit or remove the autonomy, freedom and existence of transgender folks throughout the nation,” the advocacy group Equality California stated in an announcement of assist for the invoice.

The California invoice comes after greater than 20 Republican-led states have launched laws to outlaw gender-affirming medical take care of younger folks, and to penalize dad and mom and healthcare suppliers who permit it.

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The precise enactment of insurance policies to restrict that care has largely been stalled as states face authorized challenges on the federal stage. In August, a federal appeals court docket in Arkansas dominated that the state can’t implement its ban on transgender kids receiving gender-affirming medical care.

However Wiener stated California can not financial institution on such blockages persevering with.

“We don’t know what’s going to play out in attraction or if states will discover different kinds of legal guidelines they will get by means of to courts,” Wiener stated in an interview earlier than the invoice’s passage. “It will be completely negligence for us to say we’re not going to do something till certainly one of these legal guidelines will get upheld and somebody will get put in jail.”

Whether or not SB 107 itself shall be upheld in court docket can be in query due to federal necessities that states should acknowledge out-of-state legal guidelines when residents journey.

Final-minute amendments to the invoice embody a severability clause as a result of “it’s unclear whether or not this invoice will run afoul of the Structure,” based on a legislative evaluation of the measure. Severability permits elements of a regulation to stay in impact even when different provisions are struck down.

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Wiener acknowledged that uncertainty, and stated that the invoice was crafted fastidiously to keep away from violations of the U.S. Structure, however stated that California mustn’t act as “an arm of regulation enforcement of the states of Texas or Alabama.”

“We might have limits underneath the U.S. Structure, however we’re going to go proper as much as the sting of what we’re in a position to do to guard them and say, ‘Until we’re completely compelled to ship you again, we’re not going to ship you again,’” he stated of potential households of transgender youth who might come to California.

California has additionally labeled itself a “sanctuary state” for these looking for abortions, which a number of states have banned following the U.S. Supreme Court docket’s resolution to overturn Roe vs. Wade, the historic 1973 ruling that granted a authorized proper to the process.

As with California’s try and assist out-of-state residents looking for abortions, the influence of SB 107 is difficult to estimate as a result of many individuals in different states don’t have the choice or monetary wherewithal to abruptly transfer to California.

“We are able to’t clear up all the things in a single invoice. We’re ensuring that people who find themselves being criminalized have a spot to go,” Wiener stated. “This invoice is about giving folks refuge.”

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Gender-affirming care features a vary of “social, psychological, behavioral and medical interventions designed to assist and affirm a person’s gender identification,” based on the World Well being Group.

That may embody hormones and puberty blockers, relying on a toddler’s age. The World Skilled Assn. for Transgender Well being recommends some surgical procedures for sufferers beginning at 15 years outdated, based on new tips launched in June.

Conservative teams opposed the invoice. The California Household Council, which routinely opposes LGBTQ rights laws, stated that SB 107 encourages “medical youngster abuse.”

Sen. Brian Dahle (R-Bieber), who’s operating towards Newsom for governor, stated kids “actually don’t know what their establish is,” and stated the laws would insert the state into household custody battles.

“If one guardian is for it and the opposite is towards it, the state now shall be in the midst of that call,” Dahle stated on the Senate ground earlier than voting towards the measure. “This invoice is mainly placing the state in your house.”

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The invoice’s supporters included Lt. Gov. Eleni Kounalakis, Atty. Gen. Rob Bonta, Deliberate Parenthood Associates of California and Equality California.

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Secret Service agent on VP Harris' detail removed from assignment after physical fight while on duty

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Secret Service agent on VP Harris' detail removed from assignment after physical fight while on duty

A U.S. Secret Service agent with Vice President Kamala Harris’ detail was removed from their assignment after engaging in a physical fight with other agents while on duty Monday, Fox News Digital has learned. 

The fight was first reported by The New York Post and confirmed to Fox News Digital by a source.

The incident happened at Joint Base Andrews in Maryland while Harris was at the Naval Observatory, but didn’t delay her departure from the base, the Secret Service told Fox News Digital.  

Anthony Guglielmi, chief of communications for the U.S. Secret Service, called the incident a “medical matter,” adding that the agency wouldn’t be commenting further. 

RECORDS SHOW BIDEN DOG, COMMANDER, ATTACKED SECRET SERVICE MEMBERS AT LEAST 24 TIMES 

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A Secret Service agent with Vice President Kamala Harris’ detail was removed from their assignment after engaging in a physical fight, a source confirmed to Fox News Digital. (Win McNamee/Getty Images)

“At approximately 9 a.m. April 22, a U.S. Secret Service special agent supporting the Vice President’s departure from Joint Base Andrews began displaying behavior their colleagues found distressing,” Guglielmi said in a statement shared with Fox News Digital.

TEEN CHARGED IN 2023 BREAK-IN OF SECRET SERVICE SUV PARKED OUTSIDE OF NAOMI BIDEN’S DC HOME

Secret Service members helping the president

FILE- The chief of communications for the U.S. Secret Service called the incident a “medical matter” after an agent was removed from their assignment following a fight. (SAUL LOEB/AFP via Getty Images)

He added, “The agent was removed from their assignment while medical personnel were summoned. The Vice President was at the Naval Observatory when this incident occurred and there was no impact on her departure from Joint Base Andrews.

“The U.S. Secret Service takes the safety and health of our employees very seriously. As this was a medical matter, we will not disclose any further details.” 

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The agent, who had been acting “erratically,” began punching the special agent in charge after getting on top of him, Real Clear Politics reported. 

Kamala Harris campaigns in South Carolina on the eve of the state's Democratic presidential primary

Harris wasn’t delayed by the incident, the Secret Service said.  (AP Photo/Meg Kinnard)

The agent, who was handcuffed after the incident and treated by medical staff, had previously been a subject of concern by staff, the outlet reported.

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Bill would allow Arizona abortion providers to practice in California temporarily

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Bill would allow Arizona abortion providers to practice in California temporarily

Arizona abortion providers could practice in California under a new law designed to provide care to women who cross the state line as they face newly restrictive prohibitions at home.

The bill introduced Wednesday aims to expedite temporary authorization for those Arizona doctors to practice in both states. It is the latest move by Gov. Gavin Newsom to make California a reproductive health “sanctuary” as abortion seekers in several Republican-led states have lost access to care after the Supreme Court overturned Roe vs. Wade in 2022. The bill would also protect the privacy of medical professionals who practice in California.

“We are putting the boxing gloves on to protect women’s rights,” said Sen. Nancy Skinner (D-Berkeley) at a morning news conference. “The state of California has the authority to stand strong for Arizona and their doctors.”

Newsom also attended the news conference alongside members of the women’s caucus and healthcare leaders. The legislation was introduced by Skinner and Assemblymember Cecilia Aguiar-Curry (D-Winters), the chair and vice chair of the women’s caucus, respectively.

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“Arizona law is the first border state law that will directly impact California,” Newsom said. He cited a report that said abortion access in states that border a state that has banned access increased 37% from 2020 to 2023. “This is not an academic exercise. This is real life. This is happening in real time.”

Newsom cited a recent report that found that 160,000 people across this country had to flee their states to access reproductive care last year. An additional 65,000 women who were raped became pregnant in 14 of the most restrictive states, he said.

“We are trying to get ahead of this law which goes into effect on June 8,” Newsom said of the Arizona ban.

The proposal would temporarily allow licensed Arizona doctors to perform abortions and provide related care to Arizona patients traveling to California until the end of November. The Arizona doctors would be under the oversight of California’s Medical Board and Osteopathic Medical Board.

The legislation, which if passed and signed by the governor would go into effect immediately, comes after the Arizona Supreme Court voted this month to impose a near total abortion ban, reinstating a law from 1864 that prohibits abortions except when the woman’s life is at risk.

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“Arizona Republicans continue to put women in danger — embracing a draconian law passed when Arizona was a territory, not even a state,” Newsom said in a statement released Wednesday morning. “California will not sit idly by.”

The Arizona House of Representatives on Wednesday approved a proposal to repeal the state’s near-total ban on abortions, though that was just the first step in the legislative process. The Arizona Senate is not expected to take a final vote on the proposal until May.

The governor is working with the state Legislature’s California Women’s Caucus to pass the bill.

California saw a surge in abortions after the Supreme Court reversed Roe, and now clinics are bracing for more after the latest Arizona ruling.

The bill is likely to pass with ease with Newsom’s support but is sure to reignite criticisms from Republican lawmakers who say the Democratic governor — widely viewed as a future presidential candidate — should focus more on California’s crises, including a budget deficit and surging homelessness, and less on out-of-state policies.

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The bill joins a litany of abortion measures that Newsom and California’s Democratic supermajority have approved in recent years — not just to enhance care in the Golden State but to provide support to nonresidents facing limited care nationwide.

Last year, Newsom signed a bill into law to allow doctors living under “hostile” laws in states where abortion is banned to receive training in California.

Earlier this week, at a news conference in Modesto, Newsom said abortion access rollbacks have “placed a burden” on California’s healthcare system, especially in Imperial, Riverside and San Diego counties, where clinics have seen an increase in out-of-state patients, including those from Arizona and Texas.

On Sunday, Newsom launched another round of TV advertisements that call out red state antiabortion laws, this time to be aired in Alabama and focusing on proposals that aim to punish women for interstate travel to obtain services.

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What to Make of the ‘Zombie Vote’ Against Donald Trump

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What to Make of the ‘Zombie Vote’ Against Donald Trump

Even after Nikki Haley dropped out of the Republican presidential primary, effectively handing the party’s nomination to former President Donald J. Trump, nearly 20 percent of G.O.P. primary voters have cast ballots for someone other than Mr. Trump. The Pennsylvania primary on Tuesday, where Ms. Haley won more than 16 percent, was just the latest example.

These anti-Trump votes have been closely watched, particularly in light of the unusually high number of votes for “uncommitted” and candidates other than President Biden in this year’s Democratic primary.

Ballots cast for candidates who have suspended their campaigns are sometimes called zombie votes. This phenomenon is hardly new.

In fact, a review of contested primaries since 2000 reveals that sizable shares of the electorate routinely chose someone other than the eventual nominee, even after all other serious contenders had dropped out.

The zombie vote in presidential primaries

Share of the vote against the nominee after all serious contenders have dropped out

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Note: The zombie vote refers to the median vote share against a party’s eventual nominee in primary contests after their major opponents had all withdrawn.

By The New York Times

In 2020, Senator Bernie Sanders of Vermont withdrew from the Democratic primary on April 8, leaving Joseph R. Biden Jr. as the only serious candidate in the race. Still, in the weeks and months that followed, Mr. Sanders received votes. In the Pennsylvania Democratic primary on June 2, 2020, for example, more than 20 percent of voters chose someone other than Mr. Biden, including 18 percent who selected Mr. Sanders.

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The zombie vote in this year’s Republican primary has actually been low by historical standards. In Democratic and Republican primaries going back to 2000, roughly a quarter of voters picked a candidate other than the eventual nominee even after all the other serious contenders had exited the race.

How this year’s zombie vote compares to previous years

Each rectangle represents the vote share in a state’s presidential primary contest.

There are many factors that lead to zombie votes. Not all of them indicate a true protest vote from party loyalists against the eventual nominee.

One factor is the rise of early voting and mail ballots. In Florida, for example, around one in three Republican voters had mailed their ballots before Ms. Haley dropped out on March 6.

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However, she has continued winning a decent chunk of votes in states where nearly all voting has occurred after her departure. In the Wisconsin election on April 2, Ms. Haley won 13 percent of the vote.

The Trump campaign has argued that some of Ms. Haley’s support has come from Democrats voting in Republican contests. This may explain the zombie vote in, for example, Georgia, where any voter can vote in either presidential primary.

But the pattern has persisted even in states like Pennsylvania, Connecticut and New York where the primaries were open only to registered Republicans.

Unlike protest votes against incumbent presidents in the form of minor candidates and ballots cast for “uncommitted,” contested primaries feature big-name candidates who get wide media exposure, have clear policy differences and forge emotional connections with many voters. Perhaps the affinity some voters develop is the easiest explanation of the persistent zombie vote across so many election cycles.

We shouldn’t expect the zombie vote to go away any time soon. In the past, the share of voters still supporting candidates who had already withdrawn remained relatively consistent, even on the last day of primaries held before the party conventions. And there is no pattern linking the size of the zombie vote to the eventual nominee’s chances of winning or losing in the general election.

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For Mr. Trump, what matters is how many of Ms. Haley’s primary voters will rally behind him come November. Polls have shown that her supporters are likely to say they will vote for Mr. Biden. Even so, those same polls often find that many of those voters already supported Mr. Biden in 2020.

Sources

Primary election results for 2024 are from The Associated Press. Results for previous years are from the Federal Election Commission. The Democratic primaries in 2008 and 2016 were not included in the analysis because they were contested through the final primaries. Caucus results were also not included.

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