Notices by Daniel Nichanian (taniel@journa.host)

NEW: DeSantis had suspended Tampa's Dem prosecutor, replacing him with a Republican. Within days, the new prosecutor rolled back local reforms.

Now, two years later, local voters finally get their say — & the removed prosecutor wants his job back: https://boltsmag.org/hillsborough-county-tampa-state-attorney-2024-election/

BFD: Arizona officials announce that an abortion rights measure, the Arizona Abortion Acess Act, *will* be on the November ballot.

It would enshrine abortion rights in the constitution.

If you care about this measure—here are 3 more related AZ elections you must know about. ⬇️

DeSantis unexpectedly vetoed all arts grants passed by the Florida legislature, $32 million in total, leaving arts organizations or community theaters or arts centers scrambling at the blow: https://www.nytimes.com/2024/06/21/arts/ron-desantis-veto-arts-funding-florida.html?smid=nytcore-ios-share&referringSource=articleShare&sgrp=c-cb

The conservative member of a school board in California faced a recall election yesterday over the board's anti-LGBT policies.

No final call yet, but the "YES" to the recall is leading (=he'd be ousted).

Check out this young local organizer's quote: https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2024-06-04/school-board-recall-results-in-temecula-school-system

bolts this week covered 2 big criminal justice reforms that became law, icymi.

let's jump in:

1️⃣ Minnesota ended prison gerrymandering.

This is the practice of counting incarcerated people where the prison is located, which skews political power. https://boltsmag.org/minnesota-ends-prison-gerrymandering/

Democrats in Atlanta have chosen their nominee to face Mesha Mainor, a Georgia state representative who switched to the GOP last year despite representing a heavily blue district.

It'll be Bryce Berry, a 22-year old middle school teacher.

Jaw-dropper in Montana: the AP is reporting that the Republican attorney general admitted on recording that he recruited a challenger in the primary so he could raise more money and skirt campaign finance rules. https://apnews.com/article/montana-attorney-general-campaign-finance-primary-opponent-54b427bb9f71d51adadcf76ca244c8c6

NEW: Arizona organizers are working hard to put an abortion rights measure on November's ballot.

The GOP has made a move too: They've put a separate referendum on the ballot.

It'd basically shut the door on future ballot initiatives in Arizona. https://boltsmag.org/arizona-ballot-measure-would-restrict-popular-initiatives/

A Georgia Dem running for supreme court on May 21 (John Barrow) faces misconduct charges for saying he'd "protect" abortion rights: https://www.ajc.com/politics/barrow-wages-court-battle-to-campaign-for-judicial-post-on-pledge-to-protect-abortion/YKCONEUAHJFBXADSNEW75PNPZ4/

You may remember Barrow from when he tried to run for supreme court & his election was canceled: https://boltsmag.org/dystopian-loophole-for-judicial-elections-gives-brian-kemp-the-last-laugh/

NEW: The GOP has put an extremely under-radar measure on Wisconsin's ballot on April 2, in two weeks. Voting groups in the state are warning the language is so vague it may chill their ability to get involved & fill in gaps. https://boltsmag.org/wisconsin-question-2-ballot-measure-election-administration/

Check this out below. A right-wing activist in Arizona was making up fake stuff about election integrity.

The elections director of Maricopa County (that's Phoenix, arguably the most politically important swing county in the nation), Republican Stephen Richer, replied.

Worth reading!

JUST IN: Governor Tony Evers signed new legislative maps for Wisconsin.

Maps give Dems a new shot at winning majorities in WI, undo GOP's hyper-gerrymander.

They were proposed by Evers after state supreme court struck down the gerrymander. GOP passed them last week to avoid court coming back in.

What's happened tonight so far:

→ Dems flipped NY03, George Santos' congressional seat.
→ Dems also secured the majority in the Pennsylvania House, defending a legislative seat.

Not over! We're also watching a big minimum wage vote on the West Coast. https://boltsmag.org/whats-on-the-ballot/february-2024/

A new poll finds that 70% of Minnesotans approve of the state's decision last year to make school lunches free: https://minnesotareformer.com/briefs/free-school-meals-overwhelmingly-popular-with-voters-survey-finds/

BREAKING: Massachusetts has just adopted a new law today to make phone calls from prison and jails free.

In fact, it'd also wipe charges for other forms of communication between incarcerated ppl & their loved ones.

Bolts previewed bill here: https://boltsmag.org/massachusetts-prison-jail-phone-calls/

A Virginia sheriff was asking people for cash or campaign donations... in exchange for making them 'auxiliary' sheriff deputies, with the right to carry sheriff-issued firearms.

Now he’s under indictment… but running for re-election in 3 weeks. ICYMI: https://boltsmag.org/culpeper-virginia-sheriff/

Poland has finished counting ballots, & it confirms the unexpectedly clear victory of the opposition coalition over the ruling nationalists: https://www.cbc.ca/news/world/poland-election-coaliiton-1.6997607

Turnout was a record high, especially among women, after campaign where abortion bans were a major issue.

NEW: Washington State has two contested elections for election administrators this year — and both feature election deniers. One's a former GOP lawmaker, who's championed conspiracy theorists in the state and now wants to take over elections in the third most populous county: https://boltsmag.org/a-pair-of-election-deniers-are-running-to-take-over-election-offices-in-washington/

Today we are exactly ONE MONTH away from the biggest election of the summer: the Aug 8 referendum in Ohio on the measure to change ballot initiative rules.

This is a huge election that’s effectively a proxy for abortion rights, as explained here.

And there’s a deadline coming up: people must register by Monday. https://boltsmag.org/ohio-gop-sets-up-vote-to-weaken-direct-democracy/

I can’t stay away, a new social media stream I must join.

If you’re trying out Threads too, while we wait to see what things look like in 8 months, you can find me there too:

https://www.threads.net/@danielnichanian