House blocks resolution to condemn Arizona rep for tweet

The Republican-led House has blocked a resolution condemning an Arizona Republican congressman who sought to arrest immigrants in the U.S. illegally at the State of the Union address. In a tweet, Conservative Rep. Paul Gosar called for the Capitol Police and Justice Department to check the identification of people attending President Donald Trump's speech and arrest "any illegal aliens."

Deputy attorney general’s job may be in jeopardy

WASHINGTON – Rod Rosenstein's tenure as deputy attorney general and the top Justice Department official overseeing the Russia investigation appears to be in peril after President Donald Trump refused to say Friday whether he had confidence in him. After Trump authorized release of a controversial memo on FBI surveillance practices by House Intelligence Committee Republicans, he was asked by a reporter whether he was more likely to fire Rosenstein and whether he had confidence in the 27-year-veteran of the Justice Department who oversees its day-to-day operations and special counsel Robert Mueller III's investigation.

Abuse prevention a focus for disability agency

State officials whose agencies serve people with disabilities outlined for lawmakers Wednesday their efforts to prevent and respond to abuse against that population, particularly highlighting efforts to address sexual assault. Speaking at an oversight hearing held by the Committee on Children, Families and Persons with Disabilities, Jane Ryder, the acting commissioner of the Department of Developmental Services, described a training program she called a "national model."

Colorado lawmakers pledge zero tolerance of harassment

Colorado lawmakers started their new legislative session Wednesday amid tension over unresolved sexual misconduct allegations against some of their colleagues, including one case in which a female lawmaker maintains she felt threatened after rejecting the sexual advances of a fellow Democratic lawmaker. In the Democrat-controlled House of Representatives, many Democrats, especially women, wore black - as many actors did at this week's Golden Globe Awards - to show support for Rep. Faith Winter, who filed a formal complaint against Rep. Steve Lebsock in November.

Things to watch in Washington Legislature this year

The 60-day legislative session begins Monday, with lawmakers hoping they'll finish their work - which includes finalizing the last piece of a court mandate on education funding - without having to go into overtime. After a win in a key Senate seat in November, Democrats are back in charge of both legislative chambers for the first time in five years, holding a razor thin 25-24 majority in the Senate and a slim 50-48 edge in the House.

New accusations emerge about Rep. Paul Rosenthal following sexual harassment complaintDenver Post

Eight months ago, toward the end of the legislative session, a Democratic policy aide reported concerns about harassment from Colorado state Rep. Paul Rosenthal to the House speaker's office. The issue never rose to a formal complaint, but the Denver Democratic lawmaker later apologized and received materials counseling him about the General Assembly's workplace harassment policy.

Libertarians Have Almost Nothing In Common With the Alt-Right

At Smith College, academic Loretta Ross recently gave a talk on, "Connections Between Far Right, Religious Right, Economic Conservatives, Libertarians, and Traditional Bigotry." Ross is just the latest example of writers and academics who mistakenly conflate libertarianism and the alt-right.

Why Graham-Cassidy Failed – And the Hard Slog Ahead

With the announcement by U.S. Senators Ron Paul , John McCain , Susan Collins , and Ted Cruz declaring their refusal to support the Graham-Cassidy Health Care Bill, the latest Republican effort to repeal and replace Obamacare has met with failure yet again. Lest we repeat the procedure in an endless loop, there is a lesson to be learned from this debacle about the insidious cunning of modern liberalism.

Prospects for air traffic control privatization appear slim

In this March 16, 2017 photo, air traffic controllers work in the tower at John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York. President Donald Trump has embraced airlines' decades-long goal of removing air traffic control operations from the government and putting industry in charge, making it a key part of his agenda to boost the nation's infrastructure through privatization.

House GOP looks to borrowing, no new taxes to plug deficit

Up against an unprecedented cash crunch, Republicans who control Pennsylvania's House of Representatives prepared a late Wednesday night vote on a no-new-taxes borrowing package to help plug the state government's $2.2 billion budget gap. In addition to a $1 billion loan, the House GOP's package would siphon cash from off-budget programs, including accounts for mass transit, environmental protection and economic development.

Republican: ‘It’s pretty simple’ to call out white supremacists

While some Republicans have failed to criticize President Donald Trump by name for his remarks on the deadly Charlottesville, Virginia, attack, one Republican congressman is doubling down on his criticism of Trump's claim that there were "very fine people on both sides." After Trump made the remarks on Tuesday, Republican Rep. Paul Mitchell, of Michigan, tweeted, "You can't be a 'very fine person' and be a white supremacist @POTUS" He echoed those comments in an interview with Kate Bolduan on CNN's "Outfront," saying, "I don't believe you can be a fine person and a white supremacist.

Texas A&M abruptly cancels planned white nationalist rally

Texas A&M University late Monday abruptly canceled a planned white supremacist rally on its campus next month, amid bipartisan pressure from state lawmakers who said hatred should be rejected in all forms - despite First Amendment protections. An announcement on the House floor by Republican Rep. John Raney said A&M University System Chancellor John Sharp had opted to scuttle the event set for Sept.

Congressman suggests Charlottesville rally organized by Soros

Congressman Paul Gosar, a Republican from Arizona, said that leftist billionaire George Soros may have secretly organized August's white supremacist rally in Charlottesville to slander nationalists. Gosar proposed the theory about the rally - a march that prompted demonstrations against racism, including one where a White supremacist killed one woman - in an interview published Thursday with "You know George Soros is one of those people that actually helps back these individuals.