Charlotte Leaders Stand Firm Against N.C. Gov.; Miami Neighborhood Breathes Sigh of Relief
Charlotte Mayor Jennifer Roberts Skip Foreman / AP Photo
Connecting state and local government leaders
Bridgegate opening statements and what Christie knew; Philly City Hall’s new resident survey; legal settlements in Columbus.
CHARLOTTE, NORTH CAROLINA
BATHROOM LAW | Members of the City Council won’t discuss repeal of the ordinance that spawned North Carolina’s Republican-backed bathroom law. Legislative leaders have said scrapping the law is contingent upon Charlotte dropping its ordinance, extending anti-discrimination protections to LGBT people and allowing transgender people to use the bathroom of the gender with which they identify. “We appreciate the state wanting to find a solution to the challenges we are facing and applaud the governor for recognizing the state should overturn HB2, which the state can do at any time without any action from the City of Charlotte,” said Mayor Jennifer Roberts. [The Charlotte Observer]
MIAMI-DADE COUNTY, FLORIDA
ZIKA | The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention lifted a Zika-related health advisory for Miami’s Wynwood neighborhood, Gov. Rick Scott said during a visit there Monday. The advisory has warned pregnant women and their partners to stay away from Wynwood. It was issued after authorities identified locally transmitted cases of the Zika virus from mosquitoes there. No locally transmitted cases have been identified in the area for 45 days. [Miami Herald]
NEWARK, NEW JERSEY
BRIDGEGATE | New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie knew of a plan to close lanes leading to the George Washington Bridge as it was happening and that the closures were meant as an act of political retribution against a local mayor, prosecutors said Monday. It’s the first time Christie has been accused of knowing about the so-called Bridgegate scandal as it unfolded. The prosecutors made their claims during opening statements at a trial of two of the governor’s former aides over their alleged roles in shutting down the lanes in 2013. [The New York Times]
COLUMBUS, OHIO
LEGAL SETTLEMENTS | Should the Columbus City Council approve a $200,000 settlement with a man hit by an emergency vehicle, Columbus will have paid $2.1 million to end public safety lawsuits in the past two months. Tyrone Powell, hit in his Cadillac CTS in December 2013 after a paramedic failed to yield, will require medical attention the rest of his life, said his attorney. Last week, Columbus settled a $780,000 lawsuit concerning a 4-year-old girl shot by a police officer aiming for the family dog, as well as a $1.12 million wrongful death suit in June, where paramedics failed to properly care for a woman who had entered cardiac arrest for 25 minutes. [The Columbus Dispatch]
PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA
SURVEYS | For the first time since 2007, the City of Brotherly Love will be asking its residents for their opinions about services ranging from garbage collection to responsiveness of police and fire departments. “Philadelphians have never been shy to voice their opinions about city services, but for too long the City has failed to use that feedback in a systemic way,” said Mayor Kenney, in a release announcing the survey. “This resident survey is an important step in that direction.” The survey is being carried out in partnership with Temple University. Kenney plans to make public opinion polling an annual event for his administration. Results of the survey will be available this fall. [The Inquirer / Philly.com]
LOMPOC, CALIFORNIA
WILDFIRES | A wildfire that broke out Saturday in Central California has come close enough to the Vandenberg Air Force Base to delay the launch of a satellite that snaps high-resolution photos of Earth. Nearly 800 firefighters from local, state and federal departments have been sent to fight the blaze, which has grown to cover nearly 4,500 acres. [Los Angeles Times]