Alabama Governor Criticized for Wearing Blackface in College

Alabama’s Republican Governor, Kay Ivey, has admitted to wearing blackface during a skit she performed in during college. While Ivey said she doesn’t remember the skit, an audio recording of her discussing it was recently published. "As such, I fully acknowledge—with genuine remorse—my participation in a skit like that back when I was a senior in college. I offer my heartfelt apologies for the pain and embarrassment this causes, and I will do all I can—going forward—to help show the nation that the Alabama of today is a far cry from the Alabama of the 1960s," Ivey said. In February, a newspaper uncovered yearbook photos that showed members of Ivey’s sorority in blackface, but she denied that she had ever participated. Ivey has been chastised by other politicians in the state over the blackface episode. “Racism–in any of its forms–is never acceptable, not in the 1960s and not now. Governor Ivey’s actions were reprehensible and are deeply offensive. Her words of apology ring hollow if not met with real action to bridge the racial divide,” said U.S. Rep Terri Sewell, a Democrat. The Alabama NAACP president Benard Simelton also condemned Ivey, who previously refused to meet with the NAACP. “It may have been 52 years ago when the skit happened, but it apparently still shapes who she is today. She refused to meet with the NAACP two years ago to discuss race relations in Alabama...she gladly signed bills to protect one of the most racist American symbols, the Confederate flag and monuments,” he said. The state Republican party, however, said that Ivey is different from the person she was at the time of the incident 50 years ago. “While it occurred when she was a college student, Governor Ivey has stood up, admitted her mistake and offered a sincere apology though she has no recollection of the event,” said Alabama GOP Chairman Terry Lathan. Ivey’s situation is similar to that of Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam, a Democrat who earlier this year apologized for wearing blackface after a yearbook photo of him in a racist costume was made public. Northam first admitted to being the person in the photo, then denied it, then apologized. He was asked to step down by many members of his own party, and refused. Some Democrats in Alabama are now asking the same of Ivey. “If she did that she is insensitive. She needs to step down. She needs to be governor of all people. It is not acceptable any time or place. Do us a favor and step down,” said state Rep. John Rogers. The governor said she has no plans to resign. [NPR; AL.com]

OUTSIDE INCOME | The New York Supreme Court ruled last week that state lawmakers don’t have to abide by restrictions set on outside income that were recommended by the legislature’s special compensation committee and are set to take effect in 2020. The restrictions, which limited outside earnings to 15% of legislative salaries, were meant to serve as an anti-corruption measure, and would have also increased the base pay for lawmakers by $50,500. The case was brought by 11 Republican state legislators who would have been required to give up their outside jobs; they argued that a legislative committee did not have the authority to set these types of rules, and the judge agreed. “There is nothing (in the law) that authorized [the committee] to recommend restrictions on outside income and employment that have the force of law. These policy matters remain reserved for the Legislature and governor,” wrote Judge Pichard Platkin. The judge did not, however, revoke the raise that the committee implemented, which is being phased in over three years; the first step took effect this year, lifting legislators’ salaries from $79,500 to $110,000. Common Cause New York lambasted the decision, saying that a "raise without a ban on outside income is unacceptable...Lawmakers deserve a raise, and New Yorkers deserve elected officials who work only for them.” [Newsday; New York Daily News; Albany Times-Union]

LIVESTREAMING MEETINGS | A North Dakota state representative is going to livestream legislative committee meetings in an effort to “shame” the legislature into boosting transparency. Democratic Rep. Marvin Nelson said that providing live video online would make politics more accessible to people who cannot make it to the state capital. "We have handicapped people around the state who literally cannot attend a legislative meeting. Government has a great deal of importance to them because they tend to rely on assistance from programs or laws that improve accessibility. I see a divide between the people and the Legislature,” he said. North Dakota is one of only eight states that doesn’t have livestreams of at least some of its committee hearings, although it does provide video of most chamber sessions. House Majority Leader Chet Pollert, a Republican, said that there are no rules against livestreaming, but that it might overly politicize committee meetings. "We'll have to see if that's something that we're going to have to address," said Pollert. Lobbyists seem to be excited about the measure, including Jack McDonald, an attorney for media organizations in the state. "During the legislative session, the real decisions and the real arguments are made in the committee rooms. It's pretty much cut and dried once it gets to the floor most of the time,” he said. [The Dickinson Press; The Bismarck Tribune]

LEGISLATURE SUES | The Washington state legislature said they plan to sue Gov. Jay Inslee over a series of line-item vetoes he made in the state’s transportation budget, which they say violated a state constitutional ban on vetoing lines, as opposed to full sections, of legislation. The Senate Facilities & Operations Committee and the House Executive Rules Committee voted unanimously to file suit against Inslee. The governor has since acknowledged that his vetoes, related to funding for transit services, were unusual but necessary. “While my veto authority is generally limited to subsections or appropriation items in an appropriation bill, in this very rare and unusual circumstance I have no choice but to veto a single sentence in several subsections to prevent a constitutional violation and to prevent a forced violation of state law,” he said. This isn’t the first time in state history that the legislature has sued the governor over this issue. In 1994 and 1997, the state legislature sued the governor at the time over line-item vetoes, and in one case the veto was upheld, while in the other the veto was invalidated. [KOMO; Washington State Wire] 

COMMUNICATION WITH POLICE | A new law in Texas aims to help prevent miscommunication between the police and people who are not neurotypical, meaning they may have autism, Aspergers, deafness, or another condition that makes communication difficult. Starting in September, Texas residents can bring a note to the DMV indicating their condition; that process will create a digital flag for their license plate, so that officers will get an alert that the person may have trouble communicating when they pull them over. Jennifer Allen campaigned for the bill, which is named after her son, Samuel Allen. “Every single thing that us neurotypicals take for granted takes a little longer for somebody with autism. [Now] the officer will know prior to approaching the vehicle that this person might have a challenge speaking with him,” she said. Emma Faye Rudkin, a representative on the Governor's Committee on People with Disabilities, said that the bill will be hugely helpful for her and others like her. "There’s a lot of misunderstanding. So for me, I’m a deaf person who uses my voice, but that doesn’t mean I can hear. So when I get pulled over, they’re assuming I’m not respecting them, (that) I’m not paying attention,” she said. The bill received support from the head of the Highway Patrol Division of the Department of Public Safety, as well as the police chiefs in San Antonio and Houston. Texas is the first state to implement such a system. [Texas Tribune; KENS; The Rivard Report]