Gov. Tony Evers Introduces Bill To Remove The Term “Mother” From State Law in Favor Of “Inseminated Person”
Wisconsin Governor Tony Evers’s office introduced a bill on Friday afternoon that would change the way a Wisconsin state law addresses biological women and men.
According to the bill known as 2025 Senate Bill 45, which was first reported on by conservative radio host Dan O’Donnell, Section 3106 contains numerous examples of terms such as wife, husband, mother, and father being crossed out and removed in favor of terms like spouse, person, and even inseminated person.
The bill pertains to “state finances and appropriations, constituting the executive budget act of the 2025 legislature,” and the request for the language changes to be made isn’t introduced until pages 1,766 and 1,767.
The movement in mainly Democratic controlled states to change or remove these terms from state law is not new, as the state of Massachusetts introduced and made into law “The Massachusetts Parentage Act” last August, which ensures “legal parentage equality” for children born to parents “without regard to the marital status, gender, gender identity, or sexual orientation of their parents or the circumstances of their birth, including whether they were born as a result of assisted reproduction or surrogacy.”
Additionally, the Massachusetts bill mandated that state parentage laws exclude terms like “father” and “mother” and substitute them with more “inclusive” ones like “parent” or “the person who gave birth.”
Other states that passed similar legislation in recent years include Connecticut, Maine, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Vermont.
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Random Politics
The Michael Johnson Dilemma update
(Passing the trump agenda legislation)
https://www.politico.com/news/2025/02/2 ... a-00002561
Btw, it isn't just huge cuts to Medicaid and food assistance etc. there they're realizing negatively impact millions of their own voters, but all the dismantling of many fed agencies, especially in this chaotic incompetent manner under herr Elon and his teenage commandos, are getting blowback from many of their constituents.
As in "durr, a lot of maga voters work in those agencies too....it's not like they're all Dems"
So lots of trump voters are having their job security abruptly and spazzingly (not an actual word) upended.
(Passing the trump agenda legislation)
https://www.politico.com/news/2025/02/2 ... a-00002561
Btw, it isn't just huge cuts to Medicaid and food assistance etc. there they're realizing negatively impact millions of their own voters, but all the dismantling of many fed agencies, especially in this chaotic incompetent manner under herr Elon and his teenage commandos, are getting blowback from many of their constituents.
As in "durr, a lot of maga voters work in those agencies too....it's not like they're all Dems"
So lots of trump voters are having their job security abruptly and spazzingly (not an actual word) upended.
It ain't what you don't know that's a problem. It's what you know for sure that just ain't so.~~~Mark Twain
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The Evil Genius
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Apple shareholders reject proposal to scrap company’s diversity programs
Apple shareholders rebuffed an attempt to pressure the technology trendsetter into joining President Donald Trump’s push to scrub corporate programs designed to diversify its workforce.
The proposal drafted by the National Center for Public Policy Research — a self-described conservative think tank — urged Apple to follow a litany of high-profile companies that have retreated from diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives currently in the Trump administration’s crosshairs.
After a brief presentation about the anti-DEI proposal, Apple announced shareholders had rejected it. In a regulatory filing submitted Tuesday evening, Apple disclosed that 97% of the ballots cast were votes against the measure.
The outcome vindicated Apple management’s decision to stand behind its diversity commitment even though Trump asked the U.S. Department of Justice to look into whether these types of programs have discriminated against some employees whose race or gender aren’t aligned with the initiative’s goals.
Click on the link for the full article
Apple shareholders rebuffed an attempt to pressure the technology trendsetter into joining President Donald Trump’s push to scrub corporate programs designed to diversify its workforce.
The proposal drafted by the National Center for Public Policy Research — a self-described conservative think tank — urged Apple to follow a litany of high-profile companies that have retreated from diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives currently in the Trump administration’s crosshairs.
After a brief presentation about the anti-DEI proposal, Apple announced shareholders had rejected it. In a regulatory filing submitted Tuesday evening, Apple disclosed that 97% of the ballots cast were votes against the measure.
The outcome vindicated Apple management’s decision to stand behind its diversity commitment even though Trump asked the U.S. Department of Justice to look into whether these types of programs have discriminated against some employees whose race or gender aren’t aligned with the initiative’s goals.
Click on the link for the full article
98% of John Deere & Apple Shareholders Reject Anti-Diversity Proposals
Today, shareholders of Deere & Co (NYSE:DE) sent a strong signal to the Board and management by voting nearly unanimously against a shareholder proposal from a conservative think-tank looking to undermine the company’s diversity and inclusion programs. Over 98.7% of shares voted against the anti-diversity Proposal 4, according to Deere & Co during today’s annual general meeting.
“Shareholders understand that diversity and inclusion are material to profitable growth,” said Andrew Behar, CEO of As You Sow. “Anyone who's looking at the data, which the companies and shareholders are, comes to the conclusion that greater diversity leads to financial outperformance.”
The Deere vote was the third rebuke from shareholders of the anti-DEI crusade after a similar 98% vote at Costco (NASDAQ:COST) on January 23, 2025, and yesterday’s 97.7% vote against at Apple (NASDAQ:AAPL) on February 25, 2025. All three proposals attempted to stop company management from continuing policies and practices to optimize their human capital by hiring and promoting employees based on merit without regard to their gender or the color of their skin.
“This string of epic failures sends a powerful signal to all of those trying to use the shareholder proposal process to manipulate the free markets,” added Behar.
Click on the link for more
Today, shareholders of Deere & Co (NYSE:DE) sent a strong signal to the Board and management by voting nearly unanimously against a shareholder proposal from a conservative think-tank looking to undermine the company’s diversity and inclusion programs. Over 98.7% of shares voted against the anti-diversity Proposal 4, according to Deere & Co during today’s annual general meeting.
“Shareholders understand that diversity and inclusion are material to profitable growth,” said Andrew Behar, CEO of As You Sow. “Anyone who's looking at the data, which the companies and shareholders are, comes to the conclusion that greater diversity leads to financial outperformance.”
The Deere vote was the third rebuke from shareholders of the anti-DEI crusade after a similar 98% vote at Costco (NASDAQ:COST) on January 23, 2025, and yesterday’s 97.7% vote against at Apple (NASDAQ:AAPL) on February 25, 2025. All three proposals attempted to stop company management from continuing policies and practices to optimize their human capital by hiring and promoting employees based on merit without regard to their gender or the color of their skin.
“This string of epic failures sends a powerful signal to all of those trying to use the shareholder proposal process to manipulate the free markets,” added Behar.
Click on the link for more
GOP lawmakers push to ban North Carolina from suing Trump, after lawsuits find success
North Carolina Attorney General Jeff Jackson, a Democrat, has sued Republican President Donald Trump several times in Trump's first month in office. Now Republican lawmakers in the North Carolina Senate want to stop Jackson from doing it again.
So far, Jackson and other state Democratic attorneys general have defeated the Trump administration in the early stages of those legal battles — winning court rulings that have blocked Trump's attempts to undo birthright citizenship and slash funding for medical research, among other efforts.
Sen. Amy Galey, R-Alamance, called Jackson's lawsuits "political grandstanding" just before voting with fellow Republicans to advance Senate Bill 58 out of its first committee on Wednesday. If it becomes law, the bill would ban the state attorney general from participating in any lawsuits that target any executive order of the president.
Democrats countered that the only political grandstanding was the bill itself, and that Jackson has had real-world success protecting North Carolina and its people from what they see as harmful executive orders by Trump.
Click on the link for the full article
North Carolina Attorney General Jeff Jackson, a Democrat, has sued Republican President Donald Trump several times in Trump's first month in office. Now Republican lawmakers in the North Carolina Senate want to stop Jackson from doing it again.
So far, Jackson and other state Democratic attorneys general have defeated the Trump administration in the early stages of those legal battles — winning court rulings that have blocked Trump's attempts to undo birthright citizenship and slash funding for medical research, among other efforts.
Sen. Amy Galey, R-Alamance, called Jackson's lawsuits "political grandstanding" just before voting with fellow Republicans to advance Senate Bill 58 out of its first committee on Wednesday. If it becomes law, the bill would ban the state attorney general from participating in any lawsuits that target any executive order of the president.
Democrats countered that the only political grandstanding was the bill itself, and that Jackson has had real-world success protecting North Carolina and its people from what they see as harmful executive orders by Trump.
Click on the link for the full article
Mississippi judge vacates her order that a newspaper remove its editorial criticizing local leaders
A Mississippi judge on Wednesday vacated her order that a newspaper remove its editorial criticizing local officials, days after a city decided to drop the lawsuit that spurred it.
The judge’s order had been widely condemned by free speech advocates as a clear violation of the paper’s First Amendment rights.
Chancery Judge Crystal Wise Martin had issued the restraining order against the Clarksdale Press Register last week, telling it to remove from its website a Feb. 8 editorial titled “Secrecy, Deception Erode Public Trust.” The piece criticized the city for not sending the newspaper notice about a meeting the board held regarding a proposed tax on alcohol, marijuana and tobacco.
The board of commissioners dropped the suit Monday at the request of Mayor Chuck Espy, who cited an offer from the paper’s owner to run a clarification. However, Emmerich Newspapers president Wyatt Emmerich said he made that offer before the city filed its lawsuit and that it was no longer on the table.
Click on the link for the full article
A Mississippi judge on Wednesday vacated her order that a newspaper remove its editorial criticizing local officials, days after a city decided to drop the lawsuit that spurred it.
The judge’s order had been widely condemned by free speech advocates as a clear violation of the paper’s First Amendment rights.
Chancery Judge Crystal Wise Martin had issued the restraining order against the Clarksdale Press Register last week, telling it to remove from its website a Feb. 8 editorial titled “Secrecy, Deception Erode Public Trust.” The piece criticized the city for not sending the newspaper notice about a meeting the board held regarding a proposed tax on alcohol, marijuana and tobacco.
The board of commissioners dropped the suit Monday at the request of Mayor Chuck Espy, who cited an offer from the paper’s owner to run a clarification. However, Emmerich Newspapers president Wyatt Emmerich said he made that offer before the city filed its lawsuit and that it was no longer on the table.
Click on the link for the full article
Lawmakers look to establish The Bible as “an accurate historical record of human and natural history” in W.Va.
Lawmakers in the House of Representatives are looking to recognize the Holy Bible as a foundational text in West Virginia.
House Joint Resolution 3020 says the " the Holy Bible and its precepts shall be given a place of prominence and reverence in the public buildings, laws, policies, and schools of the state of West Virginia." The proposal aims to recognize the religious text as an " inerrant foundational document for our society and government, an accurate historical record of human and natural history, and the utmost authority for human moral behavior“.
The resolution was introduced on Thursday and is co-sponsored by Delegates Dillon, Coop-Gonzalez, White, Anders, Butler, Mazzocchi, T. Howell, T. Clark, and Moore.
This resolution is a proposal that seeks to amend the state’s constitution. If two thirds of the House of Delegates agree to the amendment, the ratification of the amendment would then be on the ballot in 2026 for West Virginian citizens to vote on.
Lawmakers in the House of Representatives are looking to recognize the Holy Bible as a foundational text in West Virginia.
House Joint Resolution 3020 says the " the Holy Bible and its precepts shall be given a place of prominence and reverence in the public buildings, laws, policies, and schools of the state of West Virginia." The proposal aims to recognize the religious text as an " inerrant foundational document for our society and government, an accurate historical record of human and natural history, and the utmost authority for human moral behavior“.
The resolution was introduced on Thursday and is co-sponsored by Delegates Dillon, Coop-Gonzalez, White, Anders, Butler, Mazzocchi, T. Howell, T. Clark, and Moore.
This resolution is a proposal that seeks to amend the state’s constitution. If two thirds of the House of Delegates agree to the amendment, the ratification of the amendment would then be on the ballot in 2026 for West Virginian citizens to vote on.
Ethical Concerns Surround Sen. Joni Ernst’s Relationships With Top Military Officials Who Lobbied Her Committee
Earlier this year, the Air Force revealed that the general who oversaw its lobbying before Congress had inappropriate romantic relationships with five women, including three who worked on Capitol Hill.
Maj. Gen. Christopher Finerty’s colleagues told investigators the relationships were “highly inappropriate” as they could give the Air Force undue influence in Congress. “I honestly felt sick to my stomach,” one said, according to a report about the investigation, “because it just felt so sleazy.”
The Air Force inspector general’s report redacted the names of the women who worked on the Hill.
But one of the women whose relationship with Finerty was scrutinized by the inspector general was Sen. Joni Ernst, according to two sources with knowledge of the investigation. The Iowa Republican and combat veteran is one of the most influential voices on the Hill about the military, and she sits on the Senate’s Armed Services Committee, which oversees the Pentagon and plays a crucial role in setting its annual budget.
Three other sources told ProPublica that around 2019 Ernst had a previous romantic relationship with a legislative affairs official for a different branch of the military, the Navy.
Ernst and the officials were not married at the time and Senate rules do not bar lawmakers from entering into romantic relationships with lobbyists or other legislative advocates. But ethics experts say such relationships can create a conflict of interest, and other lawmakers have been criticized for such behavior in the past.
A former legislative affairs official for the military told ProPublica that people in that role aren’t officially “lobbyists but for all intent and purposes that’s their job. ... From an ethics standpoint, it’s severely problematic.” A former Air Force officer who worked for Finerty said the perception in the office was that his relationship with Ernst “absolutely gave the Air Force undue influence.”
Click on the link for the full article
Earlier this year, the Air Force revealed that the general who oversaw its lobbying before Congress had inappropriate romantic relationships with five women, including three who worked on Capitol Hill.
Maj. Gen. Christopher Finerty’s colleagues told investigators the relationships were “highly inappropriate” as they could give the Air Force undue influence in Congress. “I honestly felt sick to my stomach,” one said, according to a report about the investigation, “because it just felt so sleazy.”
The Air Force inspector general’s report redacted the names of the women who worked on the Hill.
But one of the women whose relationship with Finerty was scrutinized by the inspector general was Sen. Joni Ernst, according to two sources with knowledge of the investigation. The Iowa Republican and combat veteran is one of the most influential voices on the Hill about the military, and she sits on the Senate’s Armed Services Committee, which oversees the Pentagon and plays a crucial role in setting its annual budget.
Three other sources told ProPublica that around 2019 Ernst had a previous romantic relationship with a legislative affairs official for a different branch of the military, the Navy.
Ernst and the officials were not married at the time and Senate rules do not bar lawmakers from entering into romantic relationships with lobbyists or other legislative advocates. But ethics experts say such relationships can create a conflict of interest, and other lawmakers have been criticized for such behavior in the past.
A former legislative affairs official for the military told ProPublica that people in that role aren’t officially “lobbyists but for all intent and purposes that’s their job. ... From an ethics standpoint, it’s severely problematic.” A former Air Force officer who worked for Finerty said the perception in the office was that his relationship with Ernst “absolutely gave the Air Force undue influence.”
Click on the link for the full article
Senate Judiciary Democrats seek probe of D.C. U.S. attorney Ed Martin
Democrats on the Senate Judiciary Committee have lodged a formal complaint against acting D.C. U.S. attorney Ed Martin with the office that handles attorney discipline, seeking the suspension of his law license or other penalties.
“Martin has abused his position in several ways,” committee Democrats, led by Sen. Dick Durbin (Illinois), wrote in a letter sent Thursday to a legal disciplinary office, called the Office of Disciplinary Counsel. Those abuses include Martin’s dismissal of charges against a pardoned Capitol riot defendant he represented before taking office and his “using the threat of prosecution to intimidate government employees and chill the speech of private citizens,” the senators alleged.
Durbin has complained to D.C. authorities about alleged wrongdoing in the legal profession before. After a request from him in 2021, the D.C. Office of Disciplinary Counsel launched a probe of Jeffrey Clark, who had served in President Donald Trump’s Justice Department, over alleged ethical violations he committed in advancing false claims of election fraud after the 2020 presidential election. A panel recommended in August that Clark’s license be suspended, though the case is still pending.
The office similarly investigated Trump lawyer Rudy Giuliani, though not at Durbin’s request. Giuliani was ultimately disbarred in the city by the D.C. Court of Appeals.
A probe of Martin, though, could be more fraught. About a month before Durbin’s letter, Martin himself wrote to the D.C. Bar, alleging the professional disciplinary apparatus for lawyers in D.C. had allowed itself to be used to target Trump allies and advance Democrats’ political agenda.
In a letter addressed to the D.C. Bar and obtained by The Washington Post, Martin accused D.C. Office of Disciplinary Counsel head Hamilton P. “Phil” Fox of targeting individuals “based on a policy or political disagreement” and demanded information about how the office handles complaints from what Martin called “political hit squads.”
Durbin’s letter focuses on a wide range of Martin’s conduct, including his not recusing himself from his office’s motion to dismiss the case of a convicted Capitol riot defendant, Joseph Padilla, whom Trump had pardoned. Durbin alleged Martin also failed to withdraw from the case of another convicted and pardoned client, Kansas City-area Proud Boys leader William Chrestman, before launching an internal U.S. attorney investigation into an obstruction-of-Congress count to which Chrestman pleaded guilty. And Durbin claimed to have evidence that Martin corresponded directly with a pardoned riot defendant who was not a client, William Pope, about his case.
Martin’s actions created at least the appearance of impropriety or a conflict of interest, Durbin wrote, or violated the legal canon that a lawyer not represent opposing sides in the same case. Legal ethicists cautioned that the actions of the U.S. attorney’s office in Padilla’s case were dictated by Trump’s pardon.
In an all-office email, Martin said, “over 18 months ago (at least), I stopped all involvement” in the cases of three Capitol riot clients “and was under the impression that I was off the cases.”
Durbin also condemned public and other out-of-court statements by Martin that the senator said appeared to violate prosecutorial ethics codes.
He cited Feb. 3 and 7 social media posts and letters to billionaire Trump adviser Elon Musk in which Martin vowed to “pursue any and all legal action” against anyone who impedes the work of employees of Musk’s U.S. DOGE Service. He also cited a Feb. 14 social media post targeting former special counsel Jack Smith and a law firm representing him. In that post, Martin wrote, “Save your receipts, Smith and Covington,” referring to the law firm Covington & Burling, adding, “We’ll be in touch soon.”
Durbin similarly pointed to Martin’s Feb. 19 internal announcement of “Operation Whirlwind,” which he billed as a new initiative to prosecute threats to government officials. As a part of that effort, Martin sent letters to Senate Democratic leader Charles E. Schumer (N.Y.) and U.S. Rep. Robert Garcia (D-California) asking for more information on incendiary statements they made criticizing two Supreme Court justices and Musk, respectively.
“Donald Trump and Elon Musk’s favorite interim U.S. Attorney is INTIMIDATING government employees and CHILLING SPEECH of private citizens,” Judiciary Committee Democrats posted on X, Musk’s social media platform. “The D.C. Bar must investigate Ed Martin and take appropriate disciplinary proceedings.”
Sen. Thom Tillis (R-North Carolina), a Judiciary Committee member, said in February that Martin could have “a real challenge” getting confirmed as Trump’s nominee to lead the office, telling HuffPost, “Don’t name a person, then figure out what crime they did. I just think that makes us no better than the people that we’re criticizing.”
Click on the link for the full article
Democrats on the Senate Judiciary Committee have lodged a formal complaint against acting D.C. U.S. attorney Ed Martin with the office that handles attorney discipline, seeking the suspension of his law license or other penalties.
“Martin has abused his position in several ways,” committee Democrats, led by Sen. Dick Durbin (Illinois), wrote in a letter sent Thursday to a legal disciplinary office, called the Office of Disciplinary Counsel. Those abuses include Martin’s dismissal of charges against a pardoned Capitol riot defendant he represented before taking office and his “using the threat of prosecution to intimidate government employees and chill the speech of private citizens,” the senators alleged.
Durbin has complained to D.C. authorities about alleged wrongdoing in the legal profession before. After a request from him in 2021, the D.C. Office of Disciplinary Counsel launched a probe of Jeffrey Clark, who had served in President Donald Trump’s Justice Department, over alleged ethical violations he committed in advancing false claims of election fraud after the 2020 presidential election. A panel recommended in August that Clark’s license be suspended, though the case is still pending.
The office similarly investigated Trump lawyer Rudy Giuliani, though not at Durbin’s request. Giuliani was ultimately disbarred in the city by the D.C. Court of Appeals.
A probe of Martin, though, could be more fraught. About a month before Durbin’s letter, Martin himself wrote to the D.C. Bar, alleging the professional disciplinary apparatus for lawyers in D.C. had allowed itself to be used to target Trump allies and advance Democrats’ political agenda.
In a letter addressed to the D.C. Bar and obtained by The Washington Post, Martin accused D.C. Office of Disciplinary Counsel head Hamilton P. “Phil” Fox of targeting individuals “based on a policy or political disagreement” and demanded information about how the office handles complaints from what Martin called “political hit squads.”
Durbin’s letter focuses on a wide range of Martin’s conduct, including his not recusing himself from his office’s motion to dismiss the case of a convicted Capitol riot defendant, Joseph Padilla, whom Trump had pardoned. Durbin alleged Martin also failed to withdraw from the case of another convicted and pardoned client, Kansas City-area Proud Boys leader William Chrestman, before launching an internal U.S. attorney investigation into an obstruction-of-Congress count to which Chrestman pleaded guilty. And Durbin claimed to have evidence that Martin corresponded directly with a pardoned riot defendant who was not a client, William Pope, about his case.
Martin’s actions created at least the appearance of impropriety or a conflict of interest, Durbin wrote, or violated the legal canon that a lawyer not represent opposing sides in the same case. Legal ethicists cautioned that the actions of the U.S. attorney’s office in Padilla’s case were dictated by Trump’s pardon.
In an all-office email, Martin said, “over 18 months ago (at least), I stopped all involvement” in the cases of three Capitol riot clients “and was under the impression that I was off the cases.”
Durbin also condemned public and other out-of-court statements by Martin that the senator said appeared to violate prosecutorial ethics codes.
He cited Feb. 3 and 7 social media posts and letters to billionaire Trump adviser Elon Musk in which Martin vowed to “pursue any and all legal action” against anyone who impedes the work of employees of Musk’s U.S. DOGE Service. He also cited a Feb. 14 social media post targeting former special counsel Jack Smith and a law firm representing him. In that post, Martin wrote, “Save your receipts, Smith and Covington,” referring to the law firm Covington & Burling, adding, “We’ll be in touch soon.”
Durbin similarly pointed to Martin’s Feb. 19 internal announcement of “Operation Whirlwind,” which he billed as a new initiative to prosecute threats to government officials. As a part of that effort, Martin sent letters to Senate Democratic leader Charles E. Schumer (N.Y.) and U.S. Rep. Robert Garcia (D-California) asking for more information on incendiary statements they made criticizing two Supreme Court justices and Musk, respectively.
“Donald Trump and Elon Musk’s favorite interim U.S. Attorney is INTIMIDATING government employees and CHILLING SPEECH of private citizens,” Judiciary Committee Democrats posted on X, Musk’s social media platform. “The D.C. Bar must investigate Ed Martin and take appropriate disciplinary proceedings.”
Sen. Thom Tillis (R-North Carolina), a Judiciary Committee member, said in February that Martin could have “a real challenge” getting confirmed as Trump’s nominee to lead the office, telling HuffPost, “Don’t name a person, then figure out what crime they did. I just think that makes us no better than the people that we’re criticizing.”
Click on the link for the full article