House Democrats split on new, unsuccessful move to impeach Donald Trump
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DEMS DECIDE, TO IMPEACH OR NOT TO IMPEACH
via David Lightman
California’s House Democrats were split Tuesday on backing an effort to impeach President Donald Trump.
Nineteen state Democrats voted to kill an effort to impeach, while 23 voted for the resolution. All nine Republicans also voted to kill the measure.
House Democratic leaders urged the vote to kill, or table.
“This is not the right approach we should be taking,” said House Democratic Caucus Chairman Pete Aguilar, D-San Bernardino.
“Right now our focus is on health care being stripped away from the American people. That is the most urgent and dire thing we can be talking about this week. Everything else is a distraction,” he said.
Among those voting with the Republicans to table were Reps. Ami Bera, D-Sacramento; Jim Costa, D-Fresno; Adam Gray, D-Merced and Salud Carbajal, D-Santa Barbara.
Voting to continue the impeachment effort were Reps. Doris Matsui, D-Sacramento, and Mike Thompson, D-St. Helena.
The vote to kill the resolution was 344 to 79, with 128 Democrats joining 216 Republicans agreeing to table the measure.
Rep. Al Green, D-Texas, a longtime, often caustic Trump opponent, offered the impeachment resolution.
It said that Trump “abused the powers of the presidency when he disregarded the doctrine of separation of powers by usurping Congress’s power to declare war and ordered the United States military to bomb another country without the constitutionally mandated congressional authorization or notice to Congress.”
It also said Trump “has become a threat to American democracy, subverted our constitutional government, and devolved democracy into authoritarianism.”
Trump Saturday ordered U.S. planes to strike Iran’s nuclear facilities. He did not seek congressional approval, and experts have debated whether he needed that authorization.
Even if the House impeached Trump –- which it did twice during his first term –- chances are slim he would be removed from office. That would take a two-thirds Senate majority, and Republicans control 51 of the 100 seats.
ARE MURALISTS EXEMPT FROM LICENSING?
via Rebecca-Ann Jattan
State Sen. Angelique Ashby, D-Sacramento, offered up a bill Tuesday to allow muralists to engage in commissioned work without having to obtain a contractor’s license.
The Community Beautification Act, presented in the Arts, Entertainment, Sports and Tourism Committee, seeks to clarify “confusion regarding requirements around licensing for muralists.” Ashby referenced moves in some cities, starting in 2023, that required muralists to be professional contractors -- moves that she said limited the types of community projects artists could pursue.
Ashby said the bill, SB 456, aims to to codify the original position of state regulations, which did not require muralists to meet the same standards as licensed contractors.
“Murals are very place-making, and we’re very proud in Sacramento to have so many of them all around our community,” Ashby said in the session. “Murals are a powerful tool for transforming communities.”
Donald Gensler, the Art in Public Places manager for the City of Sacramento, testified in support and noted that a “rigorous application and review process” remains in place for muralists to receive these commissions.
Jaya King, a Sacramento artist who also endorsed the bill, spoke to the challenges muralists face.
“Mural work is irregular, and licensing costs create financial barriers that could push artists out of public art,” King said.
Committee members voted 9-0 in favor of SB 456.
QUOTE OF THE DAY
“We can’t know all the names of the women who have died because of abortion bans, but we will never forget that people have endured injury, pain, and suffering because of the Dobbs decision. We continue to fight President Trump and his backers’ attacks on reproductive rights, including their effort to ‘defund’ Planned Parenthood in Congress and end abortion access for everyone, everywhere.”
— Alexis McGill Johnson, president and CEO of Planned Parenthood Action Fund
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