Tag: Office

Copyright 2018 CNN (CNN) - A Louisiana mom, running for office for the first time, thought about taking her kindergartner and her 1½-year-old along with her on the campaign trail. So, Morgan Lamandre asked the board that oversees election rules if she could use political donations to cover child care expenses that wouldn't exist if she weren't running. Candidates in other states, particularly mothers, have made similar bids this year and won. "Nobody forces you to run for public office. 'An important bridge to cross' Already, Lamandre's case has spurred a push among Louisiana lawmakers to write an allowance for child care expenses into state election law. The episode follows similar requests in at least six states from mothers hoping to use political contributions to hire sitters while they worked to get elected. "This is an important bridge to cross because women don't feel like the opportunity is there for them because they have a family, they have responsibilities. "When you still have people writing the rules that are of a different time, it's very hard for a 30-something mom who's choosing to seek public office while working full time and raising kids to do that," Agnew said. Brasted noted that the Louisiana Ethics Board's own staff attorney reminded members weighing Lamandre's appeal that the same panel in 2000 allowed a male lawmaker to pay for "childcare (babysitting) expenses ... from campaign funds since they are related to your campaign." "There's already certain opportunities for a certain class of people to be able to run for office that others wouldn't, so this gives the opportunity for two working parents to be able to run for office that wouldn't otherwise have the extra funds to be able to run for office," Lamandre told the Ethics Board.

The statement came after Notley was questioned about allegations made by former NDP backbencher Robyn Luff. Luff was kicked out of caucus this week after she announced she was boycotting the legislature to protest what she called heavy-handed control of backbench legislature members by senior officials in Notley’s caucus and government. “Are there any allegations or incidents of inappropriate behaviour towards women among your MLAs or among the Alberta NDP?” Notley was asked. “Not that I’m aware of,” she replied. “And, more importantly, we have a policy in our caucus around sexual harassment, both in terms of how to respond to concerns that are raised, as well as speaking often and having a code of conduct with respect to both our MLAs and our staff around these issues.” Oates later said Notley believed the reporter’s question related to inappropriate conduct strictly within and among NDP caucus and staff. Notley dismissed other allegations made by Luff, a first-term legislature member for Calgary East, who said the gag order prevented backbenchers from representing their constituents. Luff’s wishes don’t mesh with the concept that politicians need to work together to get things done, Notley said. “We understand that that member (Luff) is not a fan of the parliamentary system and would like to have complete independence in all that she does, but that’s not the way the system works,” said Notley. Luff is the second member to break ranks with the governing caucus. Last year, Calgary backbencher Karen McPherson crossed the floor and now sits with the Alberta Party.

Here are some of the things Wright and Baxley had to say: School officers Baxley and Wright differed on whether the Sheriff’s Office should place deputies in the schools to serve as school resource officers. Not all the Cumberland County schools have them, but a recent grant of nearly $500,000 should soon allow additional ones to be hired. Baxley said. Instead of having the Sheriff’s Office hiring additional deputies specifically for the schools, Baxley said, the school system should use its own money to hire off-duty police officers and sheriff’s deputies as school resource officers. “You have to hire an officer that wants to work in the schools,” he said. “You don’t need officers just part-time going to work in the schools, because if you put part-time officers in schools, they don’t know the students. This leads to concerns that deputies risk of losing their jobs if they don’t campaign for the sheriff or otherwise support him politically. “I think politics needs to be taken out of the Sheriff’s Office,” Baxley said. “I’d never ask an officer to do anything that I wouldn’t do.” Diversity Baxley and Wright both said the Sheriff’s Office needs racial and cultural sensitivity training, as well as diversity in the department’s ranks, as it works in a diverse community such as Cumberland County. “Just treat everybody fairly, and just do the right thing,” Baxley said.

Can more techies in politics make for better policy? Dozens of scientists, computer scientists and tech entrepreneurs are running for office this year both on the federal and state level. “When someone is a software developer, or information architect, or scientist of some sort, my hope is that when they approach a problem, they’ll use the scientific method, and test their hypotheses, and try to approach government on a rational basis,” Ben Kallos, a software developer, lawyer and New York City Councilman told me over the phone. And there are dozens more scientists and techies running at the state level. He’s running to represent North Carolina’s House District 59 against Republican incumbent Jon Hardister. I’m not sure that I can.” The forces behind Trump’s election made Buccini question whether working at a Bay Area startup was really enabling him to contribute meaningfully to society. “I want to actually do the hard work and meet these people who are suffering, instead of being in the ivory tower of the Bay Area.” “I decided to come back home and run because the people who got me to where I was, the teachers who stayed after hours, and the teachers who wrote me the incredible recommendations, and sponsored my clubs that allowed me to go to Cal don’t have the resources they need to do their jobs,” he told me on the phone. More generally, during his five years in office, Kallos has worked with civic tech groups to make New York City government more accessible and open at a time when the open government movement started to flourish. Most of these technologists and scientists running for office appear to be Democrats. 314 Action, a political action group that started training scientists and technologists to run for office last year, is very much in line with Democrats, however.

Kathy Hochul – a former congresswoman from western New York who had been Cuomo's running mate in 2014 – is facing a fierce challenge from Jumaane Williams of Brooklyn, who is serving his third term as a New York City councilman. If Williams is indeed elected as lieutenant governor, he has promised to provide a check-and-balance in the mold of the more adversarial role the New York City Public Advocate has played to the New York City mayor. It also took place the same day as the only debate between Cuomo and Nixon, almost ensuring it would get little coverage. Questioned repeatedly about the matter in a radio interview last week with WNYC host Brian Lehrer, Hochul would only say that an unspecified "scheduling conflict" had submarined the debate. Nixon supporters argue that Cuomo has only shifted to the left on many issues due to her primary challenge. Hochul said that is not necessary. Cuomo needs someone else to tell him to do what's right," Hochul said. That took place as recently as 2008, when then-Lt. Gov. Hochul noted in a recent interview that abortion rights may be under threat nationally as conservative U.S. Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh is on a path to confirmation. Williams noted that in 2007, Hochul, as Erie County clerk, had vowed to have undocumented immigrants arrested if they applied for drivers' licenses.

Washington (CNN)Prosecutors Ryan Dickey and Brian Richardson are no longer working for the office of special counsel Robert Mueller, the Justice Department confirmed. Both lawyers were relatively junior but frequently spotted members of Mueller's corps. Both have worked on court cases that Mueller opened as part of his investigation into Russian interference and coordination with the Trump campaign in the 2016 presidential election. Over this summer, as Mueller opened more criminal cases, other Justice Department units including the US Attorney's Office in Washington and the National Security Division have begun to work on the court action, wedging the cases deeper into the Justice Department's portfolio. Trump, in his ongoing attacks of Mueller on Twitter, has repeatedly called the lawyers in the office "17 angry Democrats." Mueller himself is a longtime Republican previously appointed by presidents of both parties to various federal posts, including FBI director days before September 11, 2001. Richardson had been among Mueller's attorneys at Dutch lawyer Alex Van Der Zwaan's sentencing in April. Richardson had joined Mueller's office directly -- whereas some lawyers moved over on detail from other parts of the Justice Department -- after he finished a clerkship for Supreme Court Justice Stephen Breyer. Richardson recently became a research fellow at Columbia Law School, according to the law school's spokeswoman Nancy Goldfarb. Both appear to have left Mueller's office sometime this summer, though Carr would not confirm their engagement dates.

Craft a message stating why you are running. Just as you would before speaking in public or to the media, think about your core message. In some areas, holding state or county office is considered a part-time position, and it may be possible to balance patient care with serving in public office. Various organizations offer training events for those interested in running for office. These events may be helpful in learning how to fundraise, hone your message and begin the campaign. Your family members also may find themselves vulnerable and often on public display. Discuss with local party leaders your interest in running for office. As a political candidate, you are not speaking on behalf of your institution. It is advisable to have separate phone lines and email accounts for work and political communications. Running for office can be an extension of how pediatricians advocate for their patients.

The documents show attorney general staffers — many of whom had worked on Schuette’s attorney general campaign or now work on his gubernatorial campaign — were careful to use personal email accounts when they discussed political activities. With less than a week to go until Tuesday's GOP gubernatorial primary, Schuette called the email release a political attack and said his staff sent "personal email on personal time." But a separate schedule sent by a state staffer from her personal account shows that Schuette was expected at a 2:30 p.m. meeting in his Detroit office to discuss the “Cleveland Convention,” a July 2016 political event where Schuette would end up speaking ahead of President Donald Trump’s official GOP nomination. “At that time, Mr. Schuette was a big Jeb Bush supporter,” said Mark Brewer, attorney for Progress Michigan and former chairman of the Michigan Democratic Party. State work or politics? "It clearly is political activity, and the fact that meeting was called in a state office should at least raise questions the AG's office should answer." Brewer mailed out 37 separate subpoenas demanding Schuette staff and allies produce documents related to his personal campaigns or political activities. In one May 2015 email, sent on a Thursday during regular state employee work hours, Schuette used his personal email account to thank Tylus, a fundraising consultant, and several staffers for helping organize an Upper Peninsula barbecue fundraiser, which he said was “just the formula for the rest of our Endless Summer BBQ tour of Michigan.” Schuette, who was term limited and could not seek re-election as attorney general, predicted a “big turnout” of at least 300 supporters at a fundraising barbecue in west Michigan and discussed plans for another fundraiser in northern Michigan. They can do that on personal time.” While Schuette’s office did not immediately respond to question about personal time policy, Sandler said it is his understanding that “every employee gets an hour to 90 minutes to do what they want personally, and I believe it’s office policy for them to do political work on personal time, and they did that.” Sandler suggested Progress Michigan was attempting to aid Democratic gubernatorial primary front runner Gretchen Whitmer, which the organization denied. State Sen. Patrick Colbeck, also competing for the gubernatorial nomination, said recent revelations about Schuette make it "clear" that "he will be a liability to all Republicans in November" if he wins the primary.

Buzz has centered on Cranley running for Hamilton County prosecutor in 2020 if Republican Joe Deters decides not to run for re-election. More PX: See why Dems' tax hike might hurt Aftab Pureval in congressional race Cranley, who's term-limited in 2021, had given serious thought to running for prosecutor. The Republicans for years have used the prosecutor's office as a farm system to prepare attorneys to run for judicial seats. • Reds, Bengals and FC Cincinnati officials aren't talking publicly about a proposal to raise the admissions tax made by Democratic City Councilmen P.G. Brinkman has raised $34,000 this year. • The Toledo Blade editorial board called for Ohio Attorney General Mike DeWine to re-do the investigation into a sexual harassment complaint filed against state Rep. Bill Seitz of Green Township. DeWine's office hired a private firm to conduct the investigation. Seitz, who was cleared by the investigation, left the firm in 2014. • This was a "taxing" week in Hamilton County and Cincinnati. Politics Extra is a column looking inside Greater Cincinnati and Ohio politics.

With that wave of urbanization and economic development has come a new political chemistry in this conservative rural state. He described himself as an enthusiastic but uncommitted Democrat who planned to vote on Tuesday in a primary where the open seat for governor is the headline attraction. Image “People keep thinking, ‘Oh, you’ve got all these people moving in, it’s going to kind of moderate and you’re going to get a two-party system,’” said Gary Moncrief, a retired professor at Boise State University who has studied the state for 40 years. “People have been talking about that now for 30 years and it just hasn’t happened, and part of that is because of the nature of the people that are moving here.” In the primary, almost all the candidates for governor are reaching out in various ways to the altered electorate, either to suggest that greater change is possible now in a boom economy, or that the line against further change will be defended. Tommy Ahlquist, a physician and businessman who has had a hand in the boom as a developer, is pledging more economic growth. The Boise Co-op, for example, a beloved 45-year-old symbol of the North End — generally considered the city’s most liberal neighborhood — spent $3.5 million to open a grocery store in Meridian, 10 miles to the west, where conservative politics run deep and California license plates are common. Whether voters in the midst of a boom move left or right, many residents say the strains of change are deep, as farms and ranches on the city’s edge get chewed up into housing, and high-wage tech workers outcompete the locals. Gentle is a Democrat who said she has found herself moving to the left and will vote for Ms. Jordan. Ms. Oliver, 29, the tech recruiter, said it feels like a bubble. Her employer, Paylocity, an Illinois-based company that expanded in Idaho in 2015, will continue its growth curve outside Boise.