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TIME, amongst other things, provide profiles of prominent American leaders.
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Top Cases of 2015
Obergefell v. Hodges - In a long-sought victory for the gay rights movement, the Supreme Court ruled by a 5-to-4 vote on Friday that the Constitution guarantees a right to same-sex marriage. “No longer may this liberty be denied,” Justice Anthony M. Kennedy wrote for the majority in the historic decision. “No union is more profound than marriage, for it embodies the highest ideals of love, fidelity, devotion, sacrifice and family. In forming a marital union, two people become something greater than once they were.” Marriage is a “keystone of our social order,” Justice Kennedy said, adding that the plaintiffs in the case were seeking “equal dignity in the eyes of the law.”
The decision, which was the culmination of decades of litigation and activism, set off jubilation and tearful embraces across the country, the first same-sex marriages in several states, and resistance — or at least stalling — in others. It came against the backdrop of fast-moving changes in public opinion, with polls indicating that most Americans now approve of the unions. The court’s four more liberal justices joined Justice Kennedy’s majority opinion. Each member of the court’s conservative wing filed a separate dissent, in tones ranging from resigned dismay to bitter scorn.
In dissent, Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr. said the Constitution had nothing to say on the subject of same-sex marriage. “If you are among the many Americans — of whatever sexual orientation — who favor expanding same-sex marriage, by all means celebrate today’s decision,” Chief Justice Roberts wrote. “Celebrate the achievement of a desired goal. Celebrate the opportunity for a new expression of commitment to a partner. Celebrate the availability of new benefits. But do not celebrate the Constitution. It had nothing to do with it.” In a second dissent, Justice Antonin Scalia mocked the soaring language of Justice Kennedy, who has become the nation’s most important judicial champion of gay rights.
King v. Burwell - The Supreme Court ruled on Thursday that President Obama’s health care law allows the federal government to provide nationwide tax subsidies to help poor and middle-class people buy health insurance, a sweeping vindication that endorsed the larger purpose of Mr. Obama’s signature legislative achievement. The 6-to-3 ruling means that it is all but certain that the Affordable Care Act will survive after Mr. Obama leaves office in 2017. For the second time in three years, the law survived an encounter with the Supreme Court. But the court’s tone was different this time. The first decision, in 2012, was fractured and grudging, while Thursday’s ruling was more assertive.
“Congress passed the Affordable Care Act to improve health insurance markets, not to destroy them,” Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr. wrote for a united six-justice majority. In 2012’s closely divided decision, Chief Justice Roberts also wrote the controlling opinion, but that time no other justice joined it in full. In dissent on Thursday, Justice Antonin Scalia called the majority’s reasoning “quite absurd” and “interpretive jiggery-pokery.” He announced his dissent from the bench, a sign of bitter disagreement. His summary was laced with notes of incredulity and sarcasm, sometimes drawing amused murmurs in the courtroom as he described the “interpretive somersaults” he said the majority had performed to reach the decision.
In a hastily arranged appearance in the Rose Garden on Thursday morning, a triumphant Mr. Obama praised the ruling. “After multiple challenges to this law before the Supreme Court, the Affordable Care Act is here to stay,” he said, adding: “What we’re not going to do is unravel what has now been woven into the fabric of America.” The ruling was a blow to Republicans, who have been trying to gut the law since it was enacted. But House Republicans vowed that the political fight against it would continue.
Elonis v. United States - The Supreme Court on Monday made it harderto prosecute people for threats made on Facebook and other social media, reversing the conviction of a Pennsylvania man who directed brutally violent language against his estranged wife. Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr., writing for the majority, said prosecutors must do more than prove that reasonable people would view statements as threats. The defendant’s state of mind matters, the chief justice wrote, though he declined to say just where the legal line is drawn.
Chief Justice Roberts wrote for seven justices, grounding his opinion in criminal-law principles concerning intent rather than the First Amendment’s protection of free speech. The majority opinion was modest, even cryptic. Justice Samuel A. Alito Jr. voted with the majority, though he said a defendant’s recklessness in making threatening statements should suffice to require a conviction. The majority opinion took no position on that possibility. “Attorneys and judges are left to guess,” Justice Alito wrote.
Justice Clarence Thomas issued a similar criticism in his dissent. “Our job is to decide questions, not create them,” he wrote. “Given the majority’s ostensible concern for protecting innocent actors, one would have expected it to announce a clear rule — any clear rule. Its failure to do so reveals the fractured foundation upon which today’s decision rests.” Justice Thomas, who would have upheld Mr. Elonis’s conviction, said the majority’s approach was unsatisfactory. “This failure to decide,” he wrote, “throws everyone from appellate judges to everyday Facebook users into a state of uncertainty.”
Glossip v. Gross - The Supreme Court ruled against three death row inmates who had sought to bar the use of an execution drug they said risked causing excruciating pain. In the process, two dissenting members of the court — Justices Stephen G. Breyer and Ruth Bader Ginsburg — came very close to announcing that they were ready to rule the death penalty unconstitutional. This gave rise to slashing debate with Justices Antonin Scalia and Clarence Thomas about the reliability and effectiveness of the punishment, a dispute that overshadowed the core issue in the case.
The 5-to-4 decision on the execution drug broke along familiar lines, with Justice Anthony M. Kennedy joining the court’s more conservative members to allow its use. Justice Samuel A. Alito Jr., writing for the majority, said the inmates had failed to identify an available and preferable method of execution and failed to make the case that the challenged drug entailed a substantial risk of severe pain.
In dissent, Justice Sonia Sotomayor, who joined the other three members of the court’s liberal wing, said, “The court’s available-alternative requirement leads to patently absurd consequences.” “Petitioners contend that Oklahoma’s current protocol is a barbarous method of punishment — the chemical equivalent of being burned alive,” Justice Sotomayor wrote. “But under the court’s new rule, it would not matter whether the state intended to use midazolam, or instead to have petitioners drawn and quartered, slowly tortured to death or actually burned at the stake.” Justices Breyer, Ginsburg and Elena Kagan joined Justice Sotomayor’s dissent.
Michigan v. EPA - The Supreme Court on Monday blocked one of the Obama administration’s most ambitious environmental initiatives, an Environmental Protection Agency regulation meant to limit emissions of mercury and other toxic pollutants from coal-fired power plants. Industry groups and about 20 states had challenged the E.P.A.’s decision to regulate the emissions, saying the agency had failed to take into account the punishing costs its rule would impose. The Clean Air Act required the regulation to be “appropriate and necessary.” The challengers said the agency had run afoul of that law by deciding to regulate the emissions without first undertaking a cost-benefit analysis.
Writing for the majority, in the 5-to-4 decision, Justice Antonin Scalia wrote: “It is not rational, never mind ‘appropriate,’ to impose billions of dollars in economic costs in return for a few dollars in health or environmental benefits. Statutory context supports this reading.” The E.P.A. had argued that it was not required to take costs into account when it made the initial determination to regulate. But the agency added that it had done so later in setting emissions standards and that, in any event, the benefits far outweighed the costs. The two sides had very different understandings of the costs and benefits involved. Industry groups said the government had imposed annual costs of $9.6 billion to achieve about $6 million in benefits. The agency said the costs yielded tens of billions of dollars in benefits.
In dissent, Justice Elena Kagan wrote: “The agency acted well within its authority in declining to consider costs at the opening bell of the regulatory process given that it would do so in every round thereafter — and given that the emissions limits finally issued would depend crucially on those accountings.” The decision, Michigan v. Environmental Protection Agency, No. 14-46, does not strike down the rule, but it means the E.P.A. will have to review and rewrite it, taking costs into consideration.
(credit to various 2015 RL news articles)
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SCOTUSblog covers judicial news and SCOTUS updates in the United States.
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2015 Year in Review
California - California on Tuesday became the largest state in the country to require schoolchildren to receive vaccinationsunless there are medical reasons not to do so, as Gov. Jerry Brown signed legislation that ended exemptions for personal or religious reasons. Mr. Brown, a Democrat, signed the bill after it was passed by significant margins in the State Legislature. The new law was the subject of a long and heated debate in reaction to a strong movement among some parents who refuse to vaccinate their children against infectious diseases like measles.
“The science is clear that vaccines dramatically protect children against a number of infectious and dangerous diseases,” Mr. Brown said in a statement. “While it is true that no medical intervention is without risk, the evidence shows that immunization powerfully benefits and protects the community.” Two other states, West Virginia and Mississippi, have similar vaccination requirements. Despite overwhelming evidence that vaccines are an essential public health measure, the number of unvaccinated children in California has been rising, partly because personal and religious exemptions have been easy to obtain.
Doctors say that parents who decline vaccines for their children, taking heart from the fact that most other children are immunized and unlikely to spread diseases like measles, have helped create pockets of dangerously low immunity levels in particular schools and communities. An outbreak of measles in California this year, which began at Disneyland, was attributed in part to diseases being spread by children who had not been vaccinated.
Colorado - A gun battle erupted inside a Planned Parenthood center here on Friday when a man armed with an assault-style rifle opened fire and began shooting at officers as they rushed to the scene. The authorities reported that three people were killed, a police officer and two civilians, and nine were wounded before the suspect finally surrendered more than five hours after the first shots were fired. A police official in Colorado Springs identified the man in custody as Robert Lewis Dear.
The police did not describe the motives of the 57-year-old gunman. For hours on Friday, officers traded gunfire with him inside the clinic before they were able to shout to the man and persuade him to give up, according to Lt. Catherine Buckley, a police spokeswoman. “The perpetrator is in custody,” Mayor John Suthers said at an evening news conference. “There is a huge crime scene that has to be processed,” he said, “and we have to determine how many victims there are.” Lieutenant Buckley said the gunman had brought several suspicious items to the clinic, and investigators were trying to determine whether they were explosives.
The shooting came at a time when Planned Parenthood has been criticized because of surreptitious videos made by anti-abortion groups of officials discussing using fetal organs for research. It transformed a shopping area near the clinic into chaos as snow fell and gunshots rang through the parking lot. Black-clad tactical officers stood guard with guns in hand, ambulances lined up and dozens of shoppers and employees were ordered to stay away from windows and lock their businesses’ doors.
Delaware - Delaware governor Jack Markell has signed into law a bill decriminalising possession and private use of small amounts of marijuana. The move follows the lead of nearly 20 states that have eased penalties for personal consumption, state media reported on Thursday. Individuals in Delware will be allowed to possess up to an ounce of marijuana, and to use it privately without facing criminal sanctions. Police could still confiscate the drug, according to Delaware Online, the News Journal.
The statute also will reduce the penalty for using marijuana in a public place to a $100 civil fine. Under previous Delaware law, simple marijuana possession was a misdemeanor punishable by up to six months in jail and a maximum fine of $1,150. The law will take effect in six months’ time. Markell, a Democrat, signed the measure almost immediately after the state senate, voting along party lines, gave it final legislative approval.
According to the Journal, the Democratic-backed bill cleared the state legislature without a single Republican vote in either the house or senate. Not counting Delaware, 17 states have passed laws to decriminalize personal marijuana use and possession in small amounts, according to the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws, a lobbying group. Delaware is one of 23 states, along with the District of Columbia, that allow the use of pot for medical reasons. Voters in Colorado, Washington state, Oregon, Alaska and Washington DC have approved ballot measures legalising cannabis for adult recreational use.
Illinois - Mayor Rahm Emanuel, the former White House chief of staff whose cutting personality and centrist policies earned him the nickname “Mayor 1 Percent” among his critics, was re-elected mayor of Chicago on Tuesday, surviving a challenge from Jesus G. Garcia, a county commissioner who was seeking to become the city’s first Latino mayor. With 98 percent of precincts counted, Mr. Emanuel led Mr. Garcia 56 percent to 44 percent.
For Mr. Emanuel, 55, it was a narrow escape from what could have been an embarrassing loss to Mr. Garcia, a feisty former alderman and community organizer who for months hammered Mr. Emanuel for closing dozens of public schools and claimed the mayor ignored the working class and poor in the nation’s third-largest city. But Mr. Emanuel fought back by asserting that Mr. Garcia was unqualified for the job and its immense responsibilities, including confronting Chicago’s staggering debt, stubbornly high crime rate and unfunded pension liabilities. The race was closely watched nationally as a test of Democratic centrists by the party’s liberal wing, which has been resurgent with the victory of Mayor Bill de Blasio in New York City and the national prominence of Senator Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts.
At his campaign celebration, surrounded by his wife, Amy Rule; his daughters and son; and his brothers, Ariel and Ezekiel, Mr. Emanuel praised Mr. Garcia as “a good man” who loves Chicago, then thanked voters for giving him “a second term and a second chance.” “I have had the good fortune to serve two presidents. I’ve had the fortune of being elected to Congress,” he said. “Being mayor of the city of Chicago is the greatest job I’ve ever had and the greatest job in the world.” “To all the voters, I want to thank you for putting me through my paces,” Mr. Emanuel continued. “I will be a better mayor because of that.”
Indiana - In Indiana, legislators passed a series of changes on Thursday that, while not outlawing anti-gay discrimination, clarified that the religious freedom law does not authorize such discrimination. Lawmakers in Arkansas, acting at the urging of the governor, passed a measure that is nearly identical to the federal Religious Freedom and Restoration Act — and thus narrower in scope than the initial bill — but does not directly address discrimination. While liberal critics said the new versions did not go far enough to prevent discrimination, and some social conservatives saw the measures as needlessly watered down, many lawmakers considered the changes to be acceptable compromises.
After the Indiana legislature approved its legislation last week, an array of major companies and associations, as well as political and entertainment figures around the country, offered harsh criticism. Some state governments said they would curtail travel to Indiana, and some boycott efforts began, prompting state business leaders to demand changes. After long, anguished debates Thursday, the Indiana House of Representative voted, 66 to 30, and the Senate by 34 to 16, to amend the law, and Gov. Mike Pence signed the revision.
Kentucky - A Kentucky county clerk who has become a symbol of religious opposition to same-sex marriage was jailed Thursday after defying a federal court order to issue licenses to gay couples. The clerk, Kim Davis of Rowan County, Ky., was ordered detained for contempt of court and later rejected a proposal to allow her deputies to process same-sex marriage licenses that could have prompted her release.
Instead, on a day when one of Ms. Davis’s lawyers said she would not retreat from or modify her stand despite a Supreme Court ruling legalizing same-sex marriage, Judge David L. Bunning of United States District Court secured commitments from five of Ms. Davis’s deputies to begin providing the licenses. At least two couples planned to seek marriage licenses Friday. “The court cannot condone the willful disobedience of its lawfully issued order,” Judge Bunning said. “If you give people the opportunity to choose which orders they follow, that’s what potentially causes problems.”
The judge’s decision to jail Ms. Davis, a 49-year-old Democrat who was elected last year, immediately intensified the attention focused on her, a longtime government worker who is one of three of Kentucky’s 120 county clerks who contend that their religious beliefs keep them from recognizing same-sex nuptials. Within hours of Ms. Davis’s imprisonment, prominent Republicans declared their support for her, a sign that her case was becoming an increasingly charged cause for Christian conservatives.
Massachusetts - Two years after bombs in two backpacks transformed the Boston Marathon from a sunny rite of spring to a smoky battlefield with bodies dismembered, a federal jury on Friday condemned Dzhokhar Tsarnaev to death for his role in the 2013 attack. In a sweeping rejection of the defense case, the jury found that death was the appropriate punishment for six of 17 capital counts — all six related to Mr. Tsarnaev’s planting of a pressure-cooker bomb on Boylston Street, which his lawyers never disputed. Mr. Tsarnaev, 21, stood stone-faced in court, his hands folded in front of him, as the verdict was read, his lawyers standing grimly at his side.
Immediate reaction was mostly subdued.“Happy is not the word I would use,” said Karen Brassard, who suffered grievous leg injuries in the bombing. “There’s nothing happy about having to take somebody’s life. I’m satisfied, I’m grateful that they came to that conclusion, because for me I think it was the just conclusion.” The bombings two years ago turned one of this city’s most cherished athletic events into a grim tragedy — the worst terrorist attack on American soil since Sept. 11, 2001.
Three people were killed, and 17 people lost at least one leg. More than 240 others sustained serious injuries. Last month, after deliberating for 11 hours, the jury found Mr. Tsarnaev guilty of all 30 charges against him in connection with the bombings and the death a few days later of a fourth person, an M.I.T. police officer. The same jury spent 14 hours over three days deliberating the sentence.
Maryland - When a young black man named Freddie Gray died of a spinal cord injury in April, after a widely circulated cellphone video showing him being dragged screaming into a police transport van, a theory emerged: He was brutalized by officers, who gave him an intentional “rough ride” that left him with a broken neck. Now a jury is considering the fate of William G. Porter, the first of six Baltimore officers charged in Mr. Gray’s death. On Monday, lawyers delivered closing arguments; a prosecutor, dangling a bloodstained seatbelt, called the van a “casket on wheels,” while a defense lawyer urged jurors to put “cold hard facts” before emotion.
It is Baltimore’s highest-profile trial in years, playing out against the backdrop of an intense national debate over race and policing. But the Gray case is murkier than those in Chicago and South Carolina where video showed a white officer shooting an unarmed black man. While prosecution and defense lawyers agree that Mr. Gray suffered a debilitating injury inside the van, there is no recording showing what happened. And the fact that six officers have been charged — and are being tried separately — has complicated matters because not all the evidence is coming out at once.
As the city awaits a verdict, there is unease and fear of a repeat of the riots that erupted in April on the day of Mr. Gray’s funeral. Students left a high school en masse that day in response to a call on social media for a “purge,” a reference to a horror film in which laws are suspended for one day a year. The stakes are especially high for Marilyn Mosby, the state’s attorney for the City of Baltimore, who charged the six officers — an act that some say spared the city from further violence, but that defenders of the police characterized as the work of an overzealous prosecutor. On Monday, dressed in a pink coat, Ms. Mosby sat in the courtroom as Mr. Murtha took aim at her, though not by name.
Missouri - Months of student and faculty protests over racial tensions and other issues that all but paralyzed the University of Missouri campus culminated Monday in an extraordinary coup for the demonstrators, as the president of the university system resigned and the chancellor of the flagship campus here said he would step down to a less prominent role at the end of the year. The threat of a boycott by the Missouri football team dealt the highest-profile blow to the president, Timothy M. Wolfe, and the chancellor, R. Bowen Loftin, but anger at the administration had been growing since August, when the university said it would stop paying for health insurance for graduate teaching and research assistants.
It reversed course, but not before the graduate assistants held demonstrations, threatened a walkout, took the first steps toward forming a union and joined forces with students demonstrating against racism. Then the university came under fire from Republicans for ties its medical schools and medical center had to Planned Parenthood. The university severed those ties, drawing criticism from Democrats that it had caved in to political pressure. But it was charges of persistent racism, particularly complaints of racial epithets hurled at the student body president, who is black, that sparked the strongest reactions, along with complaints that the administration did not take the problem seriously enough.
Gov. Jay Nixon, a Democrat, said, “Tim Wolfe’s resignation was a necessary step toward healing and reconciliation on the University of Missouri campus, and I appreciate his decision to do so.” Many of the students and faculty members who took part in demonstrations had also been inspired by the protest movement sparked last year in Ferguson, a suburb of St. Louis, after a white police officer there killed Michael Brown, an unarmed black man, and they were experienced at using social media in organizing. They saw themselves as part of a continuum of activism linking Ferguson, other deaths at the hands of police, protests on campuses around the country and the Black Lives Matter movement.
Nebraska - Nebraska on Wednesday became the first conservative state in more than 40 years to abolish the death penalty, with lawmakers defying their Republican governor, Pete Ricketts, a staunch supporter of capital punishment who had lobbied vigorously against banning it. After more than two hours of emotional speeches at the Capitol here, the Legislature, by a 30-to-19 vote that cut across party lines, overrode the governor’s veto of a bill repealing the state’s death penalty law. After the repeal measure passed, by just enough votes to overcome the veto, dozens of spectators in the balcony burst into celebration.
The vote capped a monthslong battle that pitted most lawmakers in the unicameral Legislature against the governor, many law enforcement officials and some family members of murder victims whose killers are on death row. The Legislature approved the repeal bill three times this year, each time by a veto-proof majority, before sending it to Mr. Ricketts’s desk. Adding to the drama, two senators who had previously voted for repeal switched to support the governor at the last minute.
Opponents of the death penalty here were able to build a coalition that spanned the ideological spectrum by winning the support of Republican legislators who said they believed capital punishment was inefficient, expensive and out of place with their party’s values, as well as that of lawmakers who cited religious or moral reasons for supporting the repeal. Nebraska joins 18 other states and Washington, D.C., in banning the death penalty. Though it is not clear that other Republican-dominated states will follow Nebraska’s example, Wednesday’s vote came at a time when liberals and conservatives have been finding common ground on a range of criminal justice issues in Washington and around the country.
Oregon - Governor John Kitzhaber, long regarded as a wily survivor of Oregon politics, resigned Friday amid a spiraling crisis that included a criminal investigation of the role that his fiancée played in his administration and crumbling support from his Democratic Party colleagues. It was a steep and rapid fall for Mr. Kitzhaber, 67, a former emergency room doctor who won an unprecedented fourth term as governor in November. His resignation means that Kate Brown, the Oregon secretary of state and a fellow Democrat, will become governor, in accordance with the succession plan in the state Constitution.
Even during the recent election, Mr. Kitzhaber had been plagued by questions about his fiancée, Cylvia Hayes, with whom he lives in the governor’s mansion, and whether she had violated ethics rules or criminal laws in advising him about clean energy issues while serving as a consultant on the topic. Before November’s election and after, he repeatedly denied any wrongdoing by Ms. Hayes, 47, or his office, and pledged cooperation in the various inquiries, including one initiated this month by the state’s attorney general, Ellen Rosenblum, also a Democrat, which could result in criminal charges.
But in the last few days, some senior Democrats in the heavily Democratic state abandoned him and called for his resignation, piling on with some Republicans, who had criticized him as an ineffective leader even before the scandals. Ms. Brown, 54, the secretary of state, was among those who distanced herself, releasing a statement on Thursday describing what she said was a “bizarre” meeting she had had with Mr. Kitzhaber — saying that he had asked her to rush back to Oregon from a conference in Washington, D.C., this week to speak privately with him. But once in the meeting, Ms. Brown said, she found him confused or uncertain about why she had come.
South Carolina - They pooled by the thousands in the scorching July heat — white and black, old and young, civil rights veterans and everyday Southerners who grew up with the symbols and assumptions of the racial order of the South. They waited quietly at first, but eventually erupted into spontaneous chants of “Take it down!”
And when the red and blue Confederate battle flag was finally, permanently lowered here from its place of honor on the grounds of the South Carolina State House, they chanted again: “U.S.A.! U.S.A.!”
The banishment of perhaps the most conspicuous and polarizing symbol of the Old South from the seat of South Carolina government Friday morning was the culmination of decades of racially charged political skirmishes. At issue were vexing questions about how a state that was first to secede from the Union — and then later raised the battle flag in 1962 when white Southerners were resisting calls for integration — should honor its Confederate past.
It was a conversation that seemed like it might never end here, until it was hurried to a resolution by unspeakable horror: the massacre of nine black churchgoers in downtown Charleston last month, and a gathering sense of outrage and offense that was felt even by many white conservatives who had previously supported the flag. The arrest of the alleged gunman, 21-year-old Dylann Roof, who posed proudly with the flag and apparently posted a long racist manifesto online before the massacre, was the flag’s final undoing.
Virginia - Bob McDonnell, the former governor of Virginia who was convicted in September on corruption charges, was sentenced to 24 months in prison on Tuesday in one of the most spectacular falls of a statewide official in the history of the commonwealth. Mr. McDonnell, 60, whose lawyers had argued for community service in lieu of prison time, was sentenced by Judge James R. Spencer of Federal District Court, who after a lengthy discourse on sentencing guidelines and the nature of guilt and remorse concluded that “a price must be paid.”
Judge Spencer said he found the situation heartbreaking and the crimes confounding. But “unlike Pontius Pilate,” he said, “I can’t wash my hands of it all.” The sentence was more than Mr. McDonnell — whose name was once floated as a possible candidate for the White House — had hoped for. But it was far less than the 10 to 12 years recommended by the federal probation office and the six and a half years later sought by prosecutors. Mr. McDonnell will face two years of supervision upon release.
Washington - When she moved into her uncle’s basement in the largely white town of Coeur d’Alene, Idaho, in 2004, Rachel A. Dolezal was still blond and pale-skinned and identified herself as a white woman — one who had left a black husband and had a biracial child. But within a few years, her already deep commitment to black causes and culture intensified. Co-workers and relatives began hearing from her or others that her background was mixed-race — and even that she had called herself black.
Many of them questioned the way she described herself, while others accepted it at face value. No one seems to have made an issue of it, but most people saw in her a force of personality that made her a strong and passionate advocate at the Human Rights Education Institute in Coeur d’Alene, where she began working soon afterward. “It’s really impressive what she accomplished, bringing a lot of energy to these places,” her uncle, Daniel A. Dolezal, recalled in a telephone interview on Tuesday, speaking of the human rights group as well as the N.A.A.C.P. chapter in Spokane, which she later rose to lead. He recalled her journey from being a down-on-her-luck single mother who took part-time teaching jobs, tried to sell her artwork, and worked in the camera store he owns in Coeur d’Alene, in a part of the Idaho panhandle that was once the headquarters of Aryan Nations, the white supremacist group.
Her story has set off a national debate about the very meaning of racial identity, with some people applauding her message and goals and many others deploring her methods and actions. It was one thing for Ms. Dolezal to identify with, appreciate and even partake in black culture, some critics said, but it was another thing for her to try to become black, going so far as to change her physical appearance.
Wisconsin - The Supreme Court on Monday turned away a challenge to a Wisconsin law that requires prospective voters to provide photo identification before casting their ballots. Officials in Wisconsin said they would not enforce the law in the next election, on April 7, but would require compliance in later ones. The April election includes contests for judicial seats and local offices. “Absentee ballots are already in the hands of voters, therefore, the law cannot be implemented for the April 7 election,” Attorney General Brad Schimel said in a statement. “The voter ID law will be in place for future elections — this decision is final.”
Dale Ho, director of the American Civil Liberties Union’s Voting Rights Project, said the group would continue to fight. “We’re pleased the state has agreed with the A.C.L.U.’s position that imposing a new restriction on voters in the midst of an election is a recipe for disaster,” he said in a statement. “For now, the voters of Wisconsin will be able to cast their ballots free from the burdens placed on them by this law. But this should be the case for voters permanently, not just for one election.”
The Supreme Court’s decision not to hear the case was a surprise, as the court last year temporarily blocked the law for the November election, and voters were not required to show photo identifications in order to vote. The Wisconsin law, one of the strictest in the nation, was enacted in 2011 but had been mostly blocked by various courts. It requires prospective voters to show a current or recently expired Wisconsin driver’s license or a similar identification issued to people who do not drive, a military ID, a United States passport, a tribal ID, a recent naturalization certificate or some Wisconsin student IDs.
2015 Gubernatorial Elections - Kentucky Republicans saw themselves back in control of the governorship after eight years of Democrat Steve Beshear as businessman Matt Bevin defeated Democratic State Attorney General Jack Conway 52.5% - 43.8%. Mississippi Republicans held onto the governorship with a commanding 66.2% victory for incumbent Republican Governor Phil Bryant over truck driver Robert Grey's 32.4%. Not all was lost for Democrats as Louisiana became an improbable decisive 56.1% victory for Louisiana House Minority Leader John Bel Edwards over Senator David Vitter's 43.9%, who had previously been caught in an infamous D.C. prostitution scandal.
(credit to various 2015 RL news articles)
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Stateside covers local and state political news across the United States.
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2015 Year in Review
Music - The Grammy for Record of the Year went to Mark Robinson and Bruno Mars' 'Uptown Funk' and Album of the Year went to Taylor Swift's '1989'. The Grammy for Best New Artist went to Megan Trainor and Best Rap Album went to Kendrick Lamar's 'To Pimp a Butterfly'. The CMA's Entertainer of the Year was Luke Bryan and Album of the Year went to Christ Stapleton's 'Traveler' . The top two placements on the Rolling Stone 50 Best Albums of 2015 was Kendrick Lamar's 'To Pimp a Butterfly' in the number 1 spot and Adele's '25' taking second.
Television - 'NCIS' was the most-watched television series in 2015 with 'Big Bang Theory' and 'Empire' in the top five. The Emmy for Outstanding Comedy Series was 'VEEP' and the Emmy for Outstanding Drama Series was 'Game of Thrones'. The Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series was a milestone for television as Jeffrey Tambor won for his portrayal of a trans woman in 'Transparent' produced by Amazon. Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series was Viola Davis for "How to Get Away with Murder' and Peter Dinklage won Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series for his portrayal of Tyrion Lannister in 'Game of Thrones'.
Cinema - Leonardo DiCaprio finally won the Academy Award for Best Actor for "The Revenant' and Best Picture went to the masterful storytelling film on the journalists who exposed sexual abuse in the Catholic Church in the form of 'Spotlight'. Best Actress was won by Brie Larson for 'Room' and Disney went home with another Academy Award with their Best Animated Picture Award for 'Inside Out'. The Best Foreign Language Picture stoking thought-provoking conversation about a Hungarian prisoner at Auschwitz went to 'Son of Saul' and Best Documentary sparked attention towards Pakistan's honor killings with 'A Girl in the River: The Price of Forgiveness'.
Sports - Super Bowl XLIX was played on February 1, 2015 and was won by the New England Patriots over the Seattle Seahawks by a vote of 28-24. The Super Bowl Halftime Show was Katy Perry, featuring Lenny Kravitz, Missy Elliott, and the Arizona State University Sun Devil Marching Band at the University of Phoenix Stadium in Arizona. The 2014–15 NBA season was won by the Golden State Warriors over the Cleveland Cavaliers 4-2 with Season MVP being Stephen Curry. The Kansas City Royals emerged as the World Series Champions of the MLB over the New York Mets for the 2014-2015 season. The Stanley Cup went to the Chicago Blackhawks for the NHL and the 2015 British Open was won by American Zach Johnson. Athletes around the world are gearing up for the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
Pop Culture - 'Hotline Bling' by Drake was the defining song of the summer and the Lee Daniel's created 'Empire' quickly became one of the most-watched on television. Amy Schumer has found herself at the peak of her comedy career and 'Fifty Shades of Grey' sparked controversy from conservative family organizations. Taylor Swift's '1989' World Tour was a resounding success, with many wondering if she could achieve an even more successful tour in eight years, and 'Hamilton' depicting the life of Treasury Secretary and revolutionary Alexander Hamilton quickly became a Broadway sensation and boosted the stardom of Lin Manuel Miranda. The death of Jon Snow in 'Game of Thrones' shocked fans worldwide and Caitlyn Jenner introduced herself to the world as a transgender woman. Netflix is on the rise as streaming platforms become more popular and 'Star Wars The Force Awakes' brings fans to the theaters all around the globe in a resurgence for the franchise. TIME Magazine's Person of the Year was German Chancellor Angela Merkel. The Nobel Peace Prize went to the Tunisian National Dialogue Quartet.
Social Media - Twitter, Facebook, and WhatsApp continued to dominate as the three most used apps globally. Snapchat is in its infancy while Pinterest and Tumblr find strong followings. YouTube has continued to grow exponentially and both Vine and Instagram becomes hits with young people. GIFs, Emojis, and filters become available across various platforms. Social media usage is on the rise across all demographics.
In Memoriam - Stuart Scott (age 49), Natalie Cole (age 65), Leonard Nimoy (age 83), Beau Biden (age 46), Fred Thompson (age 73), Bobbi Kristina Brown (age 22), Mario Cuomo (age 82), Alex Rocco (age 79), Omar Sharif (age 83), Bob Simon (age 73), Christopher Lee (age 93), B.B. King (age 89), Suzanne Crough (age 52), Ben E. King (age 76), Lesley Gore (age 68), 'Rowdy' Roddy Piper (age 61), Julian Bond (age 75), Yogi Berra (age 90), Scott Weiland (age 48), Helmut Schmidt (age 96), Denis Healy (age 98), Wes Craven (age 76), Saud al-Faisal (age 75), Lee Kuan Yew (age 91), King Abdullah (age 90).
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Rolling Stone covers pop culture, sports, and entertainment in the United States and internationally,
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The Character Tier & Groundwork Points System is back!
I am glad to be reviving a tweaked GPs System for Reset 18. Part of being a Senator is being able to be a mover and shaker at the local level just as much as at the federal. The GPs System allows players to use points in order to influence their faction in states, propose legislation, intrigued statewide referendum, and other opportunities to shape the wider world around you. Engagement with this system will bring rewards to your characters and expand their notoriety and influence. Some of your potential decisions may even impact election season and beyond.
Players will all begin at Tier II in the Character Tier System which awards you all with 25 GPs to spend in Q1 & Q2 of 2017 before you receive your next 25 GPs for Q3 and Q4. Players are allowed to save and spend as many GPs as they wish to as GPs do carry over if unused. Players can use the character tier system to grow their influence, bring in more cash, and build strong relations that could boost your statewide approval ratings.
Players will post their GP spending in their respective party GP spending areas. These posts will be hidden until the AB has responded to the request. Spending points has the potential to be useful or detrimental depending on how much you are paying attention to the scenario you create as a result of your spending. You control the trajectory of your character and their impact on the IG world.
Below I have linked the Character Tier & Groundwork Points System for R18:
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R18 Democratic GP Spending
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R18 Republican GP Spending
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HOW IT WORKS
One important aspect to remember is that this is something new and is bound to be subject for change and sometimes on the fly or even retcons. I would ask all of you to be patient when it comes to this and view it as the opportunity to try something new and to be vocal with constructive criticism and suggestions. You are not obligated to use your GPs if you choose not to.
What it does:
Basically, you receive bonuses or penalties on a number of things, as you advance through the tiers, or maybe even get knocked back if you screw up. Your placement in the Character Tier System (CTS) is subject to change upwards and downwards at the discretion of the Administrative Board, based on your actions. As you take part in the CTS, you also accumulate Groundwork Points (GPs) which you can use for a number of things at a certain cost.
How to advance:
Again, your placement in the tier is at the discretion of the Administrative Board, based on what you yourself are doing in-game. There is no set timeline for how fast you can advance and you may even be set back, if you screw up bad enough.
What you can do in order to advance/improve your chances to advance is:
- Actively Legislate/Pass Legislation: This is a no brainer and is basically what you are doing right now anyway.
- Maintain a Active Profile Media Presence: I am talking about being active in your Press Office, doing interviews, writing editorials, doing tours throughout your states, giving speeches, the whole shebang. I will not be taking Twitter into account.
- Playing to Your Faction: This one is a bit tricky to navigate, but for example a progressive Democrat voting for concealed carrying laws will receive some bewildered looks and may hold you back, if you pull such stunts too often.
- Climbing Up the Leadership Ladder: Someone who holds a powerful position in Congress has a higher chance of being placed, well, higher. But it's not a given if to automatically advance to another tier if previous to your election, you have done jack nothing.
- Winning an Election: That one should be easy to grasp. You win an election, it boost your seniority and your chance to advance to the next tier.
- Spending GPs on Certain Actions: The more honorable way to improve your chances of moving up in the world of the CTS.
- Responding to "Events": From time to time, an "event" will pop up for you in your state. Be advised, that a) you will have to respond in a timely manner and b) that you do not have an automatic right to get such an event. They can be quick events (like writing a letter to a Government Department on behalf of a constituent), require you to acquire funds for a certain pork project or for example have you taking part in something happening in your state. The player will normally be notified of the event. Sometimes, a hint might be placed in a news story. If you miss it or do not react to it, the chance is lost.
How to keep track:
The Administrative Board will open a new subforum in the Character Activities Forum with an official list of Players with their respective Character Tier via Goggle Sheet. Players will post when they want to spend the GPs within their party's respective area, albeit the post will be hidden until deemed no longer necessary by the AB. The AB will maintain a separate master sheet that will track spending GPs.
WHAT YOU CAN SPEND YOUR GPs ON
Below are the actions you can "purchase" with your GPs. Please be advised, that some of the effects mentioned are general guidelines and not set in stone. They are simply meant to give you a feeling if what you are doing has a chance of having an effect. It is also not meant for you to be able to do everything all the time with your GPs, they are a resource to be budgeted and not political mana without end. You can receive GPs throughout the IG year at the discretion of the AB.
Player Options:
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Introduce State Legislation: The way it works is that you tell the Administrative Board, that you want your homestate to consider xyz legislation. You give a rough outline of what the bill should do (for example "right to work legislation" or "a bill which strips all inmates of their right to get fed every day") and post it in your party GP spending location. Introducing the legislation has nothing to do with the bill being passed. It only means that it will be considered. Chances of passage are of course based on the content, the "nature" of the state party (aka dominant faction) and other things. Be warned, though, that a player whose party does not control a trifecta in his homestate will sometimes have a very tough time having the legislation being successfully considered.
GPs COST HOMESTATE 2 3/3 Control 4 2/3 Control 6 1/3 or 0/3 Control NOT-HOMESTATE 3 3/3 Control 7 2/3 Control 9 1/3 or 0/3 Control
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Improve Outcome of State Legislation: You will be able to boost the chances of state legislation you introduced. The less control your party holds, the less likely it is that your bill will pass. Do note, though, that also PRs and in-character rallies in support of state legislation will contribute to the chances of the outcome of state legislation, too.
GPs COST HOMESTATE 3 3/3 Control 6 2/3 Control 9 1/3 or 0/3 Control NOT-HOMESTATE 6 3/3 Control 10 2/3 Control 14 1/3 or 0/3 Control
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Impair Outcome of State Legislation: When a state considers new legislation being bought with GPs, the Administrative Board will state so in a short news blip. Players now have an opportunity to impair the outcome via PRs, in-character rallies/events or by spending GPs.
GPs COST HOMESTATE 3 3/3 Control 6 2/3 Control 9 1/3 or 0/3 Control NOT-HOMESTATE 6 3/3 Control 10 2/3 Control 14 1/3 or 0/3 Control
- Introduce Statewide Referendum: The way it works is that you tell the Administrative Board, that you want your homestate to consider xyz referendum. You give a rough outline of what the referendum should do (for example "reproductive rights referendum" or "parental rights proposition") and post it in your party GP spending location. Introducing the referendum has nothing to do with the refendum being passed. It only means that it will be considered. Chances of passage are of course based on the content, the "nature" of the state (aka dominant party) and other things. Be warned, though, that a player whose party does not control a trifecta in their homestate will sometimes have a very tough time having the referendum being successfully considered. Referendums, if implemented strategically, can increase turnout for a particular faction in statewide races and can potentially even shape electoral outcomes.
GPs COST HOMESTATE 8 3/3 Control 10 2/3 Control 12 1/3 or 0/3 Control NOT-HOMESTATE 10 3/3 Control 12 2/3 Control 14 1/3 or 0/3 Control -
Boost State Faction Influence: Players may choose to spend GPs on influencing their state in favor of their faction. It is worth noting that this is geared towards influencing the faction affiliation of the state legislature, representatives, and gubernatorial candidates aligned with the party of the player.
GPs COST HOMESTATE 4 Small Boost 7 Medium Boost 9 High Boost NOT-HOMESTATE 6 Small Boost 9 Medium Boost 12 High Boost
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Advance Character Tier: You can pay GPs to de-facto advance a character tier.
GP COST TO ADVANCE TO 25 Tier I 30 Tier II 60 Tier III 75 Tier IV
THE CHARACTER TIERS
Below are the Character Tiers. Be advised, that most players will propably spend most of their time in Tiers II and III. I is where most players will probably fall within, whereas Tier 0 and Tier IV are tough to reach. Your character tier will correspond to more IVS/XP.
TIER 0: "THE PARIAH" (10 GPs/y)
You are the pariah of your state and your state's party. Basically, your own voters would prefer you taking a long walk off a short pier, never to be seen again. People expect less than nothing from you. As a result, your approval rating is penalized, your have lower background fundraising, and fewer GPs to spend. Oh, and you receive a penalty for your starting polling in an election. The upside to all of this is, that you can't fall any lower and have nowhere to go but up.
TIER I: "THE PEASANT" (15 GPs/y)
So you are a United States Senator. Congratulations. Problem is, that people don't know you. Voters might vaguely remember that they checked the ballot for someone with your name but wouldn't remember you if you shook their hands ten minutes ago. As a result, you get no approval rating bonus and your background fundraising and GP are nothing much to talk about. You have to work the state to get noticed, so get going.
TIER II: "THE COUNT" (25 GPs/y)
You seem to have acquired the hint of a power base in your state. At least people will remember that you successfully ran for the United States Senate and that you propably are in Washington D.C., hopefully doing your job. As a result, you get no approval rating bonus, your background fundraising is at the baseline, and your GP is adequate. You are on the right track, but still have a long way to go.
TIER III: "THE DUKE" (35 GPs/y)
You are recognized and noticed in your state. The work you're doing is appreciated and people generally like what you're doing. As a result, you receive a slight approval rating bonus, your background fundraising is higher, and you receive a larger GP set. There even is a small boost to your starting poll in a state election. This is where you are usually sitting at, at the peak of your power.
TIER IV: "THE GOD-KING" (40 GPs/y)
You are not only a force to be reckoned with, you are THE force in your state. Where you walk, the earth crumbles and the mighty tremble, as you gracefully beckon them to approach your ivory throne. As a result, you receive a worthy approval rating bonus, your background fundraising is significantly higher, and you receive a hefty GP set. At the beginning of an election, you receive a boost in your starting poll. Be careful, though, for the mighty can fall quite low and a major misstep could have catastrophic consequences not only, for you, but for your state party as well.
TIER VP: "VPOTUS" (35 GPs/y)
This tier is reserved for the player serving as Vice President of the United States. They will be able to engage in the character tier system through this reserved tier that allows them to the ability to operate within the system if they choose to do so. They will received a larger GP set to accommodate the prestige that comes with the Office of the Vice Presidency. Their home state advantage will correspond to the state their character is from.
TIER P: "POTUS" (45 GPs/y)
This tier is reserved for the player serving as President of the United States. They will be able to engage in the character tier system through this reserved tier that allows them to the ability to operate within the system if they choose to do so. They will received a hefty GP set to accommodate the prestige that comes with the Office of the Presidency. Their home state advantage will correspond to the state their character is from.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
A running tally of frequently asked questions for quick reference and clarifications.
"Will GPs carry over to the next year": Yes.
"How often are GPs awarded automatically in a IG year": The start of Quarter 1 and Quarter 3.
"Can GPs be transferred to other players or the party": No.
"How many pieces of legislation can I propose per quarter": A maximum of twice per Quarter.
"How often can I influence state faction influence": A maximum of twice per IG year.
"How many referendum can I propose in an IG year": Twice per IG year.
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Sign-ins are open!
We providing two links below: one is for POTUS mini-game rules leading into the 2016 primary race. The AB will be carrying over the rules from the last round, courtesy of the magnificent @Ollie. Thank you Ollie. The other is the POTUS Registration. If you have questions, use the technical-requests forum to keep it all consolidated in one place.
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2016 Presidential Election Mini-Game Rules
Welcome to the 2016 Presidential election mini-game! This will be a simple system with one turn where you may spend Action Points (AP) to perform different actions leading up to January 1st, 2016. Think of this as groundwork for beginning the true campaign and leading up to the first three primaries/caucuses. There will be one turn in this mini-game and the full calendar is posted above on the forum header. You will post a thread in this forum to submit your turns; all turn submissions will remain private.
REMINDER: 2016 is 2016. 2016 is a different world from 2024. The AB will judge rounds accordingly. The AB will also be assuming BOTH parties are starting with Iowa, New Hampshire, South Carolina, and Nevada.
Action Points
Every contender will have 30 action points to begin each turn. Any unspent action points do not roll over to the next turn. You may spend action points in any of the following areas below to complete your turn.
Fundraising
Fundraising is one of the key barometers for candidates strength and how well they'll likely do in the election. This is because money is required for key campaign infrastructure (staff, offices, travel, etc.) along with advertisements. There are three options for spending AP on fundraising. You may only pick one each round.
Example Submission
Galas (4 AP)
Target: Defense Industry
Focus: I support committing further funding for the F-35 Lightning II, doubling production. And we will expand our defense support of our allies in Ukraine, Israel, and across Europe.
Light Fundraising (4 AP)
Light fundraising includes emails, putting together a donor list for the future, and soliciting donations other ways through your campaign website. This is the bare minimum for raising funds prior to a campaign launch. For emails, you'll want to target more generally (e.g., grassroots donors, progressive democrats, MAGA Republicans, etc.)
Galas, High End Events (8 AP)
Galas and high end events, along with regular emailing/website solicitations, will be held. For this option, you're going to want to target more specifically than you would for emails. (e.g., telecommunications, oil industry, unions, etc.)
Maximum Fundraising (16 AP)
This is the maximum amount of fundraising you can do in a turn. This means all hands on deck with emailing, galas, soliciting donations through your website, and making phone calls for large donations. You can choose how you wish to target here for max impact from your chosen donor base.
Courting Endorsements and Mega Donors
Endorsements play an important role in every primary. There is a reason Democratic candidates meet with The New York Times every four years or Republican candidates seek out endorsements from some of the largest donors in their circles. With that said, every endorsement request will cost (4 AP) and must include 1-2 sentences on why you think that person/organization/newspaper should support your campaign for President. Keep in mind, however, you may attempt to court an endorsement from anyone.
News Media
The media plays a big role in visibility for candidates, improving name recognition, and making headlines. There are three options for attempting to gain more recognition for your campaign, explaining your policy ideas, and hitting home your talking points. This is similar to the known Spin Zone, tailored for the campaign system.
Standard Cable Hit (2 AP)
This is a standard short interview on one of the major paid-television networks (CNN, MSNBC, Fox News, etc.) where you'll use the time to talk about the key themes you intend to hit on your campaign. You're limited to 2-3 talking points here. This will cost x AP.
Spreading the Message (4 AP)
This is similar to the standard cable hit, except that you'll also have allies/staffers going across to other networks spreading your talking points/themes as well.
Full Court Press (12 AP)
Your team will put forward a full court press to spread your talking points/themes. They'll book you on popular podcasts, cable news, late night talk shows, or wherever else you might wish to go. This is the max you can spend in order to increase your name recognition and get your talking points out in the world.
On the Attack
Do you see another candidate as a threat and want to knock them down a peg? See a vulnerability in their record, their policy positions? Then let the media know, plant the story, and go on the attack. You can leak a story in the media or have surrogates of your own go on the attack against the candidate in the press. This will cost (8 AP).
Example Submission
On the Attack (x AP)
Senator Jacob Olliver (R-CA) vetoed legislation that would have expanded gun rights during her time as Governor. Caroline Jefferson clearly doesn't care about voters second amendment rights.
Barnstorming
Do you want to barnstorm a certain early primary state to spread your key themes, tailor them to the state you're visiting, while shaking hands and kissing babies? Here's your chance. You can visit any of the primary states you wish (see the calendar, here) and use any of your themes/talking points you wish. This will cost (2 AP) for every location you visit.
Example Submission
Locations
IA: Des Moines (2AP), Iowa City (2AP), Ames (2AP)
NH: Concord (2AP)
Targets: Young Voters, Rural Voters
- Jacob Olliver is the best candidate in this race because he has promised, on day one, to push Congress to forgive $40,000 in student loans, lifting the financial burden on millions of American's.
- Jacob Olliver cares about rural infrastructure and will invest $100 billion into healthcare, education, and road infrastructure for rural areas across Iowa in desperate need of it.
Example Turn
Below is an example of what a turn submission might look like. Keep in mind, this is just an example, and likely shouldn't be used for any true submission.
QuoteJacob Olliver (R-CA), Round 1 Presidential Election Mini-Game
FUNDRAISING
Maximum Fundraising (16 AP)
Target: Defense Industry
Focus: I support committing further funding for the F-35 Lightning II, doubling production. And we will expand our defense support of our allies in Ukraine, Israel, and across Europe.
COURTING ENDORSEMENTS
Gov. Kim Reynolds of Iowa (4AP) - Terry Branstad has been a staunch advocate of pro-life policies and so has Jacob Olliver. During his time in Congress, he has advocated for a ban at 15 weeks, voted against extreme left policies, and worked to protect the sanctity of life.
Sen. Chuck Grassley of Iowa (4AP) - Chuck Grassley has been a staunch advocate of pro-life policies and so has Jacob Olliver. During his time in Congress, he has advocated for a ban at 15 weeks, voted against extreme left policies, and worked to protect the sanctity of life.
BARNSTORMING
Locations
IA: Des Moines (2AP), Iowa City (2AP), Ames (2AP)
Tagets: Young Voters, Rural Voters
- Jacob Olliver is the best candidate in this race because he has promised, on day one, to push Congress to make affordable college a reality for all, lifting the financial burden on millions of Americans.
- Jacob Olliver cares about rural infrastructure and will invest $100 billion into healthcare, education, and road infrastructure for rural areas across Iowa in desperate need of it.
TOTAL AP SPENT: 30
Results
How you spend your time in this mini-game, ultimately, will help determine your standing in pre-polls prior to the initial three primaries/caucuses, along with how the media views you. If you spent all your time barnstorming in Iowa, you may have an advantage there, but your opponent may have spent a lot more time fundraising giving them an upperhand for their warchest, and vice versa.
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VGS R18 Election Announcements
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State of the States (2017 - Present)
Alabama
Governor: Robert Bentley (R)Legislature - (R)/(R)
Alaska
Governor: Bill Walker (I)Legislature - (R)/(R)
ArizonaGovernor: Doug Ducey (R)
Legislature - (R)/(R)
Arkansas
Governor: Asa Hutchinson (R)Legislature - (R)/(R)
California
Governor: Jerry Brown (D)Legislature - (D)/(D)
Colorado
Governor: John Hickenlooper (D)Legislature - (D)/(D)
Connecticut
Governor: Dannel Malloy (D)Legislature - (D)/(D)
Delaware
Governor: Lisa Blunt Rochester (D)Legislature - (D)/(D)
Florida
Governor: Rick Scott (R)Legislature - (R)/(R)
Georgia
Governor: Nathan Deal (R)Legislature - (R)/(R)
Hawaii
Governor: David Ige (D)Legislature - (D)/(D)
Idaho
Governor: Butch Otter (R)Legislature - (R)/(R)
Illinois
Governor: Bruce Rauner (R)Legislature - (D)/(D)
Indiana
Governor: John Gregg (D)Legislature - (R)/(R)
Iowa
Governor: Terry Branstad (R)Legislature - (R)/(R)
Kansas
Governor: Sam Brownback (R)Legislature - (R)/(R)
Kentucky
Governor: Matt Bevin (R)Legislature - (R)/(R)
Louisiana
Governor: John Bel Edwards (D)Legislature - (R)/(R)
Maine
Governor: Paul LePage (R)Legislature - (D)/(D)
Maryland
Governor: Larry Hogan (R)Legislature - (D)/(D)
Massachusetts
Governor: Charlie Baker (R)Legislature - (D)/(D)
Michigan
Governor: Rick Snyder (R)Legislature - (R)/(R)
Minnesota
Governor: Mark Dayton (D)Legislature - (D)/(D)
Mississippi
Governor: Phil Bryant (R)Legislature - (R)/(R)
MissouriGovernor: Catherine Hanaway (R)
Legislature - (R)/(R)
Montana
Governor: Steve Bullock (D)Legislature - (R)/(R)
Nebraska
Governor: Pete Ricketts (R)Legislature - (R)
Nevada
Governor: Brian Sandoval (R)Legislature - (R)/(D)
New Hampshire
Governor: Chris Sununu (R)Legislature - (D)/(D)
New Jersey
Governor: Chris Christie (R)Legislature - (D)/(D)
New Mexico
Governor: Susana Martinez (R)Legislature - (D)/(D)
New York
Governor: Andrew Cuomo (D)Legislature - (D)/(D)
North Carolina
Governor: Pat McCrory (R)Legislature - (R)/(R)
North Dakota
Governor: Wayne Stenehjem (R)Legislature - (R)/(R)
Ohio
Governor: John Kasich (R)Legislature - (R)/(R)
Oklahoma
Governor: Mary Fallin (R)Legislature - (R)/(R)
Oregon
Governor: Kate Brown (D)Legislature - (D)/(D)
Pennsylvania
Governor: Tom Wolf (D)Legislature - (R)/(R)
Rhode Island
Governor: Gina Raimondo (D)Legislature - (D)/(D)
South Carolina
Governor: Henry McMaster (R)Legislature - (R)/(R)
South Dakota
Governor: Dennis Daugaard (R)Legislature - (R)/(R)
Tennessee
Governor: Bill Haslam (R)Legislature - (R)/(R)
Texas
Governor: Greg Abbott (R)Legislature - (R)/(R)
Utah
Governor: Gary Herbert (R)Legislature - (R)/(R)
Vermont
Governor: Peter Welch (D)Legislature - (D)/(D)
Virginia
Governor: Terry McAuliffe (D)Legislature - (R)/(R)
Washington
Governor: Jay Inslee (D)Legislature - (D)/(D)
West Virginia
Governor: Jim Justice (D)Legislature - (R)/(R)
Wisconsin
Governor: Scott Walker (R)Legislature - (R)/(R)
Wyoming
Governor: Matt Mead (R)Legislature - (R)/(R)
Major U.S. Cities (2017 - Present)
Washington D.C.
Mayor: Muriel Bowser (D)
New York City (NY)
Mayor: Bill de Blasio (D)
Los Angeles (CA)
Mayor: Eric Garcetti (D)
Chicago (IL)
Mayor: Rahm Emanuel (D)
Houston (TX)
Mayor: Amanda Edwards (D)
Atlanta (GA)
Mayor: Kasim Reed (D)
Phoenix (AZ)
Mayor: Greg Stanton (D)
Philadelphia (PA)
Mayor: Jim Kenney (D)
San Antonio (TX)
Mayor: Ivy Taylor (D)
San Diego (CA)
Mayor: Kevin Faulconer (R)
Dallas (TX)
Mayor: Mike Rawlings (D)
Jacksonville (FL)
Mayor: Lenny Curry (R)
San Francisco (CA)
Mayor: Ed Lee (D)
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VGS R18 CHARACTER CREATION STATION
The character creation system is devised to help players come up with realistic, competitive biographies. As always, you may elaborate with a detailed biography after providing the requested information. Each person gets 100 points as a baseline. Please calculate your biography's points and list them in your sign-in post.
Name: Choose a name.
Seat: Choose your Senate seat based off of the Senate Roster
Party: Be a Republican or a Democrat or an Independent caucusing with either of them as long as it matches your seat. (If you wish to play an Independent that does not currently hold the seat please contact the AB.)
Avatar: Your avatar, of course, is a real person. Let us know who that person is so that the AB knows who you are when we're writing articles. As we have entered the AI age, AI creations are also accepted so long as they are realistic.
Major Caucus: Choose your major based on your character's beliefs. (One character can only be a member of one major caucus)
Democratic
Blue Dog Coalition - Tale as old as time, Blue Dogs are the moderate Democrats that promote strong defense, fiscal responsibility, and finding bipartisan consensus. (examples: Joe Manchin, Henry Cuellar, Steve Bullock)
New Democrats - The bridge between the Blue Dogs and Progressives, the New Democrats were brought to prominence in the late 1980s and early 1990s thanks to figures like Gary Hart, Bob Kerrey, and Bill Clinton. Liberal on domestic, social, and economic policy, though averse to the extremes of the progressive left. (examples: Joe Biden, Amy Klobuchar, Kamala Harris)
Progressive Democrats - The most left leaning Democrats, views here can range from progressive to outright socialist on economic, and generally dovish on foreign policy. Generally, more distrustful of the GOP and working with them than the other two Democratic caucuses. (examples: Elizabeth Warren, Bernie Sanders, Russ Feingold)
Republican
Mainstreet Partnership - The present and still effective center to center-right faction of the Republican Party. Where the mavericks and dealmakers live. Socially moderate, economically center-right, strong on national defense. (examples: John Kasich, Susan Collins, Lisa Murkowski)
Study Committee - The bridge between the moderates and hardcore conservatives. Filled with Reaganites, Compassionate Conservatives, and party-line supporters, among others. (examples: Steve Scalise, John Thune, Marco Rubio)
Freedom Caucus - The most conservative wing of the Republican Party, the Freedom Caucus has become the home of Tea Partiers, right-wing Libertarians, and a burgeoning conservative populist movement.(examples: Ted Cruz, Mike Lee, Donald Trump)
GENDER:
Male: 0 Points
Female: 5 Points
Non-Binary/Transgender: 70 Points (40 Points for Democrats)
AGE:
39 years or younger: 20 Points
40-44 years old: 10 Points
45-49 years old: 5 Points
50-65 years old: 0 Points
66-70: -5 Points
71-75: -10 Points
75 or older: -15 Points
SEXUALITY:
Straight, married with < 3 children: -5 Points
Straight, married with > 3 children: 0 Points
Straight, unmarried, no children: 5 Points
Straight, unmarried, with children: 15 Points for Republicans, 10 Points for Democrats
Straight, divorced, with or without children: 15 Points
Openly Homosexual: 40 Points for Republicans, 25 Points for Democrats
RACE/ANCESTRY:
White/Caucasian: 0 Points
Black: 15 Points for Republicans, 5 Points for Democrats
Hispanic/Latino: 10 Points for Republicans (5 if Cuban), 5 Points for DemocratsSephardic/Ashkenazi/Mizrahi: 10 Points
Asian/Pacific Islander: 10 Points for Republicans, 5 Points for Democrats (0 points for Pacific Islander in HI)Arab: 25 Points for Republicans, 10 Points for Democrats
RELIGION:
Evangelical or Mainline Protestant: 0 Points
Roman Catholic: 0 Points
Jewish: 5 Points
Mormon: 15 Points (0 points in UT, ID, WY, AZ)
Greek or Russian Orthodox: 15 Points
Jehovah's Witness or Other Christians: 20 Points
Atheist: 25 Points for Republicans, 15 Points for Democrats
Muslim: 30 Points for Republicans 25 Points for Democrats
Buddhist: 20 Points for Republicans, 10 Points for Democrats
Hindu: 25 Points for Republicans, 20 Points for Democrats
Other Religion: 35 Points
EDUCATIONAL HISTORY:
No College Degree: 5 points
College Degree at Public University: 0 Points
College Degree at Private University (non-Ivy level) or Public Ivy: 5 Points
College Degree at Top University: 10 Points
Master's Degree (incl. JD): 10 Points (add 5 for Private University, 10 for Top)
Doctoral Degree: 15 Points (add 5 for Private University, 10 for Top)
Click on Spoiler below for University lists.SpoilerPublic Ivies
U.S. Military Academy (USMA)U.S. Naval Academy (USNA)
Air Force Academy
U.S. Coast Guard Academy (USCGA)
U.S. Merchant Marine Academy (USMMA)
College of William and Mary
Miami University of Ohio
University of California (all campuses)
University of Michigan, Ann Arbor
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
University of Texas at Austin
University of Vermont
University of Virginia
University of Colorado Boulder
Georgia Institute of Technology
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
New College of the University of South Florida
Pennsylvania State University
University of Pittsburgh
SUNY Binghamton
University of Washington
University of Wisconsin-Madison
University of Connecticut
University of Delaware
University of Maryland, College Park
Indiana University Bloomington
Michigan State University
THE Ohio State University
University of Iowa
University of Michigan
University of Minnesota, Twin Cities
University of Glorida
University of Georgia
Top Universities
Brown University
Columbia University
Cornell University
Dartmouth College
Harvard University
University of Pennsylvania
Princeton University
Yale University
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Stanford University
California Institute of Technology
University of Chicago
Any non-US university if you're not originally from that country
SOCIOECONOMIC HISTORY:
Super-Rich (Top 1%): 5 Points
Top 5%: -10 points
Upper Class: -5 points
Middle Class: 0 points
Working Class: 10 points
Child of Immigrant: 15 points
Immigrant: 20 points
CAREER HISTORY:
Appointed Judge: 15 points (You must have at least 15 years experience as a lawyer first)
Activist: 10 points
Artist: 10 points
Astronaut: 25 points
Athlete: 15 points
Blue-collar management: 15 points
Blue-collar worker: 10 points
Business Associate: 10 points
Business Executive: 20 points
CEO: 30 points (no Fortune 500 companies)
Doctor: 10 points
Emergency Services: 15 points
Entrepreneur/Business Founder: 30 points
Foreign Service: 20 points
Ivy League Professor: 30 points (Must hold Doctoral Degree)
Lawyer: 10 points (To start your own firm, add 5 points)Police Officer: 5 points
Police Captain: 10 points
State trooper: 10 points
Enlisted Military: 0 Points
Commissioned Officer (O-1 to O-5): 10 Points
Non-Commissioned Officers (E-5 and above): 5 Points
Senior Commissioned Officer (O-5 or O-6: 20 Points
General/Flag Officer (O-7+): 40 points
Nurse: 5 points (10 if male)
Pilot: 5 points
Local Political Staffer: 1 points
State Political Staffer: 5 points
Federal Political Staffer: 10 points
Print Journalist: 5 points
Private School Administration: 15 points
Private School Professor: 15 points (Must hold Doctoral Degree)
Private School Subject Teacher: 15 points
Public School Administration: 15 points
Public School Professor: 10 points (Must hold Doctoral Degree)
Public School Subject Teacher: 15 points
Radio Host: 10 points
Religious Ministry: 20 points
Social Worker: 5 points (10 if Republican)
Spouse of Famous Person: 30 Points (must receive AB approval first)
Teacher working with Disadvantaged Students: 30 points
Television Host: 15 points
To become well-known in your field, double your points. If your chosen career is not listed here, please contact an admin.AWARDS AND EXTRAS:
Published an academic book (for Professors only): 10 points
Published a book: 10 points
Major cultural award: 15 points
Major academic award: 25 points
Major military award, Non Medal of Honor (must have Military career): 10 points
Medal of Honor (must have Military career): 25 points
Related to a Famous Politician or Person: 20 Points (must receive AB approval first)
POLITICAL EXPERIENCE HISTORY:NOTE: Should you hold any prior political experience, you will in general inherit the legislative record - but not the personal record - of the RL person you are replacing. If you are replacing a partisan official (i.e. Governor, U.S. House Member, U.S. Senator), you must match the party of that officeholder for the period that they were in office (i.e., if you were Governor of Pennsylvania from 2003-2011, you would be replacing Ed Rendell and therefore must be a Democrat).
Senate Terms: 5 points (Not counting your current term)
Senate Subcommittee Chair/RM: 3 points per Congress (you must have served at least 1 term in the Senate before assuming this role)
Senate Committee Chair/RM: 5 points per Congress (you must have served at least 2 terms in the Senate and 3 Congresses as a Subcommittee Chair/RM before assuming this role)
House of Representatives Terms: 3 points (not counting your current term)
House of Representatives Subcommittee Chair/RM: 2 point per Congress
House of Representatives Committee Chair/RM: 4 points per Congress (you must have served at least 5 terms in the House and 2 Congresses as a Subcommittee Chair/RM before assuming this role)
State Legislature Term: 2 points for upper house, 1 point for lower house
State Supreme Court: 5 points per term
State Row Office (excl. Lt. Gov.): 5 points per term
Lieutenant Governor: 8 points per term
Governor: 20 points per term
Cabinet: 20 points per Presidential term
Sub-Cabinet: 10 points per Presidential term
City Council (population <50,000): 1 point per term
City Council (population >50,000): 2 points per term
City Council (population >100,000): 3 points per term
Mayor (population <50,000): 2 points per term
Mayor (population >50,000): 3 points per term
Mayor (population >100,000): 5 points per term
Mayor (population >250,000): 10 points per term
Local Judge: 2 points per termKEY VOTES:
Each Congress that you were a US Senator or a US Congressman you must list how you voted on the Key votes listed by congress on the next post. For 5 points per vote you can add another key vote that goes against how your party or your character in general voted on a bill as long as it does not break the following rules:
1) The vote was not on a unanimous by your party (ie no votes the other way abstentions do not count)
2) Your key vote will not change the results of the vote.
Buying a key-vote outlines to the AB and other Players that your vote came with the leg work from either your character, opposition party, or the media to make sure that the vote is remembered, and there for subsequent campaigning on it will be more a position where the media and people remember how you voted.
Key votes: While votes that are older matter less, for being campaigned against, going to far liberal or conservative for your state based on the votes can hurt your ARs even today.Only listed back to the 96th Congress if you served before that please message an admin to get Key votes.
96th Congress 1979-1981
Both: Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act of 1980
97th Congress 1981-1983
Both: Tax Equity and Fiscal Responsibility Act of 1982
98th Congress 1983-1985
(Republicans who want to oppose this bill should say they voted nay on the house version and abstained on the final vote.)
Both: Caribbean Basin Economic Recovery Act of 1983
99th Congress 1985-1987
Republicans: Tax Reform Act of 1986Democrats: Firearm Owners Protection Act of 1986
100th Congress 1987-1989:Republicans: Civil Liberties Act of 1988
Democrats: McKinney–Vento Homeless Assistance Act101th Congress 1989-1991:
Republicans: Civil Rights Act of 1990
Democrats: Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1990
102th Congress 1991-1993: (This is a really boring congress, have an easy one)
Both: Former Soviet Union Demilitarization Act of 1992
103th Congress 1993-1995:
Both: North American Free Trade Agreement
104th Congress 1995-1997:
Republicans: Helms–Burton Act
Democrats: Defense of Marriage Act
105th Congress 1997-1999:
Republicans: Balanced Budget Act of 199
Democrats: Taxpayer Relief Act of 1997
106th Congress 1999-2001:
Republicans: Legal Immigration Family Equity Act
Democrats: Gramm–Leach–Bliley Act
107th Congress 2001-2003:
Republicans: Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act
Democrats: Homeland Security Act of 2002
108th Congress 2003-2005:Republicans: Intelligence_Reform_and_Terrorism_Prevention_Act
Democrats: Unborn Victims of Violence Act109th Congress 2005-2007:
Republicans: Dominican Republic–Central America Free Trade Agreement
Democrats: Bankruptcy Abuse Prevention and Consumer Protection Act110th Congress 2007-2009
Republicans: Children's Health Insurance Program Reauthorization Act of 2007 (H.R. 976)
Democrats: Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act of 1978 Amendments Act of 2008111th Congress 2009-2011
Republicans: Don't Ask, Don't Tell Repeal Act of 2010
Democrats: Tax Relief, Unemployment Insurance Reauthorization, and Job Creation Act of 2010
112th Congress 2011-2013
Republicans: American Taxpayer Relief Act of 2012
Democrats: United States–Colombia Free Trade Agreement113th Congress 2013-2015
Both: Violence Against Women Act Reauthorization
Both: Bipartisan Budget Act of 2013
114th Congress 2015-2017
-
VGS R18 GAME ROSTER (2017 - Present)
Executive Leadership of the United States
President of the United States: Doug Murphy (D-WI)
Vice President of the United States: Jereh Ford (D-TN)
Federal Party Leadership
DNC Chairman: Nolan Stokes (D-MD)
DNC Vice-Chairman: Anney Iyal (D-WA)
DSCC Chairman: TBD
DCCC Chairman: Ben Ray Lujan (D-NM)
DGA Chairman: John Bel Edwards (D-LA)
RNC Chairman: Tom Donelson (R-TX)
RNC Vice-Chairman: TBD
NRSC Chairman: TBD
NRCC Chairman: Roger Williams (R-TX)
RGA Chair: Bill Haslam (R-TN)
U.S. House of Representatives (232 R - 202 D)
Speaker of the House: Paul Ryan (R-WI)
House Majority Leader: Jim Jordan (R-OH)
House Majority Whip: Steve Scalise (R-LA)
Republican Conference Chair: Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-WA)
House Minority Leader: Nancy Pelosi (D-CA)
House Minority Whip: Steny Hoyer (D-MD)
Democratic Conference Chair: Joe Crowley (D-NY)
U.S. Supreme Court
Chief Justice: John Roberts
Associate Justice: Anthony Kennedy
Associate Justice: Clarence Thomas
Associate Justice: Ruth Bader Ginsburg
Associate Justice: Stephen Breyer
Associate Justice: Samuel Alito
Associate Justice: Sonia Sotomayor
Associate Justice: Elena Kagan
Associate Justice: VACANT
U.S. Senate (50 D - 49 R)
Senate Majority Leader: Diego Everhart (D-PA)
Senate Majority Whip: Camilo deSonido (I-CA)
President Pro Tempore: Heather James (D-WA)
Senate Minority Leader: Clifford Fleming (R-AL)
Senate Minority Whip: April Kelly (R-AL)
Alabama
2. Clifford Fleming (R)
3. April Kelly (R)
Alaska
2. Dan Sullivan (R)
3. Lisa Murkowski (R)
Arizona
1. Llyod Bishop (R)
3. Kimberly Atkins (R)
Arkansas
2. Tom Cotton (R)
3. John Boozman (R)
California
1. Camilo deSonido (I/D)3. Taylor Kennedy (D)
Colorado
2. Cory Gardner (R)
3. Michael Bennet (D)
Connecticut
1. Chris Murphy (D)
3. Richard Blumenthal (D)
Delaware
1. Tom Carper (D)
2. Chris Coons (D)
Florida
1. Bill Nelson (D)
3. Erica Smith (D)
Georgia
2. Barak Mofaz (R)
3. Tarik J. Lee (R)
Hawaii
1. Mazie Hirono (D)
3. Brian Schatz (D)
Idaho
2. Jim Risch (R)
3. Mike Crapo (R)Illinois
2. Edgar Villanueva (D)
3. Dan Lipinski (D)
Indiana
1. John Carlsen (D)
3. Todd Young (R)
Iowa
2. Joni Ernst (R)
3. James Cambridge (R)
Kansas
2. Pat Roberts (R)
3. Jerry Moran (R)
Kentucky
2. Mitch McConnell (R)
3. Kyle Van Horn (R)
Louisiana
2. Douglas Butcher (R)
3. John Kennedy (R)
Maine
1. Angus King (I-D)
2. Susan Collins (R)
Maryland
1. Ben Cardin (D)
3. Nolan A. Stokes (D)
Massachusetts
1. Elizabeth Warren (D)
2. Nathan Cohen (D)
Michigan
1. Reginald Michaels (D)
2. Alex Fakhouri (D)
Minnesota
1. Amy Klobuchar (D)2. Al Franken (D)
Mississippi
1. Roger Wicker (R)
2. Thad Cochran (R)
Missouri
1. Andrew Clarke (D)
3. Jason Kander (D)
Montana
1. Jon Tester (D)
2. Martin Merkur (R)
Nebraska
1. Deb Fischer (R)
2. David Rollins (R)
Nevada
1. Dean Heller (R)
3. Catherine Cortez Masto (D)
New Hampshire
2. Jeanne Shaheen (D)
3. Maggie Hassan (D)
New Jersey
1. Harrison LeClavers (D)
2. Cory Booker (D)
New Mexico
1. Martin Heinrich (D)
2. Joe Aragón (D)New York
1. Kirsten Gilibrand (D)
3. Chuck Schumer (D)
North Carolina
2. Thom Tillis (R)
3. Richard Burr (R)
North Dakota
1. Nick Kowalski (D-NPL)
3. John Hoeven (R)
Ohio
1. Paulina Richards (D)
3. Rob Portman (R)
Oklahoma
2. Jim Inhofe (R)
3. Tony Johnson (R)
Oregon
2. Jeff Merkley (D)
3. Ron Wyden (D)
Pennsylvania
1. Diego Everhart (D)
3. David Stewart (R)
Rhode Island
1. Sheldon Whitehouse (D)
2. Jack Reed (D)
South Carolina
2. Gary Freeman (R)
3. Jason Roy (R)
South Dakota
2. Mike Rounds (R)
3. John Thune (R)
Tennessee
1. Henry Patterson (R)
2. Linda Lawler (R)
Texas
1. Tom Donelson (R)
2. Sheev Palpatine (R)
Utah
1. Orrin Hatch (R)
3. Mike Lee (R)
Vermont
1. Bernie Sanders (I-D)
3. Patrick Leahy (D)
Virginia1. Katrina Valdez (D)
2. Dylan Macmillan (D)
Washington
1. Heather James (D)
3. Anney Iyal (D)
West Virginia
1. Sean Stevens (D)
2. Shelley Moore Capito (R)
Wisconsin
1. Ron Kind (D)
3. Russ Feingold (D)
Wyoming
1. John Barrasso (R)
2. Mike Enzi (R) -
State of the States (2025 - Present)
Alabama
Governor: Kay Ivey (R)Legislature - (R)/(R)
Alaska
Governor: Mike Dunleavy (R)Legislature - (I)/(R)
ArizonaGovernor: Katie Hobbs (D)
Legislature - (R)/(D)
Arkansas
Governor: Sarah Huckabee Sanders (R)Legislature - (R)/(R)
California
Governor: Gavin Newsom (D)Legislature - (D)/(D)
Colorado
Governor: Jared Polis (D)Legislature - (D)/(D)
Connecticut
Governor: Ned Lamont (D)Legislature - (D)/(D)
Delaware
Governor: Bethany Hall-Long (D)Legislature - (D)/(D)
Florida
Governor: Ron DeSantis (R)Legislature - (R)/(R)
Georgia
Governor: Brian Kemp (R)Legislature - (R)/(R)
Hawaii
Governor: Josh Green (D)Legislature - (D)/(D)
Idaho
Governor: Brad Little (R)Legislature - (R)/(R)
Illinois
Governor: J.B. Pritzker (D)Legislature - (D)/(D)
Indiana
Governor: Mike Braun (R)Legislature - (R)/(R)
Iowa
Governor: Kim Reynolds (R)Legislature - (R)/(R)
Kansas
Governor: Laura Kelly (D)Legislature - (R)/(R)
Kentucky
Governor: Andy Beshear (D)Legislature - (R)/(R)
Louisiana
Governor: Jeff Landry (R)Legislature - (R)/(R)
Maine
Governor: Janet Mills (D)Legislature - (D)/(D)
Maryland
Governor: Wes Moore (D)Legislature - (D)/(D)
Massachusetts
Governor: Maura Healey (D)Legislature - (D)/(D)
Michigan
Governor: Gretchen Whitmer (D)Legislature - (D)/(D)
Minnesota
Governor: Tim Walz (D)Legislature - (D)/(D)
Mississippi
Governor: Tate Reeves (R)Legislature - (R)/(R)
MissouriGovernor: Jay Ashcroft (R)
Legislature - (R)/(R)
Montana
Governor: Greg Gianforte (R)Legislature - (R)/(R)
Nebraska
Governor: Jim Pillen (R)Legislature - (R)
Nevada
Governor: Joe Lombardo (R)Legislature - (D)/(D)
New Hampshire
Governor: Joyce Craig (D)Legislature - (D)/(D)
New Jersey
Governor: Phil Murphy (D)Legislature - (D)/(D)
New Mexico
Governor: Michelle Lujan Grisham (D)Legislature - (D)/(D)
New York
Governor: Kathy Hochul (D)Legislature - (D)/(D)
North Carolina
Governor: Mark Robinson (R)Legislature - (R)/(R)
North Dakota
Governor: Tammy Miller (R)Legislature - (R)/(R)
Ohio
Governor: Mike DeWine (R)Legislature - (R)/(R)
Oklahoma
Governor: Kevin Stitt (R)Legislature - (R)/(R)
Oregon
Governor: Tina Kotek (D)Legislature - (D)/(D)
Pennsylvania
Governor: Josh Shapiro (D)Legislature - (R)/(R)
Rhode Island
Governor: Dan McKee (D)Legislature - (D)/(D)
South Carolina
Governor: Henry McMaster (R)Legislature - (R)/(R)
South Dakota
Governor: Kristi Noem (R)Legislature - (R)/(R)
Tennessee
Governor: Bill Lee (R)Legislature - (R)/(R)
Texas
Governor: Greg Abbott (R)Legislature - (R)/(R)
Utah
Governor: Spencer Cox (R)Legislature - (R)/(R)
Vermont
Governor: Phil Scott (R)Legislature - (D)/(D)
Virginia
Governor: Glenn Youngkin (R)Legislature - (D)/(D)
Washington
Governor: Bob Ferguson (D)Legislature - (D)/(D)
West Virginia
Governor: Patrick Morrisey (R)Legislature - (R)/(R)
Wisconsin
Governor: Tony Evers (D)Legislature - (D)/(R)
Wyoming
Governor: Mark Gordon (R)Legislature - (R)/(R)
Major U.S. Cities (2025 - Present)
Washington D.C.
Mayor: Muriel Bowser (D)
New York City (NY)
Mayor: Eric Adams (D)
Los Angeles (CA)
Mayor: Karen Bass (D)
Chicago (IL)
Mayor: Brandon Johnson (D)
Houston (TX)
Mayor: John Whitmire (D)
Atlanta (GA)
Mayor: Andre Dickens (D)
Phoenix (AZ)
Mayor: Kate Gallego (D)
Philadelphia (PA)
Mayor: Cherelle Parker (D)
San Antonio (TX)
Mayor: Ron Nirenberg (D)
San Diego (CA)
Mayor: Todd Gloria (D)
Dallas (TX)
Mayor: Eric Johnson (R)
Jacksonville (FL)
Mayor: Donna Deegan (D)
San Francisco (CA)
Mayor: Daniel Lurie (D)
-
GAME ROSTER (2025 - Present)
Executive Leadership of the United States
President of the United States: Corey Mcknight (R-SC)
Vice President of the United States: VACANT
White House Chief of Staff: Adam Vargas (R-PA)
U.S. Secretary of State: Abel Burke (R-FL)
National Security Advisor: Montgomery Ackerman (R-PA)
Federal Party Leadership
DNC Chairman: Don Vinachelli (D-NJ)
DNC Vice-Chair: TBD
DCCC Chair: TBD
DGA Chair: TBD
RNC Chairman: Colton Buckley (R-WI)
RNC Vice-Chairman: TBD
NRCC Chairman: TBD
RGA Chair: TBD
U.S. House of Representatives (225 D - 210 R)
Speaker of the House: Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY)
House Majority Leader: TBD
House Majority Whip: TBD
Democratic Caucus Chair: TBD
House Minority Leader: Mike Johnson (R-LA)
House Minority Whip: TBD
Republican Conference Chair: TBD
U.S. Supreme Court
Chief Justice: John Roberts
Associate Justice: Clarence Thomas
Associate Justice: Samuel Alito
Associate Justice: Sonia Sotomayor
Associate Justice: Elena Kagan
Associate Justice: Neil Gorsuch
Associate Justice: Brett Kavanaugh
Associate Justice: Amy Coney Barrett
Associate Justice: Ketanji Brown Jackson
U.S. Senate (53 R - 47 D)
Senate Majority Leader: Jim Fealty (R-MS)
Senate Majority Whip: Daniel Hunt
President Pro Tempore: Owen Ackerman (R-ME)
Senate Minority Leader: John Starnes (D-VA)
Senate Minority Whip: TBD
Alabama
2. Tommy Tuberville (R)
3. Daniel Hunt (R)
Alaska
2. Alexander Zharoff (R) (former player, now NPC, replaceable)
3. Richard Dahlstrom (R) (former player, now NPC, replaceable)
Arizona
1. Ruben Gallego (D)
3. John Carlsen (D)
Arkansas
2. Tom Cotton (R)
3. Luke Rogers (R) (former player, now NPC, replaceable)
California
1. Aaron Sharpe (D) (former player, now NPC, replaceable)3. Teresa Citroen (D)
Colorado
2. Camilo deSonido (I)
3. Alexander Castillo (D) (former player, now NPC, replaceable)
Connecticut
1. Chris Coons (D)
3. Richard Blumenthal (D)
Delaware
1. Michael Cook (D) (former player, now NPC, replaceable)
2. George Bennett (D) (former player, now NPC, replaceable)
Florida
1. Alex Valdez (R)
3. Byron Donalds (R)
Georgia
2. Naomi Wolfe (D)
3. Thomas Carter (D)
Hawaii
1. Mazie Hirono (D)
3. Janice Kamaka (D) (former player, now NPC, replaceable)
Idaho
2. Jim Risch (R)
3. Mike Crapo (R)Illinois
2. Daniel Jackson (D) (former player, now NPC, replaceable)
3. Maye Harris (D) (former player, now NPC, replaceable)
Indiana
1. Gabriel Helman (R) (former player, now NPC, replaceable)
3. Dennis Millhouse (R) (former player, now NPC, replaceable)
Iowa
2. Joni Ernst (R)
3. Chuck Grassley (R)
Kansas
2. Roger Marshall (R)
3. Jerry Moran (R)
Kentucky
2. Jackson McKinley (R)
3. Rand Paul (R)
Louisiana
2. Bill Cassidy (R)
3. John Domencio (R)
Maine
1. Adam Ross (I-D) (former player, now NPC, replaceable)
2. Owen Ackerman (R)
Maryland
1. Ben Cardin (D)
3. Nolan Stokes (D)
Massachusetts
1. Edward O'Connor II (D) (former player, now NPC, replaceable)
2. William Ellet (D) (former player, now NPC, replaceable)
Michigan
1. Padmavati Gandhi (D) (former player, now NPC, replaceable)
2. Madeline White (D) (former player, now NPC, replaceable)
Minnesota
1. Matthew Wood (D)2. Catherine Tabor (D) (former player, now NPC, replaceable)
Mississippi
1. Roger Wicker (R)
2. Jim Fealty (R)
Missouri
1. Michael Goreski (R)
3. Douglas Butcher (R)
Montana
1. Tim Sheehy (R)
2. Jennifer Stohl (R) (former player, now NPC, replaceable)
Nebraska
1. John Pravnitch (R) (former player, now NPC, replaceable)
2. Sarah Milliken (R) (former player, now NPC, replaceable)
Nevada
1. James McAllister (R)
3. Vicente Hernandez (D) (former player, now NPC, replaceable)
New Hampshire
2. Jeanne Shaheen (D)
3. Maggie Hassan (D)
New Jersey
1. Don Vinachelli (D)
2. Cory Booker (D)
New Mexico
1. Martin Heinrich (D)
2. Ben Ray Lujan (D)
New York
1. Joe Quinn (D) (former player, now NPC, replaceable)
3. George Howard (D) (former player, now NPC, replaceable)
North Carolina
2. Thom Tillis (R)
3. Ted Budd (R)
North Dakota
1. Kevin Cramer (R)
3. John Hoeven (R)
Ohio
1. Hiram Storm (R)
3. Martin Young (R) (former player, now NPC, replaceable)
Oklahoma
2. Alexander Arnold III (R)
3. Louis Alexander Herbon (R)
Oregon
2. Jeff Merkley (D)
3. Ron Wyden (D)
Pennsylvania
1. Eric Kaberle (D) (former player, now NPC, replaceable)
3. Tabitha Kinsey (D)
Rhode Island
1. Sheldon Whitehouse (D)
2. Jack Reed (D)
South Carolina
2. Nancy Mace (R)
3. Tim Scott (R)
South Dakota
2. Mike Rounds (R)
3. Chad Underboard (R) (former player, now NPC, replaceable)
Tennessee
1. Rosalind Spencer (R) (former player, now NPC, replaceable)
2. Thomas Prescott (R) (former player, now NPC, replaceable)
Texas
1. Mark Block (R) (former player, now NPC, replaceable)
2. Brandon Ewing (R) (former player, now NPC, replaceable)
Utah
1. Mitt Romney (R)
3. Dylan Macmillan (R) (former player, now NPC, replaceable)
Vermont
1. Bernie Sanders (I)
3. Isaac Ming (D) (former player, now NPC, replaceable)
Virginia1. Tim Kaine (D)
2. John Starnes (D)
Washington
1. Arthur Callahan (D) (former player, now NPC, replaceable)
3. Patty Murray (D)
West Virginia
1. Jim Justice (R)
2. Butch Elroy (R) (former player, now NPC, replaceable)
Wisconsin
1. Caroline Fitzgerald (D) (former player, now NPC, replaceable)
3. Colton Buckley (R)
Wyoming
1. John Barrasso (R)
2. Cynthia Lummis (R) -
House Democratic Docket - Q3, 2025
- U.S. Military Aid and Support for Guyana Act (Passed Senate)
- DOMES Act (Passed Senate)
- Access to Credit for Our Rural Economy Act (Passed Senate)
- Fund Democracy Act
- MSI and HBCU Enhancement Act
- Expanding Access to the Ballot Box Act
-
Mr. President,
I second the amendment from the Senator of Maryland.
I yield.
Stateside
in The Fourth Estate
Posted
North Carolina Republicans Set to Consider Transgender Bathroom Ban in Upcoming Special Session - Q1, 2016
Raleigh, NC - North Carolina Republicans have signaled their intention to move forward with the Public Facilities Privacy & Security Act, also known as HB2, that would require transgender individuals to use the bathroom of their birth gender in public accommodations. The bill would amend state law to preempt any anti-discrimination ordinances passed by local communities as well as giving the state government sole authority over the minimum wage in North Carolina. Sparked by localities passing anti-discrimination ordinances, such as Charlotte, HB2 has already caused national controversy as North Carolina becomes the epicenter of the newest battle in the fight for LGBT rights.
Governor Pat McCrory (R-NC) called for a special election to consider HB2, citing protecting women and children as a primary reason for taking up the legislation. North Carolina Republicans have generally come out in favor of the legislation, with the notable exception of Senator Beau Goodwin (R-NC) who indicated on social media that the legislature should seek consensus before passing HB2. Some Democrats in the legislature have indicated that they are also supportive of HB2, predominantly representing more rural areas of the state.
The wider political world has been quick to criticize HB2. LGBT organizations, such as the Human Rights Campaign, have already labeled HB2 as the most anti-LGBT legislation in a state legislature currently being considered by the United States. HRC has called on nationwide allies and partners to openly condemn HB2 and demand that the legislation be voted down in March. North Carolina Attorney General Roy Cooper (D-NC) has already indicated he would not defend HB2 in court should it be passed by the North Carolina Legislature.
Social conservative interest groups like the Family Research Council and prominent social conservative leaders like Pastor Franklin Graham have come out in favor of HB2 and have called on Republicans to unify behind Governor McCrory and North Carolina Republicans in the wake of growing national condemnation. It has been notable that some national Republican figures, such as former General Charles Walker (R-CA) and Senator David Williams (R-IL), have publicly expressed opposition to HB2 for reasons such as commitment to small government principles and lack of cohesion with business and community leaders.
Experts have noted that the impact of HB2 passing could have implications for North Carolina's economy. Companies like PayPal and Deutsche Bank, despite being set to expand operation in the state, have expressed hesitation in the wake of HB2's possible passage. The NBA and NCAA have both publicly expressed opposition to HB2's potential passage after pressure from LGBT interest groups and allies. Various musicians have indicated they may consider cancelling tour dates in North Carolina and various localities across the United States have already signaled they may establish travel advisories for employees to avoid North Carolina.
HB2 could become a major issue in the upcoming 2016 Presidential Election and the North Carolina Gubernatorial Election. Republicans in the state were quick to condemn Attorney General Cooper for announcing he would not defend the legislation, citing rumors of a potential gubernatorial campaign against Governor McCrory in the fall. Social conservative interest groups have called on potential Republican presidential candidates to speak out in favor of the legislation, despite growing backlash nationally.
Early polling indicates that voters in North Carolina are conflicted regarding HB2. The legislation itself currently has 50% disapproval, 38% approval, and 12% unsure from North Carolinians with white men more likely to be supportive and women and minorities more likely to be opposed. Polling becomes murkier when voters are asked about the bathroom provisions at the center of the national controversy. 56% of voters in the state have expressed some level of support for transgender individuals only being allowed to use the bathroom of their birth gender and 34% have expressed that they should be allowed to use the bathroom of choice. 56% of voters also stated that allowing a transgender person to use a women's bathroom poses a security risk to women and children, while 35 percent disagreed with that stance.