The Weekender (12/8/23)

Welcome to the Democratic Governors Association’s Friday newsletter, the Weekender.

Let’s get started.

Kelly Ayotte’s Ally Introduces Legislation to Ban Abortion After Just 15 Days
Republican state representatives in New Hampshire have introduced legislation to ban abortion after 15 days – with no exceptions for rape or incest – making it one of the most extreme and dangerous plans to ban abortion in the country. The legislation, House Bill 1248-FN, was sponsored by Republican state Senator Carrie Gendreau, who was one of Kelly Ayotte’s first endorsementsafter launching her campaign for governor and campaigning with Ayotte in August.

Ayotte has a long history of attacking abortion rights throughout her time in public office. In 2010, as a U.S. Senator, Ayotte called for Roe v. Wade to be overturned, and in 2014, she led a group of 33 Republican senators demanding a vote on a national abortion ban. Ayotte also called a regulation requiring most employers to cover costs of birth control “an unprecedented affront to religious liberty,” and has voted repeatedly to defund Planned Parenthood.

Democratic Governors Select Gov. Tim Walz As Next DGA Chair 

Over the weekend, America’s Democratic governors voted to elect Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz to serve as the new Chair of the Democratic Governors Association and Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly to continue to serve as DGA Vice Chair for 2024. The vote occurred at the DGA’s Annual Meeting, held in Phoenix, Arizona. New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy will remain in DGA leadership as Finance Chair.

DGA Chair Gov. Tim Walz said: “In Minnesota, we’ve shown the country that when Democratic governors win, we deliver real results that directly benefit working families like expanding free school meals and expanding paid family and medical leave, while also standing up to protect reproductive rights and our democracy. I look forward to taking that record of winning and delivering to this role, and building on the DGA’s record of success as we have an exciting map of eleven governor’s races next year.”

WATCH: DGA Chair and Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz on CNN News Centralcontrasting how Democratic governors deliver and GOP governors stoke division.

WATCH: New York Gov. Gov. Kathy Hochul on The Today Show touting New York’s first-of-its-kind State Weather Risk Communication Center.

“I’m surrounded by states who are spending their time figuring out how to ban Charlotte’s Web in their schools — while we’re banishing hunger from ours with free breakfast and lunch.” –  DGA Chair and Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz on CNN News Central