The Weekender (9/06/19)
Welcome to the Democratic Governors Association’s Friday newsletter, The Weekender. This weekly newsletter keeps you updated on all the gubernatorial campaign news you need to start your weekend.
Let’s get started.
Kentucky: Democratic gubernatorial nominee Andy Beshear unveiled a new plan to “Stop The Bullying, Raise The Pay.” The plan would improve the recruitment and retention of Kentucky educators by instituting a $2,000 across-the-board raise, prioritizing student loan forgiveness, and establishing an administration that respects teachers.
Louisiana: Gov. John Bel Edwards released two new ads, “Four Years Ago” and “Highest.” In “Four Years Ago,” Gov. Edwards highlights his record of turning a $2 billion deficit into a surplus and securing the first teacher pay raise in a decade. In “Highest,” news clips detail the economic development wins under Gov. Edwards.
Mississippi: Democratic gubernatorial nominee Jim Hood is smiling after a runoff forced Lt. Gov. Tate Reeves to spend millions. Republicans nominated someone with an incredibly unpopular agenda who is equally unlikable. Just ask Bill Waller.
Republican State Senator Continues Revolt Against Matt Bevin
Bevin just can’t seem to unite his party after a historically poor primary performance. And one member of the party is taking his revolt against Bevin to new heights. State Sen. Dan Seum did two things this week:
- Told news outlets he is planning to host a “Bullied By Bevin” picnic for every person he has insulted. It will certainly be well-attended.
- Wrote an op-ed saying Bevin is disqualified for reelection because of his “shameful treatment” of his hand-picked Lt. Gov. Jenean Hampton.
Democratic Governors Increasing Access To Affordable Health Care
This week:
- Rhode Island Gov. Gina Raimondo is touting lower average rates under a reinsurance plan she implemented as proof that the “Affordable Care Act is working in Rhode Island.”
- Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly signed an executive order to advance Medicaid expansion by creating the Governor’s Council on Medicaid Expansion. The Republican legislature blocked Medicaid expansion, which would provide health coverage to 130,000 Kansans, during the 2019 legislative session.
- New Mexico Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham announced a $78.5 million Medicaid provider increase as part of her multi-phase strategy to address the state’s health care delivery network.
54 – Percent of Wisconsinites who approve of Gov. Tony Evers, according to a Marquette University Law School poll released Wednesday.
28 – Number of school districts that will benefit from expanded pre-K funding thanks to New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy’s leadership in pushing the largest expansion in high-quality pre-K in decades.
0 – Tuition cost for foster youth to attend any state college thanks to a bill Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolf signed. The new law waives tuition for youth who were in foster care at age 16 or older and starts in the fall 2020 semester.
“While Washington stands idly by and allows a gun violence epidemic to tear our nation apart at the seams, causing more and more families to grieve and children to grow up without their parents, New York is leading the way and enacting smart, common sense gun safety laws to help prevent these needless tragedies.”
-New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo highlighting a new law he signed that would give law enforcement access to out-of-state records to help prevent the dangerously mentally ill from obtaining a firearm license in New York.
“I am staying out of the general election.”
Which gubernatorial candidate said it? Send your answer to press@dga.net and we’ll reveal the answer in the next Weekender!
If you guessed Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, you were right! Last week, Gov. Whitmer tweeted in response to the State Senate GOP who has refused to give Whitmer a budget for over 180 days.