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DU Lawyers: A friend needs legal advice in iCE visits her child's school.

What should one do if ICE pays a visit to her school and is asked whether she is aware of undocumented school parents? How can she answer in a away that doesn't implicate others without outright lying?

TX-27: Today's Special Election to Replace Farenthold Could Head to a Runoff

Voters in Texas’ 27th District will head to the polls Saturday for a special election to replace former Republican Rep. Blake Farenthold, who resigned in April. But the election might not be over for two more months.

With nine candidates from multiple parties competing on one ballot, it is possible they could divide the vote and no one will secure a majority to win the seat outright. That would prolong the election to a runoff, likely in September.

Texas Republican Gov. Greg Abbott pushed for the special election to be held earlier than state law stipulated after Farenthold resigned. He said the district, situated along the state’s Gulf Coast, needed representation in Congress after being hit hard by Hurricane Harvey last year. Farenthold resigned amid an ongoing House Ethics investigation after revelations that he used taxpayer money to settle a sexual harassment case.

Multiple candidates from both parties are on Saturday’s ballot, since there is no partisan primary for a special election. The winner will serve out the rest of Farenthold’s current term.

Before he resigned, Farenthold had already announced he would not seek re-election, prompting a crowded field to replace him. Both parties’ nominees for the general election in November are also on the special election ballot Saturday. Republicans chose Michael Cloud, the former chairman of the Victoria County GOP. And Democrats nominated former congressional aide Eric Holguin, who worked for New York Democratic Rep. Carolyn B. Maloney.

Cloud is favored to win the seat in November given its Republican bent. President Donald Trump carried the district by 24 points in 2016. Inside Elections with Nathan L. Gonzales rates the race Solid Republican.

Cloud is one of three Republicans on Saturday’s special election ballot, including his onetime primary opponent — former Texas Water Development Board Chairman Bech Bruun — who endorsed Cloud after losing to him in the May 22 GOP runoff for the full term, the Corpus Christi Caller-Times reported.

A third Republican, Marty Perez, is also running in the special election. He has self-funded his campaign, contributing $128,000 of his own money.

Abbott called for voters to back Cloud last week, saying in a statement that voters in the district needed a leader in the nation’s capital to advocate resources so they can recover from the disastrous storm. Abbott also appeared to reference Farenthold’s scandal by saying Cloud would “restore integrity to the office.”

Cloud was endorsed by the conservative Club for Growth PAC in the GOP primary. Its independent expenditure arm spent nearly $652,000 on the race backing him and attacking Bruun.

Holguin’s former opponent for the full term, Raul “Roy” Barrera, is also on Saturday’s ballot. The Texas Tribune reported Barrera has not been campaigning since losing to Holguin in May.



https://www.rollcall.com/news/politics/special-election-to-replace-farenthold-could-head-to-a-runoff

Obama: Pelosi will be Speaker again after November midterms

Former President Barack Obama this week predicted House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) will again be Speaker after the midterm elections.

Politico reported in Playbook that Obama spoke at a Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee fundraiser in northern California, which Pelosi co-hosted.

"I think everybody knows how much I love Nancy Pelosi. So ... Paul's alright," Obama joked, according to Politico.

"But Nancy, I believe is one of the greatest Speakers we ever had and will once again be one of the greatest Speakers we ever have after we get through this cycle," he added.

Obama went on to praise Pelosi for her work while he was in office, according to Politico.

The former president's backing of Pelsoi comes amid a heated internal debate among Democrats over whether to support Pelosi as Speaker should the party retake control of the House after the November midterms.


http://thehill.com/homenews/house/394976-obama-pelosi-will-be-speaker-again-after-november-midterms

Top Court Pick Has Argued Against Probes of Presidents

“U.S. Circuit Judge Brett Kavanaugh, a former clerk for Supreme Court Justice Anthony M. Kennedy who is viewed as one of the leading contenders to replace him, has argued that presidents should not be distracted by civil lawsuits, criminal investigations or even questions from a prosecutor or defense attorney while in office,” the Washington Post reports.

“Kavanaugh’s position that presidents should be free of such legal inquiries until after they leave office puts him on the record regarding a topic of intense interest to Trump — and could be a central focus of his confirmation hearing if Kavanaugh were nominated to succeed Kennedy.”


https://politicalwire.com/2018/06/30/top-court-pick-has-argued-against-probes-of-presidents/

Black and Democratic voters gain on Republicans in Georgia

Turnout among black voters soared in last month’s Georgia primary, a show of strength that could bode well for Democrats in this year’s contests for governor and other statewide offices.

The number of black voters rose 43 percent in the May 22 election when compared with 2010, the last time there was a competitive race for governor, according to an Atlanta Journal-Constitution analysis of demographic data released this week by the Georgia Secretary of State’s Office.

The data show the broad majority of African-American voters pulled Democratic ballots, which could bolster the hope of Stacey Abrams, who is racing to be the nation’s first black female governor. Her Republican opponent will be decided in a July 24 runoff between Lt. Gov. Casey Cagle and Secretary of State Brian Kemp.

At the same time, the proportion of white voters continues to decline. White voter participation in last month’s primary was down 9 percent from 2010. And white voters are more likely to be conservative, making up 93 percent of the GOP primary vote — and just 30 percent of the Democratic support.


https://politics.myajc.com/news/state--regional-govt--politics/black-and-democratic-voters-gain-republicans-georgia/TCkvHmtpJ90NsGZTUMwJPK/

FL-HD93: Game changer: Emma Collum lands $200K 'angel donation'

The odds just got a whole lot better for Emma Collum‘s bid to flip House District 93.

Collum’s campaign said Friday that an “angel donor” has stepped in with a $200,000 soft-money donation, instantly erasing the fundraising gap between her and her Republican opponent, Broward County Commissioner Chip LaMarca.

“This is an extraordinary day for Emma. Just days after becoming the Democratic nominee she now has equal funds to compete toe to toe with Chip Lamarca. In a district that Charlie Crist won, and in a year that Democratic women are winning across America, Emma is in the perfect position to turn this district blue,” said campaign manager Mike Dunn.

Collum, a small-business attorney and the president and founder of Women’s March Florida, had already found plenty of success landing endorsements, including a recent not from the Florida Young Democrats. She’d also had some decent success on the fundraising trail — as of June 22, she’d raised more than $100,000 for her campaign and had more than $40,000 in the bank.

Until today, however, LaMarca was far and away the fundraising leader. He’s reeled in more than $260,000 for his campaign since he entered the race in October and had $224,000 in the bank at the end of last week.

But that $184,000 disparity is no more, and HD 93 has now cemented its place among the most flappable state House seats in 2018.


http://floridapolitics.com/archives/267715-game-changer-emma-collum-lands-200k-angel-donation-in-hd-93-race

Florida Democrats field candidates for every state senate district

How Lawyer Moms of America quickly gained 10,000 members to oppose family separations

A new group called Lawyer Moms of America, formed to oppose separation of immigrant families, has quickly grown to 10,000 members, thanks to social media.

The group is planning a Day of Action on June 29, even though President Donald Trump signed an executive order Wednesday to end family separations.
Lawyer Moms says the executive order is silent on the status of more than 2,345 immigrant children who are already separated from their families, and the group is urging they be reunited. And the group is concerned about families being held indefinitely in what could amount to internment camps.

Lawyer Moms also points to an “escape clause” in the executive order allowing separation of immigrant children if remaining with families would pose a risk to their welfare. If detention facilities are substandard, housing children with parents could meet the definition of a risk to welfare. And it is unclear whether families can remain together for more than 20 days if the courts refuse to modify a settlement agreement requiring the release of children or a transfer to licensed facilities after that time period, the group says.

Lawyer Moms will focus on Congress, with plans to visit lawmakers in all 50 states on June 29 to seek a legislative fix.

The ABA Journal spoke with Natalie Roisman, a member of Lawyer Moms of America and a partner at Wilkinson Barker Knauer in Washington D.C., about how the group grew so quickly.



http://www.abajournal.com/news/article/how_lawyer_moms_of_america_quickly_gained_10000_members_to_oppose_family_se

Will the blue wave obliterate the Long Island Nine?

Democrats in New York are hoping to capitalize on a predicted national “blue wave” to flip Republican state Senate seats and regain control of the chamber. A big part of that battle is playing out on Long Island, where Cuomo has been asserting his influence to ensure strong candidates are in position to take advantage of the political momentum driven by opposition to Donald Trump’s presidency.

“I have never seen a Democratic governor work as aggressively to recruit Democratic candidates to the Senate,” said Patrick Halpin, the former Democratic assemblyman and Suffolk County executive, now managing director at lobbying firm Mercury.

Long Island has nine seats in the state Senate, often unimaginatively referred to as the “Long Island Nine.” They constitute a powerful voting bloc in the chamber, usually voting together on local issues that are important on Long Island, such as the environment, property taxes and school aid. For the past seven years, a Long Island state senator has led the chamber as majority leader, beginning with Dean Skelos in 2011 and now with John Flanagan since 2015.

The nine have also historically been Republican.



https://www.cityandstateny.com/articles/politics/campaigns-elections/blue-wave-long-island-nine.html