It’s Tuesday, the traditional day for elections and for our pause-and-consider newsletter on politics and policy.

[link removed]

[link removed]

Photo by Jay L. Clendenin/for The Washington Post via Getty Images

It’s Tuesday, the traditional day for elections and for our pause-and-consider newsletter on politics and policy. We think of it as a mini-magazine in your inbox.

5 STORIES THAT HAVE NOTHING TO DO WITH TRUMP OR BIDEN
By Lisa Desjardins, @LisaDNews ([link removed])
Correspondent

On a family trip last week in the Northeast, I had the good fortune of running into several PBS NewsHour viewers.

Two of them echoed the same sentiment: The 2024 Biden-Trump rematch, and in particular the amount of attention on former President Donald Trump, is alreadynearing overload for them ([link removed]) .

Few U.S. adults want a Biden-Trump rematch for president, polling has shown ([link removed]) .

The people I spoke with understood the need to look at and understand Trump’s words and pledges, but they are already exhausted. And hungry for other news.

They inspired this week’s Here’s the Deal: a look at five overlooked political stories around the country, each offering a wealth of other important things to talk about.

1. In Montana, 2021 voting laws are declared unconstitutional

The news: The post-2020 battle over voting, and who can vote, ended last week in Montana when the state’s Supreme Court issued a final rejection ([link removed]) of four 2021 laws that blocked same-day voter registration and introduced more stringent voter ID requirements. The court said the laws were out of step with the state constitution.

Why this matters: In addition to an important development in the debate over voting rights, this was a large win for Democrats, who generally win with younger voters and others who could be most affected by the Montana law. Democrats need incumbent Sen. Jon Tester to survive a tough reelection in order to have any chance at retaining control of the U.S. Senate overall.

2. Michigan lifts its ban on paid surrogacy
[link removed]
Watch the segment in the player above.
The news: Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer signed a package of bills this week aimed at protecting reproductive rights, including ending the state’s ban on paid surrogacies. ([link removed]) Starting later this year, families in the state who conceive using in vitro fertilization can pay for a surrogate to carry a child. The bills also add protections for IVF.

Why this matters: The debate over reproductive rights in this country has flared up over fertility treatments. Alabama’s Supreme Court declared that frozen embryos, created through IVF, are legally protected persons, ([link removed]) while some conservatives push for more limits on IVF services ([link removed]) . Michigan is among states going in the other direction ([link removed]) . Along with ending a ban on surrogacy contracts, the new laws also increase protections for fertility treatments, surrogates and LGBTQ+ parents.

3. In New Jersey, a historic loss for party bosses

The news: Democratic and Republican party leaders in New Jersey can no longer give their handpicked candidates a major advantage on primary ballots ([link removed]) . A federal judge eliminated the so-called “county line” power, in which local political party officials could give selected candidates a prominent, and sometimes victory-sealing, placement on primary ballots.

Why this matters: The ruling dramatically reconfigures how congressional primaries will work in the Garden State’s June primary. This year, the process will be more like those in other states, with candidates grouped together by the office they’re seeking.

4. West Virginia’s Republican governor protects vaccine requirements

The news: Despite pressure from lawmakers and others, West Virginia’s Republican governor has vetoed a bill ([link removed]) that would exempt some students in the state from vaccine requirements. Current requirements will stay in place, as the legislature does not have enough time or momentum to override his veto.

Why this matters: Vaccine denialism continues to run strongly ([link removed]) through Republican ranks, yet Gov. Jim Justice said he was more swayed by pressure from health workers to protect vaccine requirements for kids in schools. Another reason why Justice’s move is significant? He is running for the U.S. Senate in the Mountain State and needs support from all brands of Republicans.

5. One Oregon county moves hundreds of unhoused residents into shelters

The news: Washington County, Oregon, is quickly implementing a program that uses a special tax ([link removed]) to try to address homelessness, using the money to move those living in encampments to significantly expanded shelters.

Why this matters: The cost of housing remains a critical concern across the country, as does homelessness. States are trying to find solutions. While California narrowly passed ([link removed]) a measure to change the way it spends money on housing and mental health services, this latest county push in Oregon offers another look at how a small version of a robust program could go.

Bonus: Laramie, Wyoming, says goodbye to a giant “Joe Biden head”

The news: A big, human head sculpture that some locals believe looks like President Joe Biden is moving out of Laramie, to the relief of many.

Why this matters: We embrace public art, and this story may not matter on a large scale. But the visuals demand we forward this to you.

WE WOULD LIKE TO HEAR FROM YOU!

Which and what kinds of political stories matter to you? And which ones have become oversaturated? What’s happening in your state, city, town or neighborhood that ought to get more attention? Email your responses to [email protected]. (mailto:[email protected])

Your suggestions can help guide our coverage this election year.
More on politics from our coverage:
* Watch: Michigan Gov. Whitmer discusses Democrats’ efforts to protect reproductive rights ([link removed]) .
* One Big Question: Will abortion rights help motivate voters to back Joe Biden? NPR’s Tamara Keith and Amy Walter of the Cook Political Report with Amy Walter discuss ([link removed]) .
* A Closer Look: This Oklahoma city elected a commissioner with white nationalist ties. Will voters recall him from office? ([link removed])
* Perspectives: Sister of Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich discusses the fight to free him from Russian detention ([link removed]) .

#POLITICSTRIVIA
By Joshua Barajas, @Josh_Barrage ([link removed])
Senior Editor, Digital

When Jeannette Pickering Rankin took her seat in the U.S. Capitol more than a century ago, she was introduced as the first woman ever elected to Congress.

The Republican and women’s rights advocate was sworn into the House of Representatives in 1917, four years before the ratification of the 19th Amendment granted women the right to vote.

Our question: Which state did she represent?

Send your answers to [email protected] (mailto:[email protected]) or tweet using #PoliticsTrivia. The first correct answers will earn a shout-out next week.

Last week, we asked: Which past Donald Trump associate did defense attorney Todd Blanche, who is representing the former president in the New York criminal trial, previously represent?

The answer: Paul Manafort ([link removed]) . Blanche represented the ex-Trump campaign chairman in 2019 after he was indicted on charges of mortgage fraud and other crimes in New York. Those charges were eventually thrown out on double jeopardy grounds, since Manafort had previously been found guilty of similar federal crimes

Congratulations to our winners: Barbara Verble and Brenda Radford!

Thank you all for reading and watching. We’ll drop into your inbox next week.
[link removed]
Want more news and analysis in your inbox?
Explore all of the PBS NewsHour's newsletters ([link removed]) .
[link removed]
[link removed]

============================================================
Copyright © 2024 WETA, All rights reserved.

Our mailing address is:
3620 South 27th Street
Arlington, VA 22206

** unsubscribe from this list ([link removed])
** update subscription preferences ([link removed])