Here is the Heritage Take on the top issues today.Please reply to this email to arrange an interview.
Think you left a smothering tax climate behind when you moved? Think again <[link removed]> - Teacher unions have never been known to stay in their lane. Conflict in the Middle East <[link removed]>, so-called “climate change,” <[link removed]> and abortion <[link removed]> are just a few of the policies outside education on which the American Federation of Teachers and their locals <[link removed]> take a position. No surprise, then, that an AFT campaign has been resurrected by activists to try to steer state lawmakers on tax policy. But what they get may be the opposite of what they intended. Heritage Expert: Jonathan Butcher <[link removed]> and Preston Brashers <[link removed]>
Respecting Constitution requires acknowledging death of 1972 ERA <[link removed]> - Was Michigan Democratic Rep. Martha Griffiths, the 1972 ERA’s own sponsor, wrong when she agreed to add a binding seven-year deadline to gain further support? Was Rep. Elizabeth Holtzman, New York Democrat, wrong to introduce the deadline extension resolution because the original deadline was binding? Were the U.S. District Court, acting solicitor general, and Congressional Research Service all wrong that the 35 ratifying states fell short when the deadlines passed? Virginia Deputy Attorney General Walter S. Felton Jr. said in 1994 that “the ERA was not currently before the states for ratification because its original and extended time limits had expired.” Even National Public Radio has reported that the 1972 ERA “fell short and expired in 1982.” Were they all wrong? No. What did they all miss? Nothing. Heritage Expert: Thomas Jipping <[link removed]>
China’s Xi Jinping Plans Russia Visit as Putin Wages War in Ukraine <[link removed]> - Chinese leader Xi Jinping is preparing to visit Moscow for a summit with Russia’s president in the coming months, according to people familiar with the plan,
as Vladimir Putin <[link removed]> wages war in Ukraine <[link removed]> and portrays himself as a standard-bearer
against a U.S.-led global order. Beijing says it wants to play a more active role aimed at ending the conflict, and the people familiar with Mr. Xi’s trip plans said a meeting with Mr. Putin would be part of a push for multiparty peace talks and allow China to reiterate its calls that nuclear weapons <[link removed]> not be used. Heritage Expert: Brent Sadler <[link removed]> and Michael Cunningham <[link removed]>
‘Imperative’ – Chip Roy Calls On GOP To Move Forward On Bill Cracking Down On Illegal Immigration <[link removed]> - The Daily Caller obtained the letter Roy sent to the caucus, which focuses on, H.R. 29, the Border Safety and Security Act. Roy also explains the legislation, which he introduced, and the importance of passing it. H.R. 29 would require the Secretary of Homeland Security (DHS) to turn away migrants seeking asylum or else detain them until their claims have been adjudicated. “As we consider important border security legislation, there has been a great deal of confusion about both the goal and the substance of a number of proposals that are central to our efforts to find solutions to the border crisis harming Americans, migrants, and our national security,” Roy wrote in the letter. “Specifically, there has been much debate – both internally and externally – about H.R. 29, the Border Safety and Security Act, as well as questions surrounding overall efforts to secure our southern border.” Heritage Expert: Jim Carafano <[link removed]>
Russia’s New START Breach Means U.S. Nuclear Weapons Modernization Is a Must <[link removed]> - “Putin’s announcement that Russia is suspending its participation in the flawed New START arms control deal confirms the reality that Russia is uninterested in being a faithful party to international arms agreements. Which is why the US should refuse any concessions to Russia, especially in Ukraine, in response to this violation. Instead, the U.S. must focus on strengthening its nuclear deterrent and accelerating efforts to deal with the PRC’s nuclear breakout,” said Geller. Heritage Expert: Patty-Jane Geller <[link removed]>
Ohio’s New Voting Law Balance Secure Elections With Ballot Access <[link removed]> - To understand how Ohio improved, let’s look into some of the new law’s particulars. Central to the reform was a focus on photo IDs. All Ohio voters casting their ballots in person must now provide a government-issued photo ID at their polling place. That enables poll workers to authenticate the identity of each person and ensure that only eligible voters are casting ballots. Of course, many voters no longer show up on Election Day, preferring instead to vote by mail. Now, mail-in voting will be subject to the same voter-verification standards as in-person voting. Applicants for an absentee ballot must include a copy of their government-issued photo identification with their application to receive a mail-in ballot, along with other unique identifying information, such as the last four digits of the voter’s Social Security number. Heritage Expert: Jack Fitzhenry <[link removed]>
DOJ Forced to Reveal Secret Communications on Georgia Elections With Groups on Left - In June 2021, the U.S. Justice Department announced a lawsuit <[link removed]> to overturn parts of Georgia’s law, claiming it violated the 1965 Voting Rights Act. President Joe Biden and other Democrats falsely labeled the law “Jim Crow 2.0 <[link removed]>,” a reference to the era of racist laws and segregation in southern states that suggested an official effort to prevent blacks from voting. In response to the Justice Department’s lawsuit against Georgia, Raffensperger requested any communications that may have influenced its decision to
challenge his state’s law. After the department refused to comply with a request under the Freedom of Information Act, Raffensperger’s office sued. Heritage Expert: Fred Lucas <[link removed]>
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