Conservative leaders in states across the country have been busy this week, from passing new restrictions on abortion access to unleashing further attacks on LGBTQ rights.

Florida lawmakers were particularly active this week in furthering the agenda of Gov. Ron DeSantis.

• A newly passed anti-immigration bill provides $12 million for migrant transports. Read here about what we’ve uncovered about last year’s DeSantis-arranged flights of migrants from Texas to Martha’s Vineyard.
• Other bills heading to DeSantis’ desk include one that would weaken local regulations, such as those related to environmental protection or social justice, and another that targets transgender bathroom use.
• Meanwhile, DeSantis signed into law a bill banning state agencies and local governments from considering climate change and diversity when investing money, as well as a measure expanding the state’s death penalty in defiance of a past Supreme Court ruling.

Republicans in the Florida Legislature also passed a bill banning gender-affirming care for minors, along with an expansion of the state’s “Don’t Say Gay” education law. And for good measure, they threw in a bill allowing the governor to operate with greater secrecy.

• The education bill restricts how teachers and students can use personal pronouns in school, and requires schools to remove within five days any books challenged by those claiming harm to minors.
• The expansion of last year’s widely criticized law highlights the importance of American Oversight’s lawsuit against the Florida Department of Education. Our lawsuit seeks the release of public records related to Florida’s attacks on public education, including documents that could shed light on the potential influence of outside groups and activists on the DeSantis administration.
• A bill shielding DeSantis’ records of taxpayer-funded travel from public disclosure is another indication of the anti-transparency agenda of DeSantis and his allies in the Sunshine State — and another reminder of the importance of access to public records. (Meanwhile, many are wondering who paid for DeSantis’ recent overseas trips.)

Here’s a rundown of news from other states:

• Montana Gov. Greg Gianfortune signed a law banning transgender care for minors, along with five bills aimed at restricting abortion access in the state.
• A new law in Indiana, signed by Gov. Eric Holcomb this week, will require school staff to alert the parents of students who ask to use different names or pronouns.
• After secret negotiations, North Carolina Republican lawmakers passed a bill banning abortions after 12 weeks.
• Also in North Carolina, the state Supreme Court overturned its own past ruling to clear the way for more partisan gerrymandering in favor of Republicans.
• In Missouri, lawmakers have proposed a bill that would allow murder charges against people who obtain abortions.

And here are some recent headlines related to voting rights and election administration:

• The first arrests from DeSantis’s election police take extensive toll (Washington Post)
• NC Supreme Court issues felony disenfranchisement ruling (NC Newsline)
• The 13 election bills to watch as the Texas Legislature heads into its last month (Texas Tribune)
• Texas Republicans want power to overturn Harris County elections over mishaps at the polls (Houston Chronicle)
• Wisconsin lawmakers unveil bipartisan election overhauls (Associated Press) 
• A top GOP lawyer wants to crack down on the college vote. Some states already are. (Arizona Mirror)

While several high-profile election deniers running for state office last fall failed in their bids, a new report from States United Democracy Center emphasizes that more than a dozen election deniers still won their races and that the anti-democracy movement remains a serious threat. Data compiled for the report also reveals an “election denier penalty” for candidates who cling to voter fraud lies. Read more here.

On the Records

Extremism in the Military
The presence of white supremacy and right-wing extremism in the U.S. military remains a major concern, and our investigation has previously uncovered documents showing the military’s pattern of failing to adequately track and address incidents of white supremacy within its ranks. 

• Records we recently obtained from the National Guard Bureau show that in January 2022, a new recruit admitted he was associated with the Three Percenters, an extremist anti-government militia. 
• According to the documents, the individual did not ship out for training and later met with a recruiter to request a separation from the National Guard.
• The documents also indicate that he told officials he’d been pressured by the militia to enlist in the New York Army National Guard for the purpose of returning and training other members of the militia.

Trump Energy Secretary’s Pre-2020 Election Trips to Swing States
Prior to the 2020 election, several top Trump administration officials took highly publicized, taxpayer-funded trips to swing states where they promoted the former president’s policies, raising significant concerns about potential Hatch Act violations and conflicts of interest.

• We’ve recently obtained records showing former Energy Secretary Dan Brouillette’s trips to several states during the presidential campaign period cost taxpayers $135,863.27. The documents include travel itineraries and costs of trips to Michigan, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, and other states.
• The records build on our previous findings, which revealed the high costs of swing-state trips made by former EPA Administrator Andrew Wheeler, former Labor Secretary Eugene Scalia, former acting DHS Secretary Chad Wolf, and former Interior Secretary David Bernhardt. Read more here.

Supreme Court Ethics

• Clarence Thomas had a child in private school. Harlan Crow paid the tuition (ProPublica)
• Judicial activist directed fees to Clarence Thomas’ wife, urged ‘no mention of Ginni’ (Washington Post)
• Deep divide at Supreme Court ethics hearing, despite some GOP calls for action (Washington Post)

Election Denial and Threats to Democracy

• Michigan township recalls clerk and ally who pushed election denialism (Guardian)
• Public tirades, recall threats as Shasta County roils from decision to dump voting machines (Los Angeles Times)
• Billionaire backing effort to raise Ohio amendment threshold funded election deniers, Jan. 6 rally (Ohio Capital Journal)
• Texas House advances bill to eliminate Harris County election chief position (Texas Tribune) 
• Texts from Arizona ‘audit’ are kept secret by Cyber Ninjas’ Doug Logan (Arizona Republic)
• Jim Marchant, a Nevada election denier, announces Senate run (New York Times)

In the States

• New College fires librarian, second LGBTQ faculty member dismissed this year (Sarasota Herald-Tribune)
• Legislature passes bill letting new Miami-Dade sheriff take over county police in ’25 (Miami Herald)
• At a McDonald’s in Kentucky, 10-year-olds worked past midnight, Department of Labor finds (Georgia Recorder)
• Judge rejects Montana lawmaker’s effort to return to House floor (New York Times)
• Tension is rising as Texas state police patrol Austin streets (Texas Tribune)
• Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton to investigate Covid-19 vaccine makers (Texas Tribune)
• Texas Gov. Greg Abbott promises to keep busing migrants to Democratic cities (NBC News) 

Attacks on Civil Rights

• Feds: Hospitals that denied emergency abortion broke the law (Associated Press)
• Missouri judge blocks restrictions on transgender health care temporarily (KSDK St. Louis)
• Utah judge blocks abortion clinic ban — for now. Here’s why. (Salt Lake Tribune)
• How a longtime Idaho anti-abortion activist pushed the boundaries of Idaho’s ban (Idaho Capital Sun)
• How the Republican Party has shifted against transgender rights (Washington Post)
• Schools are canceling student shows with LGBTQ characters (Washington Post)

National News

• Fox opposes fellow journalists trying to uncover documents (Associated Press)
• Supreme Court accepts case that challenges authority of federal agencies (Washington Post)
• Conservatives take aim at affinity graduation celebrations (Inside Higher Ed)
• Federal prisons want inmates to pay victims, before making phone calls or buying shoes (NPR)
• U.S. planning to send 1,500 more troops to southern border (Politico)
• Leonard Leo used Federalist Society contact to obtain $1.6B donation (Politico)
• White House will end most Covid vaccine mandates (New York Times)

Trump Administration Accountability

• Special counsel’s team scrutinizing security camera video from Trump’s Mar-a-Lago resort (CBS News)
• As special counsel nears decision in Trump cases, who are the lawyers working with him (ABC News)
• Trumps fail to turn over documents in fraud case, New York attorney general claims (Forbes)

Jan. 6 Investigations

• Former FBI supervisor arrested in connection with Jan. 6 riot (Washington Post)
• Four Proud Boys members found guilty of seditious conspiracy (CNN)

Government Transparency

• A whistleblower claimed KCPD withheld evidence in criminal cases. The Police Board denies it (KCUR)
• Judge again tells Shasta County to hand over public records to the Record Searchlight (Record Searchlight)
• Buckingham County, Va., registrar charges $200 ‘convenience fee’ in FOIA feud with county official (Virginia Mercury)