Border City Mayors Say Congress Has Not Given Enough Money for Migrant Care

Mayors from cities on the U.S.-Mexico border last week said that the $30 million in emergency funds allocated by Congress for humanitarian aid to migrants is not enough. Six mayors from Texas, New Mexico, and Arizona came together to detail the costs of migrant care in their communities after touring border detention facilities with acting Homeland Security Secretary Kevin McAleenan. “We were all actively involved in lobbying our congressional delegates to see the supplemental funding take place, said John Giles, mayor of Mesa, Arizona. “However, $30 million is really going to be reimbursing communities like mine, pennies on the dollar for the supplies and the manpower and resources that we’ve been asked to donate to this crisis in our country,” he said. In the city of Yuma, Arizona, where 5,000 migrants have come through their shelter in the past three months, Mayor Douglas Nicholls said the city has been in a state of emergency because it cannot financially or physically keep up with the number of people in need of assistance. “The city of Yuma is 100,000 people...so it’s a big impact in our community,” he said, referencing the $1.5 million they have spent on migrant care. The mayors have the support of the U.S. Conference of Mayors, whose president, Bryan Barnett, said that the emergency aid does not come close to meeting the financial needs at the local level. “We call on Congress to directly allocate the funding needed by local communities and nongovernmental organizations to respond to those humanitarian crises that we face on our southern border,” Barnett said. During its annual meeting, the conference passed several resolutions calling on the federal government to provide a greater amount of funding to border cities. [The Arizona Republic; Washington Examiner]

WILDFIRE PLAN | The California legislature passed a legislative package that in part encourages utility PG&E to settle damage claims with survivors of 2017 and 2018 wildfires. PG&E, found liable for sparking most of the blazes, filed for bankruptcy in January, citing $30 billion in liability cases. The new measure establishes two options for a multi-billion liability fund, one that would involve state loans funded through surcharges on electricity bills and one that would require an upfront contribution from the company; shareholders in PG&E will have 15 days to vote on which of the options to take. “The legislation gives us tremendous leverage in putting major pressure on PG&E to step up and put forward a proposal to adequately compensate victims,” said Patrick McCallum, the co-chairman of Up from the Ashes, a wildfire survivor lobbying group. “And if they don’t do that, there would be serious consequences for them financially and their shareholders.” The package was opposed by assemblymember Marc Levine, a Democrat who called the bill a slap on the wrist for PG&E, which he said has repeatedly failed to upgrade aging equipment, some of which has been in use since 1921. “It’s hard not to see this bill as a reward for monstrous behavior. They (PG&E) haven’t done the work. They should not be rewarded,” Levine said. The package passed by the legislature also includes wildfire prevention and safety measures, and was signed into law by Gov. Gavin Newsom on Friday. “The rise in catastrophic wildfires fueled by climate change is a direct threat to Californians,” Newsom said after signing. [Wall Street Journal; KQED; The Press Democrat]

OUSTING A LEGISLATOR? | A Tennessee legislator finalized a resolution to remove state Rep. David Byrd from office after three women came forward to say he sexually assaulted them when he coached their high school basketball team. The resolution has not yet been filed, but the author, state Rep. Gloria Johnson, a Democrat, said she plans to file it as soon as lawmakers return to Nashville in August. “We have a sitting legislator who has been credibly accused of sexually assaulting children, there is audio of him apologizing for this behavior, he has refused to defend himself, it’s past time for the legislature to stand up for children and victims of sexual assault," Johnson said. Johnson’s resolution came after leaked video showed Gov. Bill Lee, a Republican, telling a constituent that Byrd, also a Republican, would leave office soon. In the video, a woman asked him, "Will you get the child molester out of the legislature right away?" Lee responded, "That's gonna happen soon." The governor's office has since backtracked, saying Lee didn’t understand the question but wants Byrd to publicly address the allegations. Byrd has not done so, but says the governor has remained supportive. "We did have a private conversation, but Governor Lee never asked me not to run for re-election. In fact, he made it clear that he wasn’t trying to persuade either way,” he said. [FOX 17 Nashville; The Tennessean]

DENYING FEMALE JOURNALISTS | A Republican state representative who is currently running for governor in Mississippi denied a female journalist from following him on the campaign trail on moral grounds, saying he cannot be alone with a woman as a married man. "I put my wife and my Christian beliefs above anyone else's feelings or opinions ... and I did not want there to be a perception that I was riding with another female and that something promiscuous was going on or anything like that," said Robert Foster. Larrison Campbell, the reporter, was told that she could cover the campaign only if she brought a male colleague along with her. She decided to cancel the request. "My editor and I agreed the request was sexist and an unnecessary use of resources given this reporter's experience covering Mississippi politics. I mean, why wouldn't a gay affair be construed if he were with a man? Unless, at the end of the day, what you're saying here is a woman is a sexual object first and a reporter second," Campbell said. "Is somebody capable of governing a state if they can't be alone in a room with a woman?" she added. Foster has faced vitriol on social media as the story gained national attention, but said that he will “stick to his guns,” following the same rule of not being alone with a woman who he is not related to that Vice President Mike Pence also employs. [NPR; The News & Observer]

NIKE IN ARIZONA | After Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey lambasted Nike over their decision to pull a controversial shoe with a Betsy Ross flag on the back, he reversed course last week and welcomed the company to the state. Nike plans to open a plant in Goodyear, a suburb of Phoenix, and Ducey previously instructed state authorities to revoke any economic incentives for the company. On Twitter, Ducey said Nike’s arrival is “good news for Arizona” bringing “500 plus jobs [and] over $184 million in capital investment.” Officials from Goodyear was also enthusiastic about Nike’s decision to continue building a plant in their town. "Nike joins a growing list of Fortune 500 companies who proudly call Goodyear, Arizona home. We are excited to partner with them to bring high-quality jobs, breakthrough technology, and advanced manufacturing to our community," said a city spokeswoman. [The Hill; ABC 15]