Republicans in North Carolina are sensing momentum as they look to push forward a wide-ranging legislative agenda with an extra pep in their step after a Democratic lawmaker changed parties this week, giving the GOP a veto-proof supermajority in the state House.

North Carolina state Rep. Tricia Cotham announced Wednesday that she is joining the Republican Party after long serving her deep blue Charlotte-area district as a Democrat. Beyond being symbolically important, the announcement could have a profound effect on the Tar Heel State.

While North Carolina Republicans have held majorities in both the state’s House and Senate chambers for years, the threat of a veto from Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper has prevented them from implementing much of their agenda. But Cotham’s decision to join the GOP gives Republicans a clear path with a veto-proof majority in the House — complementing the GOP supermajority in the state Senate — to push a wide range of legislation without necessarily needing to compromise with Cooper.

‘If it’s a hot topic in American politics, the North Carolina General Assembly likely has a bill dealing with it,’ said Christopher Cooper, a professor of political science and public affairs at Western Carolina University. 

‘Transgender rights, election law, abortion, the role of critical race theory in schools are all issues the General Assembly has on its plate. If that’s not enough for you, there’s even a bill attempting to get rid of participation trophies in youth sports. We don’t know which bills will die a quiet death and which will make it out of the General Assembly. But, thanks to Tricia Cotham’s party switch, we know that the Republicans don’t need a single Democratic vote to enact the policies they want.’

Republicans didn’t waste time with their new veto-proof legislative majorities, introducing a flurry of bills this week focusing on transgender issues that were previously dead on arrival. Two of the bills would ensure athletes play on sports teams only with their own sex, which would be based on reproductive biology and genetics at birth. 

‘My sense is that we may see various efforts come to pass in North Carolina as in other majority Republican legislatures, such as policies related to transgender, education reform (especially since Rep. Cotham chairs that committee), likely revisions of election and voting laws (such as requiring mail-in ballots delivered by Election Day, rather than three days afterward), and certainly one of the most controversial, abortion,’ said Michael Bitzer, a professor of politics and history at Catawba College.

‘We may also see some topics previously vetoed by the governor return to consideration. Most of us are in a ‘wait and see’ mode when it comes to the exact policies and legislation proposed, but it feels like the Republicans have carte blanche to do what they want, based on caucus and chamber unity.’

The legislature will also look into school choice, parental involvement in schools, and redrawing congressional districts, according to experts on North Carolina politics.

‘The GOP will push through significant bills on education choice and parental involvement in schools. I believe Cotham will be on board with a lot of these forthcoming bills,’ said Chris Sinclair, a political strategist in North Carolina. ‘Finally, I believe the legislature will revisit the congressional and legislative maps and redraw these maps as has been speculated. They don’t need the governor for this, but believe they will draw a district for Cotham that is more competitive for an R than her current district, and she will support these new maps.’

However, Republicans, who had been just one seat shy of a supermajority, were already pursuing many of these agenda items before Cotham’s announcement, working with moderate Democrats to pass legislation.

‘I can honestly state that I am unaware of any change whatsoever in the issues we as a Republican Caucus intend to pursue,’ said Republican state Rep. Kristin Baker, the House deputy majority whip. ‘Our values, and our objectives, remain unaltered.’

Rep. Jason Saine, the House GOP caucus leader, echoed that point, outlining some of what’s on the agenda for his conference.

‘Coming into this year’s session, Republican leadership in the North Carolina House was already working with pragmatic Democrats to push for legislation that would limit emergency powers of the governor after school children, families, and small businesses suffered under his power grab during COVID,’ said Saine. ‘Much of what we can accomplish with a supermajority was already in play given that there are several Democrats who are working with us on a number of policy reforms.’

‘Expansion of school choice, election law reforms, as well as many other issues are still being discussed and planned,’ Saine continued. ‘Having just completed the House budget proposal and receiving the vote of nine Democrats on our budget bill, which also included a number of policy reforms, we think we are in a good place to continue to move our agenda forward.’

The state House on Thursday approved a two-year budget plan that now goes to the Senate for a vote.

‘The really big battle in North Carolina will be over the budget, and I suspect that it is here, in particular, that Cotham’s switch will have the most dramatic impact,’ said Steven Greene, a professor of political science at North Carolina State University. ‘So much of the partisan conflict in North Carolina comes out in the budget, and it is very often a party-line vote. I don’t think Cotham would have switched parties if she were not willing to vote with the Republicans on the budget, so, that alone, is a very big deal.’

However, Cotham may not be a sure yes vote when it comes to some GOP legislation, according to experts and lawmakers who note she doesn’t fall neatly into any one political box.

‘No doubt that Rep. Cotham’s decision to join the Republican Party was a seismic shift in North Carolina state politics,’ said Sinclair. ‘However, Rep. Cotham made it clear to everyone that she is an independent thinker. I don’t see her being a certain yes on all the GOP leadership’s legislative and policy considerations. Her switch doesn’t mean a blank check for everything under consideration by GOP leaders in the House.’

Greene cited in particular ‘Cotham’s history on LGBT issues’ as an indication she doesn’t seem an automatic vote for the full Republican agenda. Cotham’s Republican colleagues agreed with that conclusion — and seemed to embrace it.

‘Rep. Cotham has clearly stated that she is the same person; therefore, her approach to evaluating issues has not changed,’ said Baker. ‘Diversity of thought must not just be tolerated; it must be encouraged. And if we use this event to elevate that message, we will have served our citizens well.’

Saine similarly argued that Cotham may not agree with other House Republicans on everything but quickly added that, either way, ‘wokeism’ is dead in North Carolina.

‘The addition of Rep. Cotham to our caucus is a factor, but the fact of the matter remains, she has always been a very pragmatic legislator that has been willing to cross party lines,’ he said. ‘I am glad that she is now in a party that appreciates her independence and leadership. The bottom line is that ‘wokeism’ is finding a dead end in our state, and we will continue to push for policies that really matter to our people. We aren’t California, and we don’t want to be.’

Beyond Cotham’s own policy views, another factor for Republicans will be governing in such a way to put them in a strong position for 2024.

‘The question will be which bills leadership allows to the floor. While there is a super majority, leadership will be focused on an issue agenda that allows them to keep and expand that majority in the 2024 elections,’ said Paul Shumaker, a political strategist in North Carolina.

According to some experts, however, the GOP’s newfound supermajority may prove problematic if they don’t deliver for North Carolinians.

‘There’s no doubt the GOP had a good week in North Carolina,’ said Sinclair. ‘What they do with their new member and how far they go on issues will be critical — and they must be mindful of how far they go and will want to talk to their colleagues in Wisconsin and Kansas on how right they shift on key issues — especially on abortion. If they go too far, their newfound power could be short-lived after 2024, even with new maps.’

John Kirby, National Security Council coordinator for strategic communications, said that he doesn’t ‘buy the whole argument of chaos’ regarding the sudden U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan, despite describing the scene as such in 2021.

In August 2021, President Biden began the withdrawal of American troops from Afghanistan, prompting members of the Taliban to quickly retaliate and take control of the country despite assurances that Afghani forces supplied by the U.S. would keep the country stable.

During an Aug. 24, 2021, White House press briefing, Kirby described the scene of the withdrawal as chaotic, telling reporters in ‘the first few days’ of the event, there was ‘physical crush and chaos.’

Despite his initial description of the scene, Kirby recently attempted to walk back on his claim, telling reporters that he ‘just didn’t see’ the ‘chaos’ in the withdrawal that led to the deaths of 13 American soldiers.

Kirby made the comment on Thursday while discussing a new 12-page report detailing the White House’s review of Biden’s withdrawal.

‘For all this talk of chaos, I just didn’t see it. Not from my perch. At one point during the evacuation, there was an aircraft taking off full of people, Americans and Afghans alike, every 48 minutes. And not one single mission was missed,’ he said. 

‘So I’m sorry. I just don’t buy the whole argument of chaos. It was tough in the first few hours you would expect it to be. There was nobody at the airport and certainly no Americans. It took time to get in there,’ Kirby told reporters.

A Biden administration official said Kirby ‘was pushing back on the narrative that the evacuation itself that US troops carried out was chaotic and referencing how US troops did a masterful job accomplishing the evacuation of approximately 120,000 ppl in just over two weeks, an impressive feat and one of the largest airlifts in history.’

During Thursday’s press briefing, Kirby also insisted that the report was not about ‘accountability’ for the Biden administration. 

‘The purpose of the document that we’re putting out today is to sort of collate the chief reviews and findings of the agencies that did after action reviews. The purpose of it is not accountability. The purpose of it is to study lessons learned,’ Kirby told Fox News’ Peter Doocy when pressed on who would be held accountable for the withdrawal.

The report attempted to place blame on former President Donald Trump for the event, despite him not being in office at the time of the withdrawal.

During the withdrawal, 13 American soldiers were killed in a suicide bombing while protecting the Kabul airport, and a number of individuals were stranded.

Fox News Digital’s Peter Hasson and Brandon Gillespie contributed to this report. 

Cannabis regulators have halted operations at several outdoor pot farms and processing facilities on a stretch of former fruit orchards in north-central Washington state after testing found high levels of chemicals related to a dangerous pesticide used decades ago.

The sweeping action announced Thursday night by the state Liquor and Cannabis Board renewed concerns about pesticides in marijuana and put dozens of people at least temporarily out of work just as they were preparing for spring planting.

‘We are very concerned about the jobs and businesses, but we felt we needed to get a message out to our licensees and to take action for public safety,’ said board spokesperson Brian Smith.

Over the last several months, officials collected samples from grow operations and processors along a nearly 5-mile stretch of the Okanogan River north of Brewster, a region of former orchards where fruit growers used the cancer-causing pesticide DDT before the U.S. banned it in 1972.

Marijuana growers in the area are now dealing with the legacy of soil contamination at the orchards. The results of tests at seven licensees showed high levels of DDE, a chemical that remains when DDT breaks down. Regulators decided to issue ‘administrative holds’ on 16 producer licenses and two processing licenses in the area, forcing them to cease operations until further notice.

It wasn’t clear how many businesses were affected, because each one can hold multiple licenses.

One of the shuttered businesses, large-scale grower Walden Cannabis, advertises its cannabis as ‘sustainably sungrown’ and ‘pesticide-free,’ but its plants absorbed contaminants from the soil which then wound up in its products.

‘Orchards used DDT for a generation, and that caused widespread contamination throughout the Pacific Northwest and the whole country, really,’ said Walden Chief Executive Anders Taylor. ‘I’m still trying to process what this means. Financially, it just ruins me. I’ll be not only out of business — I’m going to lose my house, lose my farm and have to lay off my employees.’

Taylor said there are seven licensed grow operations on his property as well as processing operations, with roughly 50 workers in all.

According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, studies have shown that women with high amounts of DDE in their blood were more likely to give birth prematurely or to have a baby with a wheeze.

However, studies have focused on ingestion of the chemical, such as by eating fruit contaminated with pesticide residue; less is known about the effects of inhaling DDE.

Much of the marijuana grown in the area was sold wholesale to other processors. The Liquor Control Board said it is working with the growers and processors to identify which products the tainted cannabis wound up in so they can be tested off the shelf. Officials also asked affected companies to issue recalls.

Cannabis is known for its strong ability to remove contaminants from soil, and it has been studied for use in environmental cleanup. The levels of contaminants can be especially high in marijuana extracts and concentrates.

Due to marijuana’s illegal status under federal law, states have largely come up with their own rules about pesticide testing for their cannabis markets, said Gillian Schauer, executive director of the Cannabis Regulators Association, which includes cannabis officials from 35 U.S. states and territories.

There is wide variety among the states about which pesticides are regulated and what their tolerance levels are; it was unknown how many require testing for legacy pesticides or their components, such as DDE.

Regulators in Vermont early this year pulled pesticide-contaminated pot from five retail stores after a customer reported feeling sick, and Nevada officials issued an advisory about widely available products possibly being tainted with an unapproved pesticide.

Over the years, Washington has halted the operations or destroyed product in dozens of cases where cannabis tested above accepted levels for pesticides, but those have involved the recent spraying of unapproved pesticides. This is believed to be the first time the Liquor and Cannabis Board has issued an administrative hold related to the legacy use of pesticides, and it is the first time it has issued a hold covering an entire geographic area rather than an isolated business, the board said in an email.

Washington was one of the first two states, along with Colorado, to legalize the use and sale of cannabis by adults in 2012.

Washington’s Liquor and Cannabis Board has long conducted random tests for pesticides on products, including DDE, but they did not require producers to send in samples to state-certified labs for mandatory pesticide testing until last year. Washington was the only state with legal medical and recreational marijuana that had not already done so.

Under Washington’s testing requirements, samples sent in by businesses are screened for 59 pesticides. For now, DDE is not one of them, but the board said it would swiftly begin making rules to require testing for DDE and a related compound, DDD, in cannabis products.

Washington has also never required soil testing for outdoor marijuana farms. Jeremy Moberg, a licensed marijuana grower who owns CannaSol Farms in Okanogan County, north of the area targeted by regulators Thursday, said he nevertheless tested the soil at the former alfalfa farm he bought for his operation to make sure it was clean.

‘I did due diligence, because I knew there was lots of toxic ground in this county due to the historical application of pesticides,’ Moberg said. ‘People who did their due diligence did not buy land on old orchards.’

A judge canceled the air quality permit for a natural gas power plant that’s under construction along the Yellowstone River in Montana citing worries over climate change.

State District Judge Michael Moses ruled Thursday that Montana officials failed to adequately consider the 23 million tons of planet-warming greenhouse gases that the project would emit over several decades.

Many utilities across the U.S. have replaced coal power with less polluting natural gas plants in recent years. But the industry remains under pressure to abandon fossil fuels altogether as climate change worsens.

The $250 million plant is being built by Sioux Falls, South Dakota-based NorthWestern Energy and would operate for at least 30 years. The company will appeal the order, a spokesperson said in a statement Friday, saying that the ruling could jeopardize reliable power service.

Montana officials had argued they had no authority to regulate greenhouse gas emissions. They also said that because climate change is a global phenomenon, state law prevented them from looking at its impacts.

But Moses said officials from the Montana Department of Environmental Quality had misinterpreted the law. He ordered them to conduct further environmental review and said they must gauge the climate change impacts within Montana in relation to the project. Major flooding on the Yellowstone last year wiped out bridges and triggered widespread evacuations following extreme rains, which scientists say are becoming more frequent as the climate changes.

‘The emissions and impacts of the (gas plant) are potentially significant,’ Moses wrote. ‘Defendants do not dispute this.’

The judge also faulted officials for not considering how lights from the project could impact surrounding property owners. It’s on the outskirts of the town of Laurel across the river from a residential neighborhood.

The plant would produce up to 175 megawatts of electricity. Its air permit was challenged in a 2021 lawsuit from the Montana Environmental Information Center and Sierra Club.

The Department of Environmental Quality was reviewing Moses’ order and agency officials had no immediate comment, spokesperson Moira Davin said.

A NorthWestern Energy representative did not say if the ruling would halt construction. The company says the plant would ensure enough electricity is available at times of high demand, such as on hot days or cold nights.

‘Our air permit was reviewed and approved by the DEQ using standards that have been in effect for many years,’ Vice President John Hines said in a NorthWestern’s statement. ‘We will work with the DEQ to determine the path forward.’

The ruling comes as the Montana Legislature weighs bills that would make it more difficult for organizations and individuals to sue state agencies over environmental decisions.

The state Senate passed a bill requiring anyone who wants to challenge an agency environmental review to have commented during the review process. They’d also have to pay for some of the agency’s court costs. The bill would also bar nonprofit organizations from using tax deductible donations to pay for lawsuits against state agencies.

The House Oversight Committee issued subpoenas to banks asking for Biden family associates’ financial records.

Fox News has confirmed that the Oversight Committee subpoenaed Bank of America, Cathay Bank, JPMorgan Chase, and HSBC USA N.A., as well as former Hunter Biden business associate Mervyn Yan, asking for financial records.

Rep. Jamie Raskin, D-Md., the top Democrat on the Oversight Committee, complained that Committee Chairman James Comer, R-Ky., was trying to hide information regarding the investigation from Democrats on the committee.

In a statement to Fox News, Comer said ‘Ranking Member Raskin has again disclosed Committee’s subpoenas in a cheap attempt to thwart cooperation from other witnesses. Given his antics with the first bank subpoena, the American people and media should be asking what information Ranking Member Raskin is trying to hide this time. No one should be fooled by Ranking Member Raskin’s games. We have the bank records, and the facts are not good for the Biden family.’

The Oversight Committee Democratic staff sent a memo to members on Thursday which accuses Republicans of conducting their investigation behind a ‘veil of secrecy.’

‘Despite this massive investment of time and resources, Republican efforts on this and other congressional committees have failed to yield any evidence of misconduct by President Biden. Nevertheless, Chairman Comer has issued six document subpoenas for financial records as part of this renewed investigation, several of which have been based on information Committee Republicans know to be false,’ the memo states.

The Democratic memo alleges that Republicans haven’t been publicizing their subpoenas or notifying Democrats, which has purportedly resulted in some targets of subpoenas being unaware that the committee is seeking their records.

‘On February 27, 2023, Chairman Comer secretly issued the Committee’s first document subpoena as part of Committee Republicans’ ongoing investigation into the Biden family to Bank of America. This subpoena sought, among other information, ‘all financial records’ from January 20, 2009, to the present — a staggering 14-year period — for John R. Walker, a private U.S. citizen… Yet, because of Chairman Comer’s use of a secret subpoena, Mr. Walker was never notified that the Committee had subpoenaed his financial records from Bank of America, he was never notified that Bank of America turned over his records to the Committee, and he was never notified that the Committee was publicly releasing information from these records,’ the memo states.

A spokesperson for Cathay Bank told Fox News Digital that the bank will cooperate with the Oversight Committee.

‘Cathay Bank, a NASDAQ-listed, U.S. financial institution for over 60 years, has cooperated with the House Committee on Oversight and Accountability’s request for information. The bank intends to continue to cooperate with the committee,’ the spokesperson said.

EDITOR’S NOTE: This story has been updated to reflect subpoenas are for Biden family associates.

Wisconsin wildlife officials on Friday released thousands of public comments on a new wolf management plan, some calling for the restoration of a statewide population limit and others urging a total hunting ban.

Department of Natural Resources in November released a draft of its first new wolf management plan in almost 25 years. It would eliminate the existing 350-animal population goal and recommends instead that the DNR work with local advisory committees on whether to reduce local wolf populations, keep them stable, or allow them to grow.

The window for submitting comments on the draft plan ended Feb. 28. The DNR posted about 3,500 redacted comments on its website Friday afternoon.

The comments broadly reflected all sides of the long-running debate over how to best handle the growing number of wolves in Wisconsin. DNR estimates released in September put the statewide population at about 1,000 animals.

Northern Wisconsin farmers have long complained about wolves preying on livestock. Hunters have pointed to the 350-animal number as justification for setting generous quotas during the state’s fall wolf season. Animal advocates counter that the population still isn’t strong enough to support hunting.

Several government entities in rural Wisconsin, including the Douglas, Marathon and Jackson county boards, submitted boilerplate resolutions to the DNR calling for the agency to restore the 350-animal goal, arguing that nothing has changed to warrant its elimination.

Hunting groups, including the Wisconsin Bear Hunters Association and Safari Club International, also called for the agency to restore the 350-wolf goal.

‘Without setting a definitive guideline on which to base discretionary management decisions, any effort to stabilize or even reduce the wolf population will be questioned and likely challenged,’ Safari Club International President Sven Lindquist said in a letter to the DNR. ‘Establishing a population objective would provide DNR with a specific goal to point to as it makes decisions like setting annual harvest quotas and methods of harvest.’

Republican legislators introduced a bill that would mandate the DNR establish a new population goal in the final version of the plan but doesn’t say at what level. The proposal hasn’t received a hearing yet.

Conservation groups, meanwhile, applauded the lack of a numeric goal in the draft plan.

‘Removing an arbitrary wolf population goal is important to make sure the numbers of wolves are adaptable,’ Elizabeth Ward, director of the Sierra Club’s Wisconsin chapter, said in a letter. ‘As written in the plan, the goal should be for the state to have a self-sustaining, self-regulating, and genetically diverse wolf population that maintains connectivity with wolf populations in neighboring states and fulfills their ecological roles.’

The Chippewa tribes, which regard the wolf as a sacred brother, submitted comments saying they cannot support hunting wolves and imploring the DNR to include them in discussions on plan revisions.

It’s unclear when DNR officials would submit a final draft to the agency’s policy board. Agency officials said in a statement only that they’re reviewing the comments and will use them to consider revisions. They did not offer a timeline.

DNR spokesperson Katie Grant has not responded to an email from The Associated Press.

Wisconsin law mandates a wolf season but last year a federal judge restored endangered species protections for gray wolves across most of the country, including Wisconsin. The move prohibits hunting the animals. If wolves were ever to lose those protections, the states would be responsible for managing the creatures and Wisconsin hunts would resume.

Federal regulators said Friday that railroads need to re-examine how they assemble their trains after a string of derailments in recent years that were at least partly caused by the way empty and loaded cars were mixed together with locomotives.

Heavy cars at the back of a train can push and pull against empty cars in the middle of a train as it goes over hills and around corners. Those forces have become more of a problem as the industry increasingly relies on longer trains with a wide variety of freight aboard.

Another factor complicating the issue is the industry’s practice of placing locomotives throughout trains. The locomotives can amplify the forces if they’re not used correctly.

The Federal Railroad Administration’s advisory cites six derailments since 2021 where those forces were a factor. They include a Norfolk Southern derailment near Springfield, Ohio, last month and a 2021 Union Pacific derailment that forced the evacuation of Sibley, Iowa, for three days. Regulators say these kind of derailments are happening with increasing frequency.

But regulators didn’t mention the fiery February derailment near East Palestine, Ohio, that prompted much of the recent concern nationwide about railroad safety as an example of this problem. The National Transportation Safety Board has said that an overheated bearing that caused an axle to fail on one of the railcars likely caused that derailment.

But it is still early in the East Palestine investigation, so it’s not clear if the makeup of the train was also a factor.

‘Railroads must prioritize proper train makeup to maintain safety, prevent accidents, and optimize train performance,’ the railroad administration said in the advisory. ‘Further, all operating employees must be properly trained in these technologies and the handling of complex trains to ensure safe operation and minimize human error.’

All of the derailments the FRA mentioned involved trains with at least 125 cars. In every case an empty car was the first to come off the tracks. The order doesn’t specifically single out long trains, but the kind of forces regulators are concerned about are amplified in longer trains, especially if large blocks of empty cars are placed in the middle or front of a train. In three of the six derailments, hazardous chemicals were released, highlighting the potential dangers of these accidents.

The major freight railroads have all overhauled their operations in recent years to rely more on longer trains so they don’t need as many crews or locomotives. Now trains routinely stretch longer than two or even three miles long.

As a train moves across uneven territory, its front half might be getting pulled up a hill while the back half is coming down and pushing forward against the rest of the cars. Those dynamics make it difficult for the engineer to manage.

‘Think about going thru undulating territory sort of like a Slinky. You’re either trying to keep it stretched out or you’re trying to keep it all bunched together to control the forces from going in and out because that’s what causes derailments. And it causes train separations,’ said Mark Wallace, who is second-highest ranking officer with the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen union. ‘The way to prevent this stuff from happening is to control the train lengths.’

A spokeswoman for the Association of American Railroads trade group said the major freight railroads already use sophisticated computer software to help them build trains and properly distribute the weight. Not only is it important to consider where to put the loaded cars, but railroads also have to factor in that some goods are heavier than others and that the weight of the liquid inside a tank car will shift as the train moves. AAR spokeswoman Jessica Kahanek said the railroads will consider regulators’ recommendations.

‘The industry is committed to productive conversations about how we continue to advance our shared goal of ensuring the safety of the trains that serve customers and communities across the nation,’ Kahanek said.

A spokeswoman for Union Pacific, which handled three of the trains highlighted in the advisory, said the railroad is using high-tech tools to monitor train forces and makes adjustments as needed. Kristen South said UP has seen derailments decline along its network last year and this year, even as maximum train length reached 9,329 feet.

‘We constantly evaluate our processes and continue to work with government agencies and industry partners to further improve safety,’ South said.

Norfolk Southern officials declined to comment on the advisory. That railroad was responsible for two of the derailments in the advisory, as well as the one in East Palestine.

Since the East Palestine derailment, regulators and members of Congress have urged the railroads to take additional steps to prevent derailments. Two different federal agencies have also announced investigations of Norfolk Southern’s safety record, and that railroad’s CEO has had to testify twice at congressional hearings.

Arkansas lawmakers approved a proposed $6.2 billion budget and an overhaul of the state’s sentencing laws on Friday as they wrapped up an 89-day legislative session that’s been marked by approval of Republican Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders’ school voucher program and a push for new restrictions on transgender people.

The House and Senate approved identical versions of the legislation laying out the budget plan, which calls for increasing state spending by more than $177 million in the fiscal year that begins July 1. The biggest increases are directed toward public schools and the corrections system.

‘We have prioritized the things we should prioritize: public safety, education of our children,’ Senate President Bart Hester, a Republican, told reporters after the vote. ‘And we believe we’re going to continue to have significant surpluses in Arkansas.’

But the only lawmaker who voted against the legislation, Republican Sen. Bryan King, said he thinks the state’s budget has been growing too quickly and lawmakers should find cuts to offset the spending increases.

‘Every time we talk about Washington D.C. or Joe Biden or somebody expanding the debt, we have to first look at ourselves,’ King said.

Legislative leaders say they believe the state has some cushion against changes in the economy, noting that Arkansas has more than $1.3 billion in a catastrophic reserve fund. The budget plan also forecasts the state will build up a $391 million surplus in the coming fiscal year.

‘We’ve positioned ourselves that if there is a downturn, the state will be able to manage it and continue to provide the type of services the public expects,’ House Speaker Matthew Shepherd, a Republican, told reporters.

The Senate also gave final approval to a change in the state’s sentencing laws that will end parole eligibility for certain violent offenses. Sanders and Attorney General Tim Griffin advocated for the proposal. It would require anyone sentenced beginning in 2024 for any of 18 violent offenses — including capital murder, first-degree murder and rape — to serve 100% of their sentence.

Starting in 2025, the bill would also require prisoners to serve at least 85% of a sentence for a list of other offenses, such as second-degree murder. Offenders convicted of other crimes would be required to serve 25% or 50% of their sentences, but the table spelling out which crimes fall under those minimums will be developed later. The changes won’t apply to people who had already been sentenced before the law takes effect.

The Legislature this week approved a separate bill tapping into the state’s surplus for several needs, including $330 million for new prison space and $300 million for a new crime lab building.

Lawmakers plan to reconvene by May 1 to formally adjourn this year’s session and consider any veto overrides. Since taking office in January, Sanders hasn’t yet vetoed any bills that reached her desk, her office said.

Sanders’ top agenda items were approved during the legislative session. Those include a massive education law that will create a school voucher program and raise minimum teacher salaries. Lawmakers this week approved another key part of Sanders’ agenda, a cut in income taxes that will cost the state $124 million a year.

Lawmakers since January have pushed for several bills targeting the rights of transgender people, including a law Sanders signed that’s aimed at reinstating Arkansas’ blocked ban on gender affirming care for minors. The law, which will take effect later this summer, will make it easier to sue providers of such care for minors. The governor has also signed a law that will prohibit transgender people at public schools from using restrooms that align with their gender identity.

The top Democrat in the Senate called the series of bills ‘horrifying.’

‘I think it also sends the message to anyone outside of Arkansas that the state is not welcoming and inclusive,’ Senate Minority Leader Greg Leding said.

There are several major bills awaiting action from Sanders. They include a measure she has supported that would require age verification to use social media sites and parental approval for users under 18, which would make Arkansas the second state to enact such a restriction.

AR enjoyed a budget surplus this year

Alabama lawmakers on Thursday approved harsher penalties for trafficking fentanyl — with punishments of up to life imprisonment — as lawmakers try to respond to the deadly overdose crisis.

The Alabama Senate approved the House-passed bill on a 31-0 vote that came without any debate. The bill now goes to Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey who said she will sign the legislation into law ‘in the swiftest order.’ The bill sets mandatory minimum sentences for fentanyl trafficking based upon the weight of the drug including up to life imprisonment for possession of eight grams or more of the deadly substance.

‘Combatting this deadly drug will continue to be a top priority for our Alabama Law Enforcement Agency, and I will do everything in my power to stop this drug from being a killer in Alabama,’ Ivey said in a statement. The Republican governor used her State of the State address last month to urge lawmakers to approve the stiffer penalties.

Fentanyl is a powerful synthetic opioid drug. It is often mixed into other drugs, including heroin, methamphetamine and counterfeit pain pills so people might not know they are ingesting it. In 2021 synthetic opioids, primarily fentanyl, were responsible for killing more than 70,000 people in the Unites States, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Lawmakers in multiple states across the country are looking to increase fentanyl penalties in an effort to combat what’s been called the deadliest overdose crisis in U.S. history. The Alabama legislation by Republican Matt Simpson, a former prosecutor, sets mandatory prison sentences and fines for trafficking one gram of fentanyl or more.

Simpson said the weights are for ‘pure fentanyl’ instead of the combined weight when fentanyl is mixed with another drug. He said the intent is to target sellers instead of people who are buying drugs that might have been mixed with fentanyl.

‘One gram seems low… However, one gram can kill up to 500 people. One gram is not for personal use,’ Simpson said.

The mandatory penalties are:

— Three years in prison for amounts between one gram and two grams.

— Ten years in prison for amounts between two grams and four grams.

— Twenty-five years in prison for amounts between four grams and eight grams.

— Life imprisonment with the possibility of parole for amounts of eight grams or more.

Barry Matson, executive director of the Alabama District Attorneys Association, said while the bill passed with little floor debate, there had been a lot of discussions with lawmakers ahead of the vote. He said several lawmakers wanted assurances that the weights weren’t too low.

‘A gram of fentanyl will kill a lot of people,’ Matson said.

Tennessee’s GOP-dominated House on Thursday voted to expel Democratic Rep. Justin Jones from the Legislature for his role in a protest calling for gun control following last week’s shooting at a private Christian school in Nashville that killed six people, including three children. 

Fox 17 Nashville reported that Jones was sanctioned for using a bullhorn when he joined with protesters, which state House leaders called ‘disorderly behavior.’

House lawmakers had also considered ousting Democratic Reps. Gloria Johnson and Justin Pearson. Later on Thursday, the legislature declined to expel Johnson. The 65-30 vote fell just one vote shy of the number needed to oust Johnson. A vote against Pearson was upcoming. 

Last week, the trio of Democratic lawmakers chanted back and forth from the chamber floor with gun-control supporters packed in the gallery. 

Thursday’s 72-25 vote against Jones marked an extraordinary move from lawmakers that has been executed only a handful of times since the Civil War. Most state legislatures possess the power to expel members, but it is normally reserved as a punishment for lawmakers accused of serious misconduct, not as a weapon against political opponents.

‘We are losing our democracy. This is not normal. This is not OK,’ Pearson told reporters. The three ‘broke a House rule because we’re fighting for kids who are dying from gun violence and people in our communities who want to see an end to the proliferation of weaponry in our communities. And that leads to our expulsion? This is not democracy.’

Ahead of the expected vote, White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre called the expulsion ‘shocking, undemocratic, and without precedent.’ 

Thousands of people flocked to the Capitol to support the Democrats, cheering and chanting outside the House chamber so loudly that the noise drowned out the proceedings.

The trio held hands as they walked onto the House floor on Thursday morning, and Pearson raised his fist to the crowd during the Pledge of Allegiance.

Offered a chance to defend himself before the vote, Jones said the GOP responded to the shooting with a different kind of attack.

‘We called for you all to ban assault weapons, and you respond with an assault on democracy,’ he said.

The calls for expulsion, which requires a two-thirds majority, stem from the attack at the Covenant School. Johnson, Jones and Pearson chanted back and forth from the chamber floor with gun-control supporters who packed the gallery.

Republican Rep. Gino Bulso said the three Democratic representatives ‘effectively conducted a mutiny.’

‘The gentleman shows no remorse,’ Bulso said, referring to Jones. ‘He does not even recognize that what he did was wrong. So not to expel him would simply invite him and his colleagues to engage in mutiny on the House floor.’

Any expelled lawmakers would be eligible for appointment back to their seats. They would also be eligible to run in the special election. And under the Tennessee Constitution, lawmakers cannot be expelled for the same offense twice.

Republican Rep. Sabi Kumar advised Jones to be more collegial and less focused on race.

‘You have a lot to offer, but offer it in a vein where people are accepting of your ideas,’ Kumar said.

Jones said he did not intend to assimilate in order to be accepted. ‘I’m not here to make friends. I’m here to make a change for my community,’ he replied.

Many of the protesters traveled from Memphis and Knoxville, areas that Pearson and Johnson represent, and stood in a line that wrapped around the Capitol building to get inside.

Protesters outside the chamber held up signs that read, ‘School zones shouldn’t be war zones,’ ‘Muskets didn’t fire 950 rounds per minute’ with a photo of George Washington and ‘You can silence a gun … but not the voice of the people.’

The Associated Press contributed to this report.