Public Policy & NGOs
Here's a look at documents from public policy and non-governmental organizations
Featured Stories
Americans for Tax Reform: 2026 To Bring Further Tax Cuts, Income Tax Elimination To Missouri As Gov. Kehoe Leads Charge
WASHINGTON, Dec. 27 -- Americans for Tax Reform issued the following commentary on Dec. 26, 2025:
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2026 To Bring Further Tax Cuts, Income Tax Elimination To Missouri As Gov. Kehoe Leads Charge
By Dennis Hull
Governors and lawmakers across the country continued phasing down state income taxes in 2025. While 12 states cut personal income tax rates this year, Missouri stands out for becoming the first state to phase out taxation of capital gains when Governor Mike Kehoe (R-Mo.) signed HB 594 into law on July 11, four days after President Donald Trump signed the One Big Beautiful Bill Act
... Show Full Article
WASHINGTON, Dec. 27 -- Americans for Tax Reform issued the following commentary on Dec. 26, 2025:
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2026 To Bring Further Tax Cuts, Income Tax Elimination To Missouri As Gov. Kehoe Leads Charge
By Dennis Hull
Governors and lawmakers across the country continued phasing down state income taxes in 2025. While 12 states cut personal income tax rates this year, Missouri stands out for becoming the first state to phase out taxation of capital gains when Governor Mike Kehoe (R-Mo.) signed HB 594 into law on July 11, four days after President Donald Trump signed the One Big Beautiful Bill Actinto law.
"Conservative leadership is about keeping more money in the hands of Missouri families, and less in government coffers," Gov. Kehoe said when signing HB 594, which permits 100% deduction of capital gains when calculating state income tax liability. "Today, we are protecting the people who make Missouri work--families, job creators, and small business owners--by cutting taxes, rolling back overreach, and eliminating costly mandates."
The Governor and his team are now looking to strengthen a competitive economic environment crafted over the last decade by taxpayer champions in the legislature, including Speaker Chad Perkins, Senate President Pro Tem Cindy O'Laughlin, House Leader Alex Riley and Senator Ben Brown, who have been instrumental in enacting multiple personal income tax cuts over the last several years that ultimately took the top marginal rate from 6% to 4.7% today. Their efforts laid the groundwork for the first-in-the-nation capital gains tax elimination that now puts Missouri at the forefront of innovative, pro-worker tax policy, while providing immediate relief to every retiree, investor, and every worker with a 401(k).
"This legislation is about creating a fairer tax system that supports growth and empowers individuals to keep more of their hard-earned money," Missouri Speaker Pro Tem Chad Perkins (R) said about HB 594. "I firmly believe this bill will have a great, positive impact on our state's economy and the financial well-being of our citizens." Representative George Hruza (R), a HB 594 cosponsor who championed the bill in the House, added that repealing the state capital gains tax will "turbocharge Missouri's economy."
After Leading on Cap Gains Repeal, Missouri Poised to Do the Same with Personal Income Tax Phase Out
While Missouri led the nation in eliminating state taxation of capital gains, the Show Me State is also poised in 2026 to leap ahead in a growing nationwide movement to phase out state taxation of all income. Gov. Kehoe has already made clear that personal income tax elimination will be his top tax priority in 2026. Expect Gov. Kehoe to focus on the matter during his State of the State address scheduled for January 15, fulfilling a key campaign promise and cementing his legacy early as a governor committed to making life more affordable for Missouri families.
Adding even more wind to the legislature's sails, the Missouri GOP's Executive Council last week voted unanimously to support the drive to take the state's 4.7% top income tax rate all the way to zero.
If Gov. Kehoe and Missouri lawmakers are able to enact legislation that phases out their state income tax, they will join the growing number of states that have already done so in recent years (Oklahoma, Mississippi, West Virginia, and Kentucky), as well as get ahead of the states that are in the process of doing so (Arkansas, South Carolina, North Carolina, Iowa, Georgia, and others). It's understandable that lawmakers in so many states are working to join the club of no-income-tax states, which currently has eight members. No-income-tax states have outperformed the rest of the nation for a long time when it comes to job creation, as well as economic and personal income growth.
"Americans for Tax Reform strongly supports the Missouri legislature and Governor Kehoe in their efforts to make Missouri the next zero-income-tax state, putting workers and families first -- not government bureaucrats," said Grover Norquist, president of Americans for Tax Reform. "Not only will an income tax phaseout make Missouri more affordable and competitive with neighbors like Oklahoma and Tennessee, but it will also attract families and individuals fleeing high tax blue states, inject new investment dollars into the state economy, and spur economic growth for decades to come."
Even with their existing advantage, lawmakers in no-income-tax states like Florida, New Hampshire and Texas have been finding other ways to provide tax relief in recent years that make their tax climates even more attractive, making the success of Gov. Kehoe's effort all the more imperative. Missouri is bordered by one no-income-tax state, but three other neighboring states are now on track to eliminate their income tax.
"We've got a well thought-out plan, and anytime you can let Missourians keep more money in their pocket, it's always better than the government spending it, any day," said Governor Kehoe of the Missouri GOP's plan to phase the income tax rate to zero.
Americans for Tax Reform will continue to vocally support Gov. Kehoe's effort to make Missouri a leader, not just a participant, in the nationwide movement to phase out state income taxes.
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Original text here: https://atr.org/2026-to-bring-further-tax-cuts-income-tax-elimination-to-missouri-as-gov-kehoe-leads-charge/
[Category: Political]
Lawsuit Challenges Trump Moves to Restart California Coastal Oil Pipeline
WASHINGTON, Dec. 26 [Category: Biology] -- The Center for Biological Diversity posted the following news release:
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Lawsuit Challenges Trump Moves to Restart California Coastal Oil Pipeline
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LOS ANGELES - Conservation groups have sued the Trump administration for taking over the regulation of the Las Flores Pipeline System and rushing this week to approve Sable Offshore Corp.'s pipeline restart plan and application for an "emergency" waiver from federal safety regulations.
The groups condemn the administration's blatant attempt to circumvent California regulators and fast-track the
... Show Full Article
WASHINGTON, Dec. 26 [Category: Biology] -- The Center for Biological Diversity posted the following news release:
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Lawsuit Challenges Trump Moves to Restart California Coastal Oil Pipeline
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LOS ANGELES - Conservation groups have sued the Trump administration for taking over the regulation of the Las Flores Pipeline System and rushing this week to approve Sable Offshore Corp.'s pipeline restart plan and application for an "emergency" waiver from federal safety regulations.
The groups condemn the administration's blatant attempt to circumvent California regulators and fast-track therestart of Santa Ynez Unit oil production using this defective pipeline system, which has been shut down since the massive 2015 Refugio State Beach oil spill.
"Sable and the Trump administration are running roughshod over transparency, environmental review, and pipeline safety requirements," said Julie Teel Simmonds, senior counsel at the Center for Biological Diversity. "Offshore drilling is one of the most dangerous businesses there is for both people and wildlife, and no one should be cutting corners or playing games with California's coast."
The lawsuit was filed on Wednesday by the Center for Biological Diversity on behalf of itself and Wishtoyo Foundation and the Environmental Defense Center on behalf of itself and Get Oil Out!, Santa Barbara County Action Network, Sierra Club, and Santa Barbara Channelkeeper.
The federal Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration approved Sable Offshore Corp.'s restart plan on Dec. 22, after it reclassified the onshore pipelines that start in Santa Barbara County and terminate in Kern County as "interstate" on Dec. 17. This change was PHMSA's attempt to move the pipeline from the State Fire Marshal's oversight to the PHMSA's.
On Tuesday PHMSA issued an emergency special permit to Sable, waiving compliance with certain federal pipeline safety regulations. The agency contended this action was justified under President Trump's national energy emergency. The environmental groups are requesting the court to grant an emergency stay of PHMSA's decisions.
These PHMSA approvals blatantly violated the Pipeline Safety Act and the National Environmental Policy Act in failing to follow the required public process, conduct the necessary environmental review, or make the required findings about pipeline safety or the so-called emergency, according to the lawsuit.
The onshore pipelines are part of what's known collectively as the Santa Ynez Unit, which also includes offshore pipelines, three offshore platforms, and onshore processing facilities at Las Flores Canyon. The drilling unit had been shut down for 10 years since a corroded onshore pipeline failed, spilling what is believed to be more than 450,000 gallons of oil onto the coast.
The May 19, 2015, spill at Refugio State Beach near Santa Barbara ravaged 150 miles of the California coast. The oil polluted thousands of acres of shoreline and habitat and killed hundreds of animals, shutting down beaches and fisheries.
Sable purchased the SYU in 2024 and has generated numerous notices of violation, cease-and-desist orders, and criminal charges as it has worked to try to restart oil operations and resuscitate the failed onshore pipeline system. Sable announced in May that it had resumed oil production and was storing that oil in onshore tanks while it sought a full restart of the onshore pipelines.
The company has hit other roadblocks in its efforts to restart, including Santa Barbara County's recent denial of its application for the transfer of Exxon's permits for the onshore infrastructure, citing "systemic non-compliance" with the law and other reasons. Sable still needs other approvals from California agencies to restart the onshore pipelines, including a new easement across Gaviota State Park.
The Center and Wishtoyo Foundation sued the California Office of the State Fire Marshal in April 2025 for waiving safety rules for the pipeline. They also have active lawsuits against the U.S. Department of the Interior for failing to require updated development and production plans for oil drilling at the Santa Ynez Unit and for rubberstamping extension of the offshore leases despite shuttered production.
The lawsuit was filed in the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals.
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Original text here: https://biologicaldiversity.org/w/news/press-releases/lawsuit-challenges-trump-moves-to-restart-california-coastal-oil-pipeline-2025-12-26/
Nation's Pediatricians Go to Court Over Unlawful Health Funding Cuts
WASHINGTON, Dec. 24 [Category: Political] -- Democracy Forward, an organization that says it advances democracy and social progress through litigation, policy and public education and regulatory engagement, issued the following news release:
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Nation's Pediatricians Go to Court Over Unlawful Health Funding Cuts
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Lawsuit Challenges Retaliation Against Pediatricians for Defending Evidence-Based Care
Washington, D.C. The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), the nation's leading organization of primary care pediatricians, pediatric medical subspecialists, and pediatric surgical specialists
... Show Full Article
WASHINGTON, Dec. 24 [Category: Political] -- Democracy Forward, an organization that says it advances democracy and social progress through litigation, policy and public education and regulatory engagement, issued the following news release:
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Nation's Pediatricians Go to Court Over Unlawful Health Funding Cuts
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Lawsuit Challenges Retaliation Against Pediatricians for Defending Evidence-Based Care
Washington, D.C. The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), the nation's leading organization of primary care pediatricians, pediatric medical subspecialists, and pediatric surgical specialistswith 67,000 members, is suing the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). The AAP is doing so after HHS abruptly cut nearly $12 million in federal public health funding in retaliation because AAP has spoken out against the administration's actions that have threatened children's health. Democracy Forward represents AAP in this case.
AAP alleges that HHS, through the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), retaliated against AAP for its protected speechincluding its advocacy for evidence-based vaccine policyby suddenly terminating seven long-running federal grants.
AAP is asking the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia to immediately block the funding cuts and order the government to restore the grants while the case proceeds.
The terminated funding supported critical pediatric public health programs serving communities across the country, including efforts to prevent sudde n unexpected infant death, improve early detection of developmental disabilities and birth defects, strengthen pediatric care in rural communities, support adolescents facing substance use and mental health challenges, and improve standards of care for newborns. AAP warns that without immediate court intervention, these programs will end within weeks, staff will be laid off, and children and families nationwide will lose access to crucial child health programs.
"For 95 years, the American Academy of Pediatrics has lived our mission: to optimize the health and wellbeing of infants, children, adolescents, and young adults. We do that through the care pediatricians provide to families every day, through our evidence-based policy, and through our advocacy," said Mark Del Monte, JD, AAP Chief Executive Officer/Executive Vice President. "The AAP has long enjoyed a strong partnership with the federal government; we need this partnership to advance policies that prioritize children's health. These vital child health programs fund services like hearing screenings for newborns and safe sleep campaigns to prevent sudden unexpected infant death. We are forced to take legal action today so that these programs can continue to make communities safer and healthier."
"The Department of Health and Human Services is using federal funding as a political weapon to punish protected speech, trying to silence one of the nation's most trusted voices for children's well-being by cutting off critical public-health funding in retaliation for speaking the truth," said Skye Perryman, President and CEO of Democracy Forward. "The Constitution does not allow the government to punish organizations for defending science, medicine, and children's lives. This unlawful retaliation puts kids at risk, undermines public health, and threatens free speech itselfand we are going to court to stop them."
The complaint asks the court to immediately enjoin the grant terminations and restore funding while the case proceeds, arguing that the administration's actions violate the First Amendment and undermine public health. It cites examples of other grantees doing similar work that have not had grants cancelled, and critical public comments by members of the administration targeting AAP for protected speech, making clear that the actions taken against AAP are retaliatory.
The case is American Academy of Pediatrics v. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, et al., and the legal team at Democracy Forward in this case includes Joshua Salzman, Allyson Scher, Michael Torcello, Joel McElvain, and Robin Thurston.
Read the complaint here.
A Spanish version of this press release is here.
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Original text here: https://democracyforward.org/updates/aap-funding-complaint/
Human Rights First: 'ICE Flight Monitor: November 2025 Monthly Report'
WASHINGTON, Dec. 24 -- Human Rights First issued the following report on Dec. 11, 2025 entitled "ICE Flight Monitor: November 2025 Monthly Report."
Here is the executive summary:
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Since taking office on January 20, 2025, the Trump administration has pursued an unprecedented mass deportation agenda. U.S. officials have adopted a range of new tactics to achieve this objective, including expanding the use of expedited removal, sending people from the United States to offshore detention facilities in the U.S. Naval Base in Guantanamo, terminating protected legal statuses, disappearing people
... Show Full Article
WASHINGTON, Dec. 24 -- Human Rights First issued the following report on Dec. 11, 2025 entitled "ICE Flight Monitor: November 2025 Monthly Report."
Here is the executive summary:
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Since taking office on January 20, 2025, the Trump administration has pursued an unprecedented mass deportation agenda. U.S. officials have adopted a range of new tactics to achieve this objective, including expanding the use of expedited removal, sending people from the United States to offshore detention facilities in the U.S. Naval Base in Guantanamo, terminating protected legal statuses, disappearing peoplewithout due process - including to a high security prison in El Salvador, and forcibly transferring individuals to other countries of which they are not citizens. Many of these actions have been determined to be unlawful by federal courts and carried out with little to no transparency, while thousands of peoples' lives are uprooted from communities across the country, families separated, and their rights systematically violated.
ICE Flight Monitor responds to this lawlessness and lack of information by using publicly available aviation data to monitor and document flights conducted by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), including deportation flights and domestic transfers between U.S. detention centers and deportation staging facilities. The methodology is grounded in Tom Cartwright's nearly six years of independent work that tracked tens of thousands of ICE flights. To ensure the accuracy and integrity of the findings, ICE Flight Monitor cross-references flight data with public records, media reports, and observations from trusted partner organizations. The project also tracks other relevant air operations--such as military planes involved in immigration enforcement and Mexican and Panamanian government deportation flights. ICE routinely carries out a small number of additional removals on commercial flights, which ICE Flight Monitor is unable to track.
The Project Defines the Following Types of U.S. Immigration Enforcement Flights As:
Deportation ("Removal")
Instances in which individuals are flown from the United States to international destinations by ICE-chartered planes, military planes collaborating with ICE to carry out immigration enforcement operations or, in limited cases, international carriers. Each removal flight refers to a single removal stop.
Domestic Transfer ("Shuffle")
The transport of individuals--on ICE-chartered planes, military planes, and U.S. Coast Guard aircraft-- to and between immigration detention centers and deportation staging facilities across the United States.
Removal-Related
Connecting flights that move individuals within the United States before an international removal on the same day ("removal connections"), fuel stops en route to international removals, or a returning flight after completing one or more international removal stops.
ICE Flight Monitor reports the following top findings for November 2025:
* November Marks a Record Number of Domestic Transfer Flights Amid Continued Expansion of U.S. Interior Enforcement and Detention. Domestic transfer (or "shuffle") flights move individuals to and between immigration detention centers and deportation staging facilities across the United States. These flights account for a significant portion of total U.S. immigration enforcement flights and have sharply increased over the past 11 months (see Figure 1). This increase coincides with the Trump administration's continued expansion of interior enforcement and detention. Notably, ICE Air flights to and from Charlotte, North Carolina increased amid interior enforcement operations. From January 20 to November 30, there have been a staggering 7,362 shuffle flights, a 114 percent increase from the 3,439 flights over the same period in 2024. Between September and November 2025, there was a monthly average of 1,003 flights, compared to 437 flights per month during the first three months of the Trump administration (January 20 to April 20) --a 129 percent increase. November saw a record 1,026 domestic transfer flights. The continued increase in shuffle flights has been enabled by ICE Air Operations' expansion of subcontracted charter planes, which supports a greater number of daily flight routes.
* November Saw 212 Removal Flights to 33 Destination Countries, Bringing the Total Under the Second Trump Administration to 1,912 Removal Flights to 79 Countries. Over the last 11 months, the monthly number of removal flights have steadily increased with the Trump administration conducting flights to an unprecedented range of destinations. From January 20 to November 30, there have been at least 1,912 removal flights to 79 countries--a 41 percent increase over the same period in 2024 when the Biden administration carried out 1,354 removal flights to 43 countries. In November, removal flights remained high, with at least 212 removal flights to 33 countries, including the first removal flight to Poland since flight tracking began in 2020.
* U.S. Removal Flights to Venezuela Continue Despite Escalating Tensions Between the United States and Venezuela. Removal flights to Venezuela initially began in October 2023 and continued through January 2024, after which they were paused until February 2025. From February through the end of November 2025, the United States has carried out a total of 73 removal flights to Venezuela, removing 13,656 Venezuelans, including families and children. Despite rising tensions between the United States and Venezuela, including President Trump's social media post that "Venezuelan airspace should be considered closed", removal flights have continued to take place twice on Wednesdays and Fridays via direct routes from the United States. In previous months, some removal flights to Venezuela involved layovers at the U.S. Soto Cana military base in Honduras where Venezuelans were transferred to the Venezuelan air carrier Conviasa, but these indirect transfers were paused in mid-August 2025.
* Removals Conducted on U.S. Military Aircraft Appear to Have Paused Since Mid-September, with No Military-Operated Removal Flights Recorded in Recent Months. From January 20 to September 11, the Trump administration used U.S. military planes to carry out a total of 88 removal flights, but none have taken place in recent months. The administration first began using military aircraft after President Trump signed an executive order authorizing U.S. military involvement in border enforcement.
* Forced Third-Country Transfers Continue with First Flights of Third Country Nationals to Poland and Equatorial Guinea, and Continued Transfers to Ghana and Honduras. November saw the first transfer flights carrying Ukrainians to Jasionka, Poland. 50 Ukrainians were subsequently returned via Poland's land border to Ukraine. ICE Flight Monitor also tracked the first third country removal flight to Equatorial Guinea, as well as the fourth flight of third-country nationals to Ghana and additional transfers of non-Hondurans to Honduras. This is part of the Trump administration's effort to pursue agreements with countries to facilitate forced third-country transfers--which send individuals to countries where they are not citizens and often have no ties. The legality of these transfers--particularly without notice or an opportunity to contest the transfer based on fear of persecution--is currently being challenged in U.S. federal courts.
These findings make clear that the Trump administration's current deportation campaign is unprecedented and dangerous--not only to the rights of those it targets, but also to our democracy. ICE Flight Monitor delivers accessible and reliable data to strengthen public accountability and uphold transparency. The following sections detail ICE Flight Monitor's tracking from November 2025, including: 1) all U.S. immigration enforcement flights; 2) U.S. removal flights; 3) domestic shuffle flights; 4) flights to and from the U.S. Guantanamo Bay Naval Base; and 5) Mexican and Panamanian governments' deportation flights.
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View full report at https://humanrightsfirst.org/library/ice-flight-monitor-november-2025-monthly-report/
[Category: Sociological]
Center for Global Development: 'What We Know (and Don't Know) About Global Vaccine Manufacturing Capacity'
WASHINGTON, Dec. 24 (TNSres) -- The Center for Global Development issued the following policy paper on Dec. 16, 2025 by Asti Shafira and Anthony McDonnell entitled "What We Know (and Don't Know) About Global Vaccine Manufacturing Capacity".
Here is the abstract:
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Global vaccine manufacturing capacity remains poorly defined, inconsistently measured, and insufficiently understood--limitations that undermined the COVID-19 response and, without progress, will constrain responses to future pandemics too. This paper synthesises evidence from 17 major studies and five stakeholder consultations
... Show Full Article
WASHINGTON, Dec. 24 (TNSres) -- The Center for Global Development issued the following policy paper on Dec. 16, 2025 by Asti Shafira and Anthony McDonnell entitled "What We Know (and Don't Know) About Global Vaccine Manufacturing Capacity".
Here is the abstract:
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Global vaccine manufacturing capacity remains poorly defined, inconsistently measured, and insufficiently understood--limitations that undermined the COVID-19 response and, without progress, will constrain responses to future pandemics too. This paper synthesises evidence from 17 major studies and five stakeholder consultationsto map how capacity is currently assessed, what these approaches capture, and where critical blind spots persist.
We find that existing assessments rely on heterogeneous definitions, static surveys, and proprietary or incomplete datasets, offering limited visibility into platform-specific capabilities, input bottlenecks, surge potential, and real-world timelines for scaling production. COVID-19 exposed these weaknesses: uncertain capacity estimates, unanticipated raw-material constraints, and limited insight into platform flexibility hindered coordinated global response.
Our review highlights major methodological gaps--including a lack of standardised metrics, limited predictive modelling, and uneven transparency--that impede comparability and decision-making. We propose an integrated framework emphasising three priorities: (1) establishing shared, platform-specific metrics for capacity and surge readiness; (2) building a brokered, confidentiality-protected data system for aggregating global manufacturing information; and (3) shifting from static capacity counts toward scenario-based analysis that reflects supply-chain fragilities, regulatory processes, and workforce readiness. Strengthening these foundations is essential to move from fragmented visibility to actionable, resilient global manufacturing preparedness.
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The full policy paper is posted at: https://www.cgdev.org/publication/what-we-know-and-dont-know-about-global-vaccine-manufacturing-capacity
[Category: Sociological]
Center for Global Development: 'Effectiveness in Practice'
WASHINGTON, Dec. 24 (TNSres) -- The Center for Global Development issued the following policy paper on Dec. 16, 2025 by Beata Cichocka, Sara Casadevall Belles and Rachael Calleja entitled "Effectiveness In Practice: What It Means and How It Is Implemented by Four Development Agencies".
Here is the abstract:
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In this paper, we explore how development agencies understand their own effectiveness. Drawing on interviews with 48 individuals across Agence Francaise de Developpement (AFD), the Korean International Cooperation Agency (KOICA), the Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation (Norad),
... Show Full Article
WASHINGTON, Dec. 24 (TNSres) -- The Center for Global Development issued the following policy paper on Dec. 16, 2025 by Beata Cichocka, Sara Casadevall Belles and Rachael Calleja entitled "Effectiveness In Practice: What It Means and How It Is Implemented by Four Development Agencies".
Here is the abstract:
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In this paper, we explore how development agencies understand their own effectiveness. Drawing on interviews with 48 individuals across Agence Francaise de Developpement (AFD), the Korean International Cooperation Agency (KOICA), the Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation (Norad),and New Zealand's Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade (MFAT), we probe the relevance of five key dimensions of effective agency practice, which align effectiveness with: 1) how and where budgets are allocated; 2) implementation of effectiveness norms; 3) cost-effectiveness of development programmes; 4) how agencies are structured; and 5) flexible and adaptive management practices.
We delineate differences in the relative prioritization of effectiveness theories both across agencies and the dimensions themselves. Notably, we find that adaptability emerged as the most salient dimension today, while adherence to global effectiveness principles was the least cited. While interviews revealed some shared understandings, they also showed how bureaucratic and political contexts shape what agencies prioritize and can achieve, meaning that effective practice is bound by each agency's unique context.
Our analysis also shows that the different dimensions of effectiveness were, in many cases, interdependent and mutually reinforcing, yet also involve important tensions, particularly when the interests of providers and partners are at odds. Such tensions may contribute to the gap between rhetorical commitments to internationally defined effectiveness norms and lacklustre implementation, suggesting that advancing effective practice requires engaging with the political constraints that mediate implementation.
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The full policy paper is posted at: https://www.cgdev.org/publication/effectiveness-practice-what-it-means-and-how-it-implemented-four-development-agencies
[Category: Sociological]
BREAKING: CAIR, CAIR-Texas Address Texas AG Paxton's Attempt to Avoid Judicial Ruling on Merits of 'Unconstitutional' Abbott Proclamation
WASHINGTON, Dec. 24 [Category: Sociological] -- The Council on American-Islamic Relations posted the following news release:
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BREAKING: CAIR, CAIR-Texas Address Texas AG Paxton's Attempt to Avoid Judicial Ruling on Merits of 'Unconstitutional' Abbott Proclamation
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Muslim civil rights group responds to Paxton's claim that the proclamation does not apply to CAIR-Texas and that the order raises a political question courts cannot resolve.
The Texas chapter and national headquarters of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), the nation's largest Muslim civil rights and advocacy
... Show Full Article
WASHINGTON, Dec. 24 [Category: Sociological] -- The Council on American-Islamic Relations posted the following news release:
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BREAKING: CAIR, CAIR-Texas Address Texas AG Paxton's Attempt to Avoid Judicial Ruling on Merits of 'Unconstitutional' Abbott Proclamation
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Muslim civil rights group responds to Paxton's claim that the proclamation does not apply to CAIR-Texas and that the order raises a political question courts cannot resolve.
The Texas chapter and national headquarters of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), the nation's largest Muslim civil rights and advocacyorganization, today said Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton's response to CAIR's lawsuit challenging Governor Abbott's Nov. 18th proclamation targeting CAIR is further evidence that the proclamation is unconstitutional.
Instead of defending the merits of Governor Abbott's Nov. 18th proclamation, which unilaterally declared CAIR a "foreign terrorist organization" without any due process, Attorney General Paxton is now arguing that the proclamation does not apply to CAIR's Texas chapters and that they therefore cannot sue to block its enforcement, that the Attorney General is immune from being sued because he has not yet taken any action against CAIR, and that the court should not rule on the order's constitutionality at all because, he claims, it raises a "political question" that courts cannot resolve.
In a joint statement, CAIR-Texas said:
"Although Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton's is now claiming that Governor Abbott's unconstitutional order does not apply to CAIR-Texas, the sweeping order makes no such distinction and this backtracking will not restore our ability to fully, freely and fearlessly serve the people of Texas so as long as the executive order remains in place. We look forward to seeing Governor Abbott and Attorney General Paxton in court and defeating this unconstitutional attack on the rights of all Texans."
In a statement, Washington, DC-based CAIR said:
"Attorney General Paxton's response to CAIR's lawsuit is another clear sign that the proclamation issued by Governor Abbott is unconstitutional. By trying to argue that the proclamation does not apply to CAIR-Texas and by arguing that the order raises a political question courts cannot resolve, Mr. Paxton has signaled the weakness of this proclamation. We look forward to arguing that the judiciary has the power to decide whether the governor of a state can unilaterally label any American organization he dislikes a 'terrorist group' and impose sweeping punishments on that group without any process."
In a joint statement, CAIR Legal Defense Fund and the Muslim Legal Fund of America, which represent CAIR-Texas, said:
"Attorney General Paxton now argues that Governor Abbott's proclamation was directed at CAIR as a national civil rights organization. But the proclamation names CAIR without any such distinction and has immediate, foreseeable effects on CAIR's Texas chapters and the Texans they serveby stigmatizing the organization, deterring association, and inviting exclusion.
"A state official may not publicly brand a domestic civil rights organization a "terrorist" entity without any process and then disclaim responsibility for the foreseeable harm that followsparticularly where the designation is used to stigmatize, deter association, and justify exclusion.
"Courts routinely review executive actions that impose sweeping legal and reputational consequences while attempting to avoid accountability through technical distinctions. CAIR looks forward to seeing Mr. Abbott in court and arguing that our judicial system has the authority to review this proclamation on the merits."
BACKGROUNDER:
Last month, the Muslim Legal Fund of America (MLFA), the CAIR Legal Defense Fund (CAIR LDF) and Akeel & Valentine, PLC announced the filing a federal lawsuit against Texas Governor Greg Abbott and Attorney General Ken Paxton to block enforcement of Abbott's similar "unconstitutional and defamatory" Nov. 18th proclamation, which decreed CAIR a "foreign terrorist organization" and threatened various civil penalties against the civil rights organization if it continues to serve the people of Texas.
CAIR Op-Ed: Abbott's attacks on Muslims draw on an old religious bigotry playbook
CAIR's mission is to protect civil rights, enhance understanding of Islam, promote justice, and empower American Muslims.
La mision de CAIR es proteger las libertades civiles, mejorar la comprension del Islam, promover la justicia, y empoderar a los musulmanes en los Estados Unidos.
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CONTACT : CAIR-DFW Executive Director Mustafaa Carroll, (832) 549-1042, mcarroll@cair.com; CAIR-Texas Austin Chapter Civic Engagement Organizer Sameeha Rizvi, 512-893-1371, srizvi@cair.com; Imran Ghani, Executive Director, CAIR-Houston, ighani@cair.com, 713-922-5270; John T. Floyd, CAIR National Board Member, CAIR-Texas Houston, 713-254-2016, jfloyd@cair.com; CAIR National Deputy Director Edward Ahmed Mitchell, 404-285-9530, e-Mitchell@cair.com; CAIR Government Affairs Director Robert McCaw, 202-742-6448, rmccaw@cair.com; CAIR National Communications Director Ibrahim Hooper, 202-744-7726, ihooper@cair.com; CAIR National Communications Manager Ismail Allison, 202-770-6280, iallison@cair.com
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Original text here: https://www.cair.com/press_releases/breaking-cair-cair-texas-address-texas-ag-paxtons-attempt-to-avoid-judicial-ruling-on-merits-of-unconstitutional-abbott-proclamation/
