NY Rep. Tom Reed resigns, cites ‘extremism’ in House
WASHINGTON — New York GOP Rep. Tom Reed, who had already opted not to run for reelection this fall, resigned his seat Tuesday, saying on the House floor he hoped “to have a greater impact on the country.”
He will join Prime Policy Group, a lobbying firm, his office said in a news release.
Reed was accused in March 2021 of sexual misconduct by a lobbyist. He apologized for his behavior, said he had received treatment for alcoholism and would not seek a seventh full term. Reed also gave up his position as the Republican chair of the bipartisan Problem Solvers Caucus.
In a floor speech Tuesday, Reed said he was proud to have “put people before politics” in the House, but denounced the tensions between Democrats and Republicans.
“I believe the current focus on extremism demands us to heed the words of Abraham Lincoln uttered years ago as we face a similar threat to our existence today: ‘A House divided cannot stand,’” Reed said.
—CQ-Roll Call
NY Gov. Hochul directs $35 million to abortion providers for out-of-state visitors: ‘Don’t mess with the state of New York’
NEW YORK — Gov. Kathy Hochul said Tuesday that she was sending $35 million into a new fund for abortion providers, stepping up efforts to guarantee access in New York, with the expected fall of federal reproductive rights portending a surge in out-of-state visitors seeking care.
Describing the new fund as a “nation-leading response,” the governor promised the state will “do whatever it takes to protect and defend the rights of not just New York women, but women all across this nation.”
“New York will be there,” Hochul, who is isolating in Albany with a COVID diagnosis, said in a virtual news conference. “Don’t mess with the state of New York.”
The state’s first female governor said the fund would be established through the Health Department and would represent the largest allocation of its kind in the U.S.
—New York Daily News
‘I got this one wrong’: Kansas council member asks colleagues to reconsider co-living ban
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — One City Council member in Shawnee, Kansas, is asking her colleagues to reconsider an ordinance passed without opposition last month that prohibits homeowners from renting houses to four or more people who are unrelated to one another.
The ordinance, passed on April 25, limits co-living to three unrelated tenants in the Johnson County city. Council members have said the ordinance didn’t get any negative feedback when it was proposed, but it has since faced extensive scrutiny, with some calling it a ban on roommates that targets poor and working-class citizens.
Councilwoman Jill Chalfie, Ward 4, said during a City Council meeting late Monday that the ordinance — intended to solve a problem with companies turning single-family homes into apartments in single-family neighborhoods — had unintended consequences.
“I feel like our action was a little bit reactionary, and it stemmed from one instance that I think could have largely been solved through codes enforcement,” she said.
—The Kansas City Star
Prince Charles delivers Queen’s Speech in lieu of Elizabeth II
Prince Charles, the son and heir of Queen Elizabeth II, delivered the state opening of the U.K. Parliament for the first time, standing in for his mother who is suffering mobility problems.
The Prince of Wales, wearing military regalia, outlined the agenda of Boris Johnson’s government in the Queen’s Speech in the House of Lords, surrounded by lawmakers from the U.K. Parliament’s upper chamber.
“Her Majesty’s government’s priority is to grow and strengthen the economy and help ease the cost of living for families,” Prince Charles said. “Her Majesty’s government will level up opportunity in all parts of the country and support more people into work.”
While the purpose of the near-annual set-piece is to announce planned legislation for the new parliamentary session, Elizabeth’s absence has cast a shadow over Johnson’s plans to revive his administration.
—Bloomberg News
