Rural News Clips, Sept. 11, 2024
Missouri Supreme Court rules amendment legalizing abortion will remain on ballot; Rural-urban health care gap widens; NC legislature approves budget with school voucher money
CAMPAIGN FOR RURAL PROGRESS
Nevada Current
NV Energy transmission line approval reflects fed race to develop solar power
Sept. 10, 2024
“Communities from Las Vegas to Reno can expect a boom of utility-scale solar developments in the coming years, after federal land managers approved a long-anticipated transmission line Monday meant to carry solar power across the West.”
“Over the last year, the federal government has stepped up efforts to approve and fund utility-scale solar projects in Nevada, including a federal plan to open up about 12 million acres of public land in Nevada to solar development, more than twice as much as Utah — the next most affected state included in the federal plan.”
“That trend is likely to continue in Nevada after the U.S. Bureau of Land Management announced Monday it has approved NV Energy’s Greenlink West Transmission Project, a 472 mile long transmission line along the California border.”
“Over the last four years, the BLM has approved 41 renewable energy projects on public lands, and are currently processing another 55 utility-scale project proposals across the West. The U.S. Department of Energy predicts that solar energy development across the United States will continue to increase rapidly over the next several decades.”
“Several rural Nevada counties are already seeing a rapid rise of solar proposals.”
POLITICS AND ELECTIONS
The Daily Yonder
Does Campaigning in Rural America Actually Work for Democrats?
Sept. 11, 2024
“By and large, rural America leans Republican. There are a lot of complicated reasons for this, ranging from the post-World War II pursuit of industrial development in rural America (an argument historian Keith Orejel posits), to economic anxiety fueled by the 2008 Great Recession (as authors Nicholas Jacobs and Daniel Shea theorize).”
“But not every rural voter casts a Republican ballot,” and “shaving down the number of Republican votes by even a few percentage points in rural counties can lead to statewide wins for Democrats.”
“But Democrats have to show up in those rural places if they expect people to show up for them at the polls.”
“That’s a campaign strategy Harris and vice presidential nominee Tim Walz need to remember over these next two months. The two of them are scheduled to visit North Carolina, Michigan, Wisconsin, and Pennsylvania in the next week.”
“Including small towns during these stops – and speaking to the unique issues each of them face – could help shift the margins in their favor.”
Wisconsin Examiner
Wisconsin Elections Commission approves administrative rule for observers
Sept. 11, 2024
“The Wisconsin Elections Commission on Wednesday approved the final text on a permanent administrative rule guiding the conduct of election observers at polling places in the state.”
“After two years of work and multiple rounds of public comment, the rule will now be sent to Gov. Tony Evers who can decide to send it to a legislative committee for final approval.”
“While this is the first permanent rule approved by the commission since the agency’s creation in 2016, the rule won’t be in effect for the election in November.”
“Outside of the rulemaking processes, the commission took action on a number of issues to get ready for the presidential election in November. WEC Administrator Meagan Wolfe presented a report detailing the preparations by the agency and local election clerks across the state.”
“The commission also approved sending municipal election clerks updated documents for the manuals clerks use to answer questions that may arise on Election Day.”
“They spent much of that discussion on a clarification about military voters.”
“Active duty military members with a permanent residence in Wisconsin but stationed elsewhere in the country or around the world can cast absentee ballots in Wisconsin and are eligible for exemptions to a number of requirements that other voters are subject to.”
“These voters don’t need to register to vote and don’t need to provide a photo ID to obtain an absentee ballot.”
Michigan Advance
Threats to election workers as November nears detailed at congressional hearing
Sept. 11, 2024
“Republicans on the House Administration Committee at a Wednesday hearing argued that legislation to bar people from voting who are not citizens — something already illegal — is what’s needed to prepare for the November elections.”
“But Democratic secretaries of state in battleground states told committee members they are more concerned about the detailed threats they and their election workers are experiencing resulting from election misinformation.”
“Three Democratic secretaries of state, Adrian Fontes of Arizona, Jocelyn Benson of Michigan and Maggie Toulouse Oliver of New Mexico, said that people who are not citizens voting in federal elections do not constitute a problem, despite the GOP push for legislation barring the act.”
“Those Democratic secretaries of state added that since former President Donald Trump has continued to perpetuate the falsehood that he won the 2020 presidential election, they have been forced to deal with threats and are concerned the lie has led to overall distrust in election results.”
“The three Republican secretaries of state at the hearing, Frank LaRose of Ohio, Cord Byrd of Florida and Mac Warner of West Virginia, argued that federal legislation requiring proof of citizenship to register is necessary to prevent people who are not citizens from voting and to secure elections. Research has found that noncitizen voting rarely happens.”
Ohio Capital Journal
U.S. Senate Dems will prioritize Montana and Ohio seats, campaign chief says
Sept. 11. 2024
“The chairman of the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee said Tuesday his top priority this November is defending incumbents in tough races — placing Montana’s Jon Tester and Ohio’s Sherrod Brown at the top of the list for resources.”
“Gary Peters, who is also the U.S. senator from Michigan, said he sees several opportunities for Democrats to pick up seats as well, though he stressed that those campaigns are too close to predict just yet.”
“Peters said that during the last few weeks Democrats have seen positive trends in polling in those two states that could increase the odds they flip from red to blue.”
“Democratic support continuing to rise in those two states could have an impact on how much money Democrats dedicate to those campaigns, Peters said.”
CHILD CARE
West Virginia Watch
Lawmakers call on Justice to broaden special session to tackle widespread child care issues
Sept. 11, 2024
“Lawmakers on both sides of the aisle are hoping Gov. Jim Justice will give them the leverage to tackle numerous child care needs when they gavel in for a special session later this month. A glaring child care shortage coupled with funding issues for the state’s child care assistance program are at the top of the list.”
“Justice, who is running for U.S. Senate, has mostly focused on his idea for a Child and Dependent Care tax credit while discussing the upcoming special session.”
“Democrats in the House of Delegates held a press conference on Tuesday at the Judge Donald F. Black Courthouse Annex in Parkersburg, where they called on the governor to allow lawmakers to take action on other child care bills, including ones that have already been vetted by the House Committee on Health.”
“West Virginia needs roughly 20,000 child care spots for working families. Lawmakers have said that companies assess the state’s child care availability when they decide whether to start up in the state.” Rural areas have a particularly hard time accessing child care.
“Meanwhile, pandemic-era benefits, which helped keep child care providers afloat, have waned. Dozens of state child care providers have closed this year — eliminating around 700 spots — due to funding issues with the state’s child-care assistance program for eligible families.”
EDUCATION
NC Newsline
NC lawmakers approve budget deal with school voucher money, sending it to Gov. Cooper
Sept. 11, 2024
“House Republicans passed a budget package on Wednesday that funds North Carolina’s private school voucher program for the next decade, sending it to Gov. Roy Cooper’s desk.”
“The vote was 67-43; eight lawmakers had excused absences.”
“The bill is the result of months-long negotiations among GOP leaders after they failed to come to an agreement at the end of the regular session earlier this year.”
“It includes money to clear the waitlist of 54,000 students seeking vouchers; dollars for Medicaid, rural internet infrastructure, and enrollment growth in schools; and a requirement that local sheriffs cooperate with federal immigration authorities.”
“Gov. Roy Cooper, a Democrat, could veto the package. He has been vocal in his opposition to the voucher program, calling on lawmakers to “use this money for public schools instead.”
“The final budget deal does not include any money to increase North Carolina teacher salaries — a priority for Democrats who argue raises are key for educator recruitment and retention.”
ENERGY
South Carolina Daily Gazette
SC prison to turn cow manure into natural gas
Sept. 11, 2024
“An inmate-run gas plant at a South Carolina prison will turn cow manure into renewable energy that can power major companies in the state.”
“Charleston-based company GreenGas USA is planning to spend $14.5 million to build a natural gas plant on a chunk of land at Wateree River Correctional Institution in rural Sumter County.”
“The plant will turn cow manure from the prison’s dairy farm, as well as scraps of food waste from the prison’s kitchens, into a renewable power source, according to a proposal given to legislators when they approved the project last month.”
HEALTH CARE AND RURAL HEALTH
The Daily Yonder
‘Dismayed, but Not Surprised:’ Health Gap Between Urban and Rural America Is on the Rise
Sept. 11, 2024
“Despite the growing healthcare disparities between urban and rural areas of the country, there are organizations taking a holistic approach to reshaping rural healthcare landscape for the better.”
IMMIGRATION
Midwest Newsroom
Immigrant farmers rarely get federal aid to farm in Nebraska. These nonprofits are helping.
Aug. 28, 2024
“Of the approximately 2.9 million agricultural workers in the U.S., 78% are Latino,” but “Latino representation among farm producers — people who are involved in making decisions for a farm operation — is not as common.”
“Many Latino immigrant farmers experience difficulty qualifying and applying for financial assistance.”
“The lack of outreach and communication channels within local USDA agencies can prevent applicants … from applying for funding.”
Also, “the often traumatic process of arriving in the U.S. as an immigrant can prevent a potential applicant from seeking out aid, financial or otherwise.”
“The USDA launched a financial assistance program for previous grant and loan applicants ‘who experienced discrimination in farm lending programs.’ The program launched in July 2023 and stopped accepting applications in January of this year.”
“When accessing federal aid becomes too difficult or impossible, funding from non-profit organizations can be a viable alternative for immigrant farmers.”
“Since its inception in 1973, the Center for Rural Affairs based in Lyons, Nebraska, has assisted rural communities across Nebraska, Iowa, South Dakota and Minnesota … The Center continues to make a concerted effort to aid underserved demographics, particularly Indigenous and Latino farmers.”
“Practical Farmers of Iowa and its Agricultores Latinos program operate similarly.”
PIPELINES
Iowa Capital Dispatch
Republican lawmakers call Summit pipeline approval an ‘attack on the constitution’
Sept. 11, 2024
“Republican lawmakers opposing the Summit Carbon Solutions pipeline said the Iowa Utilities Commission’s approval of the project was an attack on ‘God-given’ Fifth Amendment rights.”
“The remarks came from a group of nearly 40 lawmakers who filed a state and a federal lawsuit against the commission for granting eminent domain rights to Summit Carbon for its proposed carbon sequestration pipeline.”
“The lawsuits come from the Republican Legislative Intervenors for Justice.”
“The group formed in opposition to the pipeline and has advocated against its potential for eminent domain since the Iowa Utilities Commission hearings for the project.”
“The lawsuits … argue the commission’s decision had errors in following due process, determining insurance requirements and applying the laws of eminent domain.”
“The lawsuit argues that the commission did not sufficiently analyze reasons like the existence of a federal tax incentive and a ‘controversial’ theory of climate change, to consider them grounds for eminent domain.”
POVERTY
Maine Morning Star
With government assistance, Maine continues to have lowest share of people living in poverty
Sept. 10, 2024
“Maine continues to have the lowest share of people living in poverty when taking into account expenses and benefit programs, according to federal data averaged across 2021 to 2023.”
“Data released by the U.S. Census Bureau Tuesday showed 82,000 Mainers — or just about 6% of the population — were still considered poor after accounting for government assistance programs.”
“Experts from the Maine Center for Economic Policy see this as an indication that federal and state programs to boost income, including one-time efforts during the pandemic, are effective at reducing poverty for Maine people.”
REPRODUCTIVE RIGHTS
Missouri Independent
Missouri Supreme Court rules amendment legalizing abortion will remain on ballot
Sept. 10, 2024
“Missourians will have the opportunity to vote to enshrine abortion in the state constitution this November, the Missouri Supreme Court ruled Tuesday.”
“In a decision published less than three hours before the constitutional deadline to remove a question from the ballot, the Supreme Court reversed a lower court’s ruling that recommended the measure be stripped from the Nov. 5 ballot.”