Who Said That
Missouri Gov. Mike Kehoe. At the same time the Republican was elected to his post last November, voters approved an abortion rights amendment, enshrining reproductive rights in the state constitution. Kehoe had said during the campaign that although he opposed the amendment he would abide by the constitution, but emphasized nonetheless he will seek ways to protect unborn life. (Missouri Independent – Jan. 24, 2025)
Arizona GOP state Rep. Alexander Kolodin. On Wednesday, a committee approved his bill that would require the governor to answer questions from legislators in a televised session once a month. Borrowing the idea from the British Parliament, Kolodin said it would offer an opportunity for the public to become more informed about policy debates at the state level. (KJZZ – Jan. 10, 2025)
Emil Bove, acting deputy attorney general. Bove wrote in a memo that the Supremacy Clause of the Constitution requires state and local officials to comply with federal immigration regulations, including the Trump administration’s plans to deport large numbers of undocumented immigrants, or they will face prosecution. Democratic officials are certain to challenge Bove’s argument on both jurisdictional and policy grounds. (Washington Post – Jan. 22, 2025)
Former Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms. At the end of his first day in office, President Trump announced via social media that he’d fired Lance Bottoms from her position on the President’s Export Council. Bottoms said she’d already submitted her resignation on Jan. 4, effective Monday. “Of all of the things happening in the world, not sure why I am on Donald Trump’s mind at 1:30 am, following his Inauguration, but I count it as a badge of honor,” Bottoms wrote on social media. (Atlanta Journal-Constitution – Jan. 21, 2025)
Indiana GOP Gov. Mike Braun. The new governor released a budget proposal that would increase school spending by 2 percent a year, but would likely lead to funding cuts for districts due to his desire to trim property taxes. Braun suggested districts save their money now in case of that eventuality. Braun also directed his cabinet heads to find 5 percent savings on average in their departments. (Indiana Capital Chronicle – Jan. 16, 2025)
Marla Luckert, the chief justice of the Kansas Supreme Court. Luckert delivered a State of the Judiciary speech on Wednesday before the Legislature, saying lack of access to legal representation is an “all-out crisis” that threatens to undermine faith in the judicial system as a whole. Rural areas are particularly short of attorneys, with a third of those who practice in rural counties over the age of 60. (Kansas Reflector – Jan. 15, 2025)
Melissa Hortman, Democratic leader of the Minnesota House. After the November election, the chamber was tied. One seat won by the Democrats is vacant, so Republicans currently have a one-seat majority. Democrats boycotted Tuesday’s opening session, depriving the chamber of a quorum. Republicans decided to proceed, installing one of their own as speaker. The contentious situation will likely be sorted out by the state supreme court. (NPR – June 14, 2025)
Georgia GOP Gov. Brian Kemp. The governor’s education spending proposal would fully fund the state’s K-12 funding formula and provide additional funding for school safety, mental health counseling, technical education and transportation, and facilities and equipment. "I made a promise to hardworking Georgians that we would make all of our children a priority in this state, and we are doing that once again today,” Kemp said. (WAGA – Jan. 13, 2025)
A resident of Corpus Christi, Texas. Last November’s city council election resulted in a tie between incumbent Everett Roy and former councilmember Billy Lerma. Both received 1,916 votes in a runoff election, as verified by a recount. To determine the winner, the two candidates drew numbered beads from a box, with Roy drawing a 3 to Lerma's 2. (Texas Tribune – Jan. 10, 2025)
Food and Drug Administration Commissioner Robert Califf. Although hospitals are increasing their use of artificial intelligence in directing treatment decisions, early indications are that AI does an inadequate job of predicting outcomes. The need for human oversight means that AI can increase costs rather than lowering them. (KFF Health News – Jan. 10, 2025)
Capt. Erik Scott, a Los Angeles Fire Department spokesperson. The fires in L.A. have spread rapidly due to embers carried by the Santa Ana winds — dry air that blows in from the desert toward the coast. (L.A. Times – Jan. 9, 2025)
Doug Moore. He’s a founding partner of a firm that helps colleges manage logistics when they’re shutting down. Colleges and universities experienced a 15 percent decline in enrollment between 2010 and 2021, with numbers continuing to slow due to a “demographic cliff,” with fewer babies born after the recession that started in 2007. The outlook is not bright, with the number of college-age Americans projected to drop another 15 percent by 2039. (NPR – Jan. 8, 2025)
California Gov. Gavin Newsom. This week, the Democrat is presenting a budget with a small surplus, which he attributed to fiscal discipline in the face of a massive shortfall last year, along with revenues coming in $16.5 billion above projections. California’s Legislative Analyst’s Office paints a less rosy picture, saying the state’s shortfall will be $2 billion next year, followed by about $20 billion the following year. (Associated Press – Jan. 6, 2025)
Georgia state Rep. David Wilkerson. The state has an $11 billion surplus, on top of $5.5 billion in rainy-day reserve funds. Wilkerson would like to see the state spend more on programs such as free meals for schoolchildren. GOP Gov. Brian Kemp has made clear that relief for victims of Hurricane Helene will be a priority this session. The GOP majority is contemplating $1 billion in tax relief. (Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Jan. 6, 2025)
Bill Ferguson, president of the Maryland Senate. The state is facing a $3 billion budget shortfall, meaning advocates for programs such as education and transportation will struggle this session to keep spending levels intact. Business groups are warning the state’s Democratic majorities that further tax increases would harm competitiveness. (Baltimore Sun – Jan. 3, 2025)
Sheldon Day, mayor of Thomasville, Ala. The city’s hospital, which opened at the start of the pandemic, has closed, due to that challenge along with some financial missteps. Unlike most shuttered rural hospitals, the facility in Thomasville is new and in good shape.
Chris DeCardy, president of the Heinz Endowments. That foundation, along with others in Pittsburgh, has helped the city change its economic focus to robotics, AI, life sciences and advanced manufacturing. Pittsburgh is one of several major cities where foundations are pushing economic development strategies in parallel with city governments themselves. (Governing – Jan. 2, 2025)
Maryland Democratic Gov. Wes Moore. He backs an effort to expand alcohol sales beyond liquor stores, allowing sales in grocery stores and perhaps other retailers. Some legislators worry that increased competition could hurt small business owners, but surveys show overwhelming support for allowing such sales, which would bring Maryland in line with laws in adjoining Virginia, Pennsylvania and Washington, D.C.(Maryland Matters – Dec. 11, 2024)
Weld County, Colo., Commissioner Kevin Ross. The county is seeing its assessed value drop from nearly $25 billion last year to less than $20 billion this year, but its budget remains in fairly good shape. That’s in part due to a property tax rate increase but also for finance decisions made over time to take into account the county’s boom and bust sectors, particularly energy. (Denver Post – Dec. 15, 2024)
Alderman Anthony Beale. He was complaining about Mayor Brandon Johnson’s budget, which increases spending from last year and includes accounting gimmicks to avoid a property tax increase. Beale was among a group of 15 aldermen (there are a total of 50 on the board) who called on the mayor to cut spending by an additional $824 million. (The Center Square – Dec. 16, 2024)
Scott Strazik, CEO of GE Vernova, which makes gas turbines. He exalted about new orders in a recent earnings call with investors. The incoming Trump administration is expected to push for increased energy production. Along with growing demand for power from data centers, that’s setting the stage for industry growth. (Heatmap – Dec. 10, 2024)
Former Michigan House Speaker Craig DeRoche. He is now the president of the conservative Family Policy Alliance and was summarizing a message Republican legislators and governors are sending to members of the incoming Trump administration — namely, that they are not waiting for Donald Trump to take office to advance more conservative agendas on issues such as gun owners’ rights, abortion, illegal immigration and requiring the Ten Commandments to be displayed in public schools. (Washington Post - Dec. 13, 2024)
American Battlefield Trust President David Duncan. He’s one of the military history buffs waging a legal fight to protect Civil War battlefield sites in Northern Virginia from data center development. One of the world's largest is planned to cover 2,000 acres next to Manassas National Battlefield Park. Preservationists say a report to Virginia lawmakers that found data center projects don't pose any more of a risk to historic sites than other types of large-scale development minimizes their threat. (Axios – Dec. 12, 2024)
California Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom. Newsom was referring to a proposed $4.5 billion reservoir in Northern California, which would be the first in decades. Newsom says the reservoir is needed to maintain the state’s water supply and is part of California’s adaptation strategy in response to climate change. The plan will require numerous federal permits. (Sacramento Bee – Dec. 10, 2024)
Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey. Frey vetoed a resolution approved by the City Council that called on the University of Minnesota to drop all disciplinary actions against students who participated in a pro-Palestinian protest in October. A 7-6 council majority expressed support for “nonviolent campus activism opposing war and supporting Palestinian human rights,” but the university says the protest was in fact violent. (Minneapolis Star Tribune – Dec. 9, 2024)
Philip Hamburger, a Columbia University law professor. He was referring to Chevron deference, a legal doctrine that held that in most cases courts should defer to federal agencies when it came to interpreting statutes. In June, the Supreme Court overturned the Chevron doctrine. That ruling has unleashed a flood of legal challenges against regulatory decisions and will provide part of the legal basis for the incoming Trump’s administration’s efforts to cut spending through the new Department of Government Efficiency. (Washington Post – Dec. 8, 2024)
L.A. County Supervisor Lindsey Horvath. She sponsored a ballot measure, narrowly approved by voters last month, which will expand the Board of Supervisors from five members to nine, while also creating an elected county executive. The county had not changed its governance structure for more than a century. (Governing – Dec. 9, 2024)
Alexis Simpson, newly chosen as the Democratic leader in the New Hampshire House. Republicans, who increased their majority in November, reelected Sherman Packard to a third term as speaker on Wednesday. In his acceptance speech, Packard also emphasized the need for civility and cooperation between the parties. (New Hampshire Bulletin – Dec. 4, 2024)
Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan, announcing he will run as an independent for governor of Michigan in 2026. He’s served as a Democrat as mayor. Like other swing states, Michigan tilted to the right in November, with Donald Trump carrying the state and Democrats losing their state House majority. Other prominent Democrats might have been tough for him to beat for the nomination, but Duggan argues an independent can govern more effectively and detoxify the political environment in Lansing. (AP – Dec. 4, 2024)
Mitchell Rutherford, a high school biology teacher in Tucson, Ariz. Rutherford explained that students’ cellphone use in his class was so pervasive that it distracted him to the point of being a bad husband and suffering mental health challenges. Numerous states and school districts have implemented policies to restrict or ban cellphone use during the school day due to concerns about students becoming distracted, anxious or depressed. (NPR – Dec. 3, 2024)
