National Roundup

Tennessee
Lawsuit filed over governor dropping federal unemployment aid

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Seven unemployed Tennessee residents have filed a lawsuit over Gov. Bill Lee's decision to opt out of the federal unemployment benefits programs earlier this year.

They said in a federal complaint filed this week against Lee and Department of Labor Commissioner Jeff McCord that they struggle to survive on state unemployment funds as they look for work, news outlets reported. They are asking a federal judge to instruct Lee to reenter the federally funded pandemic unemployment compensation programs run by U.S. Department of Labor.

"This program has served as a lifeline for thousands of Tennesseans who remain affected by the pandemic," Nashville attorneys W. Gary Blackburn and Bryant Kroll wrote.

State officials declined to comment on pending litigation.

Lee announced in May that Tennessee would withdraw from federal unemployment programs that would pay an additional $300 a week in benefit payments. The state reverted Sunday to benefits through Tennessee's Unemployment Compensation program, which pays up to $275 per week.

"We will no longer participate in federal pandemic unemployment programs because Tennesseans have access to more than 250,000 jobs in our state," Lee stated in May. "Families, businesses and our economy thrive when we focus on meaningful employment and move on from short-term, federal fixes."

The lawsuit says the unemployed Tennesseans have submitted hundreds of applications, mostly without getting any response. A filing on Monday asks the court to consider opening the suit to all Tennessee residents receiving unemployment assistance due to the pandemic.

Tennessee's unemployment rate was 4.9% last month, down from 9.3% in June 2020.

Virginia
Lawsuit targeting transgender student policies dismissed

LYNCHBURG, Va. (AP) — A Virginia judge has dismissed a lawsuit filed by faith-based conservative groups challenging guidelines on the treatment of transgender students in public schools, ruling that the group lacked standing.

Lynchburg Circuit Court Judge J. Frederick Watson, who dismissed the suit Tuesday, questioned whether suggested policies would actually affect the groups that filed the lawsuit, news outlets report.

At the General Assembly's direction, the Department of Education created model policies that are inclusive of transgender and nonbinary students. All school districts must adopt policies consistent with or more comprehensive than the model policies.
They include allowing students to use school bathrooms and locker rooms that conform to their gender identity and allowing students to use pronouns and a name that reflects their gender identity.

Christian Action Network, a faith-based organization, and two families whose children attend Lynchburg public schools filed a motion seeking to have the guidelines postponed. The lawsuit was merged with one filed by the Family Foundation, Founding Freedoms Law Center, and a family whose children attend public schools in Hanover County. The lawsuit argued that the model policies violate parental child-rearing rights and student rights to freely exercise their religion.

In his opinion, Watson wrote "because the model policies are directed only to school boards, they cannot affect or aggrieve anyone other than the school boards."

While the dismissal limits future statewide challenges, the fight will continue at local school boards, which are currently debating how or if to implement policies before the school year starts.

"This is a win and we should celebrate it for the win that it is," said Vee Lamneck, executive director of Equality Virginia, an advocacy group focused on LGBTQ rights. "The work continues. We are still continuing to have these conversations because of the spread of misinformation that is out there."

The Founding Freedoms Law Center called the decision a "disappointing development" in a statement, but noted favorable outcomes including Watson calling the model policies guidance. The group said they'd fight "certain individual board policies" in coming weeks if they follow the state guidelines.


Georgia
State asks judge to toss DOJ lawsuit targeting voting law

ATLANTA (AP) — Georgia is asking a judge to toss out a Department of Justice lawsuit challenging the state's sweeping new election law.

In a motion to dismiss filed Wednesday in federal court in Atlanta, lawyers for the state called the lawsuit "a politicized intrusion" into the state's constitutional authority to regulate its elections. The state's election laws "are reasonable, non-discriminatory, and well within the mainstream of election laws across the country," they wrote.

U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland announced the lawsuit last month, saying that Republican state lawmakers in Georgia had rushed the election overhaul through with an intent to deny Black voters equal access to the ballot.

The move by the Biden administration came two weeks after Garland said his department would look closely at Republican-led efforts to tighten state voting rules. He said the federal government would act if prosecutors found unlawful activity.

Many of the more controversial proposals for Georgia's new voting law were ditched before it passed, but its scope and new powers given to the state over local election offices are notable.

Known as SB 202, it also adds a voter ID requirement for absentee ballots, shortens the time period for requesting absentee ballots and allows fewer ballot drop boxes in metro Atlanta than were available during last year's election. Those were among the provisions that caught the attention of the federal government.

"The Department of Justice attorneys would make great Hollywood screenplay writers," Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp said in an emailed statement Wednesday. "Their 'lawsuit' is loaded with partisan talking points and outright falsehoods because it is political propaganda aimed at justifying their unconstitutional federal takeover of elections across the country."

The U.S. attorney's office in Atlanta declined to comment on the motion to dismiss.