This Week in research: August 14 - August 18

Highlights from the Week

1. On August 8, 2023, the island of Maui in Hawaii was hit by a devastating set of wildfires that, over the course of the week, leveled Lahaina, a coastal area on the island. As of writing, 106 residents have been confirmed dead, with over a thousand more missing. In the aftermath of the fires, the Governor and Lieutenant Governor, the Mayor of Maui County, and Hawaii’s congressional delegation all called on the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and President Joe Biden’s administration to provide the necessary assistance to not just control the damage done, but also to assist in the rebuilding effort. In light of this, please click here to read a statement from President Biden. To read a statement from Hawaii’s senator Brian Schatz, click here. To read an interview with Hawaii’s other senator, Mazie Hirono, click here. To read a statement from the territorial delegate from Guam, Aumua Amata Coleman Radewagen, click here. To read a statement from former President Donald Trump, click here. Lastly, to read a statement from Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia, click here.

2. On August 15, 2023, in the Georgia 2020 election subversion case, the former President of the United States, Donald Trump, and his 18 co-defendants were indicted on breaking a variety of laws. The 41-count indictment includes 13 charges, and accuses the former president of leading a “criminal enterprise” - as addressed in writings, attempting to overturn his electoral defeat in the state of Georgia. Specifically, this relates to alleged misconduct leading to the introduction of the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act (RICO); a federal law which provides for criminal penalties and civil cause for action regarding acts performed in a current criminal organization. The former President and his co-defendants have been informed they have until August 25, 2023, to voluntarily surrender to the authorities. In connection with this, click here to read a statement from the Former President Donald Trump. In addition, read a statement from Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, of New York, by clicking here. To read a statement from Representative Nikema Williams, of Fulton county in Georgia - for Congress, click here. To read a statement from Speaker Kevin McCarthy of California, click here. Lastly, to read a statement from Representative Elise Stefanik of New York, click here.

Elections

By the Elections Research team: Nick, Zachary, Seth, and Caleb and Interns Riya, David, Nicholas, and Kelly

Biographies & Elections:

Want to learn more about the results of elections happening around the country? You can see the list of elections that happened this week here:

• Ohio Issue 1 Ballot Measure

• Mississippi Gubernatorial Primary

• Mississippi Statewide Primary

• Mississippi State Legislative Primary

Want to learn more about the candidates running for special elections in Rhode Island and Utah this year? You can see the full list here:

• Rhode Island Special Congressional Election

• Utah Special Congressional Election

Want to learn more about elected officials in your state? You can see the full list here:

• Congressional Officials

• Florida State Legislative Officials

• Washington State Legislative Officials

Want to learn more about the leadership in each state legislature? You can see the full leadership rosters here:

• Legislative Leadership

Want to learn more about which committees elected officials are a part of? You can see the full list of committees for each state here:

• State Legislative Committees

Officials

By the Officials Research team: Sam, Johanan, Neal, Thomas, Quinn, Max, and Jessica. Interns: Laura, Alexa, Henry, Margaret, Nicholas, Nicole and Jordan.

Public Statements: 330 statements were added this week. See highlights from the week for notable statements.

Key Votes:

States: 51 new votes were added.

• California House passed AB 1089 - Prohibits 3-D printed firearms or “ghost guns”

• California House passed AB 793 - Prohibits Government entities from making a reverse-location demand or reverse-keyword demand

• Illinois Governor signed HB 3762 - Repeals the death penalty for the first degree murder

• Minnesota Governor signed HF 100 - Establishes cannabis policy and finances

• Oregon Governor signed SB 5532 - Appropriates money relating to the Financial Administration of the Public Defense Services Commission

• South Dakota Governor signed SB 91 - Increases criminal penalties for rape

• U.S. Congress: 1 new vote was added.

• Congress vetoed H J Res 30 - Providing for congressional disapproval under chapter 8 of title 5, United States Code, of the rule submitted by the Department of Labor relating to "Prudence and Loyalty in Selecting Plan Investments and Exercising Shareholder Rights"

Special Interest Groups (SIGs)

• This year to date, the SIGs team has entered 23,722 ratings and 10,581 endorsements for candidates.