Gov. Andy Beshear invokes faith to defend veto of 'anti-trans' bill, slams JD Vance's Christianity

By Ryan Foley, Christian Post Reporter Wednesday, September 23, 2026

Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear speaks during an event titled "How Democrats Can Connect with America" at the Center for American Progress on Feb. 19, 2026, in Washington, D.C. | Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images

Kentucky’s Democratic Gov. Andy Beshear has suggested that opposition to taxpayer funding of trans procedures for minors that cause irreversible harm, such as infertility and impaired sexual function, is un-Christian.

In a wide-ranging interview with USA Today’s Washington Bureau Chief Susan Page to promote his new book, Go and Do Likewise, Beshear addressed whether he plans to run for president in 2028, and listed Democratic candidates up for election in November who he says offer an alternative for Christian voters who can’t get on board with Republicans and the Trump administration's agenda.

Touting his record of governing an overwhelmingly Republican state, Beshear recalled how he vetoed what he described as “the nastiest anti-trans bill that my state had ever seen,” and falsely claimed it would have eliminated “all medical coverage whatsoever to children” and take away parents’ rights in making healthcare decisions.

“I remember explaining because it’s how I authentically think and believe that if I believe all children are children of God, I shouldn’t want people picking on these kids,” he added.

Beshear made similar comments on “The View” earlier this year as he invoked the parable of the Good Samaritan to justify his position of supporting body mutilation for teens struggling with gender confusion or same-sex attraction.

Byron Donalds for Governor Rally in Miami, Florida to Announces Lt. Governor Candidate

 

Arkansas ranks No. 1 in religious liberty; Sanders warns 'lack of community' poses major threat

By Jon Brown, Christian Post Reporter Wednesday, July 15, 2026

Republican Arkansas Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders recently spoke to The Christian Post about the importance of religious liberty. | MANDEL NGAN/AFP via Getty Images

Republican Arkansas Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders, whose state was ranked first in the nation for religious freedom this year, said that increasing alienation and loss of community among Americans pose grave threats to religious liberty in the United States.

Sanders’ office announced Tuesday that Arkansas scored this year’s top spot for religious liberty in the First Liberty Institute’s Center for Religion, Culture & Democracy’s Religious Liberty in the States index, which evaluated 50 legal protections across 20 safeguards states can adopt to uphold religious freedom.

Earning a score of 89.2%, Arkansas joined Tennessee this year as the only two states to receive the index’s first-ever “excellent” rating.

During a Tuesday phone interview with The Christian Post, Sanders attributed Arkansas’ recent distinction to multiple legislative accomplishments, which she described as a “collective” agenda to promote religious liberty.

She highlighted last year’s enactment of Act 677, which prohibits state and local governments from penalizing anyone for operating according to their sincerely held beliefs about biological sex and marriage. She also pinpointed the Conscience Protection Act she signed in 2023, which expanded the protections of Arkansas’ Religious Freedom Restoration Act by prohibiting the state government from discriminating against religious organizations because of their religious identity.

Sanders, who has served as governor of Arkansas since 2023, expressed pride that her state has been distinguished for “something that is very foundational to our country.”

“What makes America so special and unique is that we are the greatest country because we’re the freest country, and our first and most fundamental right to freedom is our religious freedom and religious liberty,” she said.

Ras Baraka and Mikie Sherrill are both alumni of Jesuit Universities

Ras Baraka and Mikie Sherrill are both alumni of Jesuit higher education institutions. [1, 2]

The two New Jersey Democrats—who competed in the 2025 gubernatorial primary before Baraka endorsed Sherrill, who is now the Governor of New Jersey—completed different graduate degrees at distinct Jesuit universities. [1, 2, 4, 5]

Educational Breakdown

Ras Baraka: Earned his Master of Arts in Education Supervision from Saint Peter's University (located in Jersey City, NJ). Saint Peter's is a private Jesuit university founded by the Society of Jesus in 1872. [1]

Mikie Sherrill: Earned her Juris Doctor (JD) from the Georgetown University Law Center (located in Washington, D.C.). Georgetown is the oldest Catholic and Jesuit institution of higher education in the United States, founded in 1789. [1]

How Jesuit Education Influenced Their Careers

Ras Baraka's Path: His degree in educational leadership directly fed into his career within public school systems. Before serving as Mayor of Newark, Baraka spent years as a school administrator, notably serving as the principal of Newark's Central High School. [1, 2]

Mikie Sherrill's Path: Raised Catholic, Sherrill has explicitly stated that Georgetown Law was a natural fit because the Jesuits epitomize the philosophy of service and giving back to communities. She used her law degree to transition from her career as a Navy pilot into legal public service, first as a federal prosecutor and later as a public servant. [1, 2, 3]


Source: Google Artificial Intelligence

NJ Gov. Mikie Sherrill gives updates on Delaney Hall protests in Newark

_____

Governor Sherrill Holds Press Conference Regarding Public Safety Outside Delaney Hall

 

Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz delivers State of the State address 4/28/26

SATAN WORSHIPPERS THANK TIM WALZ! Disturbing Plaque Found at M...

Kentucky governor gives update on deadly plane crash

Democrat Mikie Sherrill elected governor of New Jersey

 Democrat Mikie Sherrill elected governor of New Jersey

Sherrill defeated Republican Jack Ciattarelli in race that suggests Democratic resilience amid Trump’s second term

Jake Wasserman in East Brunswick

Tue 4 Nov 2025 21.34 EST

Democratic nominee Mikie Sherrill was elected on Tuesday to be the 57th governor of New Jersey, defeating Jack Ciattarelli, a former state representative and Republican, in a race that suggested the resilience of the party after Donald Trump’s return to office.

The Associated Press called the race for Sherrill just two hours after polls closed.

Source

---------------:---------------

Early life

Mikie Sherrill was born in Alexandria, Virginia.[2] She grew up in various locations along the East Coast of the United States due to her father's job.[2][6]

Sherrill is a graduate of South Lakes High School in Reston, Virginia.[7][8] In 1994, she earned her Bachelor of Science from the United States Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland.[1] In 2003, Sherrill received an MSc in international and world history from the London School of Economics. In 2004, she received a certificate in Arabic language from the American University in Cairo. In 2007, Sherrill earned a Juris Doctor from Georgetown University Law Center.[9]

Wikipedia

Live: Republicans grill Democrat governors Hochul, Walz and Pritzker on ...

Vermont’s Governor Delays Electric Car Mandates, Part of State’s Climate Plan

In an executive order, Gov. Phil Scott paused enforcement of EV supply mandates. The stated reasons defy the administration’s prior messaging about zero-emission vehicle goals.

By Nathaniel Eisen
May 23, 2

Gov. Phil Scott cited a lack of charging stations and a freeze of millions of dollars in federal funding for chargers in Vermont as part of the reason for the order. Credit: Suzanne Kreiter/The Boston Globe via Getty Images


Vermont, in a surprising shift, will not enforce electric car and truck supply mandates through the end of calendar year 2026.

Gov. Phil Scott signed an executive order on May 13 to allow a 19-month delay in part because of pressure from vehicle manufacturers as well as uncertainties stemming from the Trump administration’s tariffs and broad federal budget freezes and cuts. Lawmakers in Washington this week pursued a more radical course: the U.S. Senate voted to block the California plan for EVs that Vermont and other states have followed.

The Scott administration has previously touted its regulations-–patterned after California’s zero-emission vehicle rule that aims to end gasoline-powered car and light truck sales by 2035–as an effective climate strategy that required manufacturers to increase the percentage of EVs offered for sale in the state. State agencies had linked the strategy to a rapid uptick in EV ownership.

Scott’s executive order, signed May 13, will affect two model years and was cast as a temporary response by administration officials who faced some tough questioning during a hastily called Senate hearing to review the order.

“This is a modest step to create a little bit of space while some of the dust settles at the federal level in particular, while maintaining our commitment to an overall transition to electric vehicles,” Julie Moore, the state’s natural resources secretary, said during a contentious joint hearing of two Senate committees.

Democrats and climate advocates cried foul and demanded, as federal environmental safeguards fall, that Vermont “hold the line” against industry demands. Scott also cited a lack of charging stations and a freeze of millions of dollars in federal funding for chargers in Vermont as part of his rationale. Critics disputed that Vermont lacked a robust charging network.

China's consul general in New York leaves U.S. following scandal

Emergency Declared Before Charlottesville Anniversary

Going Around Trump, Governors Embark on Their Own Diplomatic Missions

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau of Canada, left, and Gov. Terry McAuliffe of Virginia on Friday at the National Governors Association meeting in Providence, R.I.
Stephan Savoia / Associated Press

By ALEXANDER BURNS
July 15, 2017


PROVIDENCE, R.I. — Gov. Jay Inslee of Washington, a Democrat, huddled with the leaders of Mexico and Canada in the space of 48 hours this spring, racing to Mexico City from Seattle for back-to-back discussions on climate change and trade.

Gov. Asa Hutchinson of Arkansas, a Republican, toured Europe last month to deliver what he called a “reassuring” message to business leaders, declaring that Americans would not “retreat” from international commerce.

And Gov. Pete Ricketts, Republican of Nebraska, recently announced he would visit Canada this summer with a message of thanks — for the North American Free Trade Agreement, a pact that President Trump has harshly criticized and says he intends to renegotiate.

In ordinary times, most American governors tend to avoid international exploits, boasting of their consuming interest in balancing budgets and operating the machinery of state government. When they venture abroad, it is mainly to hawk products manufactured in their states.

But under the Trump administration, that has begun to change: Leadership at the state level has taken on an increasingly global dimension, as governors assert themselves in areas where they view Mr. Trump as abandoning the typical priorities of the federal government. They have forged partnerships across state and party lines to offset Trump administration policies they see as harmful to their constituencies.

Unsettled by the president’s skepticism of foreign trade, governors have made newly pointed appeals to international businesses and consumers, at times gently rebuking the White House for presenting an inhospitable face to the world.

After Mr. Trump rejected the Paris climate agreement, a dozen governors announced a state-level coalition to carry out the pact in a partial form, with Gov. Jerry Brown of California, a Democrat, taking a leading role and traveling to China for a meeting on climate with President Xi Jinping.

Mr. Hutchinson, who did not join the climate alliance, said Mr. Trump’s posture on trade had worried traditional United States partners. He credited the president with having “strengthened our negotiating position,” but said gestures of comity were also important.

“I do take advantage of the opportunity to reassure the European audiences, but also the Asian audiences, that global trade cannot be diminished,” Mr. Hutchinson said. “It’s part of the fabric of our global commerce, and I want to continue to be a voice for it.”

The turning outward of American governors was on prominent display at the National Governors Association retreat in Providence, R.I., last week. There, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau of Canada spoke on Friday, the first foreign leader to address the group. Gov. Terry McAuliffe of Virginia, a Democrat who is chairman of the governors association, said representatives were present from a number of other countries, including China, Japan, Mexico and Vietnam.

In addition, aides to a number of governors, including Mr. Brown and Mr. Inslee, conferred privately to plan for a climate conference in Bonn, Germany. Mr. Trudeau framed his remarks to the group as a tribute to the relationship between the United States and Canada, highlighting shared goals on climate and national security, and urging governors not to support a “race to the bottom” in the form of trade protectionism. Using the same favorable adjectives most American governors apply to themselves, Mr. Trudeau hailed them for pursuing economic prosperity with a “pragmatic approach that crosses party lines.”

“Whether Republican or Democrat, in this economy, that’s likely your very first priority,” he said. “Guess what: It’s my first priority as well.”

The Canadian leader’s friendship mission followed months of stepped-up contact between American governors and Canadian political and business leaders after Mr. Trump’s election.

Gov. Phil Scott of Vermont, who has made multiple trips across the Canadian border since his election in November, said he had made it a priority to put the state’s longstanding economic partner at ease.

Mr. Scott, who is one of two Republican governors to join the climate initiative, along with Charlie Baker of Massachusetts, said that in Canada there had been a mood of “concern, especially initially, about this new administration.”

GA Governor Demands Pastor Hand Over His Sermons—and His Bible

11:48AM EDT 10/26/2016 

J.P. DUFFY AND ALICE CHAO

Pastor Eric Walsh (YouTube)

Join us on our podcast each weekday for an interesting story, well told, from Charisma News. Listen at charismapodcastnetwork.com.

Family Research Council (FRC) today expressed outrage after the State of Georgia issued a legal demand that Dr. Eric Walsh, a lay pastor, hand over his sermons, sermon notes and all pastoral documentation, including his Bible. FRC launched a petition today at frc.org/walsh that calls on Governor Deal to "correct this egregious over-reach of the state into church affairs."

"This demand for Dr. Eric Walsh's sermons, sermons notes and ministerial documentation is an alarming display of government intrusion into the sanctity of the church, pastor's study and pulpit," said Tony Perkins, Family Research Council president and himself an ordained pastor. "This is something that I would have expected to see in a communist country, not America. The pulpit is to be governed only by the Word of God. Government scrutiny of speech in the pulpit is unconstitutional and unconscionable. Family Research Council stands with Dr. Walsh, and any other pastor who is targeted by the government because of what is said in the pulpit. We call on Gov. Deal to correct this egregious over-reach of the state into church affairs."

Travis Weber, director of FRC's Center for Religious Liberty, joins Dr. Eric Walsh at a press conference later today at the Georgia State Capitol, along with Walsh's attorneys at First Liberty Institute and an array of pastors and ministry leaders calling for the State of Georgia to cease its hostility toward people of faith.

"We've recently seen the former mayor of Houston issue subpoenas against pastors in Houston, Texas, seeking their sermons," said Weber. "This action against Dr. Walsh is another unjust assault on people of faith, including the pulpit itself. This cannot go unchallenged. We support Dr. Walsh in his resistance, and call upon the Georgia government to act according to the law and traditions of our country, which respect people of faith and the autonomy of the church. What they are doing is the opposite of religious freedom and everything that it means to be an American," concluded Weber.

Dr. Eric Walsh was one of the nation's leading health administrators until being fired in 2014 by the Georgia Department of Public Health. A lay minister in the Seventh-day Adventist Church, Walsh was fired after Georgia officials learned of his faith. Documents released by First Liberty include emails showing that Georgia officials assigned employees to examine his sermons on YouTube—sermons dealing with common Christian themes including creation, compassion, spiritual growth, the family and Christian living. He was fired after this examination.

Walsh has filed a federal lawsuit against Georgia, alleging unlawful religious discrimination. Now, as part of that lawsuit, the state of Georgia—which ironically claims it did not fire Walsh for religious reasons—is demanding he hand over religious documents: his most intimate, private sermon notes, along with sermons themselves.

Source

Illinois governor warns of possible cash crisis, restructuring

54 minutes ago





Republican Bruce Rauner smiles after winning the midterm elections in Chicago, Illinois, November 4, …


CHICAGO (Reuters) - Illinois Governor Bruce Rauner warned of a potential cash crisis on Wednesday as he braced his cabinet members for turbulent times ahead if the state does not have a balanced budget for the upcoming fiscal year.

Related Stories

Illinois Democrats offer FY 2016 budget with cuts, revenue Reuters

Pressure builds on Illinois to address budget woes Reuters

Gov. Rauner, who campaigned on transparency, now secretive Associated Press

As Illinois runs out of options in budget crisis, tax rises seen in the cards Reuters

Illinois Governor Spends Big in Fight With Legislative Democrats The Wall Street Journal

"We'll be asking each one of you to review in detail your operations, your departments, and get ready for the real possibility we are facing a cash crisis and a major, major restructuring of the government," the Republican governor said at a meeting in the state capital of Springfield.

Rauner spoke to his cabinet a day after announcing initial steps to deal with a nearly $4 billion hole in the $36.3 billion general funds budget passed by Democratic lawmakers for the fiscal year that starts July 1.

Democrats, who control the House and Senate, opted for a mix of spending cuts and yet-to-be identified new revenue. The governor insists he will not discuss new revenue until lawmakers address Illinois' structural problems through his so-called turnaround agenda, which includes term limits, changes to workers' compensation laws and a local property tax freeze.

"Let's be clear, reforms are at the core of the budget," Rauner said Wednesday.

House Speaker Michael Madigan, a Chicago Democrat, announced earlier that his chamber on Thursday will take up changes to laws governing compensation for workers' job-related injuries.

Rauner called Madigan's proposal "phony reform" based on a review of the legislation by his team. Still, he said he was cautiously optimistic compromises can be reached.

In the meantime, the governor said the state will go into serious contingency planning.

"We've got to prepare to run the government as best we can with the resources we have," he said.

Illinois' shaky finances, including a $105 billion unfunded pension liability, have left it with the lowest credit ratings among the 50 states.

Rauner said he hoped to press lawmakers to take up pension reforms in the coming weeks after the Illinois Supreme Court last month tossed out a 2013 law that cut state worker retirement benefits.

The legislature's spring session was scheduled to end on Sunday, but members were called back into what could be a lengthy overtime session with the House meeting on Thursday and the Senate on June 9.

Senate Democrats on Tuesday said they will push a package of bills to counter Rauner's agenda.

(Reporting By Karen Pierog; Editing by Tom Brown)

Source

.

California Governor Orders New Target for Emissions Cuts

U.S.



By ADAM NAGOURNEY

APRIL 29, 2015

Gov. Jerry Brown at a news conference with California mayors on Tuesday. On Wednesday, he issued an executive order aimed at curbing greenhouse gas emissions.CreditMax Whittaker/European Pressphoto Agency


LOS ANGELES — Gov. Jerry Brown issued an executive order Wednesday sharply ramping up this state’s already ambitious program aimed at curbing greenhouse gas emissions, saying it was critical to address “an ever-growing threat” posed by global warming to the state’s economy and well-being.

Under Mr. Brown’s order, by 2030, emission levels will have to be reduced by 40 percent compared with 1990. Under existing state law, emissions are supposed to be cut 80 percent from what they were in 1990 by 2050, and Mr. Brown said this tough new interim target was essential to helping the state make investment and regulatory decisions that would assure that goal was reached.

Mr. Brown faulted Republicans in Congress for “pooh-poohing” the threat of global warming. He said that he wanted California to set an example for the rest of the country and the world on the urgency of responding to what he described as a slow-moving crisis.

The Parched West: Drought Frames Economic Divide of Californians APRIL 26, 2015


California Releases Revised Water Consumption Rules APRIL 18, 2015


How to Save Water: The California Way APRIL 2, 2015

“It’s a real test,” Mr. Brown, a Democrat, said in a speech at an environmental conference in downtown Los Angeles. “Not just for California, not just for America, but for the world. Can we rise above the parochialisms, the ethno-centric perspectives, the immediacy of I-want-I-need, to a vision, a way of life, that is sustainable?”

The Parched West

Articles in this series will explore the impact of the drought that has hit states from the Pacific Coast to the Great Plains.

Mr. Brown’s order marks an aggressive turn in what already was one of the toughest programs in the nation aimed at reducing greenhouse gas emissions. Under the law put into place by Mr. Brown’s predecessor, Arnold Schwarzenegger, the state was required to reduce greenhouse gas emissions to 1990 levels by 2020 on the way to reach the 2050 target; California is already well on its way to meeting the 2020 goal, and may exceed it, officials said Thursday.

“With this order, California sets a very high bar for itself and other states and nations, but it’s one that must be reached – for this generation and generations to come,” Mr. Brown said.

The order marks the latest effort by Mr. Brown to position California as a leading force in the world’s effort to address climate change – and himself as a leader of that campaign effort as he faces his final years in public office. In his State of the State address in January, the governor called for reducing gas consumption by cars and trucks by up to 50 percent over the next 15 years.

These efforts come as this state has been struggling with a drought that Mr. Brown has said is, at least in part, exacerbated by global warming. “Climate change poses an ever-growing threat to the well-being, public health, natural resources, economy, and the environment of California, including loss of snowpack, drought, sea level rise, more frequent and intense wildfires, heat waves, more severe smog, and harm to natural and working lands, and these effects are already being felt in the state,” Mr. Brown said in his executive order.

The governor’s speech, coming at a time when he has been trying to rally the state behind tough water conservation measures, was a reminder of the often conflicting demands of these twin challenges. Some of the central efforts proposed to alleviate the drought – including the building of desalinization plants to make ocean water potable – are highly energy intensive.

main story

Interactive Graphic: How Water Cuts Could Affect Every Community in California

The governor’s order did not give details of how the state would reach the new goals, though Mr. Brown in his speech here noted the success of the auto and energy industry so far in meeting the emission targets that the state has set over the years. He disputed the argument — voiced by Republicans in recent years — that such efforts would increase the cost of doing business in California.

“We’re sending the signals to the private economy to create, to innovate, and to make the kind of response that will enable Californians to live in compatibility with the environment,” he said. “We can do it.”

Lawmakers in Sacramento have been pushing through legislation intended to help achieve long-term cuts in emissions. Kevin de Leon, the Democratic leader of the State Senate, said Mr. Brown’s order exemplified “California’s global leadership on climate change.”

“We see the framework of a new economy for tomorrow,” Mr. de Leon said in an interview. “And that’s why it’s critical that we move forward with these far-reaching and progressive policies. That is why the world is watching what we are doing here in California.”

California’s target reflects those set by other governments — including the European Union — ahead of the United Nations conference on climate change in Paris this year. Christiana Figueres, the executive secretary of the conference, issued a statement praising Mr. Brown’s order.

“California’s announcement is a realization and a determination that will gladly resonate with other inspiring actions within the United States and around the globe,” she said. “It is yet another reason for optimism in advance of the U.N. climate conference in Paris in December.”

Source
.
.