Page 14 - Florida Sentinel 12-7-18

Political News
Gwen Collins-Greenup Might Become The First Black Woman Elected To Statewide Office In Louisiana
All eyes in Louisiana are turned towards the run-off for the next secretary of state in a week, a race in which a little- known Black woman is up against the interim secretary of state, Kyle Ardoin, a Re- publican.
Gwen Collins-Greenup
surprised many in the state’s political elite during the midterm elections, when she forced a run-off in the race to become the state’s next secre- tary of state (the state’s third highest position).
If Collins-Greenup wins the run-off set for Dec. 8, she would be the first African- American woman to be elected to statewide office in Louisiana.
“I guess it was a surprise to most people in the political sphere, it wasn’t a surprise to me,” she said.
In the November election, she beat out seven other can- didates with only a few thou- sand dollars in her campaign books and little support from the state’s democratic party.
She was often not invited to participate in some candi- dates’ forums for the race be- cause her fundraising was seen as lackluster. And ac- cording to The Advocate, a local TV station even asked her to call in when news of her feat was announced because they did not have her phone number.
But Collins-Greenup ex- plained that she is still in the race because she traveled
Collins-Greenup is in a run- off to become Louisiana's next secretary of state.
throughout the state talking to voters one-on-one.
“If I was just jogging or something, I’d stop to talk with them,” she told the Advo- cate.
The former assistant to a local school superintendent, Collins-Green graduated from Southern University Law Center and has a graduate de- gree from Liberty University Theological Seminary, accord- ing to her website. She has previously worked as a li- censed notary, a legal secre- tary with the Louisiana Department of Labor, a deputy clerk with the East Fe- liciana Parish Clerk of Court and in the Baton Rouge City Court, according to her web- site.
She is also married with two sons in college.
Nancy Pelosi Nominates Rep. Barbara Lee For Leadership Position
After a group of House Democrats expressed their disappointment over the lack of representation of women of color in leadership posi- tions in the party, some much-needed progress is now underway.
Following Rep. Barbara Lee’s narrow loss (10 votes to be exact) in the race for caucus chair this week, Mi- nority Leader Nancy Pelosi has created a position that will require the oversee- ing of Steering and Policy Committee, according to a Politico report.
Lee, a 72-year-old Black woman, lost to Rep. Ha- keem Jeffries (D-N.Y.), who is also African American but significantly younger, which prompted her support- ers to claim that ageism played a role.
The Democrats had planned to ask Pelosi to find a place for Lee but Pelosi ever adept offered Lee a po- sition on the Steering and Policy Committee in a meet- ing in her office Friday.
However, thanks to Pelosi, Rep. Lee will now
(L-R) Rep. Barbara Lee (D-CA), Rep. Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY), House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-CA), Senate Minority Leadery Charles Schumer (D-NY) and Sen. Chris Van Hollen (D- MD) hold a news conference in the Rayburn Room at the U. S. Capitol April 28, 2017 in Washington, DC.
have the opportunity to serve on the panel alongside Reps. Rosa DeLauro (D- Conn.) and Eric Swal- well (D-Calif.). The panel “determines committee as- signments for Democrats,” reports Politico.
“The leaders and mem- bers of the Steering and Pol- icy Committee reflect the diversity, dynamism and in- tegrity of our historic new House Democratic Majority,” Pelosi said Friday evening in a statement to Politico.
Pelosi continued, “As a
leading African American woman with a place at the de- cision table, the appointment of Congresswoman Lee is even more meaningful as we mark the birthday of her friend: the trailblazing Con- gresswoman Shirley Chis- holm.
Rep. Lee took to social media to express her grati- tude, tweeting “I wouldn’t be here without my mentor, my shero, my shining light – the late, great Congress- woman Shirley Chis- holm.”
Florida Election Official Brenda Snipes Takes Back Resignation
It seems as if Brenda Snipes, the widely-scruti- nized Broward County, Fla. Supervisor of Elections, is not quite ready to toss it in after all.
On Saturday, Snipes re- tracted her impending resig- nation, a day after exiting Gov. Rick Scott suspended her without pay, the New York Daily News reports.
“After a series of inexcus- able actions, it’s clear that there needs to be an immedi- ate change in Broward County and taxpayers should no longer be burdened by paying a salary for a Supervisor of Elections who has already an- nounced resignation,” Scott said in a statement Friday.
Scott had appointed pres- ident of Enterprise Florida and the former executive di- rector of the South Florida Water Management District Peter Antonacci, who has no elections experience, to fill Snipes’ shoes.
“I know that Pete will be solely focused on running free and fair elections, will not be
After being suspended by Gov. Rick Scott even after sub- mitting a resignation, Florida Elections Official Brenda Snipes is deciding to fight back.
running for election and will bring order and integrity back to this office,” Scott added.
About two weeks ago, Snipes submitted her resig- nation following criticism over Florida’s contentious midterm elections, apparently bowing out after a 15-year tenure that was mired with controversy, legal disputes and endless criticism. In this past election year, she had been targeted by several Re-
publicans, including Presi- dent Donald Trump and Scott who will be represent- ing Florida in the U. S. Senate come January.
But now, Snipes has put her foot forward, deciding to fight the accusations against her.
“We believe these actions are malicious, we believe that the allegations that are set forth in the governor’s execu- tive order are done for the purposes of embarrassing Dr. Snipes – embarrassing her and tarnishing her record, and we will be fighting this. In ad- dition to that, Dr. Snipes herby rescinds her resignation that was set forth which would have been effective on the fourth of January,” Snipes’ attorney Burnadette Nor- ris-Weeks said in a press conference, according to NBC Miami.
Norris-Weeks said that Snipes will “be fighting this to the very end,” and ques- tioned Scott’s decision to put an “ally” in charge of elections in a Democratic stronghold.
PAGE 2-B FLORIDA SENTINEL BULLETIN PUBLISHED EVERY TUESDAY AND FRIDAY FRIDAY, DECEMBER 7, 2018