FILE: Members of the California National Guard listne during a news conference near the Otay Mesa Port of Entry along the border in Mexico, Dec 5, 2024, in San Diego. Gregory Bull – staff/AP
NEWSMAX | Published January 12, 2025
Do you live in a red state, a blue state, or one where Republicans and Democrats share power?
Your answer might provide the best indicator of what to expect from your governor and state lawmakers as President-elect Donald Trump takes office and legislatures convene.
In many cases, political party identification has come to define public policy, percolating from the nation’s capital down to the 50 statehouses.
Many Republican state officials are aligning with Trump’s policies by pledging to help him crack down on illegal immigration, for example. Some Democratic state officials are mounting a resistance movement, looking for ways to shield their states from potential federal policies restricting abortion and transgender rights, among other things. Some prominent Democratic governors, meanwhile, have taken a more conciliatory approach in an effort to forge a working relationship with the new administration.
Here’s a look at what to expect in some policy areas:
Governors and lawmakers in red states are lining up behind Trump’s pledge to crack down on illegal immigration and deport many who are living in the U.S. illegally. A joint statement from 26 Republican governors said they “stand ready to utilize every tool at our disposal — whether through state law enforcement or the National Guard — to support President Trump in this vital mission.”
Republican lawmakers in a growing number of states are proposing to give local law officers the power to arrest people who entered the country illegally, mirroring a recent Texas law that has been placed on hold while courts consider whether it unconstitutionally usurps federal authority. One bill in Missouri would offer a $1,000 reward to informants who tip off authorities about people in the country illegally and allow private bounty hunters to find and detain them.
Governors in some blue states are taking a wait-and-see approach to Trump’s immigration plans, willing to cooperate on deporting people who commit crimes but not in using the National Guard for widespread roundups of immigrants living in the U.S. illegally.
Other Democratic-led jurisdictions are bracing for a showdown. The California Legislature has convened a special session to erect shields against Trump’s policies on immigration and other issues.
Most U.S. abortions are carried out using drugs rather than through surgical procedures, and that is where the current abortion fight is focused.
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SOURCE: www.newsmax.com
