Virginia: Kaine questions objections to Garland. US Sen. Tim Kaine (D) has questioned why Republican senators won’t move ahead on President Obama’s nomination of Judge Merrick Garland to the Supreme Court. “I’ve heard from many people in Virginia who say they believe the Senate will not do its job because of the identity of this particular President,” Kaine told BlueVirginia.US. He added that, “It’s a clear demonstration that the Republicans now care about nothing but winning 100%, at the expense of the nation.” …….
Texas: Abbott calls state tech mecca. “Tech jobs are flowing to Texas as businesses flee California’s high taxes, burdensome regulations and unaffordable housing,” Gov. Greg Abbot (R) wrote in an op-ed to the Mercury News. “During SxSW (South by Southwest) Interactive, Austin is the undisputed capital of digital and tech.” …….
South Carolina: Haley wants Japan’s plutonium shipment stopped. In a letter to Energy Secretary Ernest Moniz, Gov. Nikki Haley (R) urged him to “stop shipment or re-route” some 730 pounds of plutonium from her state, reports CNN. Such shipments, she said, risk “the safety of our citizens and our environment.” …….