YAKIMA, Wash. -- A group of Latino Washingtonians are suing Yakima County over its election structure. They say the county's reaction to the pandemic exposes why the system needs to be reformed.

Countywide voting gives the slight-white majority in the area control, with only one Latino ever serving on the commission two decades ago. Latino residents say the system disenfranchises them.

Bengie Aguilar is a plaintiff and former council member of Sunnyside, located in the Yakima valley.

"Can we call it a democracy if we know in advance that none of our preferred candidates will ultimately be elected?" Aguilar said. "Democracy means government of the people, by the people, for the people - all the people."

The Yakima County commission was given six months to work on changing the system or face a lawsuit under the Washington Voting Rights Act. The Board of Yakima County Commissioners did not respond to a request for comment, but has said in the past that they are willing to work with community members to change elections.

Roxana Norouzi is deputy director at OneAmerica, a plaintiff in this case. She said Yakima County commissioners aren't serving Latino residents' needs.

One example is their response to COVID-19, which has surged in the county. Norouzi said farm owners have failed to provide adequate protective gear, socially distanced lodging and hazard pay, but commissioners have not held them accountable.

"We need Latino representation to fix this problem and we need to elect people with lived immigrant experiences to represent our communities and values," Norouzi said.

Critics of the current system want to see the county implement ranked choice voting, or RCV. Aguilar said voters rank candidates, and if their favorite candidate doesn't have enough support to win the seat, their vote counts for their next favorite candidate.

"In other words, with RCV, your voice is heard," Aguilar said. "This makes it possible for us to create new, diverse and equitable leadership in our county."

She argued it would also save the taxpayers money, since primaries would be eliminated and the county would hold only one election.


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Parents and educators in the Houston Independent School District said they are all for improving schools but do not believe a state takeover by an unelected board of managers will boost test scores.

The Texas Education Agency said the takeover of the state's largest school district is necessary because schools have failed to meet state standards.

Jackie Anderson, president of the Houston Federation of Teachers, called it a hostile move opposed by many Houston elected officials, local education advocates and parents. She cited a poll by New Economy for Working Houston showing two-thirds of Harris County voters oppose the takeover.

"These schools are underperforming because for years, the district has not given them what they need," Anderson contended. "We believe that all of this is a way to fund the charter schools, but defund public schools."

In 2015, Texas passed a law allowing the state to take over an entire school district if even one campus is rated "F" in standardized test performance within five years.

This week, the Texas Education Agency named former Dallas schools superintendent Mike Miles to be superintendent in Houston. Miles arrived from leadership posts in Colorado, where he founded a public network of charter schools.

The Houston school district had fought the state takeover since 2019, but a GOP-controlled state Supreme Court cleared the state's legal path in January, despite a "B" grade the district received in the most recent state school ratings.

Audrey Nath, a parent in the Houston Independent School District, said her son just completed Kindergarten and had an exceptional year.

"I am left to surmise that the true intent is part of a larger push for dismantling of public education," Nath asserted. "Because not a single reason that was stated officially made any sense."

There are 276 schools within the Houston school district, with nearly 197,000 students. The district's minority enrollment is 90%, and nearly 60% of students are economically disadvantaged.


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As hostility toward Jewish people continues to spike in Arizona and nationally, the Biden administration has issued a National Strategy to Counter Antisemitism.

Research by the Anti-Defamation League shows antisemitic beliefs are on the increase. Last year, 85% of Americans said they believe at least one anti-Jewish trope, compared to 61% in 2019.

Richard S. Hirschhaut, regional director of the American Jewish Committee-Los Angeles, said his group has noticed an increase in vandalism, harassment and assault. He called Biden's plan "unprecedented" and "historic."

"This is a strategy that not only recognizes the rise and the severity of antisemitism, but treats it as a full-on society problem," Hirschhaut explained. "Recognizing that antisemitism must be the concern and the business of all Americans."

The 60-page plan is a product of collaborative work by national leaders and Jewish organizations. It includes more than 100 new actions the Biden administration said it will take to protect Jewish communities across the nation.

According to the Federal Bureau of Investigation, American Jews account for 2.4% of the U.S. population, but see 63% of the reported hate crimes motivated by religion.

Hirschhaut stressed it is important to highlight the numbers are often lower than actual incidents. He added the proactive vigilance and upgraded security protocols are needed.

"That speaks to a climate of fear and intimidation that has become commonplace in America," Hirschhaut asserted. "And that is what we hope this plan, the national strategy, will help to arrest and begin to turn the tide."

Antisemitism is what he called "gateway hate." Hirschhaut emphasized if left unchecked, it can lead to other groups and sectors of society also experiencing hostility and prejudice.


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A piece of legislation is headed to Gov. Joe Lombardo's desk which would allow medical aid in dying in Nevada.

Last week, Senate Bill 239 made its way out of the state assembly on a 23-19 vote, which could give terminally ill adults the option to request a medical prescription for a peaceful death in the Silver State.

Sara Manns, Nevada campaign director for the Compassion & Choices Action Network, said she is thankful to Sen. Edgar Flores, D-Las Vegas, "for shepherding it through" what she called a "challenging legislative obstacle course."

Manns added the support for the law is "overwhelming," and according to a new poll by the group, 82% of Nevadans support medical-aid-in-dying legislation.

"Regardless of political affiliation, regardless of religion, regardless of rural, urban," Manns outlined. "This is something where once people know what it is, they would want to have it available to them. Would they all want to do it? Of course not."

Manns emphasized it has taken the Nevada End of Life Options Act eight years since its initial introduction in 2015 to get to this point. She noted her group, like many, is hopeful the governor will sign the bill. She added once the bill reaches his desk, he will have 10 days to sign it.

Lynda Brooks-Bracey, 57, a Las Vegas mother of four with terminal metastatic pancreatic cancer, said she was "excited" and feeling "anticipatory" when she found the bill had made it past the second house.

Brooks-Bracey learned she was terminally ill in February 2021. During her last months of life, she has made it her mission to be an advocate for the measure. Brooks-Bracey stressed she and her family feel hopeful Lombardo will approach the bill in a neutral manner and pay attention to what Nevadans want.

"It has taken time to get the right bill, at the right time, that's clean, in front of this new governor here in Nevada that we have elected," Brooks-Bracey recalled. "And that he is neutral, that he is considering it, that he's looking at it. I think all things have come together in an appropriate time frame that Nevadans want it. They're ready for it."

Eleven jurisdictions have authorized medical aid in dying including 10 states and the District of Columbia. Compassion & Choices said no governor has ever vetoed a medical-aid-in-dying bill in any of the six states passing laws via legislative action.