Politics and views in the United States.

States reject Department of Justice requests for voter records, Texas governor threatens to remove Democratic lawmakers who fled the state from office, and new federal legislation would set minimum salaries for all public school teachers.

TRANSCRIPT

Welcome to 2025 Talks, where we're following our democracy in historic times.

The DOJ doesn't get to know everything about you just because they want to.

I believe strongly in voter privacy.

The federal government is overstepping its bounds.

Main Secretary of State Shana Bellows says she won't turn over the state's voter registration list to the Federal Department of Justice.

DOJ wants more than a dozen states to share data on the 2024 and 2020 elections, it says, as part of a greater plan to combat voter fraud.

States that don't cooperate risk losing federal aid.

Texas Governor Greg Abbott says Democrats who fled the state to block a vote on a new congressional redistricting map could face fines, criminal charges, and potentially lose their jobs.

"These Democrats have absconded from the responsibility, and I believe they have forfeited their seats in the state legislature because they are not doing the job they were elected to do.

President Donald Trump told Texas Republicans to change district maps to gain five congressional seats in the midterms.

Democrats say the gerrymander knowingly disenfranchises Black and Hispanic voters and that removing elected officials from office for resisting the effort would be illegal.

New York Governor Kathy Hochul is hosting some of the refugee legislators and says she's ready to fight fire with fire.

All's fair in love and war.

That's why I'm exploring with our leaders every option to redraw our state congressional lines as soon as possible.

Hoeckel says New York may disband its independent redistricting commission to do that.

California Governor Gavin Newsom is also threatening a retaliatory gerrymander, although that would take amending the state constitution.

New federal legislation would ensure all public school teachers earn at least $60,000 a year.

Educators praise the Paid Teachers Act, citing many teachers' reliance on second jobs or public assistance to get by.

Corey O'Hair is a sixth-grade social studies teacher with Boston Public Schools.

"We come home exhausted only to have to work a side gig to make ends meet.

People aren't walking away from the profession, they're being priced out of it."

The bill would also provide teachers with a $1,000 annual stipend for classroom supplies, which they often pay for themselves.

The Trump administration says states and cities that boycott Israeli companies will be denied federal natural disaster preparation aid.

The ban would apply to nearly $2 billion for search and rescue equipment, backup power systems and salaries for emergency personnel.

The State Department says it will require certain travelers entering the U.S. with tourism and business visas to pay bonds up to $15,000.

Officials say they'll target nationals from countries with a high rate of overstaying their visas.

And House Oversight Chair, Republican James Comer of Kentucky, says he plans to subpoena the Justice Department for files related to Jeffrey Epstein this week.

I'm Catherine Carley for Pacifica Network and Public News Service.

Find our trust indicators at publicnewsservice.org.