Steve Haner, Thomas Jefferson Institute: The Jefferson Journal: Ranked Choice Voting is Spreading, Time to Decide If We Want It

By Steve Haner

8/19/2024 -- Virginia's experiment with ranked choice voting may soon expand to a second locality, as the Charlotteville City Council is now considering that method for its future local elections. It is time for more people to pay attention to this voting method and decide whether they think it is a good idea.  The pros and cons are complex, and opinions are strong on both sides. Current Virginia elections allow a victory with a plurality, often far less than a majority of the votes cast. Making voters declare a second or third (or fourth or fifth) choice and continuing to count until a majority is reached is a major shift in our elections.  Former Virginia Delegate Sally Hudson, a Charlottesville Democrat, is leading one Virginia-based effort to expand the process here, Ranked Choice Virginia.  Another, UpVote Virginia touts its bipartisan support, mentioning Congressman Don Beyer (D) and former Governor George Allen (R). The Foundation for Government Accountability, a national group on the other side, considers the idea a disaster. It is one thing to use the method in a party nomination contest, as Virginia Republicans did when they chose Glenn Youngkin as their nominee in 2021. It may also be an attractive option when electing a local governing body that runs at large, say with ten candidates seeking five seats.  But would we really want the second-choice votes of Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s voters determining the outcome of Virginia's 2024 presidential contest? It is perfectly conceivable that the first-round result would be a close election, neither party nominee with 50%, and then a small handful of RFK voters could flip the outcome and award Virginia's 13 electoral votes to the person in second place on election night.   Once you decide that Virginia should make this philosophical shift away from allowing a plurality to prevail, then the technical questions come up. One of the strongest arguments against this new method is the complexity and the likelihood many voters will be confused and even frustrated, especially in those cases where they do have to go beyond just a second choice.

For several years I have served as the ballot officer in my local precinct, handing out and tracking the paper ballots and dealing with any questions from voters about how to mark them. Every year a fair number spoil their ballots by either using an X or a circle rather than filling in the bubble, or by marking a name they didn't intend. It is safe to predict with this method that 1) there will be far more spoiled ballots and 2) voters will be standing longer in the booth to fill them out, adding to the lines.  But in researching this column and looking at the rules Virginia has already created as Arlington County moved into this brave new world, another of my major concerns is allayed. The State Board of Elections has even posted an instructional video. The election officers at the end of election day will only report the first-round result. If a candidate has achieved a majority, that is the end of it. If not, they don't keep counting. If a candidate has not achieved a majority after the absentees and provisional ballots are reviewed, that is when the second (or third or fourth) round counts proceed. That post-election process becomes far more important. But the idea of many elections (perhaps most) would now spark a full recount process, such as the Fifth Congressional District primary just went through, raises its own issues. Cost will be high on the list. The long delays in knowing who won will also frustrate people. Some advocates claim a computer ballot box can do all the counts at once, but those who already doubt the security of the counting machines will double down on their conspiracy theories.  The most recent Democratic primary in Arlington County took four rounds of counting to reach a result.  Some complain that the ranked choice voting process will favor one party over the other, but that is not apparent. Using the excuse of COVID, Virginia's Democrats enacted a host of voting changes that many Republicans opposed. But more and more Republicans are beginning to just take advantage of those rules to seek to boost turnout of their own voters.  Once political tacticians begin to grasp the ranked voting process, there likely will be changes. More candidates who fail to get the party nomination will still put their names on the ballot. People may be recruited to join the ballot to boost and broaden that party's turnout. Then as the lesser candidates fall off in subsequent rounds, their second-round votes may shift to the dominant candidate.  People will begin to consciously campaign to be that second choice and, behind the scenes, a bit of deal making is easy to predict. Will that lead to more civil discourse in elections? One can dream.  One major concern raised by the Foundation for Government Accountability rings true. For an individual's ballot to be counted in all subsequent rounds, they must rank all the candidates. Otherwise, their vote could drop off, becomes an "exhausted ballot." But why would you mark your ballot for somebody you truly oppose?  Is it the case that the final "50 percent plus one" that finally wins does not include the many exhausted ballots, perhaps hundreds of thousands of them in a statewide election? In that case, Virginia could be back where it began, allowing a plurality of cast votes to prevail.

Gary Bauer: End Of Day - 8-19-24 - Komrade Kamala

"Komrade Kamala"

Democrats are gathering in Chicago for their national convention this week. That's good news for them because they can move on after a weekend of withering criticism of Kamala Harris's supposedly first serious policy address on Friday.

In her remarks about the economy, Harris unveiled "new ideas" that really weren't new. They go back at least as far as Karl Marx, and they're policies the left has been embracing for decades.

It's more and more government control over every aspect of our lives, including all business activity, the economy, our healthcare, our schools, energy, etc., etc. Everything that a free human being does in the course of everyday life, neo-Marxists intend to control with overwhelming Big Government.

In every area they seize control of, they demand that you follow their philosophy. The neo-Marxists will tell you what kind of car you can drive, what food you can eat, how to cook your food, how to heat your home, how you can defend yourself, etc. It is one big leviathan state.

Watching Harris speak Friday, she came across as someone talking for the first time about something they don't understand. I doubt she knew the meaning of many of the words she said.

On inflation, the main issue that dogging the Biden/Harris White House, she identified businesses as the cause of inflation. Harris referred to this as "price gauging" when she meant to say "price gouging." She suggested that government agencies should be empowered to control prices and prevent them from going up.

That's known as price controls. They've been tried before, and they never work.

So, because Bidenomics (which is now Kamalanomics) has crushed the dreams of millions of Americans and made their economic security worse, Harris's solution is more government control and more printing of money.

If inflation has priced you out of the housing market, Harris will give you $25,000 for a down payment. If the overregulation of the medical industry has caused a shortage of doctors and nurses, she wants a new law mandating that no one pays more than $2,000 for prescriptions. Sure, that sounds nice, but it will result in fewer life-saving drugs and higher prices.

A nonpartisan budget group estimated that the proposals Harris made just in that one speech would increase the national debt by an additional $1.7 trillion over the next ten years. How is all that extra spending going to be paid for? By increasing taxes on the "wealthy," of course.

But if you confiscated all the wealth of the richest Americans, it would run the federal government for less than nine months. And then, who are you going to get the money from?

FAIR Immigration: New Parole Amnesty Starts Today | FAIR Take

Parole-in-Place Amnesty Applications Start Today

U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) is now accepting applications for its unlawful parole-in-place amnesty program. The government estimates that over half a million illegal aliens will qualify, but it remains to be seen whether the government can weed out fraud that threatens to drive the numbers much higher. Read More

Richard A. Viguerie: Kamalanomics, a “Fact Check” guide on the opening day of the Democrat’s National Convention.

Out of control inflation caused by Harris and Biden's economic policies has been draining the finances of every-day Americans forcing many to run up their credit cards just to maintain a reasonable quality of life.      Over the 3 ½ years Democrats have been in power in Washington everything is up:

Rent up 22% Gas up 35% Chicken up 24% Flour up 36% Cereal up 22% Milk up 17% Frozen vegetables up 28% Bread up 24% Energy up 33% Eggs up 53% Butter up 30% Coffee up 21% Baby Food up 30% New Mortgage Rates up 156%

-Source: Americans for Tax Reform

Carol Bauer: Capital Prayer Alert - 8-19-24

Heavenly Father, You are the calm in the storm all around us. Remind us that while our nation's circumstances and our personal lives can face daunting challenges, You are the rock on which we can rest. Remind us daily that You walk alongside us and offer comfort and respite from the swirling uncertain circumstances around us. Help us, Lord, to not feel helpless and alone. You are a steady presence in our lives, and let us never forget that.

 

At the same time, prompt us to do our part in this tumultuous election season. You have placed us in a country whose past is rooted in religious freedom and freedom of speech. Guide us so that we do not take these precious gifts for granted. Illuminate ways for each of us to give voice to the gift of being able to worship You. Shine a light of opportunity in our personal lives, in our friendships, and in our faith lives to point out to others the tremendous stakes for the future of our children and grandchildren.

 

Lord, be with us. Amen.

Brownstone Institute: A Time For Honesty

What's Really Happening with Mpox By David Bell. For the WHO and international public health industry, Mpox presents a different picture. They now work for a pandemic industrial complex. Forty years ago, Mpox would have been viewed in context, proportional to the diseases that are shortening life expectancy.

NoVA GOP News: Cao/Kaine Debate

Mark your calendar for Wednesday, October 2. Our Republican US Senate candidate, Hung Cao, will be debating "Far Left in Washington / Fake Moderate in Virginia" Tim Kaine. The debate will be held at the Historically Black College and University (HBCU) Norfolk State University in Norfolk and will be carried live on TV and streaming across the Commonwealth.

Congressman Bob Good Update: Our Fiscal and Border “Insecurity”

Fighting to Restore Fiscal Stability My House Freedom Caucus colleagues and I are fighting to restore fiscal stability in Washington. The House holds the power and the responsibility of the purse. It is our duty to cut woke and wasteful spending and pass our required 12 appropriations bills reflecting Republican policy priorities, as we promised the American people. Because of our failure to do this last year, Americans are suffering under the Biden-Pelosi-Schumer policies and spending levels that were in place when Democrats had full control of government two years ago!  If Congress does not do its job and pass the spending bills before the end of the fiscal year on September 30, House Republicans should pass a 6-month Continuing Resolution (CR) that funds the government into the New Year. This will ensure that the will of the American people, as demonstrated with the results of the upcoming election on November 5, will determine how the government is funded next year. House Republicans should also attach the SAVE Act to any Continuing Resolution to help prevent illegal aliens from voting in the November election. The SAVE Act requires proof of citizenship to register to vote, and requires states to purge non-citizens from their voter rolls. You can read about the official House Freedom Caucus position endorsing a CR with the SAVE Act here.

The Biden-Harris Border Invasion   President Biden and Vice President Harris have repeatedly claimed that they lacked the authority to secure the border and protect American citizens. Yet, in the first days of the Biden-Harris administration, they overturned President Trump's policies that dramatically curtailed illegal immigration into our country, and they stopped wall construction. However, the Biden-Harris Administration recently took executive action to slightly slow the flow of illegal aliens across the border. These desperate measures before the election prove they had the authority to stop it all along.    Vice President Harris, who was specifically tasked by President Biden with addressing our nation's borders, has notably neglected her critical responsibility. Her negligence has helped over 10 million illegal aliens enter our country with little to no restrictions.    This week we learned that in the Boston Immigrations and Customs Enforcement (ICE) office alone, they have arrested criminal illegal aliens including fentanyl traffickers, a child molester, an attempted murderer, and a rapist who were released into the country under the generous Biden-Harris border policies. Meanwhile, during the 2020 presidential campaign, then-candidate Harris said she would close ICE detention centers on day one if she were president.    America's adversaries are taking advantage of the Biden-Harris open borders to threaten our security and sovereignty. We know tens of thousands of illegal aliens are crossing each year from hostile countries, including Iran, Russia, and China.    It is imperative that we reinstate the Trump-era policies that effectively controlled illegal immigration and protected our national interests.

Team Miyares: Miyares Weekly Roundup

Americans Have No Trust in the Biden-Harris Administration: AG Miyares

 

Miyares: ESG Considerations Cannot Influence VRS Investment Decisions

On Friday, Attorney General Miyares issued an AG Opinion prohibiting environmental, social, and governance (ESG) criteria from influencing Virginia Retirement System (VRS) investment decisions.  "Virginia families have spent decades working hard to build their retirement accounts. Investments must be driven by careful, calculated financial foresight, not clouded by unfounded ESG fads. This Opinion firmly reinforces the Virginia Retirement System's responsibility and legal obligation to make objective investment decisions free from the sway of social or political agendas. Secure futures require sound economics."  –Attorney General Miyares

READ THE AG OPINION HERE

 

Protecting Female Athletes

Attorney General Miyares joined a 26-state coalition in calling on the U.S. Supreme Court to take up a legal battle surrounding West Virginia's 'Save Women's Sports Act' which bans male athletes from playing on girls' sports teams.  "West Virginia's Save Women's Sports Act is about fairness and protecting the integrity of women's sports. Allowing biological males to compete against biological females undermines decades of progress and is simply unfair to women and girls. I'm committed to ensuring that female athletes have the opportunity to compete on a level playing field." –Attorney General Miyares

LEARN MORE HERE

 

Immigration Reform Law Institute: Victory! Another Indiana Sanctuary Ordinance Falls

IRLI's efforts against illegal 'welcoming" ordinances sees successful conclusion

WASHINGTON—Leaders in Gary, Ind., have decided to repeal the city's "welcoming ordinance" that harbored illegal aliens, a vindication for the Immigration Reform Law Institute's (IRLI) years-long efforts to reverse the policy.   Gary became the second Indiana city in less than a month to repeal such an ordinance. East Chicago, Ind., voted to repeal its own ordinance on July 30.   By adopting the ordinances, both jurisdictions had been in violation of Indiana's law banning sanctuary cities. State Attorney General Todd Rokita had sued East Chicago, and was threatening to sue Gary prior to the repeal.   In 2017, IRLI filed suit against the City of Gary, its Mayor and its Common Council members in Indiana's Lake County Circuit Court to challenge the City's sanctuary. In 2011, IRLI attorneys had helped write Indiana's statewide ban on sanctuary jurisdictions, which requires local law enforcement to cooperate with the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).   The ordinance forbade local officials from informing federal officers, even when asked, when aliens in local jails will be released, and blocked federal officers from entering local jails to assume custody of criminal aliens. By interfering with federal enforcement of immigration laws in these and other ways, IRLI had claimed the ordinance violated the Supremacy Clause of the Constitution.   "Indiana has become a great success story for the repeal of illegal and dangerous sanctuary policies," said Dale L. Wilcox, executive director and general counsel of IRLI. "Where state laws against sanctuary policies exist, state attorneys general can bring tremendous positive change by compelling local jurisdictions to comply with the law. The Indiana model needs to be emulated in other states to push back against the crime, overcrowding and lawlessness we are seeing in too many cities today."

Derrick Anderson Debate - October 2

Derrick Anderson will be MCRW's Guest Speaker on Tuesday, August 20th

 

 

Scott Pio LCRC Chairman: Announcing Patriot Ball 2024 Speaker Congressman Cory Mills

We are proud to announce our 1^st Speaker for the Patriot Ball on September 21^st 2024!  This year, we are honored to have Congressman Cory Mills from Florida's 7^th District to speak at the 2^nd Annual Patriot Ball.

Buy your Tickets Today.  https://event.gives/patriotball2024 

We are very limited to how many tickets we have left.  So purchase now before they are sold out. https://event.gives/patriotball202

Gary Bauer: End Of Day - 8-9-24 - Beijing’s Man In America

When Kamala Harris surprised the nation and chose Tim Walz as her running mate, the public reaction was swift:  Who?

Seventy one percent of Americans reported they had never heard of the former Congressman and current Minnesota governor.

But at least one nation in the world knows Walz well – the People's Republic of China. Breitbart News is just one of many sources digging past the superficial profiles of Walz and asking key questions – seven in all – about his unusual relationship with China and its ruling Communist Party.

The questions are vital to evaluating his proposed express lane from obscurity to the second highest office in the land.

Remember this? Within minutes of Joe Biden's Inauguration, the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) sanctioned former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, along with 27 other Trump officials, for their frank assessment of the Chinese threat. The CCP banned Pompeo and the others from any travel to or other dealings with China. 

All this reminded me of some personal conversations with Secretary Pompeo and a series of speeches he gave in 2020 that spurred the CCP's hostility. In remarks to the National Governors Association, he pointed out that a government-backed research institute in Beijing had compiled a list ranking every U.S. governor on their friendliness toward Chinese interests.

The list, which reportedly includes members of Congress, state legislators, and mayors (Beijing likes to be comprehensive) has never been released. The explanation is likely an ordinary one for our national politics – it would include and embarrass both Democrats and Republicans who have been all too willing to suck up to Beijing.

It would be a shock if the list told us anything different about Walz. His and his wife's lifelong affinity for China began in 1989 when he taught in China for a year. In 1994 he formed a travel agency in Minnesota called Educational Travel Adventures. The agency brought groups of U.S. students to China for visits. Reports say the Chinese government largely paid for these visits. Their aim, no doubt, was to fill the young people's heads with gauzy ideas about the CCP's one-party vision.

In 1994 Walz and his wife spent their honeymoon in China, deliberately selecting the fifth anniversary of the Tiananmen Square massacre because, as a fellow teacher told MSN, they wanted a date they would remember. All in all, Walz has made 30 visits to the communist country. He has forged relationships close enough that several CCP officials attended his second inauguration in 2023.

Those Chinese officials, and others from Beijing's Ministry for State Security, are not in the United States to take pictures of Mt. Rushmore and the Grand Canyon. In seven states, including Minnesota and its Twin Cities, they are here to manage Chinese police stations to monitor and harass Chinese dissidents living in our country.

These operations are so menacing to America that even the Biden Justice Department shut down an illegal Chinese police bureau in Manhattan, charging two of its principals with violations of U.S. law.

Scoffers in the "mainstream media" will mock the notion of communists hiding under our beds. But we need to examine what's in plain sight. China's agents in America engage in massive spying operations. They seek to buy up high-value U.S. land, sometimes using U.S. public officials to mitigate opposition.

China crushed democracy in Hong Kong and denies human rights and basic freedoms to the Uighur population, Tibetans, and other disfavored groups.

China's fast-growing military conducts operations of intimidation not only against Taiwan but democratic allies of ours anywhere on its perimeter, including Japan, Guam, and the Philippines.

At the very least, our government should step up and release Beijing's assessment of who among our leaders is a best friend to them. Share the list. Then a debate must happen, and swiftly, about whether our leaders will kowtow to the CCP or serve the freedom and security of the American people first. 

We have 88 days to find out.

The GOPAC Newsletter: 08.09.24

On Thursday, Chairman David Avella and Fox News Contributor Marie Harf joined Fox News Channel's John Roberts on America Reports to talk about why - 18 days since becoming the Democratic candidate for President, why Vice President Kamala Harris has yet to hold a news conference. Watch HERE:

The Stiles Section: The real stolen valor scandal

It's Friday, August 9, 2024. The election is 87 days away. It's been less than three weeks since President Joe Biden was kicked off the ticket against his will, and Democrats are already dancing on his grave. Sleepy Joe was barely mentioned at the rally in Philadelphia where Kamala Harris introduced her running mate, Gov. Tim Walz of Minnesota. At one point, Walz thanked Harris for "bringing back the joy," a clear reference to the feeling of relief among Democrats who no longer have to pretend—as Walz himself did just last month—that Biden was mentally sharp and fit to serve.   Walz whipped the Philly crowd into a frenzy with a creepy joke about his GOP counterpart, J.D. Vance, having intercourse with a couch—a stupid fake story retched from the bowels of social media that instantly seeped into elite liberal discourse, where peddling "misinformation" is typically viewed as an assault on American democracy. It won't be long until the journalists report that Republicans are "seizing" and "pouncing" on the "couch sex allegation."   Republicans are the "weird" ones, said Walz, who is so normal he chose to get married on the five-year anniversary of the Tiananmen Square massacre—June 4, 1994—because he "wanted to have a date he'll always remember." He thinks GOP lawmakers should "mind their own damn business," which is a bit rich coming from the governor who set up a special phone line in 2020 so liberal scolds could snitch on their neighbors who refused to wear masks outside.   While most journalists and other Democrats praised the Walz selection, anti-Semites were overjoyed. Hamas apologists such as Keith Ellison, Ilhan Omar, and Jamaal Bowman could hardly contain their excitement after Harris picked Walz over Josh Shapiro, the Jewish governor of Pennsylvania. Mehdi Hasan, the former TV host whose anti-Israel views were too radical for MSNBC, said snubbing the Jew was a "great decision" that showed Harris and the Democratic Party were "taking the base seriously." Indeed.   OK, let's get on with it.

 

 

The Washington Free Beacon's Chuck Ross and Joe Simonson have some great reporting about Tim Walz's embellished military career. Politico reports that the Harris campaign has "updated" the VP candidate's online biography in response to "Republican efforts to question his record."   It's not a great look for the "folksy" Midwestern governor, but it's not even the worst stolen valor scandal involving Tim Walz we learned of this week. In addition to his military service, the Harris campaign has repeatedly touted Walz's career as a high school teacher and varsity football coach. Harris even introduced him as "Coach Walz" at the rally in Philadelphia.   It was all a lie.

 

 

Walz was an assistant coach and defensive coordinator who served in support of head coach Rick Sutton at Mankato West High School. It was Sutton who led the fightin' Scarletts to a state championship in Minnesota, where most of the best athletes play hockey or become functioning alcoholics instead.

 

 

Senator Mark Obenshain: Governor Youngkin's Executive Order on Election Security: A Crucial Step Forward

Governor Glenn Youngkin has been a leader in protecting the security of elections in Virginia. He has already led efforts that have resulted in the removal of nearly 89,000 deceased voters from our voter rolls as well as more than 6,000 non-citizens. However, more needs to be done. Voters need to have confidence that our elections are fair. While Democrats complain that voter fraud is just a figment of our imagination, every reported incident further undermines voter confidence in the integrity of our system. In fact just a couple of weeks ago it was widely reported that a Blacksburg City Council member (and former press secretary for the Democratic Party of Virginia) was indicted and arrested on four counts of voter fraud!

 

Governor Youngkin understands that elections in America must always be free and open. But he also understands that there is a third element that we cannot ignore – Fairness. Yesterday, Governor Youngkin took another decisive step to ensure free, open and FAIR elections in Virginia with the issuance of Executive Order 35.

 

This Executive Order solidifies the robust election security measures established during the past two years of Governor Youngkin's administration. Here are key points in the Executive Order, and why it is important:

 

1. **Enhanced Election Security**: The Executive Order ensures stringent ballot security, complete and thorough counting machine testing, and best-in-the-nation voter list maintenance. These measures guarantee that only legal ballots are cast and counted accurately.

 

2. **Annual Certification**: The Commissioner of the Department of Elections is now required to certify in writing annually that these improvements are in place, ensuring ongoing accountability and transparency in our electoral process.

 

3. **Non-Citizen Registration Prevention**: The EO outlines procedures to prevent non-citizens from registering to vote, including referral to local Commonwealth's attorneys and the Office of the Attorney General for enforcement.

 

4. **Paper Ballots and Secure Counting**: Virginia uses 100% paper ballots, providing a physical record of voters' intent. Counting machines, which are tested prior to every election and are not connected to the internet, ensure the highest level of security.

 

5. **Strict Voter List Maintenance**: Daily updates of voter lists and removal of deceased voters, ineligible persons, and non-citizens ensure the accuracy and integrity of our voter rolls.

 

Governor Youngkin's Executive Order represents a significant advancement in safeguarding the integrity of and voter confidence in our elections. By building on recent improvements and establishing rigorous procedures, we can ensure the counting of every legal vote and the prevention of illegal activities.

 

Thank you for your continued support and dedication to preserving the integrity of our electoral system. Together, we can ensure a fair and secure election process for all Virginians.

Immigration Reform Law Institute: Biden Seeks ‘Sue and Settle’ over Border Enforcement

IRLI files Supreme Court brief opposing policies controlling future administrations

WASHINGTON—The Immigration Reform Law Institute (IRLI) has filed a brief in the Supreme Court on behalf of Kansas and other states asking for review of a case where the Ninth Circuit denied invention by the States to defend an administrative rule that discourages aliens from crossing the border surreptitiously.   The States sought to intervene after the Biden Administration abruptly stopped defending one of the few pro-enforcement rules it has issued—a rule denying asylum to aliens who cross the southern border unlawfully. Instead of defending the rule, the administration suddenly announced it is pursuing settlement talks with the activist plaintiffs in these cases.   If such a settlement is reached and approved by the Ninth Circuit, it will result in a "consent decree," in which the court will sanction the terms of settlement as orders binding on the parties indefinitely. Since one of the parties is the United States, those terms, even if drafted by anti-borders activist attorneys, will control the actions of future administrations, even pro-enforcement administrations. In these circumstances, a strong version of the rule may be impossible to resurrect.   To stop that, the States moved to intervene in the case to defend the rule and participate in any settlement. But the Ninth Court, over a dissenting opinion, denied the States motion to intervene because the majority determined that the States lack a protectable interest in the enforcement of immigration policies.   As IRLI shows in its brief, certiorari, a higher court review of the case, is warranted because contrary to the Ninth Circuit, the States have a strong quasi-sovereign interest in the faithful enforcement of federal immigration law that would be harmed if the rule is weakened or effectively rescinded via settlement with nominally opposing parties. IRLI also shows that the Ninth Circuit misconstrued the Court's decision in United States v. Texas, 599 U.S. 670 (2023), which turned upon the unavailability of relief sought and not upon the lack of a legally protected interest in the faithful enforcement of federal immigration law.   The Supreme Court has expressed interest in addressing the practice of sue and settle or "rulemaking-by-collective-acquiescence," Arizona v. City & Cnty. of S.F., Cal., 596 U.S. 763, 766 (2022) (Roberts, C.J., concurring in dismissal of the writ of certiorari as improvidently granted).   "The Biden Administration has done incalculable damage to our border security, now they are trying to compound their sabotage by limiting future administrations' ability to repair the damage" said Dale L. Wilcox, executive director and general counsel of IRLI. "Sue and settle is an abusive practice that seeks to rule the country via court orders that are not required by the law, but just echo the parties' wishes, no matter what the voters may think about it. We hope the High Court checks this practice here, and allows this rule to be defended in court."   The case is Kansas v. Mayorkas, No. 23-1353 (S. Ct.).