Paul Demko

Michigan Park

Cannabis Editor at POLITICO

Cannabis Editor at POLITICO Pro

weed and The Fifty editor @politico @politicopro; chief philanthropic adviser, Bunky County

Articles

‘Minnesota Miracle’ upended by new Republican House speaker

2 months ago | msn.com | Paul Demko

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Republicans plant a toehold in Minnesota with new House speaker

2 months ago | politico.com | Paul Demko

Lisa Demuth is the first Republican woman and first Black person of either party to lead the chamber. Newly-elected Speaker of the House Lisa Demuth gives her introductory speech during a House session at the state Capitol building in St. Paul, Minnesota, on Feb. 6, 2025.
Small shifts, big consequences in state capitals

Dec 9, 2024 | politico.com | Paul Demko |Liz Crampton

Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer (D) speaks last year at the SelectUSA Investment Summit in Oxon Hill, Maryland. | Alex Brandon/A STATES OF PLAY — The 2024 election results might have upended Washington, but they barely budged the political dynamics in state capitals across the country. Republicans controlled 55 percent of the 7,000-plus state legislative seats going into Election Day, and they’re poised to hold almost exactly that — 55.25 percent — when legislatures gavel in next year.
How Michigan created a $10B weed market

Dec 4, 2024 | politico.com | Paul Demko

Legalization has proven very messy across the country. Illicit sales remain rampant in many states. Rogue operators in Oklahoma, Oregon, Maine and beyond have used legal markets to camouflage criminal activities. And the promise of providing consumers access to safe, tested products has been undermined by lab shopping and outright fraud. Michigan is certainly not immune to any of these challenges.
Republicans maintain their grip on state capitals

Nov 6, 2024 | politico.com | Paul Demko

Republicans broke up ruling trifectas in Michigan and Minnesota, while limiting their losses in Wisconsin. Illustration by Bill Kuchman/POLITICO (source images via AP and Getty Images) Democrats made significant inroads in state legislative races in recent election cycles and hoped to build on those gains on Tuesday.
Why you should be paying close attention to statehouse elections

Nov 1, 2024 | politico.com | Paul Demko |Liz Crampton

A woman jogs in front of the State Capitol in Madison, Wisconsin, on January 17, 2021. | Kamil Krzaczynski/AFP via Getty Images LOCAL IS NATIONAL — It happened over a decade ago, long before the onset of the Trump era, but Democrats are still trying to recover from the historic drubbing they took in state legislative races in 2010. Republicans won a staggering 680 seats across the country and took control of 22 state legislative chambers in a single night.
Democrats clinging to power in Tim Walz’s Minnesota

Oct 15, 2024 | politico.com | Paul Demko

With Gov. Tim Walz on the Democratic presidential ticket, the state’s policies are drawing national scrutiny. Illustration by Bill Kuchman/POLITICO (Source images via iStock)WINONA, Minnesota — When Minnesota Democrats took full control of the state Legislature two years ago, with protecting abortion rights at the top of their agenda, they vowed not to squander their chance to dramatically reshape the state.
Defending the ‘Minnesota Miracle’: Democrats face voters after pushing through bold progressive agenda

Oct 15, 2024 | news.yahoo.com | Paul Demko

WINONA, Minnesota — When Minnesota Democrats took full control of the state Legislature two years ago, with protecting abortion rights at the top of their agenda, they vowed not to squander their chance to dramatically reshape the state. They quickly passed measures enacting 20 weeks of paid medical and family leave for all workers, free tuition at state colleges for low-income households and more than $1 billion in funding for affordable housing.
We Watched Walz’s and Vance’s Previous Debates. Expect a Slugfest.

Oct 1, 2024 | politico.com | Ian Ward |Paul Demko |Renee Klahr

One wild card: the moderators. After the first presidential debate between Trump and Kamala Harris,Republicans complained that ABC’s moderators were overly deferential to Harris and biased against Trump, especially in their use of real-time fact checking. If the Trump camp has similar complaints with the moderators from CBS, pay attention to how Vance — who isn’t shy about tangling with his interviewers — handles it, and how Walz responds to such attacks.
Kamala Harris led the crackdown against a top prostitution website. Some say she went too far.

Sep 15, 2024 | politico.com | Josh Gerstein |Paul Demko

“She literally started it all,” her former deputy said. When she was California attorney general, Kamala Harris brought criminal charges against the founders of Backpage.com: James Larkin (top right) and Michael Lacey (bottom right). | Illustration by Erin Aulov/POLITICO (source images via AP, Getty and iStock) It was 2016, and California prosecutors were mulling an audacious bid to shut down the internet’s most popular clearinghouse for sex-related services.