THE ENFORCERS — The FEC's two Democratic commissioners, Shana Broussard (who is currently serving as chair) and Ellen Weintraub, circulated a draft interpretive rule over the weekend that would deem it permissible for members of Congress to use campaign funds both pay for residential security — like cameras, sensors and related lighting — and for personal security personnel "in light of the current heightened threat environment," following a request from the Republican congressional committees asking the FEC to weigh in. If adopted, it would give members a window to use their campaign cash to pay for personal security. (Previous advisory opinions from the agency had already opened the door for them to pay for home-security systems.) The draft rule said paying for personal security would be allowable if there is "reasonably specific and ongoing threats of physical harm exist as to members of Congress due to their status as federal officeholder," and if a "Capitol law enforcement office" (either Capitol Police or either chambers' Sergeants at Arms), recommend that "members of Congress use personal security personnel due to the heightened threat environment facing members of Congress generally or that the individual member use personal security personnel due to a specific threat." The rule would stand for two years after (or if) it goes into effect, after which it would need to be re-issued. A "material decline in the overall threat environment" could also affect the proposed rule. The FEC has a meeting scheduled for Thursday, where this will likely be discussed. But with public commenting on the rule open through March 18, Broussard and Weintraub are requesting any vote be held over until the March 25 meeting. CONVENTION SPOTTING — The headaches continue for the Republican Party of Virginia and its statewide nominating convention. On Friday, state chair Richard Anderson sent a letter to the state central committee saying that the plan to hold a convention in the parking lots of Liberty University was unworkable, with it just not being possible to accommodate thousands of cars and buses. The committee is set to meet this week to discuss more proposals on the convention, with the deadline for requesting a state-run primary having already passed. This is yet another major problem for the party, with the battle over if and how to hold a convention dragging on for months. (The short version is that pro-convention Republicans beat out pro-primary Republicans, but the details of having a convention in the midst of a pandemic have been basically unworkable, with pro-primary Republicans also kicking sand into the gears. Pros can read more from this February Score.) — Former Roanoke sheriff Octavia Johnson, a Republican, also announced that she was running for governor, per The Washington Post's Gregory Schneider. THE PROCESS — Republicans in Georgia have proposed a slew of laws that would ultimately result in more restrictive voting laws in the state. And while it still ultimately isn't clear what will become law, with competing bills making their way through both state legislative chambers, "the bills with the largest Republican support would reshape the choices available to voters and local election officials, shifting more of a burden on voters of color in large counties such as Hall and Cobb," Georgia Public Broadcasting's Stephen Fowler and the Center for Public Integrity's Kimberly Cataudella and Carrie Levine wrote. The GPB/CPI story also touches on proposed cuts to Sunday voting, which is popular among Black churches for "souls to the polls" drives. The New York Times' Nick Corasaniti and Jim Rutenberg have a story on how the proposed legislation targets the role of Black churches in the state. — President Joe Biden signed an executive order on Sunday, the anniversary of "Bloody Sunday," which directs federal agencies to make a plan to "expand access to voter registration and election information," which would include figuring out if any documents issued by agencies "can be issued in a form that satisfies state voter identification laws." POLITICO's Eugene Daniels has more on the executive order, and here's the White House release. NOTABLE FLOATABLES — Former Kansas Gov. Jeff Colyer, a Republican, all but announced that he is running for governor in 2022. The Kansas City Star's Jonathan Shorman reported that Colyer named Mary Eisenhower as his campaign treasurer, but "stopped short of formally declaring" a bid. Colyer narrowly lost the GOP primary in 2018 to then-state Secretary of State Kris Kobach, who lost to now-Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly. A PAC in the state called "Our Way of Life" also launched on Friday to encourage state Attorney General Derek Schmidt, also a Republican, to run. — Joan Higginbotham, a former NASA astronaut, is "seriously considering" a bid for the Senate in North Carolina as a Democrat, POLITICO Campaigns' James Arkin reported. MAYBE, MAYBE NOT? — Sen. Ron Johnson (R-Wis.) still hasn't made up his mind on if he'll run for reelection, but said in a media call that sticking to his pledge to not seek a third term is "probably my preference now," the Wisconsin State Journal's Riley Vetterkind reported. "That pledge is on my mind, it was my preference then, I would say it's probably my preference now," Johnson said on Friday. "I'm happy to go home." LEGISLATIVE HAY — The Senate passed Biden's $1.9 trillion pandemic relief package on Saturday morning, following an all-nighter vote-a-rama session where everything from votes on the minimum wage to unemployment benefits likely created some future political headaches. POLITICO's Marianne LeVine has more on the bill, which now heads back to the House. FIRST IN SCORE — PICKING A REPLACEMENT — File this one away in the "battle for the party" category: The Club for Growth sponsored a poll that showed Oklahoma voters disapprove of a proposal to change how the state fills a vacancy for a U.S Senate seat from a special election to a gubernatorial appointment. The WPA Intelligence poll found that more than 60 percent of voters would oppose a switch. The Oklahoma state House passed a bill in February that would do just that. (Meanwhile, GOP Sen. Jim Inhofe , 86, "told CNN he suffered a concussion in the last week after falling on ice," the network's Manu Raju, Ted Barrett, Phil Mattingly and Lauren Fox reported.) RE-CALLING THE RECALL — Some conservatives are raising the fact-free allegation that, in an effort to block the effort to recall California's Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom, there's election manipulation, POLITICO California's Carla Marinucci reported. The organizers of the recall effort have expressed confidence in the system, and that they'll ultimately have enough valid signatures. How the process actually works: "California's 58 county registrars are responsible for checking signatures to make sure they match those on file for registered voters. … They are required to submit verification results to the secretary of state — and so far, the recall effort has impressed California strategists with a higher-than-typical validation rate near 84 percent." — The Club for Growth aired a small ad buy over the weekend slamming Newsom for sending his kids to in-person, private schooling while many public schools remain closed, which "provides a preview of spots that conservatives could run during a potential Newsom recall campaign this year," POLITICO California's Mackenzie Mays wrote.
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