Tag: voting rights

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Judge Blocks Trump Executive Order Requiring Proof Of Citizenship To Vote

Donald Trump

A federal judge barred the Trump administration from implementing most of Trump’s first executive order on elections, which sought to require proof of citizenship for voter registration. Continue reading “Judge Blocks Trump Executive Order Requiring Proof Of Citizenship To Vote”

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Wisconsin Governor Vetoes 5 Anti-LGBTQ Bills + More News

Wisconsin (image via Depositphotos)

Some news stories I thought worth your time:

• LGBTQ Nation: Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers (D) made good on his pledge to protect queer rights in the state, vetoing five anti-LGBTQ+ bills this week passed by the state’s Republican-led legislature. He told a crowd at a private ceremony later that day he would have liked to have written “Hell No!” on the bills.

• Broadway Bop: The oh-so-talented Nicholas Christopher (“Anatoly”) throws down the vocal showstopper “Anthem” from the Broadway revival of CHESS. Continue reading “Wisconsin Governor Vetoes 5 Anti-LGBTQ Bills + More News”

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Librarian Fired Over LGBTQ Books + Jaden Ivey Cut For Homophobic Rant + More

Library shelf featuring LGBTQ books

Some news stories I thought worth your time:

• The Advocate: A Tennessee library board voted to fire its director after she refused to remove more than 100 LGBTQ books from the system’s shelves, capping weeks of escalating tension over censorship, access, and reader privacy.

• Outsports: Chicago Bulls guard Jaden Ivey was cut from the team for “conduct detrimental to the team” following his anti-gay social media posts attacking Pride. #Good Continue reading “Librarian Fired Over LGBTQ Books + Jaden Ivey Cut For Homophobic Rant + More”

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Supreme Court Strikes Down Alabama’s Racist Voting Map

The Supreme Court ruled today that Alabama's Republican-drawn congressional map violates the Voting Rights Act by diluting the power of Black voters.
U.S. Supreme Court – Fall 2022 (public domain)
The Supreme Court ruled today that Alabama’s Republican-drawn congressional map violates the Voting Rights Act by diluting the power of Black voters. In a surprising 5-4 ruling in favor of Black voters in a congressional redistricting case, the high court ordered the creation of a second district with a large Black population. Continue reading “Supreme Court Strikes Down Alabama’s Racist Voting Map”

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Texas Democrats Leaving State To Block Voting Restrictions Bill

Texas

Road sign reading Texas Democratic lawmakers in the state of Texas are reportedly leaving the state today in order to break the quorum required to pass new voting laws. The governor had called the special session into order primarily for the purpose of passing the legislation. From the Texas Tribune:

Upping the ante in both the legislative fight at home and the national debate over voting rights, most House Democrats are expected to board a flight out of Austin headed for the U.S. capital without a set return date.

At least 51 of the 67 Democratic representatives — the number needed to break quorum — were in the process of leaving, most arriving at Austin-Bergstrom International Airport Monday to board a chartered flight.

The House is set to reconvene Tuesday morning, but the absent Democrats would mean there will not be enough members present to conduct business under House rules.

Texas Democrats are hoping to find some (any) leverage to force their way to the negotiating table as them say they’ve been shut out of drafting of the voting bill.

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Supreme Court Upholds Arizona Voting Restrictions

The U.S. Supreme Court upheld Arizona’s new voting restrictions in a 6-3 ruling today. From the New York Times:

The Supreme Court on Thursday upheld voting restrictions in Arizona and signaled that challenges to new state laws making it harder to vote would face a hostile reception from a majority of the justices.

The vote was 6 to 3, with the court’s three liberal members in dissent.

The new case, Brnovich v. Democratic National Committee, No. 19-1257, concerned two kinds of voting restrictions in Arizona. One required election officials to discard ballots cast at the wrong precinct. The other made it a crime for campaign workers, community activists and most other people to collect ballots for delivery to polling places, a practice critics call “ballot harvesting.” The law made exceptions for family members, caregivers and election officials.

Read the full article here.

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Justice Department Sues Georgia Over GOP Voting Restrictions

A prosecutor in Georgia is reportedly in the early stages of investigating Donald Trump for attempting to overturn the election results in the state

Attorney General Merrick Garland has announced the Justice Department will sue the state of Georgia over new voting laws that allegedly discriminate against Black voters
(image via Depositphotos)
U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland has announced the Department of Justice is suing the state of Georgia over its recently passed voting restrictions, According to the DOJ, the new law passed earlier this year was “enacted with the purpose of denying or abridging the right of Black Georgians to vote.” From Axios:

It’s the first major action the Biden administration has taken in response to the wave of voting restrictions that Republican-led states have sought to impose in the wake of President Biden’s election.

In a major policy speech earlier this month, Garland pledged to make voting rights a top priority, doubling the number of enforcement staff dedicated to protecting the right to vote.

The lawsuit is being overseen by Kristen Clarke, the head of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division, Associate Attorney General Vanita Gupta, and Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Pamela Karlan.

Garland also announced Friday that DOJ is launching a task force to investigate and respond to threats against election officials.

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Joe Manchin Will Vote No On Voting Rights Bill

Sen. Joe Manchin of West Virginia

Sen. Joe Manchin of West Virginia
Sen. Joe Manchin of West Virginia (image via Facebook)
Sen. Joe Manchin (D-WV) penned an op-ed for the Charleston Gazette-Mail to inform his constituents he will be voting against the For the People Act which would strengthen voting rights across the country. He adds that he will not support jettisoning the Senate filibuster which calls for 60 votes to close debate on certain bills and move on to a final vote.

Some in my party have argued that now is the time to discard such bipartisan voting reforms and embrace election reforms and policies solely supported by one party. Respectfully, I do not agree.

I believe that partisan voting legislation will destroy the already weakening binds of our democracy, and for that reason, I will vote against the For the People Act. Furthermore, I will not vote to weaken or eliminate the filibuster.

For as long as I have the privilege of being your U.S. senator, I will fight to represent the people of West Virginia, to seek bipartisan compromise no matter how difficult and to develop the political bonds that end divisions and help unite the country we love.

American democracy is something special, it is bigger than one party, or the tweet-filled partisan attack politics of the moment. It is my sincere hope that all of us, especially those who are privileged to serve, remember our responsibility to do more to unite this country before it is too late.

I understand Manchin believing he’s taking a ‘principled’ approach here. But many say Manchin’s stand for “bipartisan compromise” will basically kill most of the policies Joe Biden promised the American people during his campaign – which got him elected.

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Texas Democrats Walkout To Stop Voter Restriction Bill Vote

Texas

A high school senior was expelled right before the school year for coming out as gay and proud With a midnight deadline hanging over the proceedings, Texas Democrats staged a walkout in the state House successfully blocking a voting bill that would have made it harder to vote by mail, limit driving non-family members to the polls, and more. From the Washington Post:

The exodus from the floor came after Chris Turner, the House Democratic chairman, sent instructions to colleagues at 10:35 p.m. Central time instructing them to exit the House, according to an image shared with The Washington Post.

“Members, take your key and leave the chamber discreetly,” Turner wrote, referring to the key that locks the voting mechanism on their desks. “Do not go to the gallery. Leave the building.”

Texas sets a quorum for each legislative chamber at 2/3 of the elected members (Texas Constitution Article 3, Section 10). In the House, that means 100 representatives have to be present for a vote. Republicans only have 83 House seats. The bill (Senate Bill 7) would ban drop boxes and drive-through voting – popular practices used in heavily Democratic Harris County last year. It would have moved early voting hours on Sundays to the afternoon. That clause was clearly aimed at the get-out-the-vote programs known as ‘souls to the polls’ popular among Black churchgoers. The bill is dead for now, however, Gov. Greg Abbott (R) announced he will call a special legislative session to address the bill again later in the year.