Groups sue over rights restoration  St. Augustine RecordTALLAHASSEE — An amendment to the Florida Constitution restoring voting rights to felons who have completed their sentences does not require payment of ...

Groups dispute linking financial requirements, felons' rights - News  The LedgerTALLAHASSEE — An amendment to the Florida Constitution restoring voting rights to felons who have completed their sentences does not require payment of ...

Local group works to register ex-felons to vote  FamuanPictured second to the left is Bob Rackleff founding member of Big Bend Voting Rights Project a political organization with three volunteers before they head ...

Ossian Sweet house being preserved to reflect civil rights struggle  The Detroit NewsArtists are restoring the home on Detroit's east side to how it looked 94 years ago when the black doctor faced a mob trying to enforce segregation.

Amendment 4: Flurry of legal arguments filed over rules allowing ex-felons to vote  Orlando SentinelIn a bundle of competing briefs filed with the state Supreme Court, Florida officials squared off against supporters of Amendment 4, which restores voting rights to ...

Felons’ Voting Fight Ratchets Up At Florida Supreme Court  CBS MiamiTALLAHASSEE (CBSMiami/NSF) — In a bundle of competing briefs filed with the state Supreme Court, Florida officials squared off this week against supporters ...

This civil rights-era bus was in a backyard on Johns Island. Now it's on display in D.C.  Charleston Post CourierThe 1966 Volkswagen Deluxe Station Wagon owned by activists Esau and Janie B. Jenkins had been sitting in a Johns Island backyard for decades. Now, the ...

Delay on Amendment 4's felon voting lawsuit sought by Ron DeSantis  Tampa Bay TimesThe Republican governor and Secretary of State Laurel Lee on Tuesday asked U.S. District Judge Robert Hinkle to put the federal lawsuit on hold until the ...

Fear, Silence and Inaction: Eroding Catholic Civil Rights  Church Militantby Robert Marshall • ChurchMilitant.com • September 19, 2019 12 Comments. The so-called Equality Act. You are not signed in as a Premium user; we rely on ...

India: Restore Kashmir's Internet, Phones  Human Rights Watch(New York) – The Indian government's lengthy shutdown of the internet and telephones in Jammu and Kashmir inflicts disproportionate harm on the population ...

ACLU Lawyer Insists Florida Law Allowing Felons To Vote Is A Poll Tax Not Created By The Amendment  WFSUThe American Civil Liberties Union is challenging the constitutionality of a law that allows certain felons to vote but requires them to pay any fees.

Battle for felons' voting rights moves to paper arena in Florida  The FulcrumA stack of 10 briefs were filed this week at the state Supreme Court, which will hear oral arguments on whether alaw was improperly written to disenfranchise the ...

'Cash register justice' in Florida still leaves many felons ineligible to vote  Florida BulldogBy Clarie GoForth - Despite the passage of Amendment 4 last year, Florida's 'cash register justice' leaves people like Rosemary McCoy ineligible to vote.

Lawsuit claims DMV rule about head coverings violates religious, civil liberties  Chicago Sun-TimesThe lawsuit's plaintiff said she felt pressured to sign the form last year at a driver's license facility in Rockford, and now fears losing her license if she's seen ...

UNCCD COP Stresses Contributions of Land Restoration to Addressing Climate, Biodiversity Challenges | News  IISD Reporting Services13 September 2019: At the close of the fourteenth session of the Conference of the Parties to the UN Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD COP 14), ...

ACLU notes from Sacramento…parolee voting rights, police body cameras, etc.  Escondido GrapevineState Assembly votes to restore voting rights to nearly 50,000 Californians on parole. The California State Assembly passed Assembly Constitutional ...

Can a religious school fire a gay teacher? It's complicated.  NBC NewsWhile the majority of Americans across all religious groups support employment nondiscrimination protections for LGBTQ people, the law is less straightforward.

In Florida, Fees, Fines From Felonies Means Disenfranchised  Juvenile Justice Information ExchangeTen years ago, Rosemary McCoy never would have imagined that today she'd be in a Jacksonville library, tears streaming down her face, as she tells a stranger ...

Judge refuses to issue stay in felons' voting case  Fox 35 OrlandoTALLAHASSEE, Fla. (NEWS *SERVICE* FLORIDA) - A federal judge in Tallahassee has turned down Gov. Ron DeSantis' request to put on hold a challenge to a ...

Hotel served black beachgoers in Jim Crow South Carolina. Here’s how it could be saved  Charlotte ObserverThe Pine Tree Hotel at Mosquito Beach on James Island, South Carolina, served black beachgoers during segregation and the civil rights era. It was damaged ...

Reggie Garcia, author of book on Department of Corrections banned list, to speak at bookstore  Tallahassee.comGarcia's book "How to Leave Prison Early" is included on a list of 20000 books banned by the Department of Corrections for use by Florida inmates.

OIC condemns 'inhuman curfew'; calls for immediate restoration of civil liberties in occupied Kashmir  DAWN.comThe Organisation of Islamic Cooperation's (OIC) human rights commission on Tuesday strongly condemned the continuation of the "inhuman curfew and ...

AJC On Campus: Colleges & their pasts; Carter at Emory; battle over HBCU funding  Atlanta Journal ConstitutionAt Clayton State University it was a look at what was left behind by former students and others. Georgia Tech's new president grappled with questions about his ...

Editorial: Segregation-era Pine Tree Hotel helps tell Charleston's wider story  Charleston Post CourierCharleston's long commitment to preserving important buildings and streetscapes has paid off. People around the world admire the city for its beauty and visitors ...

Over 500 locations in one National Voter Registration Day drive  The FulcrumMore than 500 registration events will be held across the country Tuesday by the League of Women Voters.

Deal to revive FEC could include its first African-American member  The FulcrumIt's been a dozen days since the Federal Election Commission lost its quorum, and subsequently its ability to perform most of its duties in enforcing campaign ...

Civil rights groups sue Florida over 'poll tax' law to restore felon voter rights  NBC NewsA group of civil rights organizations filed a lawsuit against the state of Florida Friday after Gov. Ron DeSantis signed a bill that would require felons to pay ...

Unlock the Vote campaign seeks to restore ex-offenders' voting rights  Milwaukee Journal SentinelRelease from incarceration opens a lot of doors, but for those who remain on probation, parole or extended supervision, access to the voting booths remains ...

The Guardian view on the school climate strike: protests that matter  The GuardianEditorial: The youth climate movement has created a new sense of urgency. Adults, including politicians, must now focus on plotting a safer course.

Mayor Young Signs Executive Order Barring the Use of Gag Orders; in Police Settlements  Fox BaltimoreBALTIMORE (WBFF)-- Baltimore's Mayor, Bernard C. “Jack” Young signed an Executive Order Friday that he says "ensures transparency in police-involved ...

The Lost Promise of Reconstruction  The New York TimesCan we reanimate the dream of freedom that Congress tried to enact in the wake of the Civil War?

New disclosure rules proposed by Treasury and IRS  The Fulcrum"Dark money" groups, ranging from the National Rifle Association on the right to the American Civil Liberties Union on the left, won't have to provide the names ...

Redistricting process underway in North Carolina  The FulcrumThe redrawing of North Carolina's state legislative map has started, as legislators look to meet the Sept. 18 deadline imposed by the three-judge panel that ruled ...

Ohio rolls getting purged of 235K voters, despite errors  The FulcrumOhio election officials are scheduled to cancel the voter registrations of 235,000 people on Friday, despite repeated discoveries of errors in the voter database.

Ossian Sweet defied segregation. Now his Detroit home will be a museum.  Bridge MichiganThe black doctor stood up to a white mob upset that he moved into their neighborhood, igniting one of the most important – and incendiary – housing ...

'Big term' for religious liberty expected at US Supreme Court in 2020  The Christian PostThe U.S. Supreme Court term for 2019-2020 could be a “blockbuster” when it comes to religious freedom issues as the nation's high court is set to take on a ...

Closing Electoral College 'more theoretical than real,' RBG says  The FulcrumJustice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, an icon of progressive democracy reformers, is throwing cold water one of their most ambitious wishes: Shuttering the Electoral ...

Morrissey talks policy, says 'no scores to settle' in Senate  Danbury News TimesRICHMOND, Va. (AP) — When Joe Morrissey staged a primary challenge against Sen. Rosalyn Dance, he also faced off against the state's top Democratic ...

Must read: The man behind North Carolina gerrymandering  The FulcrumLast week, North Carolina's state legislative map was struck down by a three-judge panel that said it violated the state's constitution. And while ...

Democratic 2020 hopefuls tout their pride at Iowa LGBTQ forum  NBC NewsThe LGBTQ Presidential Forum in Iowa featured 10 Democrats, including Biden, Warren, Buttigieg, Harris and others pitching voters on their plans for the ...

Youth climate action marches draw millions around the world  PBS NewsHourIn cities across the globe on Friday, protesters took to the streets to demand action on climate change. The demonstrations, easily the largest to focus on climate, ...

Governor Northam announces civil rights restored to over 10,000 Virginians  WTKR News 3RICHMOND – Governor Ralph Northam says that since he took office, his administration has restored the civil rights of 10,992 Virginians previously convicted of ...

Daily Business Report-Sept. 23, 2019  San Diego MetropolitanArtist's rendering of the future USNS John Lewis. (Image courtesy of General Dynamics NASSCO) NASSCO begins construction on first ship in fleet oiler progr.

The fireside in Tampere | Dan Peterson  PatheosSaturday night's fireside in Tampere went well, I think. The audience – not as large as the one in Helsinki on Friday night but still quite respectable – was once ...

Judge allows suits against 'punitive' new registration rules in Tennessee  The FulcrumLawsuits by civil rights and voter registration organizations against Tennessee's new restrictions on voter registration groups have been kept alive by a federal ...

The Washington Monument is ready to shine again  Waco Tribune-HeraldThe monument, which has been closed for repairs, reopens Thursday because of David Rubenstein's largesse.

Meet the reformer: Daniel Schuman of Demand Progress  The FulcrumThe Fulcrum introduces you to Daniel Schuman, policy director for Demand Progress.

Lawsuits challenge constitutionality of Florida’s new Amendment 4 law  Vox.comGov. Ron DeSantis recently signed a law requiring people to pay fines, fees, and restitution before regaining the right to vote. A group of lawsuits say it's a "poll ...

Mike Pence Once Said Being Gay Was a "Choice," Argued Laws Protecting LGBT People Unlike Those Based on Race  NewsweekThe White House recently said Vice President Mike Pence isn't "anti-gay" because of a scheduled lunch with the openly gay prime minister of Ireland, Leo ...

Widespread poll closings found in places no longer subject to federal election oversight  The FulcrumAlmost 1700 polling places have been closed in counties that are no longer subject to federal oversight brought on by past voting discrimination, according to a ...

Florida Prosecutors Fight GOP Voter Suppression  The InterceptThe GOP legislature is trying to take the vote away from people with past legal woes — and some prosecutors are looking for ways around a new restriction.

Opinion: Doane will host strike for climate crisis  The Doane LineThis Friday, there will be over 750 climate strikes happening around the world, according to the Strike With Us Coalition. The Doane University Campus Corps ...

SUNDAY EDITION | Kentucky grapples to close dangerous gap in mental health law  WDRBWDRB News highlighted the law's shortcomings last month, detailing Madden's repeated examples of violent attacks and threats, including an alleged rape of ...

We Don't Give Up: Mott Plays the Long Game on Clean Water in Flint and Beyond  Inside PhilanthropyAccess to clean water is an urgent challenge in more parts of the U.S. The Mott Foundation has been a stalwart funder on this issue, in its home city and beyond.

Most Kentucky felons would have voting rights restored under new bill  Courier JournalMost convicted felons in Kentucky would have their voting rights automatically restored after completing their sentences, parole and probation under a bill filed ...

Donald Trump's sparkly trio of loyalists  CNNCommentators this week focused on a trio of Trump loyalists -- Sean Spicer who was twirling in a lime-green ruffled shirt, Corey Lewandowski who was tangling ...

15 states join legal fight to keep House districts based on total population  The FulcrumA federal judge has allowed 15 states and DC to act as defendants in lawsuit that would eliminate the inclusion of noncitizens in the census.

Maine first to approve ranked-choice voting for presidential general election  The FulcrumMainers will be the first voters in the country to use ranked-choice voting in a presidential general election, after Gov. Janet Mills announced she would accept ...

How disinformation could sway the 2020 election  The FulcrumBarrett is the deputy director of the Center for Business and Human Rights at the Stern School of Business and is an adjunct professor of law at New York ...

League of Women Voters launches $500K anti-gerrymandering campaign  The FulcrumThe League of Women Voters is launching a half-million-dollar nationwide campaign to make sure partisan gerrymandering doesn't create unfair maps in the ...

Let the People (of Florida) Vote  The New York TimesThis article is part of David Leonhardt's newsletter. You can sign up here to receive it each weekday. Winning civil rights is never easy. The fight can stretch on ...

Civil rights groups join lawsuit to fight Kentucky's felon voter ban  Courier JournalKentucky has some of the nation's highest rates of residents who can't vote because of felony convictions — but a recent federal lawsuit is seeking to change ...

Is it a poll tax if felons have to pay court costs and fees to regain voting rights?  Miami HeraldRepublicans in the Florida Legislature advanced a bill that would require felons to pay back all court fees and costs before being eligible to vote, even if those ...

Civil Rights Advocates Consider Litigation Over Voting Rights Restoration Bills | Daily Business Review  Law.comProposed legislation in the Florida House and Senate have some gearing up for potential lawsuits over the right of ex-felons' voting rights.

'This could be their home,' work continues to restore civil rights icon, Rev. Ralph Abernathy's former church  11Alive.com WXIAThe initial funds have allowed us to clean the abatement process, mold, asbestos and mildew," Annette Abernathy said.

100+ democracy reform groups push Congress to overturn Citizens United  The FulcrumMore than 100 democracy reform organizations are making another attempt at convincing Congress to take action to limit the influence of big money in politics.

What the FEC can (but mostly cannot) do with only three regulators on the job  The FulcrumThe start of September marks a grim new chapter for the Federal Election Commission. With Vice Chairman Matthew Petersen departing at the end of last month, ...

UNHRC should be nonpartisan on civil rights  Times of IndiaThe concerns raised by United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet about mobile phone and Internet restrictions in Kashmir and ...

Florida Felons Once Denied Rights Begin Registering to Vote  The New York TimesTuesday marked the first day for former felons in Florida to register in vote, following a historic ballot measure that restored their rights.

For Lasting Climate Change Solutions, It's Time to Listen to Young People of Color | Opinion  NewsweekIf the primarily wealthy, white activists gathering in New York really want to fight the climate crisis, they should hear what we have to say.

Amendment 4 in Florida restored voting rights to felons. Now that's back in doubt.  NBCNews.comOn Thursday, Florida lawmakers voted along party lines to advance a bill that could bar from the ballot box many of the estimated 1.5 million convicted felons ...

Schultz will spend a fortune on democracy reform instead of a presidential run  The FulcrumBillionaire Howard Schultz will spend more than $100 million fixing democracy instead of waging a presidential campaign, he announced Friday. If the former ...

Couple to restore Berkshires writing cabin of poet, civil rights activist James Weldon Johnson  The Boston GlobeRufus Jones and Jill Rosenberg Jones are working to restore the creative haven of James Weldon Johnson to advance and extend his legacy, as well as to ...

Partisan gerrymander landmark: N.C. court says state districts violate state constitution  The FulcrumNorth Carolina's state legislative district lines are so contorted to favor Republicans that they violate the state constitution, a panel of three state judges ruled ...

Ranked-choice voting faces newly balky path in several states  The FulcrumThe prospects for ranked-choice voting are uncertain in at least four states that had shown momentum as the fall begins and the 2020 campaign shifts into a ...

Free legal help available to Everett-area military service members and veterans  Access WashingtonAG's office to hold veterans clinic in Everett on Tuesday, Sept. 24.

Why the ACLU Is Suing Florida For Its New Poll Tax  ACLUOn November 6, 2018, nearly 65 percent of Florida voters—more than 5 million people—resoundingly approved Amendment 4, restoring voting rights to over a ...

What's at Stake in the French-Ahmari Debate? | R. R. Reno  First ThingsOne wag has called it the “Franco-Persian War.” The debate between David French and Sohrab Ahmari has spurred a tremendous number of tweets and longer ...

Politics cloud felon voting rights restoration in Florida  ReutersTAMPA, Fla. (Reuters) - Elections officials across Florida say they expect former felons to flock to their offices to register to vote next month when a newly passed ...

Amendment 4: Florida House passes bill requiring ex-felons pay civil judgments before rights restored  Orlando SentinelIn one of the most-divisive issues of the 2019 legislative session, the House on Wednesday approved a plan for carrying out a constitutional amendment ...

Florida civil rights groups file suit claiming new felons voting law is 'racially discriminatory'  Orlando WeeklyShortly after Gov. Ron DeSantis signed an omnibus elections bill Friday, a coalition of voting-rights and civil-rights groups announced they had filed a federal ...

The Fight for Voting Rights in Florida Isn’t Over  The New YorkerDaniel A. Gross writes about Amendment 4, which restored the voting rights of Florida residents with felony convictions, and Senate Bill 7066, which Florida's ...

Shelby County v. Holder: the state of voting rights 6 years later  Vox.comOn the sixth anniversary of the pivotal Supreme Court ruling, civil rights groups say its time to fully restore the Voting Rights Act.

What 1860 and 1968 can teach America about the 2020 presidential election  The FulcrumSarat is a professor of jurisprudence and political science at Amherst College. *Fresh* evidence of the nastiness and divisiveness of the 2020 presidential election ...

Northam announces voting rights restoration to 10K convicted felons  WHSVMore than 10000 people have had their right to vote restored since Gov. Ralph Northam took office, the governor announced Tuesday.

Civil rights groups go to court to block implementation of controversial felon voting rights law  Florida PhoenixCivil rights organizations filed a motion for a preliminary injunction in federal court on Friday to block the implementation of a voting rights law signed by Gov.

Florida Amendment 4 results: ex-felon voting rights restored via ballot initiative  Vox.comFlorida voters during Tuesday's midterm elections approved Amendment 4, automatically restoring voting rights in the state for people previously convicted of ...

Florida House passes bill that would require ex-felons pay all fees before exercising voting rights  CNNThe Republican-controlled Florida House passed a bill Wednesday that would restore voting rights for ex-felons on the condition that they first pay all fees, fines ...

You’ll hear these 4 arguments in defense of the Electoral College. Here’s why they’re wrong.  The FulcrumDefenders of the Electoral College often point to four arguments for keeping the current system. Robert Speel of Penn State takes them apart, one by one.

Wheaton College students sue Chicago after being told they can't evangelize in park  The Christian PostFour student evangelists from Wheaton College in Illinois are suing the Chicago city government over a set of rules that they say are restricting their freedom of ...

Doing more time: Ex-felons face long odds, long wait to restore voting rights  Cronkite NewsThe years paying off their debt to society is just the starr for ex-felons who are trying to regain their votiing rights - they face more years and hurdles in Arizona, ...

Confusion clouds restoration of Florida felons' voting rights  Tampa Bay TimesSARASOTA — Florida voters spoke clearly four weeks ago: They restored the right to vote to most convicted felons who complete their sentences. When it ...

Kashmir Updates: Governor Satya Pal Malik lists how life has improved after Article 370 move  India TodayA delegation of opposition leaders, including Rahul Gandhi, which wanted to visit Kashmir Valley to take stock of the situation thereafter the abrogation of Article ...

Florida Law Throws Voter Rights Restoration into Chaos  brennancenter.orgThe new law makes it impossible for returning citizens to know whether they are eligible to vote.

New elections law 'a throwback to Jim Crow-era policies,' say voting rights advocates  Orlando WeeklyChief U.S. District Judge Mark Walker held an initial telephone hearing Friday in what could be a drawn-out legal battle over a portion of the new elections law ...

Florida Supreme Court’s Pending Advisory Opinion Could Narrow Field of Eligible Voters Under Amendment 4  The Epoch TimesThe Florida Supreme Court will hear oral arguments on felon voting rights in November. The outcome could shape the balance of power in polls.

Voter ID laws don’t seem to suppress minority votes – despite what many claim  The FulcrumStrict voter ID laws require residents to possess a valid, state-approved identification in order to vote. Support and opposition to these laws primarily fall along ...

Guest Article: Turning the New York Declaration on Forests to New York Action on Forests  IISD's SDG Knowledge HubWe are in a planetary emergency: forests hold the key to preventing a climate breakdown, but decisive action is needed from governments and companies.

Florida Republicans limit Amendment 4’s expansion of voting rights  Vox.comAfter weeks of debate and over the objection of several voting and civil rights groups, the Florida Legislature has passed a measure requiring people with felony ...

Cory Booker swipes at Bernie Sanders over restoring voting rights for felons in prison  CNNSen. Cory Booker on Monday called out Sen. Bernie Sanders over his support for restoring voting rights to convicted felons still serving prison time, drawing a ...