Mississippi Senate killed 19 House bills to restore voting rights
The Mississippi House passed 21 voting rights restorations bills, 19 of which were rejected by the Mississippi Senate. Mississippi’s legislature has a practice of considering whether to restore voting rights to citizens with felony convictions on a case-by-case basis. According to an analysis conducted in 2018, 61% of the Missippians who have been legally disenfranchised are African American, although African Americans make up only 36% of state citizens who are of voting age. Visit Pine Belt News to learn more.Image Credit: Thomas R Machnitzki (CC BY
House passes DC statehood bill to make district 51st state after heated floor debate
The House of Representatives passed a bill along party lines to make Washington, D.C. the 51st state of the United States. The Senate’s filibuster currently makes the bill’s passage of both chambers impossible without Republican support and five members of the Senate Democratic Caucus have not yet signalled that they will vote for the bill. Opponents of the bill argue that making the nation’s capital a state should require a constitutional amendment. Under the bill, the federal capital would still exist, but the state
Black Democrats urge party to shift its voting rights push
Members of the Congressional Black Caucus are encouraging the Democrats to redirect their energies from the "For the People" Act, a sweeping election reform bill, to the more narrowly focused John Lewis Voting Rights Act. It is believed that the latter bill may have a better chance of winning support in the Senate. Additionally, some argue that the more targeted bill is of greater urgency, as congressional districts are due to be redrawn this summer. The smaller bill would restore to the redistricting process
Poll shows deep divisions over Georgia voting law
The University of Georgia released a poll concerning the state’s controversial new voting law. The poll suggests steep partisan disagreements over many provisions, but also some ideological overlap. While Republican and Democratic voters largely disagreed about whether a driver’s license or equivalent ID should be required for absentee voting, voters of both parties supported early voting opportunities. Additionally, a majority of those polled were opposed to the new policy forbidding the service of food and drink to voters who are waiting in line. Visit the
Georgia religious leaders call for boycott of Home Depot over silence on voting laws
Prominent members of Georgia’s faith-based community have called for a boycott of Home Depot. Community leaders are hoping to enlist the help of major corporations in pressuring Georgia’s government to roll back its recently passed voting restrictions. The religious leaders report that corporations like Delta and Coca-Cola have taken steps to communicate with them about voting rights, while Home Depot appears unwilling to discuss the matter.Visit NBC News to learn more.Image Credit: Ildar Sagdejev (CC BY-SA 3.0) Voter Education Week Young adults will be the nation’s largest