VA Governor Defends Restoration Order

Aside GDaniels Civil Rights

Virginia Governor Terry McAuliffe defended his decision to restore the voting rights to more than 200,000 persons.  Criticism from those who believe that the punishment should continue long after citizens have completed their sentences, including probation and parole, has been relentless.  In the first month of the governor’s order, approximately 6,000 persons registered to vote; compared with less than 2,000  the previous year.  You can read more here:

U.S. Supreme Court Decides 3 Cases Involving Race : The Two-Way : NPR

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Supreme Court issued three important decisions yesterday that deal with race: criminal justice, redistricting and employment.

The justices ruled against a white jury in a Georgia murder case; for minority plaintiffs who challenged voting districts in Virginia; and for a postal employee who said he lost his job due to race.

Source: U.S. Supreme Court Decides 3 Cases Involving Race : The Two-Way : NPR

Tuesday round-up — SCOTUSblog

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Important USSC cases decided; more on the Georgia case next…

Yesterday the Court issued three rulings in argued cases. Molly Runkle rounded up early coverage and commentary for this blog. NPR’s Nina Totenberg had an overview of all three cases. More coverage of yesterday’s opinion in Foster v. Chatman, holding by a vote of seven to one that the Supreme Court of Georgia’s decision that…

via Tuesday round-up — SCOTUSblog

Connecting Dr. King’s “March on Ballot Boxes” Speech to Today’s Realities

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Here’s an interesting article that connects past and present realities.  GRD

Fifty years ago, the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. made his first public visit to South Carolina to deliver a speech on a school field in Kingstree about the importance of voting. About 5,000 came out on a rainy day to hear him.

Source: Post and Courier

Felon Disenfranchisement

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In Maryland and Virginia, former felons have the ability to vote, with some restrictions. For example, in Virginia, they must complete probation or parole.  Nonetheless. 40,000 persons in Maryland and more than 200.000 persons in Virginia now have access to the ballot box.  These measures, however, may be met with litigation that could affect their ability to vote in the 2016 election. Read the New York Times article here.

DOJ says NC law violates civil rights laws

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The Department of Justice (DOJ) sent a letter to North Carolina Governor Pat McCrory stating that House Bill 2, which among other things, requires persons to use the bathroom of their birth, violates two civil rights laws-Title VII (employment discrimination) and Title IX (sex discrimination).  Read more here.

Interestingly, HB2 was hastily passed, much like  NC’s restrictive voting law  passed in 2013 after Shelby v. Holder that removed same day registration, limited early voting, and instituted  a restrictive voter id requirement.