All articles tagged with #voter rights
The California Supreme Court rejected Republican efforts to block the inclusion of Proposition 50 on the November ballot, which supports a new, more liberal congressional map, affirming the state's move towards partisan redistricting backed by Democratic leaders and Governor Gavin Newsom.
A judge has ruled that Iowa can proceed with its plan to challenge voters it suspects of being noncitizens, a move that has sparked debate over voter rights and election integrity. The decision allows the state to verify the citizenship status of certain voters, raising concerns about potential disenfranchisement and the impact on voter turnout.
A Montana judge ruled that signatures from inactive voters must be counted for three constitutional initiatives, including one to protect abortion rights, after the Secretary of State's Office attempted to exclude them. The decision ensures these initiatives will likely qualify for the November ballot, upholding citizens' rights to participate in government.
Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene criticized the latest episode of Curb Your Enthusiasm, accusing it of portraying Georgia conservatives and Trump supporters as racists and rednecks while making fun of the state's new voting law. She expressed resentment towards Republicans in Georgia for inviting Hollywood elites into the state through tax credits and called for more protection against "nasty commies from California" and D.C. politicians.
Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene criticizes an episode of "Curb Your Enthusiasm" for portraying Georgia Republicans and Trump supporters as "racists and red necks," and for mocking the state's Election Integrity Act. Greene accuses Hollywood of trying to turn Georgia blue and calls for Republican leaders to protect the state from the radical left.
Missouri's Republican-led Legislature is advancing proposals to make it more difficult for citizens to amend the state constitution through ballot initiatives, including raising the threshold for approval and requiring a majority of congressional districts for passage. Critics argue that these changes would deny citizens their right to participate in democracy, while supporters claim it's about protecting the state constitution from out-of-state influence. The move comes amid a wave of ballot initiatives becoming law in several states, and as the Supreme Court's decision to overturn Roe v. Wade has put a spotlight on the use of ballot measures to protect or restrict reproductive rights.
Republican-led legislatures in states like Missouri and Mississippi are pushing measures to limit voters' ability to determine abortion rights through ballot initiatives, sparking criticism from Democrats and abortion rights advocates who argue that these efforts undermine democratic processes. The proposed measures include banning abortion initiatives from statewide ballots and imposing additional voting requirements, with critics accusing Republicans of attempting to control the democratic process and limit the voice of the people. Similar strategies have been seen in other states, raising concerns about the impact on voter rights and direct democracy.
The Ohio Supreme Court has ruled that an August election can proceed for voters to decide whether it should be harder to amend the state constitution. If approved, the measure would require 60% of voters to enact new constitutional amendments, instead of a simple majority of 50% plus one. The One Person One Vote coalition sued Secretary of State Frank LaRose in May and asked the court to direct LaRose to scrap the Aug. 8 election. The group contends it's not legal because of Ohio's new voting law, which limits when August special elections can be held.
Ohio Republicans have approved a resolution that will ask voters in August to increase the threshold needed to change the state's constitution from a simple majority to 60%, and require backers of ballot initiatives to get signatures from voters in all of Ohio's 88 counties. This could make it more difficult for abortion-rights supporters to pass a measure in November that would guarantee Ohioans' access to abortion. Critics say the move is part of a broader campaign by opponents of abortion to thwart citizen-approved ballot measures enshrining abortion rights.
Ohio's gerrymandered Republican supermajority in the House voted to roll back the constitutional power of Ohio voters, aiming to stop an abortion rights amendment and further anti-gerrymandering reform. They plan to spend $20 million to hold a traditionally low-turnout August election in 2023 to ask voters to enshrine 41% minority rule. The proposal is opposed by more than 240 bipartisan Ohio groups, four bipartisan former governors, five bipartisan former attorneys general, and the entire association of Ohio election officials who administer our elections.