About 750,000 People Are in Jail On Any Given Day. Can They Vote?
A new report from the Prison Policy Initiative says that most people in jail are eligible to vote, but ultimately won’t be able to due to barriers to voter registration and lack of access to ballots.
Supreme Court Rules that Absentee Ballots in One State Must Be Signed by a Witness
Democrats warned that requiring absentee ballots to be signed by a witness would pose a voting barrier during the pandemic. Republicans said it will prevent fraud.
In One State, Advocacy Groups Sue Over New Limit on the Number of Ballot Drop-Off Locations
Texas recently changed its election rules, limiting the number of drop-off sites in which voters can deposit their absentee ballots to one per county.
Supreme Court to Hear Energy Companies’ Appeal in City Climate Change Lawsuit
The suit brought by Baltimore is part of a national trend of cities, counties, and state governments suing oil and gas companies over the impact of climate change.
Conservatives Are Challenging Private Grants to Help Local Officials Run Elections
An initiative backed by Facebook’s Mark Zuckerberg is giving grants to local election offices that face funding shortages as a result of the pandemic. Conservative groups in several states have sued, saying the efforts are meant to boost the Democratic vote.
Prompted by Kobe Bryant’s Death, California Makes it a Crime for First Responders to Snap Unauthorized Photos of Dead Bodies
After law enforcement officers who responded to the helicopter crash that killed the basketball superstar took photos of his body and shared them, California moved to make that act a misdemeanor.
California Will Require Prisons to House Transgender People By Gender Identity
A new law will require California correctional facilities to place transgender people in housing units that align with their gender identity, not their sex assigned at birth.
One Tennessee Prosecutor Says He Won’t Enforce Controversial Abortion Law
The Nashville district attorney says he won’t prosecute doctors who fail to inform patients that a medication abortion can be reversed—a claim medical groups say isn’t backed up by science.
Florida AG Calls for Probe of Push to Help People Vote by Paying Off Criminal Debts
After Mike Bloomberg raised $16 million to help people with criminal records vote in the state, some officials said the billionaire is “buying votes” for Joe Biden.
Plea Bargaining Needs to be More Transparent, Report Argues
Widespread plea bargaining in the criminal justice system may be fueling racial inequities and leading innocent people to plead guilty, says a new report from the Vera Institute of Justice.
Millions Raised to Pay off Debts so Floridians with Criminal Records Can Vote
The money, partially raised by Mike Bloomberg, will go towards paying off the court fines and fees of thousands of people with criminal records, allowing them to vote in the upcoming election.
Predicting Coronavirus Outbreaks Using Google Searches for Gastrointestinal Problems
New research found that Google searches for symptoms associated with the coronavirus might be able to predict outbreaks before positive test results confirm them.
How Local Governments Can Get Feedback From a More Diverse Range of Residents
Participation in local government often skews heavily toward white residents, elderly people, and homeowners.
California School Districts Considering How Much Covid Testing to Require to Reopen
STATE AND LOCAL NEWS ROUNDUP | Mayors on Gulf Coast agree climate change affecting hurricanes … St. Paul, Minnesota move on basic income proposal … Louisville city council passes “no confidence” measure about mayor.
Tennessee Using Federal Coronavirus Funds for Police Training
The state will spend $300,000 of its federal funding to assist local police agencies in training new recruits.
CDC Officials Say Agency Didn’t Write Controversial Covid Testing Guidance, Report Says
STATE AND LOCAL NEWS ROUNDUP | People in flooded Florida neighborhoods waited for rescue on Thursday, the day after Hurricane Sally slammed coast … Salt Lake City considers new restrictions on military equipment purchases by police … Attorney General Bill Barr reportedly suggested prosecutors charge Seattle mayor.
Young People Fueling a Pandemic Rise in Freelancing, Report Says
A survey of American workers revealed that young people between ages 18 to 22 are increasingly picking up freelancing.
Hawaiian Island Can Create ‘Resort Bubbles’ for Quarantined Visitors
STATE AND LOCAL NEWS ROUNDUP | People in Alabama and Florida dealing with ‘historic and catastrophic’ flooding … Vermont governor vetoes climate legislation … Minnesota governor asks presidential candidates to follow Covid precautions.
California Opens a Path to Professional Firefighting for Formerly Incarcerated People
In California, many wildfires are fought by incarcerated people trained to be firefighters. Their criminal records barred them from continuing in the field after release—until now.
Death Toll Rises as Wildfires Burn Across West Coast
STATE AND LOCAL NEWS ROUNDUP | A federal appeals court says ex-felons will need to pay fines and restitution before they can get their voting rights back … Minneapolis City Council balks at temporary police precinct … Des Moines schools start virtual in violation of state order.
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