Beyond The Network - Political reform news from around the country
Below are some highlights for what is happening on the political reform front outside the Midwest Democracy Network region. This past week, states saw a surge of legislatrion in favor of a law requiring photo identification to vote.
Justice At Stake Poll: Iowans Firmly Oppose Impeachment
Iowa voters are solidly against a proposal to impeach four state Supreme Court justices, according to two new polls, one of them commissioned by the Justice at Stake Campaign and an Iowa-based group.
An article in the Iowa Independent reported today on the poll results.
The results announced today virtually matched in a poll released last week by Public Policy Polling, which found that 55% of Iowa voters oppose impeachment, and only 38% support it. The JAS and Justice Not Politics poll was conducted by 20/20 Insight, an Atlanta firm.
Government transparency, election reform bills pass Kentucky Senate
Kentucky’s Senate unanimously passed a new bill that would require the state’s three branches of government to maintain an online searchable database with all spending, KYPost reported.
Legislators also approved changes to the state’s campaign finance law, forbidding statewide officers and candidates for those offices from accepting contributions from lobbyists. Increased filing requirements for finance reports, including the requirement to file them electronically, are also included.
North Carolina voters continue to demand requiring voter ID
A new poll released by Civitas shows support among North Carolina voters for required photo identification to vote continues to grow.
According to the Lincoln Tribune, 83 percent of 600 register voters favor requiring voters to provide a government-issued photo.
House Bill 430 would require voters to present some sort of identification, such as a driver’s license or Social Security card, reported WRAL News. Currently, people have to show identification only when they register to vote for the first time.
South Carolina House panel advances voter ID
According to the Associated Press, a South Carolina judiciary panel advanced a bill by a 3-2 vote requiring photo identification at the polls.
Hilderbran files bill requiring Texas voters to show photo identification
Rep. Harvey Hilderbran (R-Kerrville) has filed legislation that he contends would protect the integrity of the state’s election system by requiring voters to show photo identification before casting a ballot.
Under House Bill 250, voters would need to show a current driver’s license or photo identification card issued by the Texas Department of Public Safety, an unexpired military ID card, a US passport, or a US citizenship certificate.
Voter ID bill proposed in Colorado
Sen. Ted Harvey (R-Highlands Ranch) proposed a bill that would require people to show a government-issued photo ID when registering to vote.
Opponents also say the bill is a solution in search of a problem. They say it’s twice as likely to be struck by lightning than to find a case of voter fraud.
Utah pursuing improved online voter registration
Lt. Gov. Greg Bell laid out a plan Friday to modernize Utah’s voter registration system during a panel discussion at the University of Utah’s Hinckley Institute of Politics.
The proposed inter-state information sharing is similar to an online genealogy program, Bell said, in which users locate records of their ancestors and either merge or delete the duplicates.
Louisiana accused of violating voting rights law
Louisiana civil rights groups are claiming state departments are not complying with federal law that requires public assistance agencies offer low-income residents voter registration.
“By defaulting on its obligations under the law, Louisiana is denying substantial numbers of eligible low-income and minority voters equal access to the ballot box,” said Dale Ho, a lawyer with the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund.
