ATLANTA (AP) — Democratic Sen. Raphael Warnock on Friday urged Atlanta's mayor to be more transparent in how city officials handle a petition drive led by opponents of a proposed police and firefighter training center, saying he is “closely monitoring” the issue.
Warnock's letter comes after weeks of calls from “Stop Cop City” activists who were furious that the state's top Democrats had stayed largely silent over the city's plan to adopt a signature-matching verification process.
Activists and prominent voting rights groups have decried the restriction as voter suppression.
The deadline had been previously extended until September by a federal judge, but an appellate court on Sept. 1 paused the enforcement of that order, throwing the effort into legal limbo.
That announcement from the city prompted a federal judge overseeing the case to accuse officials of moving the goalposts on the campaign, saying they have “directly contributed” to a widespread sense of confusion over the matter.
Persons:
— Democratic Sen, Raphael Warnock, Atlanta's, ” Warnock, Andre Dickens, “, Dickens, ” Dickens
Organizations:
ATLANTA, — Democratic, City ”, Atlanta
Locations:
Georgia, City, Atlanta