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☆ Pennsylvania Will Start Automatic Voter Registration
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-19 | by ( Neil Vigdor | More About Neil Vigdor | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Pennsylvania, a battleground state that could play an outsize role in the 2024 presidential election, will begin to automatically register new voters as part of its driver’s license and state ID approval process, officials said on Tuesday. Voters must meet certain eligibility requirements, which include being a U.S. citizen and a Pennsylvania resident for at least 30 days before an election. They also must be at least 18 years old on the date of the next election. “Automatic voter registration is a common-sense step to ensure election security and save Pennsylvanians time and tax dollars,” Mr. Shapiro said in a statement. — all the information required to register to vote — so it makes good sense to streamline that process with voter registration.”

Persons: Josh Shapiro, Mr, Shapiro, ” Organizations: Gov, Democrat, District of Columbia, National Conference of State Legislatures, “, Commonwealth Locations: U.S, Pennsylvania

☆ Pay secrecy norms have ‘simply lost their teeth,’ say experts. Here's why
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-18 | by ( Greg Iacurci | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Westend61 | Westend61 | Getty ImagesNew York just adopted a pay transparency ruleNew York on Sunday became the latest state to adopt a pay transparency law. The pay transparency movement is relatively new. Fifty-six percent are more likely to apply for a company — even if they don't recognize the company name — if the salary range is listed, Indeed found. For one, pay transparency may lower overall wages of the broader population of employees, even while raising them for the "inequitably underpaid," Obloj and Zenger said. 'There's still plenty to negotiate' beyond salaryOf course, applicants aren't necessarily beholden to the salary or the pay range posted on a job ad, Woodruff-Santos said.

Persons: NCSL, Salary.com, Zenger, Mandi Woodruff, Santos, Woodruff, you've, they've, there's Organizations: Westend61, Getty, Sunday, Employers, National Conference of State Legislatures, National Women's Law Locations: York, California , Colorado, Washington, New York City, Colorado, Ithaca, Albany, Westchester, New York, Jersey, New Jersey, Cincinnati, Toledo, Ohio ; Maryland ; Connecticut, Rhode, Nevada

Lawmakers backing the bill say a large number of companies in the state already disclose some of their own emissions. California’s climate disclosure bill would be different because of all the indirect emissions companies would have to report. But the California bill would go beyond that, by mandating that both public and private companies report their direct and indirect emissions. Companies would have to report indirect emissions including those released by transporting products and disposing waste. Companies would have to begin publicly disclosing their direct emissions annually in 2026 and start annually reporting their indirect emissions starting in 2027.

Persons: Chris Ward, Christiana Figueres, Gavin Newsom, Newsom, Sen, Scott Wiener, “, ”, Brady Van Engelen, Danny Cullenward, Cullenward, it’s, Mary Creasman, ___ Sophie Austin, Austin @sophieadanna Organizations: —, Democratic, Apple, United Nations, Democratic Gov, Lawmakers, administration’s Department of Finance, San, San Francisco Democrat, National Conference of State Legislatures, U.S . Securities, Exchange Commission, Companies, California Chamber of Commerce, Western States Petroleum Association, California Hospital Association, University of Pennsylvania’s, Center for Energy Policy, California Environmental Voters, California Air Resources Board, Wiener, Associated Press, America Statehouse News Initiative, America Locations: SACRAMENTO, Calif, California, Patagonia, Christiana, Paris, San Francisco, Ceres, ”

☆ How Florida law could trip up Trump if he’s convicted before the 2024 election
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-29 | by ( Ronald Brownstein | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +14 min

Meade is executive director of the Florida Rights Restoration Coalition, which works to restore voting rights in the state to former felons. Amendment 4 automatically restored voting rights to former felons, except those convicted of murder or sexual offenses, who have completed their sentences. Initially, organizers projected that Amendment 4 would restore voting rights to about 1.4 million Floridians, but as a result of these new hurdles only a little over 600,000 have actually regained their voting rights, Meade said. Even after Amendment 4, felons are required to have completed their sentence before recovering their voting rights in Florida, as in virtually all other states. Intervening to restore those rights to Trump, if he’s convicted of a felony before the election, would represent a stark departure from the clemency board’s typical procedures.

Persons: Desmond Meade, Meade, Ron DeSantis, DeSantis, Donald Trump, he’s, ” Meade, Trump, ”, Insha Rahman, Neil Volz, DeSantis –, Mark Schlakman, Lawton Chiles, Republican Sen, Rick Scott, Schlakman, hasn’t, there’s, “, Vera Institute’s Rahman, Ian Bassin Organizations: CNN, Restoration Coalition, Florida, Republican, GOP, Trump, Vera Institute of Justice, Florida State University, Florida Gov, District of Columbia, National Conference of State Legislatures, State, Florida State University Center, Advancement of Human, DeSantis, Republicans, Protect Democracy Locations: Florida, Maine, Vermont, ”

CNN —A University of South Carolina student was fatally shot early Saturday after he tried to enter the wrong home on his own street, the Columbia Police Department said – the latest case in which someone in the US was shot after apparently approaching the wrong home. “Preliminary information indicates that Donofrio who resided on South Holly Street attempted to enter the wrong home when he was fatally shot,” the release said. Police have not released any information about who shot Donofrio, adding they would consult prosecutors in the Fifth Circuit Solicitor’s Office as they investigate. The case is the latest in which the victim appears to have gone to the wrong place at the wrong time in a nation with more guns than people. South Carolina is one of at least 28 states, plus Puerto Rico, with a so-called “stand your ground” law, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures.

Persons: Nicholas Anthony Donofrio, Donofrio Organizations: CNN, University of South, Columbia Police Department, Coroner’s Office, Police, South Holly Street, South Holly, Circuit, Office, Puerto Rico, National Conference of State Legislatures Locations: University of South Carolina, Connecticut, Richland, South Holly, Columbia, South, Missouri, New York, South Carolina, Puerto

☆ Lawyers successfully argued that a Jim Crow-era law banning felons from voting is cruel and unusual punishment
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-06 | by ( Katie Hawkinson | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Mississippi lawyers successfully argued against a lifetime voting ban for felons. These Jim Crow-era laws included a lifetime voting ban on any Mississippi resident convicted of certain felonies. Previous challenges to the law have argued it violates the Equal Protection Clause of the 14th Amendment, the Post reports. While the law is still in effect, if this latest ruling sticks, it could restore voting rights to 30,000 people in the state, according to the Post. Additional requirements in these states include indefinite bans for some crimes or additional waiting periods after someone completes their sentence.

Persons: Jim Crow, Lynn Fitch, — Organizations: Service, Circuit, Washington Post, Post, National Conference of State Legislatures Locations: Mississippi, Wall, Silicon

☆ Ohio voters appear primed to back abortion rights measure, the latest sign of the post-Roe fury
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-24 | by ( Brent D. Griffiths | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Ohio voters appear primed to pass an abortion rights constitutional amendment. According to a new poll, 58% of likely Ohio voters would vote in favor of the amendment. Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose must declare by tomorrow whether the abortion rights measure has enough signatures to qualify for the November ballot. As Insider previously reported, abortion rights measures could prove to deliver major political benefits to Democrats. During the 2022 midterms, abortion rights groups passed every state measure they sought and also beat back efforts to restrict abortion access.

Persons: Roe, Frank LaRose, Mike DeWine, Ohioans, Wade Organizations: Service, USA, Suffolk University, GOP, Republican Gov, Republican, National Conference of State Legislatures, The, The Mississippi Supreme, Voters Locations: Ohio, Wall, Silicon, The Mississippi

☆ Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers thwarted Republicans with a creative veto that increases school funding for the next 400 years
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-05 | by ( Brent D. Griffiths | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Tony Evers used a creative veto to secure more funding for public education. The Democrat's move will increase funding for the next 400 years. Tony Evers has his way, a record-increase in state funding for education will almost last until then. Evers veto regarding per-pupil school funding," Assembly Speaker Robin Vos said in a statement. "My vetoes reflect my belief system,"Evers told Wisconsin Public Radio.

Persons: Tony Evers, —, Evers, Robin Vos Organizations: Wisconsin Gov, Republicans, Service, The Capital Times, Capital Times, National Conference of State Legislatures, Wisconsin Public Locations: Wisconsin, Madison, United States

☆ Body Cameras Can Be a Powerful Tool. But Not All Police Forces Wear Them.
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-19 | by ( Sean Keenan | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Still, the use of body cameras continues to vary widely, and only seven states have enacted requirements for them, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures. In Georgia, the police chiefs association reported that nearly 90 percent of the 254 local agencies it surveyed in 2021 were using body cameras in some fashion. But the Georgia State Patrol, with nearly 800 troopers, does not routinely equip its officers with them, relying instead on dashboard cameras. Nor does the Georgia Bureau of Investigation, which was part of the forest-clearing task force and led the investigation of Terán’s death. Some other state police forces share that policy, said John Bagnardi, executive director of the American Association of State Troopers.

☆ In victory for labor unions, Michigan governor repeals 'right-to-work' law
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-24 | by ( Dan Whitcomb | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/2] Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer makes a campaign stop at the IBEW Local 58 union hall in Detroit, Michigan, U.S. November 5, 2022. REUTERS/Rebecca CookMarch 24 (Reuters) - Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer on Friday signed a package of bills repealing the state's so-called "right to work" law that allowed workers to opt out of unions, a long-sought victory for labor organizers facing an era of diminished power. "Michigan workers are the most talented and hard-working in the world and deserve to be treated with dignity and respect," Whitmer, a two-term Democrat, said in a statement. House Bill 4007 requires that contractors hired by the state pay a so-called prevailing wage, the amount used when hiring union workers. The Michigan state legislature, controlled at the time by Republicans, in 2012 passed a right-to-work law over the objections of union activists.

☆ Daylight-saving time is one of the most controversial and impossible issues of our age
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-10 | by ( Shayanne Gal | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

No policy — permanent daylight-saving time, permanent standard time, keep switching back and forth — is near a majority. Interestingly, respondents in the West are 14 percentage points more likely to prefer permanent standard time compared to respondents from the Northeast. When asked by the poll to rank those benefits, the ones favoring permanent standard time won out, big. The three most important values for respondents – keeping the time in line with circadian rhythms, promoting morning safety, and better sleep – are all specifically benefits of permanent Standard Time over permanent daylight-saving time. On a federal level, there have been political moves towards ending the status quo and pushing for permanent daylight-saving time.

☆ New Year’s pay boost: These states are raising their minimum wage
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-31 | by ( Alicia Wallace | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

Minneapolis CNN —The current period of high inflation that has significantly impacted the US economy will also influence a New Year’s tradition: The annual state minimum wage increases. By January 1, hourly minimum wages in 23 states will rise as part of previously scheduled efforts to reach $15 an hour or to account for cost-of-living changes. Additionally, nearly 30 cities and counties across the US will increase their minimum wage, according to the EPI, a left-leaning think tank. “The fact that there’s high inflation really just underscores how necessary these minimum wage increases are for workers,” said Sebastian Martinez Hickey, a research assistant at the EPI. “That also means that prices aren’t going to go up at [places like] restaurants.”The federal minimum wage of $7.25 per hour hasn’t budged since 2009, and 20 states have a minimum wage either equal to or below the federal level, making $7.25 their default baseline.

☆ Oregon Gov. Kate Brown commutes sentences of 17 people on death row
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-14 | by ( Zoë Richards | Zoë Richards Is The Evening Politics Reporter For Nbc News. | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +2 min

Kate Brown announced plans Tuesday to commute the sentences of the 17 people on death row to life in prison without the possibility of parole, most likely using her executive clemency powers for the last time as governor. “Unlike previous commutations I’ve granted to individuals who have demonstrated extraordinary growth and rehabilitation, this commutation is not based on any rehabilitative efforts by the individuals on death row. Instead, it reflects the recognition that the death penalty is immoral." Brown said the commutations were consistent with a moratorium on the death penalty Gov. The death penalty was first legalized in Oregon in the 19th century, but it has been abolished and reinstated three times since then.

☆ These 7 states are the safest in the country for identity theft and fraud
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-09 | by ( Tom Huddleston Jr. | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

Residents of Montana and Arkansas experience less identity theft — or other types of fraud — than the rest of the country. Montana residents were least vulnerable to identity theft and other types of fraud — recording the second-fewest identity theft complaints per capita in 2021, with just 106 complaints per 100,000 residents, according to the report's analysis of Federal Trade Commission data. By comparison, Rhode Island recorded the most identity theft complaints per capita, with 2,857 reports per 100,000 residents in 2021, according to FTC data. Here are the seven least vulnerable states for identity theft and fraud, based on NerdWallet's rankings:Montana Arkansas Indiana Maine Wyoming Oklahoma WashingtonCases of fraud, including identity theft, have risen in recent years, spurred partially by the Covid-19 pandemic and an uptick in data breaches flooding the black market with stolen personal information. Earlier this year, the FTC reported that consumers filed more than 5.7 million fraud reports in 2021, roughly a quarter of which were identity theft complaints.

☆ These 7 states face the highest risk of identify theft and fraud
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-08 | by ( Tom Huddleston Jr. | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Online fraud cases, including identity theft, have hit all-time highs in recent years — which means you're likely more at risk than ever of having your personal information targeted by hackers or other bad actors. Consumers filed more than 5.7 million fraud reports with the Federal Trade Commission last year, including nearly 1.4 million reports of identity theft. Online fraudsters can seek you out anywhere, but identity theft and fraud are more prevalent in some states than others. Here are the country's seven most vulnerable places for identity theft and fraud, according to the report:Washington D.C. Delaware Louisiana Rhode Island Colorado Pennsylvania GeorgiaWashington D.C. tops the list as the place with the most online fraud and identity theft. The rankings give the most weight to the number of identity theft and fraud complaints per capita, as well as the average losses for the victims of those complaints.

☆ Fact Check-Experts dispute claims that GPS data leads to election fraud by helping cast illegal ballots
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-15 | by ( Reuters Fact Check | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +8 min

More examples of the image, which says GPS data can help “tip the election/s to their preferred candidates” (without identifying who “they” are), are viewable (here), (here). But GPS accuracy is degraded by satellite signal blockage (due to buildings, bridges and trees), indoor and underground use, as well as signals reflected off buildings, among other factors (here). There is no mention of using online surveillance via GPS and geolocation to verify who voted, contrary to the social media claims. For example, by monitoring the sites an individual visits or the posts they create on social media, Google “can have some idea on” voter preferences. Read more about our work to fact-check social media posts here .

A UN study last year found "negligible" correlation between household food waste and gross domestic product, indicating most countries "have room to improve." "We do have a long way to make the goal," said Jean Buzby, the food waste liaison at the U.S. Department of Agriculture. The USDA, the Environmental Protection Agency and the Food and Drug Administration agreed in 2018 to tackle America's food waste together. A spokesman for New Zealand's environment ministry said the country is finalizing its baseline food waste estimate so it can establish a target. SLOWEST GAZELLEIn California, which has America's most ambitious climate policies, officials are trying to ensure food waste goes to composting, not landfills.

☆ Here's how Donald Trump could theoretically run for president in 2024 and govern the US from prison, according to 9 legal scholars
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-13 | by ( Robin Bravender | Tina Sfondeles | Dave Levinthal | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +17 min

If Trump landed in prison, nothing in the Constitution would block him from another White House run, according to nine legal experts interviewed by Insider. He served eight years in federal prison after being convicted on public-corruption charges. In the Oval Office, Trump conducted business at the ornate Resolute Desk. If he wound up in federal prison, he'd likely have more sway over his fate. Hochul would all but certainly reject calls to cut Trump legal slack in any fashion, pardons included.

In Arizona Senate, Democratic Sen. Mark Kelly is ahead of Republican Blake Masters by 115,000 votes with 80% in. On Dobbs, the national exit poll showed 27% of voters picking abortion as their No. And remember that our final NBC News poll found Trump as one of the most unpopular political figures we measured, especially compared with President Biden. In each state, those Democratic secretaries of state nominees were running against Republicans who cast doubt on the 2020 election result. Two of those five feature Democrat vs. Democrat contests, thanks to the state’s Top 2 primary, so those will stay in the Democratic column.

National Democrats were fairly happy on Election Day as they dodged a predicted trouncing at the polls, but state Democrats might have even more to celebrate. And Democrats appear on track to flip the state House in Michigan, as well as in Pennsylvania and Minnesota, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL), the nonpartisan organization that represents legislative chambers. Democratic wins this cycle signals a shift in state legislative priorities that could have major ramifications on contentious issues. The Republican-controlled state legislatures in Pennsylvania and Michigan had entertained election denial conspiracies after the 2020 election, for example. "Success does beget success," she said, noting that many state legislative candidates outperformed those competing at the federal level.

Voters in states from across the political spectrum chose to enshrine abortion rights on Tuesday, a major victory for reproductive rights advocates in the first national election since the fall of Roe v. Wade in June. While the amendment’s defeat will not change whether Kentucky residents have abortion access if the state Supreme Court continues to allow a ban that is currently being challenged, abortion rights advocates were thrilled by voters’ support. Meanwhile, voters in two Democratic states, California and Vermont, chose to officially protect abortion rights in their constitutions. Democrats said they care most about abortion rights, while Republicans said their biggest concern was inflation, according to the poll. “Until there’s a new federal right, state constitutions are really the best avenue to ensure reproductive rights and abortion rights in any given state,” she said.

Kentucky voters rejected a ballot proposal that would have amended the state constitution to explicitly say it does not protect a right to abortion, NBC News projects. It would have been nearly impossible to restore abortion access in Kentucky through legal pathways if the measure had passed, said Rachel Sweet, a campaign manager for Protect Kentucky Access, which opposed the referendum. As of early Wednesday, voters in California, Vermont and Michigan have voted to enshrine abortion rights in their state constitutions. In reversing the half-century precedent, the court left the power to limit or grant abortion rights to the states. That triggered one ballot measure on abortion in Kansas over the summer, and five more this fall.

☆ Fact Check-Official U.S. election vote counts legally take weeks to certify
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-07 | by ( Reuters Fact Check | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +6 min

While media organizations often “call” elections on election night or soon after, experts on election processes told Reuters elections are frequently never confirmed on election night and the process of verifying ballots can take weeks. Confusion online may stem from the fact that media organizations “call” an election for a certain candidate on election night or shortly after. As explained by the U.S. Election Assistance Commission (EAC), “Many voters believe that the election results they see on television on election night are the final results. Similarly, during the 2020 general election, which resulted in a Biden win against Trump, Mississippi did not certify election results until Dec. 3 (here). Different states have specific rules on when mail-in ballots can start being counted, ranging from before election day, on election day before polls close and after polls close on election day (here).

In reversing the half-century precedent, the court left the power to limit or grant abortion rights to the states. In August, a judge temporarily blocked enforcement of the anti-abortion law, which had been inactive in the decades that Roe v. Wade stood. Gretchen Whitmer, the Democratic incumbent, has been a champion for abortion rights, but she is fending off a challenge from Republican candidate Tudor Dixon, who called the abortion ballot proposition “radical” in a debate with her. Voters will determine whether to alter the state constitution to explicitly say it does not protect a right to abortion or abortion funding. Abortion rights advocates are challenging those laws.

☆ For voters submitting absentee ballots, your state may require it to be verified. Here are the ways your ballot is checked for authenticity.
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-03 | by ( Kayla Gallagher | Annie Fu | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

To ensure authenticity, some states require ballot verification for votes to count. In order to better prevent the risk of election fraud, some states have implemented ballot verification rules to ensure the authenticity of a voter's ballot. Currently, 27 states require absentee ballots to be verified using a few different methods: signature match, voter signature only, notary or witness signatures, photo ID, or the last four digits of a person's Social Security number. Three states — Mississippi, Missouri and Oklahoma — require the envelope containing the absentee ballot to be notarized, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures. There are 24 states that require voters to be notified when there is a signature missing or a signature discrepancy on their ballot.

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