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News releases, reports, statements and associated documents from public policy organizations whose goal it is to influence the debate Washington.
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Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints: Latter-day Saint Apostle Rededicates Frankfurt Germany Temple
SALT LAKE CITY, Utah, Oct. 20 -- The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints issued the following news release:
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- Four-year renovation is complete
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Elder Dieter F. Uchtdorf of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, a German native, was invited by Church President Russell M. Nelson to rededicate the Frankfurt Germany Temple. Accompanying Elder Uchtdorf in that assignment were Elder Patrick Kearon of the Presidency of the Seventy and the three members of area presidency.
The rededication took place in the temple on Sunday, October
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SALT LAKE CITY, Utah, Oct. 20 -- The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints issued the following news release:
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- Four-year renovation is complete
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Elder Dieter F. Uchtdorf of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, a German native, was invited by Church President Russell M. Nelson to rededicate the Frankfurt Germany Temple. Accompanying Elder Uchtdorf in that assignment were Elder Patrick Kearon of the Presidency of the Seventy and the three members of area presidency.
The rededication took place in the temple on Sunday, October20, 2019; a youth devotional was held the day before in a nearby meetinghouse.
"When you come to the temple, always think of Jesus Christ because he is the center of our doctrine. We are the Church of Jesus Christ and you are the Latter-day Saints," Elder Uchtdorf told the youth. "You are a blessing to this part of the world. God loves you, he trusts you. Please, have trust in him, too."
"Follow Jesus Christ and I promise you a path of joy, confidence, and hope," said Elder Uchtdorf's wife, Sister Harriet Uchtdorf. Elder Erich W. Kopischke of the Seventy, second counselor in the Europe Area presidency, explained: "The Lord has always - at all times - given his children symbols to which they could turn. [...] The temple is a symbol for eternity and a symbol for the love our Heavenly Father has for you."
The temple will mainly serve members of the Church living in West Germany, Austria, Bahrain, United Arab Emirates, Croatia, Serbia and Slovenia. There are over 35,000 members of the Church in Germany in 152 congregations.
The Frankfurt Germany Temple closed in 2015 to accommodate a renovation and enlargement of the temple, including a new underground baptistry. It was originally the fifth temple built in Europe and the second built in the current boundaries of Germany, following the Freiberg Germany Temple. The temple was originally dedicated in August 1987.
Care was taken to preserve key historic features of the temple's exterior (such as the stone cladding and copper roof). New trees and shrubs were added to the landscape to complement the existing plantings on the temple grounds and to harmonize with vegetation generally found in the Friedrichsdorf area.
Among the guests at the two-week open house in mid-September were reporters from reputable German news media, including Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung, Suddeutsche Zeitung, Frankfurter Rundschau, Die Zeit and Deutschlandfunk. Catholic and Protestant news outlets also reported on the temple at great length. A Muslim blogger wrote about his experience praying inside the temple, invoking a blessing upon his hosts.
There are currently 217 temples worldwide that have been announced or are operating, under construction or being renovated.
Temples of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints differ from meetinghouses (or chapels), where members meet for Sunday worship services. Temples are considered "houses of the Lord," where Jesus Christ's teachings are reaffirmed through baptism and other ordinances that unite families for eternity. In the temple, Church members learn more about the purpose of life and make covenants to follow Jesus Christ and serve their fellow man.
12 White Supremacists Arrested for Plots, Attacks Against Jewish Community Since Pittsburgh Shooting
LOS ANGELES, California, Oct. 20 -- The Anti-Defamation League issued the following news release:
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- Preliminary data shows America is on track in 2019 for yet another year of historically high anti-Semitic incidents
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According to data released by ADL (the Anti-Defamation League) today and first reported on tonight's edition of CBS News 60 Minutes, at least 12 white supremacists have been arrested for their alleged roles in terrorist plots, attacks or threats against the Jewish community in the year since the attack on Pittsburgh's Tree of Life synagogue.
Also, the latest data from
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LOS ANGELES, California, Oct. 20 -- The Anti-Defamation League issued the following news release:
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- Preliminary data shows America is on track in 2019 for yet another year of historically high anti-Semitic incidents
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According to data released by ADL (the Anti-Defamation League) today and first reported on tonight's edition of CBS News 60 Minutes, at least 12 white supremacists have been arrested for their alleged roles in terrorist plots, attacks or threats against the Jewish community in the year since the attack on Pittsburgh's Tree of Life synagogue.
Also, the latest data fromADL's Center on Extremism shows that the United States continues to experience record-high numbers of anti-Semitic incidents nationwide; preliminary reporting shows a total of 780 anti-Semitic incidents were recorded in the first six months of 2019, compared to 785 incidents reported during the same period in 2018.
"It is horrifying that in the year since the deadliest anti-Semitic attack in U.S. history, at least a dozen white supremacists were arrested after threatening to target Jewish houses of worship," said ADL CEO Jonathan A. Greenblatt. "We are tremendously grateful to local, state and federal law enforcement for taking these cases seriously and preventing further bloodshed against the Jewish community."
In at least three of these cases - in Monroe, Washington; Lehighton, Pennsylvania; and Las Vegas, Nevada - ADL's Center on Extremism provided critical intelligence to law enforcement, leading directly to investigations and arrests.
"This is why we do what we do," said Greenblatt. "We cannot and will not rest easy knowing the threat posed by white supremacists and other extremists against the Jewish community is clear and present. We are proud of our collaborative efforts with law enforcement to prevent such tragedies from taking place and ensuring would-be perpetrators of these heinous crimes are brought to justice."
Since the Pittsburgh shooting on October 27, 2018, which affected three congregations in a shared worship space at the Tree of Life synagogue in Squirrel Hill, white supremacists have targeted Jewish institutional property on at least 50 occasions. This includes:
* 12 instances of vandalism using white supremacist symbols;
* 35 distributions of white supremacist propaganda;
* At least 30 additional incidents in which individuals of unknown ideology committed arson, vandalism or distributed propaganda that was not explicitly white supremacist in nature at Jewish institutions.
In addition to the 12 white supremacist arrests, there were three additional individuals arrested for targeting Jews in 2019, including two motivated by Islamist extremist ideology, one of whom referred to Tree of Life shooter Robert Bowers as his inspiration.
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ADL is the world's leading anti-hate organization. Founded in 1913 in response to an escalating climate of anti-Semitism and bigotry, its timeless mission is to protect the Jewish people and to secure justice and fair treatment for all. Today, ADL continues to fight all forms of hate with the same vigor and passion. A global leader in exposing extremism, delivering anti-bias education, and fighting hate online, ADL is the first call when acts of anti-Semitism occur. ADL's ultimate goal is a world in which no group or individual suffers from bias, discrimination or hate.
Puente Human Rights Movement Will Lead Coalition of Civil Rights, Immigrant Advocacy Organizations for Closure of ICE Detention Facilities
PHOENIX, Arizona, Oct. 19 -- The Advancement Project, a 501(c)3 non-profit that develops and inspires community-based solutions based on the high quality legal analysis and public education campaigns, issued the following news:
Puente Human Rights Movement will lead a coalition of civil rights and immigrant advocacy organizations calling for the closure of ICE detention facilities throughout the state during a migration tribunal event on Saturday, Oct. 19 at its headquarters. During the event, the organization will release its new report, "Arizona's Carceral Crisis: The Human Cost of Being Confined,"
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PHOENIX, Arizona, Oct. 19 -- The Advancement Project, a 501(c)3 non-profit that develops and inspires community-based solutions based on the high quality legal analysis and public education campaigns, issued the following news:
Puente Human Rights Movement will lead a coalition of civil rights and immigrant advocacy organizations calling for the closure of ICE detention facilities throughout the state during a migration tribunal event on Saturday, Oct. 19 at its headquarters. During the event, the organization will release its new report, "Arizona's Carceral Crisis: The Human Cost of Being Confined,"in collaboration with Advancement Project National Office detailing the inhumane conditions inside an ICE detention facility outside of Phoenix.
The event will feature testimony from nearly a dozen formerly detained individuals and family members whose loved ones have died while in ICE facilities or state-run prisons. These individuals will join with advocates in calling on the closure of immigrant detention facilities in the state in addition to calling for state lawmakers to work to curtail the state's booming mass incarceration system.
Since 2000, Arizona's prison population has grown by 15,000 people, and today has the fourth highest imprisonment rate in the country, according to the report. Black, Latinx, and Native communities are directly and disproportionately impacted by this mass incarceration crisis, and this report highlights this discrepancy outlining policies and laws that are the dragnet into immigration detention. In 2019, Arizona will spend $1.09 billion on prisons--more than child safety, economic security, and education.
WHAT:
Puente's Tribunal: The State of Incarceration
WHEN:
Saturday, October 19, 10:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m.
MEDIA/ON-CAMERA INTERVIEWS: 1:00 p.m. - 2:00 p.m.
WHERE:
Puente Human Rights Movement Headquarters
1937 W Adams St, Phoenix, AZ 85009
WHO:
Councilman Carlos Garcia, Phoenix City Council, Co-founder, Puente Human Rights Movement
Losmin Jimenez, Project Director & Senior Attorney, Immigrant Justice, Advancement Project National Office
No More Deaths
The Justice Project
U.S. Human Rights Network
Mijente
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Puente Human Rights Movement is a grassroots migrant justice organization based in Phoenix, Arizona. It develops, educates, and empowers migrant communities to protect and defend themselves and their families to enhance the quality of life of community members.
Advancement Project National Office is a multi-racial civil rights organization. Founded by a team of veteran civil rights lawyers in 1999, Advancement Project was created to develop and inspire community-based solutions based on the same high quality legal analysis and public education campaigns that produced the landmark civil rights victories of earlier eras.
[Category: Law/Legal]
Public Advocates: Documentary on Legendary Bay Area Civil Rights Law Firm Premieres on San Francisco Public Television
SAN FRANCISCO, California, Oct. 19 -- Public Advocates issued the following news release:
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- On October 21 KQED Plus airs "A Law Firm Like No Other," profiling the San Francisco-based non-profit Public Advocates, one of the oldest public interest law firms in the U.S.
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For almost half a century, Public Advocates has been a leader in countless battles to advance equal opportunity and civil rights for communities across the Bay Area and beyond. The new documentary film, A Law Firm Like No Other, goes behind the scenes to tell the story of how Public Advocates achieved two landmark victories
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SAN FRANCISCO, California, Oct. 19 -- Public Advocates issued the following news release:
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- On October 21 KQED Plus airs "A Law Firm Like No Other," profiling the San Francisco-based non-profit Public Advocates, one of the oldest public interest law firms in the U.S.
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For almost half a century, Public Advocates has been a leader in countless battles to advance equal opportunity and civil rights for communities across the Bay Area and beyond. The new documentary film, A Law Firm Like No Other, goes behind the scenes to tell the story of how Public Advocates achieved two landmark victoriesin affordable housing and educational equity.
* When Facebook announced major expansion plans in East Palo Alto, Public Advocates worked with grass roots groups to bring the tech giant to the negotiating table. The result: Facebook committed to $20 million in affordable housing and legal support to tenants in the neighborhoods surrounding their Menlo Park headquarters.
* In another milestone victory, Public Advocates helped launch a multi-year grass roots campaign to achieve major educational reform in California. The result: a new school funding formula enshrined in state law that gives school districts and local communities the power and funds to secure effective services for low-income students, English language learners and foster youth.
A Law Firm Like No Other offers an inspiring example of the power that committed lawyers, joining forces with community activists, can wield against the negative impacts of large corporations, gentrification, and other systemic barriers to equity and opportunity.
In the words of Public Advocates President and CEO Guillermo Mayer, "There is no such thing as power with legs, just moving around the universe. Power exists in people, in the ability of people to exercise that power, and through their individual actions and their collective action, to do great things."
Over five decades, Public Advocates has aimed to retain its independence, feistiness, cutting edge work and innovative legal approaches while building a reputation for genuine and effective collaboration with community partners. The goal is to challenge the status quo by seeking legal victories while strengthening the voices of low-income communities.
A Law Firm Like No Other will be broadcast October 21st, 10:30 am PST, available throughout the Bay Area on the following channels:
KQED Plus/KQEH: Channels 54.1, 9.2, 25.2
XFINITY: Channel 10 and HD Channel 710
Wave, DirecTV, Dish Network, AT&T U-verse: Channel number varies, and may be labeled either KQED Plus or KQEH
"A Law Firm Like No Other" is a production of Visionaries Inc., part of its 2019 series for public television that tackles important social causes of our time. Hosted by Sam Waterston of Law & Order fame, the documentary series highlights the rarely told stories of nonprofit organizations around the world that are working to make a positive difference in their community and beyond.
National Safety CouncilDuring National Teen Driver Safety Week, NSC Urges Parents to Stay Involved
ITASCA, Illinois, Oct. 19 -- The National Safety Council issued the following news release:
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- Teen driving fatalities on decline but still remain No. 1 cause of death for teens.
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Despite the fact that teen motor vehicle deaths are on the decline in the U.S., they still remain the No. 1 cause of death for teens. During National Teen Driver Safety Week, the National Safety Council is urging parents to stay involved in their teen's driving education so the number of deaths continues to decline.
In 2017, deaths for drivers ages 15 to 20 dropped to 1,830, down from 1,916 the year prior.
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ITASCA, Illinois, Oct. 19 -- The National Safety Council issued the following news release:
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- Teen driving fatalities on decline but still remain No. 1 cause of death for teens.
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Despite the fact that teen motor vehicle deaths are on the decline in the U.S., they still remain the No. 1 cause of death for teens. During National Teen Driver Safety Week, the National Safety Council is urging parents to stay involved in their teen's driving education so the number of deaths continues to decline.
In 2017, deaths for drivers ages 15 to 20 dropped to 1,830, down from 1,916 the year prior.The total number of vehicle occupant deaths for that age group also decreased - totaling 2,362 in 2017 - after three consecutive years of increases.
"Learning to drive is an exciting time in a teen's life, but it also comes with risk," said Lorraine M. Martin, president and CEO of the National Safety Council. "The younger a teen driver is, the more likely he or she is to get in a crash. During National Teen Driver Safety Week, we urge all parents with new drivers to remain involved in their driving education, so they develop the skills they need to stay safe on the road."
Teens represent 3.9% of licensed drivers but account for 9.3% of drivers in all crashes and 6.2% of drivers in fatal crashes. Data shows that the teen age group has the largest proportion of drivers who were distracted at the time of a fatal crash. In addition, a single young passenger can increase a teen driver's fatal crash risk by 44%.
Parents can use National Teen Driver Safety Week - Oct. 20 through 26 - to get involved and stay involved:
* Set rules and expectations with your teen driver. A parent-teen agreement is ideal for outlining rules, privileges and consequences for both parties. NSC offers a free agreement - the New Driver Deal - at DriveitHOME.org
* Practice with your teen for at least 30 minutes each week, and make sure when you are driving that you follow the rules of the road. The safer you drive in front of your teen, the more likely he or she will be to adopt those safe habits.
* Make sure your teen knows - and avoids - the dangers of distraction. Let them know it's OK to put the phone away or disconnect from in-car infotainment systems and drive distraction-free.
Parents are encouraged to visit DriveitHOME.org, a free online resource from NSC, for more information about the best ways to protect their new teen driver behind the wheel.
In addition, NSC will host a live Twitter chat in recognition of National Teen Driver Safety Week from 11 a.m. to noon CT Thursday, Oct. 24. Parents, teens and others interested in teen driver safety are encouraged to join the chat on the NSC Twitter page (@NSCSafety) and use the hashtag #NTDSW_19.
More information about teen driver safety can be found here (https://www.nsc.org/road-safety/safety-topics/teen-driving).
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About the National Safety Council
The National Safety Council is a nonprofit organization whose mission is to eliminate preventable deaths at work, in homes and communities, and on the road through leadership, research, education and advocacy. Founded in 1913 and chartered by Congress, NSC advances this mission by partnering with businesses, government agencies, elected officials and the public in areas where we can make the most impact.
Human Rights Watch: Libya-Deadly Airstrike Apparently Unlawful
BEIRUT, Lebanon, Oct. 19 -- Human Rights Watch issued the following news release:
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- Justice Needed for 3 Children's Deaths
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An airstrike by the Libyan National Army (LNA), on a home in a residential area of Tripoli on October 14, 2019 that killed three girls and wounded their mother and another sister, is an apparent violation of the laws of war, Human Rights Watch said today. This attack on civilians is one of many that require an impartial and independent investigation to attribute responsibility and hold those responsible to account.
Under the command of General Khalifa Hiftar,
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BEIRUT, Lebanon, Oct. 19 -- Human Rights Watch issued the following news release:
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- Justice Needed for 3 Children's Deaths
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An airstrike by the Libyan National Army (LNA), on a home in a residential area of Tripoli on October 14, 2019 that killed three girls and wounded their mother and another sister, is an apparent violation of the laws of war, Human Rights Watch said today. This attack on civilians is one of many that require an impartial and independent investigation to attribute responsibility and hold those responsible to account.
Under the command of General Khalifa Hiftar,the LNA and affiliated forces have conducted a series of air strikes that resulted in civilian casualties. They began a military campaign in April to conquer the capital, Tripoli, from forces affiliated with the Tripoli-based and internationally recognized Government of National Accord (GNA).
"General Hiftar and his forces have repeatedly shown their disregard for civilians' lives with disproportionate or indiscriminate attacks against civilians and civilian structures," said Eric Goldstein, deputy Middle East director at Human Rights Watch. "There is a dire need for an independent UN investigation to attribute responsibility for these airstrikes and ensure justice for war crimes and compensation for the victims' families."
In the October 14 airstrike, the LNA destroyed a home in the al-Fernaj residential neighborhood of Tripoli, and killed three sisters, ages 4, 5, and 7 and injured another sister, age 3, and the girls' mother, said a statement by the GNA-aligned Tripoli military operations coalition Volcano of Rage, which is fighting the LNA The statement identified the casualties by name. An LNA spokesman, Ahmed al-Mismari, said that the airstrike targeted a "terrorist operations room" and denied targeting civilians.
The LNA that is supported by the Interim Government in eastern Libya has consistently denied causing civilian deaths despite mounting evidence of their responsibility.
The UN has said that fighting between the two groups in and around Tripoli has, since April, killed at least 100 civilians and displaced 120,000.
The GNA in a statement blamed the LNA for the attack, as did the United Nations Mission in Libya, while the United States embassy attributed it to the "forces laying siege" to Tripoli.
Human Rights Watch spoke by phone with Husam Alter, a Tripoli resident who witnessed the airstrike and who was among the first responders to the incident, and with Osama Ali, the spokesman for the Tripoli Ambulance and Emergency services. Alter, who was on private business in the area, said he noticed at around noon a fighter jet circling for several minutes above the area, then dropping a bomb on a private house in a busy residential area. He said he ran toward the home and saw a large plume of smoke rising.
"As I arrived at the house, which consisted of two floors and a small annex, I saw that it had been completely destroyed," he said. People had just started to clamber onto the debris to check for survivors. The father was outside with one of the girls, who was covered in gray dust, but he left quickly to take her to hospital. One of the neighbors said there were three more children in the house and other people and I started to remove the stones and debris with our hands until the ambulance and security services arrived."
He said he left when relief services with a digger to came to search for the survivors as he could no longer see because of dust in his eyes.
Ali said that the Ambulance and Emergency Services recovered the bodies of the three sisters from the debris. He said that the family had been renting the house temporarily after being displaced from their own home in the Khila area in the southern suburbs of Tripoli due to the ongoing fighting.
Both men said that a fighter jet struck the house. Photographs and videos of the scene that Human Rights Watch reviewed showed damage consistent with an air-delivered munition.
The targeted house was about 20 meters from a compound belonging to Military Intelligence, Alter and Ali said. Some local sources said the compound, which seemed not to have been damaged, was not in use.
Mustafa al-Majae, spokesperson for the Tripoli military operations command, told Human Rights Watch that the compound adjacent to the house that was struck had been an administrative building for the military command, which owns it. He said that the compound was currently not in use and had no role in the military counteroffensive against the LNA. The LNA has produced no evidence showing that it was a military target justifying it being targeted despite being in a civilian neighborhood.
Both Alter and Ali said they did not see any military equipment in or around the house that was struck. Photos and videos of the attack reviewed by Human Rights Watch appear consistent with these statements.
Under the laws of war, civilians and civilian objects may never be the object of attacks. Warring parties are required to take all feasible precautions to minimize harm to civilians and civilian objects and to refrain from attacks that would disproportionately harm the civilian population or fail to discriminate between combatants and civilians.
The laws of war also prohibit disproportionate attacks, attacks that cause loss of civilian life or damage to civilian objects that would be excessive in relation to the concrete and direct military advantage anticipated from the attack.
While Human Rights Watch could not confirm the status of the compound next to the targeted house, the GNA is obligated as a matter of principle to ensure that no civilians are adjacent to operational military facilities, given the heightened risk of their being in the line of fire.
Since April 4, Human Rights Watch has documented other LNA strikes that resulted in killing or injuring civilians and destroying homes and civilian structures with apparently no measures taken against those responsible and no compensation or payments to civilians. These attacks included a strike against a migrant detention center in Tajoura in July that killed 46 civilians
On October 6, the LNA attacked the Janzour Equestrian Club in the Janzour area of Tripoli, injuring six children and killing several horses. UN staff conducted an assessment to identify the targeted site and the nature of the attack and, blaming the LNA, found that "a fighter jet had dropped four unguided bombs on the Equestrian Club, a civilian facility, and that neither military assets nor military infrastructure were observed at the targeted site."
Fighters affiliated with the LNA have a well-documented record of summarily executing civilians and fighters; forcibly displacing, torturing, and disappearing people; and carrying out indiscriminate or disproportionate attacks that have harmed civilians. Armed groups affiliated with the GNA also have a record of abuses including summary killings of captured fighters, arbitrary detention, forced displacement, torture, and disappearances.
Due to the partial collapse of the domestic criminal justice system, Libyan authorities have failed to investigate or prosecute those responsible for grave abuses. The prosecutor of the International Criminal Court (ICC) has a mandate to investigate war crimes, crimes against humanity, and genocide in Libya, since 2011. The court has recently issued two arrest warrants for Mahmoud el-Werfalli, a commander linked to the LNA, for the war crime of murder related to incidents between June 2016 and January 2018.
Saif al-Islam Gaddafi also continued to be subject to an ICC arrest warrant for his alleged role in attacks on civilians during the country's 2011 uprising. The ICC also issued an arrest warrant for Al-Tuhamy Mohamed Khaled, a former official in the Gaddafi government, for crimes against humanity and war crimes committed in Libya between February and August 2011. Their whereabouts remain unknown.
The United Nations has imposed a sanctions regime and arms embargo on Libya but has not effectively used them to punish those who commit gross human rights violations.
Given the current state of impunity in Libya, there is a dire need for an international inquiry, such as by an independent commission of inquiry or similar entity, with a mandate to impartially document abuses, identify those responsible for violations, and publicly report on the human rights situation in Libya, Human Rights Watch said. An upcoming opportunity to establish such an investigation will be during the March 2020 session of the UN Human Rights Council. Ghassan Salameh, the UN special representative to Libya; the Office of the High Commission for Human Rights; and several European governments have already endorsed such a move.
"There needs to be a much stronger focus on justice and accountability in Libya to deter further crimes," Goldstein said. "As the attacks continue, civilians - and in this case small children - pay with their lives."
Court Rules That Florida Cannot Deny Right to Vote Based on Inability to Pay Fines, Fees
TALLAHASSEE, Florida, Oct. 19 -- The Campaign Legal Center issued the following news release:
Judge Robert Hinkle for the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida issued an opinion (https://campaignlegal.org/document/decision-denying-motion-dismiss-and-granting-preliminary-injunction-part) ruling that it is unconstitutional to deny individuals with past convictions the right to vote based on their inability to pay fines and fees.
The decision restores the right to vote to plaintiffs who are otherwise eligible to vote but are unable to pay off their outstanding fines, fees and
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TALLAHASSEE, Florida, Oct. 19 -- The Campaign Legal Center issued the following news release:
Judge Robert Hinkle for the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida issued an opinion (https://campaignlegal.org/document/decision-denying-motion-dismiss-and-granting-preliminary-injunction-part) ruling that it is unconstitutional to deny individuals with past convictions the right to vote based on their inability to pay fines and fees.
The decision restores the right to vote to plaintiffs who are otherwise eligible to vote but are unable to pay off their outstanding fines, fees andrestitution.
The court likened SB 7066's failure to account for inability to pay to a statute that automatically restored the right to vote only to people with a net worth of $100,000: "Would anyone contend this was constitutional? One hopes not. An official who adopts a constitutional theory that would approve such a statute needs a new constitutional theory."
"We are pleased that the court's decision today affirms our position that lack of wealth cannot be a barrier to one's ability to vote," said Mark Gaber, director, trial litigation at Campaign Legal Center (CLC). "The court has recognized that Florida can't deny people the right to vote based on their ability to pay."
CLC filed a lawsuit challenging SB 7066 the same day it was signed, and currently represents three individual plaintiffs who would otherwise be denied the right to vote under SB 7066 because they are unable to off their fines and fees: Bonnie Raysor of Boynton Beach, Diane Sherrill of St. Petersburg and Lee Hoffman of Plant City.
The case is called Jones v. DeSantis (https://campaignlegal.org/cases-actions/jones-v-desantis).
