Dick Durbin To Chair Hearing Examining Rash Of Voter ID Laws

[cal04]

Source: TPM

Sen. Dick Durbin (D-IL) will chair a hearing next week examining the rash of voter ID laws passed by state legislatures this year amidst concerns that such laws could suppress Democratic turnout across the country.

Durbin, who chairs the Judiciary Committee's Subcommittee on the Constitution, Civil Rights and Human Rights, announced Friday that the Sept. 8 hearing will feature testimony from Judith Brown Dianis, the co-director of the Advancement Project; Loyola Law School Professor Justin Levittl; and former Bush-era Justice Department official Hans van Spakovsky, who's now with the Heritage Foundation. It's titled "New State Voting Laws - Barriers to the Ballot?"

"These new laws significantly reduce the number of early voting days, require voters to show restrictive forms of photo identification before voting, and make it harder for volunteer organizations to register new voters," Durbin's office said in an announcement. "Supporters of these laws argue that they will reduce the risk of voter fraud. The overwhelming evidence, however, indicates that voter impersonation fraud is virtually non-existent and that these new laws will make it harder for hundreds of thousands of elderly, disabled, minority, young, rural, and low income Americans to exercise their right to vote."

Read more: http://tpmmuckraker.talkingpointsmemo.com/2011/09/dick_durbin_to_chair_hearing_examining_rash_of_voter_id_laws.php

[rosesaylavee]

1. Go get 'em Senator. n/t

[mopinko]

2. +1

how ya doing? and why do you have a bee for an avatar? i am thinking of getting some bees.

sorry for the thread jack folks.

[rosesaylavee]

11. I keep bees

This is my third summer doing it. Not such a successful venture this year but I will continue doing it nonetheless. If you can lift 50 pounds in front of you and then walk with that, you can keep honeybees. It's a wonderful way to pass the time if you have the time to pass and a few hundred to invest in it.

Check out this group - http://cookdupagebeekeepers.com/

They've been around since the 20s I think and have members all over the area. They were meeting in Oak Brook last time I attended. You will find friends, resources and possible mentors there to help you start. April is the best time to start with bees so looking into it now is good timing.

PM me if you want more info. There is a need for beekeepers and if you are interested, that is a great great thing.

[lark]

3. Just wish the Justice Dept. would go after these

Even better, I wish the Justice Dept. would go after the vote hacking. It's absolutely ridiculous that the counting of votes has been privatized to a few millionaires' companies and that there are absolutely no controls at all on these. Time after time, long after the election results are it's been proven that the totals given were not the voters totals, but nothing is ever done because of course the rich masters made it this way on purpose. Otherwise, they wouldn't be as successful at stealing all our money and putting it in their own pockets.

[BrightSideOfLife]

5. I believe I read in one of the new outlets that the DOJ is

But who knows. The entire Bush administration is still walking around...

[BrightSideOfLife]

4. What exactly is he going to do?

Someone needs to bring this before the SCOTUS to get any real traction, and they're Right-heavy. I foresee a big nothing happening. Hopefully I'm wrong.

[cal04]

6. Durbin On The Case

http://talkingpointsmemo.com/archives/2011/09/durbin_on_the_case.php?ref=fpblg

Sen. Dick Durbin (D-IL) to hold hearings next week on state-level voter suppression efforts, i.e., voter ID laws, tighter voting registration requirements, and other "ACORN-inspired" GOP efforts. Among the scheduled witnesses: Hans van Spakovsky.
http://tpmmuckraker.talkingpointsmemo.com/2011/06/election_expert_cant_find_report_on_1984_voter_impersonation_case_cited_by_von_spakovsky.php

Maybe we can hear from Matthew Vadum, too?
http://tpmmuckraker.talkingpointsmemo.com/2011/09/columnist_registering_poor_to_vote_like_handing_out_burglary_tools_to_criminals.php?ref=fpa

[Uncle Joe]

7. It's a crying shame when your political party only stands a decent chance

of remaining in power by disenfranchising the American People from the political process.

Obviously the Republican Party hates the American People for their freedoms, especially the freedom to vote and have their vote counted.

Thanks for the thread, cal.

[NOMOREDRUGWAR]

8. Voter ID laws are okay if they keep brown people from voting

Who are we to tell Republicans they can't deprive minorities of their right to vote? They speak directly to Jesus, and he told them that he wants them to do this.

:puke:

[madrchsod]

9. guess we should write a letter to dick....

[Mr. Sparkle]

10. imho, it is a criminal conspiracy to deny citizenry their voting rights. n/t

[ShockediSay]

12. Just like a poll tax, but then Roberts & Alito are ideologheads unconcerned

w/ precedent.