by David Safier I have a bunch of blog-worthy education stories cluttering up my desktop that I know I'll never get to individually, so here's a Friday afternoon collection of ed shorts and links. English Language Learners in AZ Graduate at Lowest Rate in Nation. "[O]nly 25 percent of English Language Learners in Arizona graduate … Read more
by Pamela Powers Hannley Yesterday and today, Private Bradley Manning testified in his own defense in a military court. Manning has been imprisoned for 921 days without a trial because he allegedly sent secret US documents to WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange, who published thousands of pages of previously classified material. Are Assange and Manning free speech warriors who wanted … Read more
by David Safier
Louisiana's school voucher law that began operation this school year was ruled unconstitutional in District Court. The ruling will be appealed.
Gov. Bobby Jindal isn't happy. Channeling Woody Allen in Bananas, Jindal called the ruling "wrong headed and a travesty." If he were a true Woody-file, he would have continued,
"It's a travesty of a mockery of a sham of a mockery of a travesty of two mockeries of a sham. I move for a mistrial."
Watch the clip below the fold.
Posted by AzBlueMeanie:
I have been arguing for some time in favor of the "universal voter registration" proposals from the Brennan Center for Justice. Voter Registration Modernization | Brennan Center for Justice.
In a universal voter registration system, it would be the
government's obligation to ensure that every eligible citizen was
registered to vote. Individual citizens could opt out if they wished,
but the registration process itself would no longer serve as a barrier
to the right to vote.
Here are some of the important ways that
federal policy can and should encourage the states to improve on the
current voter registration system:
1. Mandate that the states put systems in place that would phase in universal voter registration, while preserving the states' ability to experiment with different systems.
2. Require states to immediately implement permanent registration, so that voters wouldn't have to re-register if they moved within a state.
3. Require states to implement Election Day registration, as a fail-safe mechanism for eligible voters missing from the voter rolls for any reason.
4. Provide the federal funding that states would need to ensure that every eligible voter is registered.
Posted by AzBlueMeanie:
The Supreme Court on Monday allowed
an appeal by Liberty University to go forward with new challenges to two key
sections of the new federal health care law — the individual and
employer mandates to have insurance coverage. Lyle Denniston reports at SCOTUSbog,
Way cleared for health care challenge (UPDATED):
The Court did so by returning the case of Liberty University v. Geithner
(docket 11-438) to the Fourth Circuit Court to consider those
challenges. The Court last Term had simply denied review of Liberty
University’s appeal, but on Monday wiped out that order and agreed to
send the case back to the appeals court in Richmond for further review.
* * *
The Court’s decision last Term on the new health care law upheld,
under Congress’s power to tax, the requirement that virtually all
Americans have health insurance by 2014, or pay a penalty. That is the
individual mandate. The law also contains a somewhat similar mandate,
requiring all employers with more than fifty employees to provide them
with adequate insurance coverage. The Court had declined to rule on
that issue last Term.