Civil & Human Rights

GOP war on voting: U.S. Supreme Court rejects petition from Ohio on early voting

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Posted by AzBlueMeeanie:

Another victory against the GOP war on voting. The U.S. Supreme Court has rejected a petition for certiorari from Ohio Secretary of State Jon Husted to review the 6th Circuit Court of Appeals order to make early voting available to all voters on an equal basis on the final weekend before election day in Ohio. High court won't block early voting in Ohio:

The Supreme Court sided with Democrats on Tuesday in refusing to
block a decision over disputed early voting days in the battleground
state of Ohio, giving President Barack Obama's campaign a victory three
weeks before the election.

The court refused a request by the
state's Republican elections chief and attorney general to get involved
in a battle over early voting on the three days before Election Day.

Obama's
campaign and Ohio Democrats sued the state officials over changes in
state law that took away the three days of voting for most people but
made exceptions for military personnel and Ohioans living overseas.

Democrats
in their lawsuit cited a recent study saying nearly 105,000 people
voted in the three days before the election in 2008. They argued
everyone should have the chance to vote on those days. And they said
eliminating the opportunity for most Ohio residents to vote in person on
those days, while giving military or overseas voters the chance to do
so, leads to unequal treatment.

* * *

On Oct. 5, a federal appeals court reinstated voting on the weekend
and Monday before the election and returned discretion to set hours on
those days to local boards of elections.

Ohio Secretary of State Jon Husted appealed that ruling to the Supreme Court last week.

* * *

Shortly after the high court's decision, Husted ordered uniform hours
across the state. The hours are from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday, Nov.
3; from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. on Sunday, Nov. 4; and from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. on
Monday, Nov. 5.

Bob Bauer, general counsel for Obama for America, praised the Supreme Court's decision.

Women Ignited Now (W.I.N.) video: ‘Vote’

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Posted by AzBlueMeanie:

Sens. Paula Aboud (D-LD 28) and Linda Lopez (D-LD 29) brought their Women Ignited Now (W.I.N.) rally to the Saguaro Eastside Democrats on Monday night.

Sen. Aboud recommended viewing online this video entitled “Vote,” directed by Steve Anderson, which was shown at the W.I.N. rallies around the state but for which there was not enough time to show at the SED meeting last night. Sen. Aboud recommended grassroots activism – the "rule of 10" — share this video with 10 of your friends and family, and pass it on.

Video below the fold.

Draw the Line – Sign the Bill of Reproductive Rights

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Posted by AzBlueMeanie:

If we do not stand up and defend the reproductive rights of women, the pro-life forced birth movement will take those rights away and reduce women to second class citizens under the Constitution.

Uterus-stateWe just heard Rep. Paul Ryan say during the vice presidential debate this week that he and Willard "Mittens" Romney intend to put the fundamental constitutional rights of women to life, liberty and property to a referendum vote (disguised as a ban on abortion and most forms of contraceptives). Fundamental constitutional rights are not subject to a vote — that's what makes them fundamental constitutional rights. The minority is protected from tyranny by the majority.

A woman does not lose her constitutional rights to life, liberty and property at the moment of conception, reducing her to a second class citizen to her fertilized egg, and making her uterus "property of the state"  subject to regulation.

Romney-Ryan promises to stack the U.S. Supreme Court with conservative activist judges who will rubberstamp their actions. Take this threat seriously.

Occupy Tucson: Weekend events you won’t find in AZ Daily Star

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Permit817_n

by Pamela Powers Hannley

It's October in Tucson. This means jam-packed weekends, full of exciting events.

This weekend is particularly busy, as is evidenced by the front page of today's Arizona Daily Star— a veritable advertisement for what's happening downtown.

Events not on the front page of the Star– Occupy Tucson's anniversary and Democracy Now's Amy Goodman– are as interesting as what is there. 

Yes, this is the weekend for umpteenth annual Tucson Meet Yourself, but those of you who were around and aware of Occupy Wall Street last October know that Tucson Meet Yourself weekend is also the anniversary of Occupy Tucson. 

It's not surprising that the Arizona Daily Star chose to ignore Occupy Tucson's anniversary festivities; they stood solidly with other corporate media outlets in trying to ignore the Occupy Wall Street movement last year.

Goodman's talk– which is also a KXCI fundraiser— is today, October 13, at 1 p.m. at the Fox Theater. This Tucson stop is part of her book tour. The Silenced Majority: Stories Of Uprisings, Occupations, Resistance and Hope shows how the work of ordinary people (aka The Silenced Majority) is pulling back the veil of corporate media and changing the world. Antigone Books will have books for sale at the event 

Check out a list of Occupy Tucson's weekend festivities, after the jump.