Everyone:
The Republican controlled legislature in the State of Florida is trying to railroad through new legislation to make voter registration drives extraordinarily dangerous for grassroots organizations such as the local Democratic Party, LWV, MoveOn, LCV, NAACP, unions and others because they recognize that they got out registered by these groups which they view as “liberal” last year.
They are trying to railroad this through as fast as they can to get it passed before it draws nationwide attention as another attempt to steal the vote here in Florida.
They realize the Florida voters are pissed at them because the economy sucks, unemployment in FL is officially 9.4% and realistically 12%, our education system is a shambles with per pupil spending 49th in the nation, 1 in 4 Floridians are without health insurance, and we are basically one hurricane away from insurance insolvency here in Florida and we are facing huge budget shortfalls due to irresponsible spending and tax giveaways to big business and the uber-wealthy.
Their approach is to criminalize voter registration drives as much as possible on the theory that in the absence of these drives, Republicans will register and vote more often and they will be able to hold onto office by suppressing Democratic registration.
Failure to follow their complex rules will result in a fine of $800/voter registration form and would make the field organizer delivering the voter registration for the voter to the Supervisor's office criminally liable as a first degree misdemeanor!
This same law would make it illegal for ACLU attorneys to offer voters in voting lines legal advice when they've been refused the right to vote and will make it more difficult for individual voters to vote as well!
In response to this legislation I came across two website links:
http://www.ncdp.org/Protect_Voter_Registration_Driveshttp://www.thomas.gov/cgi-bin/bdquery/z?d110:SN01487:@@@L&summ2=m&
According to them such laws have been previously struck down by the Federal Courts as violations of organizations’ political and associational speech rights .
From what I can tell the Ballot Integrity Act of 2007 never went anywhere (I suppose because Bush would have vetoed it?) - Is there any bill like it on the current agenda to squash these state laws that are out to make it as difficult as they can for political groups to organize voters?
This sounds like it needs to happen ASAP if the FL bill passes. It probably needs to be passed regardless to prevent other Republican legislatures from trying to suppress minority votes.
Please call fax and email Governor Crist and let him know how evil this legislation truly is. It is the Republican freedom to steal the vote act of 2009!
Via Email
“Charlie.Crist@myflorida.com
“:mailto:Charlie.Crist@myflorida.com
Phone/Fax
Phone: 850-488-7146
Fax: 850-487-0801
Mailing Address
Office of the Governor
The Capitol
400 South Monroe Street
Tallahassee, FL 32399From: Jim Callahan
Sent: Monday, April 20, 2009 3:13 PM
To: Jim Callahan
Subject: Fwd: Your last chance to stop voter suppression - time to nix SB 956
The New York Times wrote an editorial against this bill (SB 956 on Sunday).
"Republican state legislators, who are behind the latest bills, want to make it illegal for anyone to get within 100 feet of a line of voters. That provision would criminalize election protection programs, in which nonpartisan volunteers make themselves available outside of polling places on Election Day to ensure that eligible voters know their legal rights and are able to cast ballots."
* * *
"Another provision would require election officials to purge voting rolls more frequently, a sore point in Florida, where an improper purge of the rolls before the 2000 election removed many eligible voters."
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/04/19/opinion/19sun2.html?_r=1Very, very bad bill. Purges, restraints on 3rd party voter registration apply to League of Woman Voters as well as ACORN, makes it harder for voting rights attorneys to work with illegally disenfranchised voters.
Time to nix SB 956 (see how in forwarded e-mail below).
Central Florida Political Pulse
Elections changes designed to crack down on ACORN groups
posted by Aaron Deslatte on Apr 18, 2009 9:09:35 AM
* * *
"A sweeping elections package was rammed through the House Economic Development and Community Affairs Policy Council early Friday morning in an unusually rushed hearing where public testimony was cut off, and Democrats were given three minutes to debate the bill.
The abrupt maneuver to squelch debate was blasted by Democrats, as well as a coalition of groups including the Florida League of Women Voters and the American Civil Liberties Union."
* * *
"The House bill, PCB-EDCA 09-08, sponsored by Rep. Dorothy Hukill, R-Port Orange, is similar to SB 956, which was quickly shuttled through a Senate committee Thursday."
http://blogs.orlandosentinel.com/news_politics/2009/04/elections-changes-designed-to-crack-down-on-acorn-groups.htmlSB 956 (unfortunately they have covered their tracks well -- original bill is just a shell -- have to look at amendments)
http://www.flsenate.gov/session/index.cfm?Mode=Bills&SubMenu=1&BI_Mode=ViewBillInfo&BillNum=0956&Year=2009&Chamber=Senate#AmendmentsI have not been able to find Rep. Hukill's bill. (very sneaky)
http://www.myfloridahouse.gov/Sections/Representatives/sponsoredbills.aspx?MemberId=4347&SessionId=61Jim
---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: ACLU of Florida <acluflonline@aclufl.org>
Date: Mon, Apr 20, 2009 at 1:34 PM
Subject: Your last chance to stop voter suppression
April 20, 2009
Recent News:
ACLU Calls on Secretary Napolitano to Release Youssef Megahed
Poisonous Anti-Voter Legislation Will Spur Lawsuits and Trigger Federal Intervention, ACLU Says
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Chapter Corner
April 20, 2009 - Broward Chapter Board Meeting
April 22, 2009 - Brevard Chapter Monthly Meeting
April 25, 2009 - Jacksonville Annual Butterfly Festival
April 25-26, 2009 - Pensacola Goombay Gulf Coast Festival
Dear Jim,
Over the past two weeks, we’ve been asking you to e-mail your legislators to oppose the anti-democratic voting legislation that, if passed, would strip rights away from Floridians. Now is your last chance to make your voice heard, we need you to call Senate President Jeff Atwater, Speaker of the House Larry Cretul and Governor Crist today.
Voting is a right, not a privilege, and we oppose legislation that makes it more difficult for people to vote and participate in our democracy. With your help, we can defeat this poisonous legislation. Please take three minutes of your day to make three key phone calls!
1. Senate President Jeff Atwater -- (850) 487-5229
2. Speaker of the House Larry Cretul -- (850) 488-1450 (Cretul is pronounced “kree-tle”)
3. Governor Charlie Crist (850) 488-4441
Suggested Script: Hello, my name is (name) and I live in (city). I am calling in regards to legislation relating to voting and elections.
• CALL TO SENATOR ATWATER: “I urge President Atwater NOT to let SB 956, relating to voting and elections, go to the Senate floor. Thank you.”
• CALL TO REP. CRETUL: “I urge Speaker Cretul NOT to let EDCA8, relating to voting elections, go to the House floor. Thank you.”
• CALL TO GOV. CRIST: “I urge Governor Crist to express his opposition to SB 956 and EDCA8, relating to voting and elections. These bills are bad for Florida voters and bad for democracy. Thank you.”
Below are the key reasons for why the ACLU opposes SB 956 and EDCA8. The proposed changes to Florida’s voting and elections laws would:
• Expand the “no-solicitation zone,” creating a constantly shifting zone that would be impossible to enforce and further restricts voters’ ability to receive important nonpartisan voting rights information at the polling place;
• Further limit acceptable IDs, without proposing acceptable alternatives, preventing eligible citizens from registering to vote, and properly registered voters from exercising their right to vote;
• Force more voters to vote by provisional ballots, which have a higher rate of rejection;
• Increase the frequency of “list maintenance programs” causing more validly registered voters to be removed from the voter rolls;
• Extend the deadline for making accessible paper (marksense) ballots available for disabled Floridians, relegating voters with disabilities to four additional years of voting on second class touch screen voting systems;
• Impose unnecessary and onerous restrictions on third-party voter registration groups. This would have the direct effect of decreasing electoral participation by Floridians who are significantly more likely to register through these drives, especially eligible Black and Latino voters; and
• Impose unnecessary and onerous restrictions on groups that collect citizen petitions for ballot measures, making it harder for regular citizens as compared to well-financed corporate interests to get measures on the ballot.
Thank you for taking time to make your voice heard. We appreciate your continued support of the ACLU of Florida’s work to defend civil liberties in the Sunshine State!
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The American Civil Liberties Union of Florida is freedom's watchdog, working daily in the courts, legislatures and communities to defend individual rights and personal freedoms guaranteed by the Constitution and the Bill of Rights.
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This email was sent by the ACLU of Florida to jim.callahan.orlando@gmail.com.
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