“Around 67,000 felons who had their voting rights restored in Florida have since registered to vote, a justice reform group said Monday as the state began in-person voting. Voters overwhelmingly approved an amendment to the Florida constitution in 2018 that restored voting rights to an estimated 1.4 million people who had completed “all terms” of their sentences. The state had previously instituted a lifetime ban on voting for those with felony convictions, and while lawmakers and court challenges have added additional hurdles (including requirements those with criminal convictions pay court fines and fees), civil rights groups have hailed the shift as a historic means to enfranchise many in the swing state. “There is no doubt in my mind that there are thousands upon thousands of energized and inspired returning citizens throughout the state that will not be denied, that will be a voice, and will have an impact in determining who wins Florida,” Desmond Meade, executive director of the Florida Rights Restoration Coalition, said Monday, according to Politico. @desmondmeade says that at age 53 this will be the first time he has ever voted in a presidential election.Calls it an \”exciting\” and \”historical\” moment for those who have gotten their voting rights back— Gary Fineout (@fineout) October 19, 2020 The GOP-controlled legislature passed a law in 2018 shortly after voters approved Amendment 4, which required those with criminal convictions to pay restitution, court fines or fees they owed before they could vote. The University of Florida later found nearly 775,000 felons who could qualify to vote owed money under the terms of the new law and would be ineligible if they couldn’t pay them off. Voting rights groups challenged the law, equating it to a “modern-day poll tax,” but after some judicial tussling, the Supreme Court declined to hear the case this summer. Florida had its first day of in-person voting on Monday, and state officials said it was the largest opening day record in history with more than 350,000 ballots cast. Vote by mail figures have also far exceeded expectations due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Florida said more than 2.5 million ballots have been mailed in thus far, compared to 1.2 million during the same timeframe in 2016. The Florida Rights Restoration Coalition helped raise money to pay off fines and fees that could have prevented citizens from registering to vote before Florida’s Oct. 5 deadline. Politico noted Republicans had criticized that effort and a $16 million pledge by billionaire Mike Bloomberg, calling for a formal investigation.
Fox News’ Geraldo Rivera: Trump’s Not Speaking To Me Right Now
112 Views0 Comments0 Likes
["Fox News’ Geraldo Rivera said Tuesday that President Donald Trump isn’t speaking to him because he acknowledges the fact that President-elect Joe Biden won the election. The conservative commentator, who has describ...
Trump Administration Lowballs Unemployment Benefits In New COVID-19 Offer
144 Views0 Comments0 Likes
["The latest stimulus offer from the White House comes with one-time $600 payments for most Americans and a lump of coal for the unemployed. The new proposal offered by Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin swapped the $3...
Biden Selects Marcia Fudge As Housing Secretary, Tom Vilsack For Agriculture
88 Views0 Comments0 Likes
["WASHINGTON (AP) — President-elect Joe Biden has selected Ohio Rep. Marcia Fudge as his housing and urban development secretary and former Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack to reprise that role in his administration,...
Trump: Millions Of Americans Getting COVID-19 Is ‘Terrific’ And A ‘Powerful Vaccine’
130 Views0 Comments0 Likes
["President Donald Trump on Tuesday spun the high number of Americans who have been infected with COVID-19 as “terrific,” claiming falsely that all those cases serve as a “powerful vaccine.” “I think that the vaccine ...
How To Deal With The Co-worker Who Is Constantly Complaining
124 Views0 Comments0 Likes
[]["fizkes via Getty ImagesComplainers may go to you because they feel like they are not being heard anywhere else. Here's how to treat their grievances with compassion.Everyone encounters a constant complainer at som...
MSNBC Names Rashida Jones President, Making History For Major Cable News Networks
175 Views0 Comments0 Likes
["MSNBC has named Rashida Jones its next president, making her the first Black executive to run a major general news cable network, The Wall Street Journal reported. Jones, who currently serves as the senior vice pres...
Bill Nye Explains Why Masks Keep Viruses In Those Pesky ‘Droplets Of Spit And Snot’ At Bay
151 Views0 Comments0 Likes
["Bill Nye explained the science behind face masks in a TikTok video posted on Friday, stressing that their effectiveness in stopping the spread of the coronavirus “is not that hard to understand.” Nye shared two map...