SACRAMENTO, Calif. - Voting rights groups are praising the 'VoteSafe Act of 2020,' introduced in Congress yesterday by California Democratic Sen. Kamala Harris.
The bill would set aside $5 billion to expand voting by mail and early voting ahead of the November presidential election. Matt Barreto, professor of political science at UCLA and faculty director of the UCLA Voting Rights Project, says California already allows permanent, no-excuse absentee voting and early voting - so it isn't out of the question for other states.
"Some of the more rural counties have already transitioned to 100% vote-by-mail, and do automatically send out ballots to all voters," says Barreto. "So, we're already seeing that in parts of California."
President Donald Trump believes voting by mail would hurt GOP candidates, but a recent UCLA study shows that no party gains an advantage, and red states like Utah and Arizona have used mail-in ballots for years. In addition, the study found that the incidence voter fraud is so minuscule as to make it a nonissue.
The bill would also require all states to allow 20 days of early voting. Baretto points out that the COVID-19 crisis had made it unsafe for voters to wait in long lines, crowd into polling places and touch voting machines used by hundreds of other people.
"The more options we give, that means that there's less people that have to go to the polls on Election Day and risk their health," says Barreto.
He notes that making voting more convenient is especially helpful to low-income voters who may not be able to take time off work to wait in voting lines.
Sen. Harris' bill would also provide grants for states and explore ways to allow curbside voting, to share wait times at polling places, and to make elections more accessible for voters with disabilities.
Support for this reporting was provided by the Carnegie Foundation of New York.
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Former President Jimmy Carter, who passed away on Sunday at 100 years of age, had a huge effect on the Golden State far beyond his presidency, according to California nonprofit leaders.
Carter and his wife Rosalynn volunteered for four decades with Habitat for Humanity, helping to build more than 200 homes in California and more than 4,000 nationwide.
Erin Rank, president and CEO of Habitat for Humanity of Greater Los Angeles, said his selfless example has inspired thousands of people over the years.
"We hear from the homeowners who talk about the impact that had on the trajectory of their life," Rank explained. "Both to have a stable place to live but also to have a president who was humble enough to show up and get his hands dirty and really build."
Rank noted she will join a number of families helped by the Carters to pay homage in Washington, D.C., next week when he lies in state at the Capitol Rotunda. Carter's influence is still widely felt, as he fought to desegregate schools and founded the Department of Education. He also created the cabinet-level Department of Energy and was the first to put solar panels on the White House.
Jimmy Carter was also a leader in civil rights.
Jorge Reyes Salinas, communications director for Equality California, said Carter was the first chief executive to invite LGBTQ+ people to the White House.
"Even stating that Jesus would be accepting of same-sex marriage, which -- as a Christian at that time -- it was a huge message for the American people to have those conversations," Salinas recounted.
Carter was also a major opposition figure condemning the failed Briggs initiative in 1978, a proposition on the California ballot that would have banned LGBTQ+ people from teaching in public schools.
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With the Montana Legislature scheduled to gavel in next week, conservation leaders are looking ahead at ways to protect the state's public lands, waterways and air quality.
Conservation groups are concerned the state's entire federal delegation and top statewide offices are now in the hands of anticonservation leaders.
Sen. Pat Flowers, D-Belgrade, said given the loss of some environmental and conservation advocates it is important to protect the progress Montana has made, especially when it comes to water quality.
"Now more than ever, we have to stay incredibly vigilant about any erosion at all," Flowers emphasized.
Conservation groups said an anticonservation supermajority in the legislature was broken by picking up a dozen seats with candidates who support conservation efforts.
Longtime U.S. Sen. Jon Tester, D-Mont., lost his reelection bid to Republican Tim Sheehy, despite being credited with protecting Montana's public lands and waterways. It is the first time in more than 110 years Montana has had a federal delegation advocates consider ant-conservation.
Niki Zupanic, conservation advocate and former deputy director and staff attorney at Upper Seven Law, said it will be important to craft a message for moderate lawmakers.
"Who are thinking about tourism, who are thinking about why people come to Montana to recreate here," Zupanic stressed.
Zupanic also highlighted a nonpartisan supporter of the environmentally friendly Montana Constitution being elected to the state Supreme Court as a bright spot for the state in 2025.
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As the world reflects on the life and legacy of former President Jimmy Carter, the Reverend Mashaun D. Simon sees a man whose ministry and authenticity continued to shape lives well beyond his time in the White House.
Carter, who taught Sunday school and welcomed thousands of visitors to Plains, Georgia, during his post-presidency years, left an indelible mark on those who encountered him.
Simon, who is studying pastoral theology and grief, sees Carter's passing as an opportunity for societal reflection. He believes it calls for a renewed commitment to continuing Carter's work.
"It's a sad moment because he is so cherished but I think also it's a watershed moment for us to be reminded to find the best ways to be impactful in our lives," Simon explained. "Creating not necessarily the same legacy that he did, but one that can be just as honorable."
Carter, the 39th U.S. president, passed away Sunday at age 100 in his Plains, Georgia, home. More than 40 years ago, he was a little-known Democratic candidate when he unexpectedly defeated Republican incumbent Gerald Ford in the 1976 presidential election.
Simon recalls meeting former President Carter and his wife, Rosalynn, during his senior year at Emory University, where, as student body president of the Theology School, he gave the blessing and invocation at a school dinner attended by the Carters.
"It was a great opportunity, very unexpected," Simon recounted. "I had no clue that when I ran to be student body president that one of the privileges of that experience would be to have an opportunity to sit down with former President Carter and his wife Rosalynn."
Carter is known as much for his post-presidency humanitarian efforts as for his time in the White House. He leaves behind a profound example of leadership rooted in compassion. Simon urged others to honor Carter's legacy by striving to create their own positive impact.
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