skip to main content
skip to newscasts

Tuesday, February 25, 2025

Public News Service Logo
facebook instagram linkedin reddit youtube twitter
view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

House Speaker Mike Johnson tries to push Trump's 'big' agenda forward, but GOP votes are in jeopardy; NV program to bridge insurance gaps for Native Americans needs more 'buy-in,' More AR families rely on Child Tax Credit, OR consumers face more financial risks with CFPB closure.

view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

Federal employee performance reviews face a confusing moment, Congress debates voting rights, consumer advocates push to reinstate the CFPB, Canadian and Mexican import tariffs raise economic concerns, and environmental groups fight offshore drilling.

view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

The Taos County Sheriff says he won't conduct raids or round ups of immigrants, New Hampshire worries a dearth of charging stations will force tourists driving EVs to pick another vacation destination, and Southern states improve education with workarounds.

CA approves signature gathering for ballot initiative on voter ID

play audio
Play

Thursday, October 26, 2023   

Backers of a proposed ballot initiative to require government ID to vote have just gotten state approval to start gathering signatures.

A group called Reform California, run by conservative radio host Carl DeMaio, is sponsoring the initiative but did not respond to requests for comment. Its website cites concerns about voter fraud.

Jonathan Mehta Stein, executive director at California Common Cause, said cases of voter impersonation are infinitesimal - and voter ID requirements hurt the approximately 10% of Californians who don't have a driver's license or state ID card.

"You would be solving a 'problem' that doesn't really exist," said Stein. "So you're not gaining much. But you are putting barriers in front of young voters, older voters, voters with disabilities and low-income voters. The tradeoffs are not worth it."

The proposal would also add requirements around maintenance of voter rolls - verification of ballot signatures and audits of the election process.

California already has extensive security measures in place to match voters' addresses and signatures with those on file, and noncitizens cannot vote.

Stein said a bill on voter ID is introduced in almost every legislative session.

"It never goes anywhere, and because it's bad policy, and not good for voters," said Stein. "And I think the proponents are sick of losing in the Legislature and have decided to take this to the ballot."

Voters have put Democrats in control of California's executive and legislative branches.

The Reform California website states that so-called "election integrity" measures are necessary to achieve backers' long-term goal to retake power at the state level.

Support for this reporting was provided by the Carnegie Corporation of New York.



get more stories like this via email

more stories
Concentrated animal feeding operations are major polluters of the air and water, yet less than a third in Illinois have National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System permits, which are required when discharging livestock waste. (Adobe Stock)

Environment

play sound

Illinois is known for having some of the weakest environmental laws for concentrated animal feeding operations, with a lack of oversight and public …


Environment

play sound

Several environmental groups concerned about increased offshore drilling have a filed a lawsuit against the Trump administration. The suit …

Environment

play sound

A 1,086-acre property in Putnam County has been secured as part of the ongoing effort to protect the Ocala to Osceola Wildlife Corridor, a critical …


Social Issues

play sound

Tax season is here and North Carolinians should find the relevant financial documents to ensure filing their returns is as smooth as possible…

The U.S. Energy Information Administration said after nearly two decades of stagnation, electricity demand is starting to grow and is not expected to slow at all in the coming years. (Adobe Stock)

Environment

play sound

South Dakota is cited in a new report which argues to avoid an energy crisis, America needs to have a shared vision of what a strong power grid looks …

Health and Wellness

play sound

New research found most Connecticut residents support creating a family caregiver tax credit. The state has 420,000 family caregivers, providing a …

Social Issues

play sound

By Wesley Brown for the Arkansas Delta Informer.Broadcast version by Freda Ross for Arkansas News Service reporting for The Arkansas Delta Informer-Wi…

 

Phone: 303.448.9105 Toll Free: 888.891.9416 Fax: 208.247.1830 Your trusted member- and audience-supported news source since 1996 Copyright © 2021