skip to main content
skip to newscasts

Tuesday, March 11, 2025

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

Judge temporarily blocks effort to deport Palestinian activist who helped lead Columbia student protests; Power of rural organizing reflected in SD carbon pipeline law; Safety at risk as budget cuts hit Indiana Dunes National Park; Barriers to tracking bird flu mount amid federal changes.

view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

House Democrats won't back the GOP budget bill. Ontario reacts to Trump trade moves by enacting energy export tariffs, and a new report finds mass deportations don t help the labor market.

view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

Immigrant communities are getting advice from advocates as the reach of ICE expands, experts in rural America urge lawmakers to ramp up protections against elder abuse, and a multi-state arts projects seeks to close the urban-rural divide.

Southern groups mobilize to empower voters, protect democracy

play audio
Play

Monday, April 1, 2024   

Southern groups are mobilizing to protect democracy and empower voters to address the issues that impact their communities, including in North Carolina.

The groups Alabama Values and Southern Leadership for Voter Engagement hosted a roundtable discussion, called As Goes the South, to shed light on the legislative developments happening across the region - from voting rights and reproductive rights, to diversity, equity, and inclusion.

Rhyane Wagner, senior policy manager with the Black Voters Matter Fund, said some lawmakers have worked to pass bills that negatively affect voter turnout.

"They're manifesting in changes to early voting locations and drop boxes - the removal of drop boxes, if you will," said Wagner. "The erosion of gubernatorial powers - like in North Carolina, they've eroded the powers of Roy Cooper, in terms of who he selects for the Board of Elections."

According to the Brennan Center, since the 2013 Supreme Court decision in Shelby County v Holder, the gap in voter participation between white and nonwhite voters has been expanding.

Before that, states and localities with a history of racial discrimination in their voting practices had to get federal approval of any changes to election policies.

Jerome Dees, policy director with the Southern Poverty Law Center, said these trends signal an urgent need to reimagine advocacy and engage grassroots organizations in communities.

"This is a concerted effort that is being waged against these communities of color," said Dees, "with the hopes that we just throw up our hands and say, 'You know what? We give in. You win.' But it's important that we understand that tactic and brace ourselves, and rely upon community."

The speakers at the roundtable emphasized the importance of collaborating regionally, diversifying candidates, and mobilizing funds to support campaigns aimed at effecting change.

They agreed that local support plays a crucial role in driving long-term policy transformation to improve marginalized communities.




get more stories like this via email

more stories
A solar project in Dayton was made possible through a solar-power purchase agreement with IGS Energy, approved by the Dayton City Commission last Wednesday after a four-year evaluation process, including a feasibility study to ensure sufficient power capacity. (Yeivaz/Adobe Stock)

Environment

play sound

Ohio is seeing a growing number of solar energy projects, including the first utility-scale installation in Dayton, which will help power a key water …


Environment

play sound

By Nina B. Elkadi for Sentient.Broadcast version by Judith Ruiz-Branch for Illinois News Connection reporting for the Sentient-Public News Service …

Environment

play sound

Researchers at Colorado State University have found the state's nearly 23 million acres of forests are currently releasing more carbon dioxide into th…


Polluted, acidic water leaving KD #1 Surface Mine on Lens Creek near Marmet. (Kanawha Forest Coalition)

Environment

play sound

Watchdog groups said the West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection seems poised to allow coal company Keystone West Virginia to walk away f…

Social Issues

play sound

A Missouri children's advocate is urging the justice system to focus on healing for youths, noting trauma and broken relationships often drive their …

Conservation experts would like to see more farms use drip or sprinkler systems, which are more efficient than flooding for irrigation. (Deyan Georgiev/Adobe Stock)

Environment

play sound

By Gabriella Sotelo for Sentient.Broadcast version by Suzanne Potter for California News Service reporting for the Sentient-Public News Service Collab…

play sound

New research finds Black working women still face rampant discrimination in the Golden State. The California Black Women's Collective Empowerment …

Health and Wellness

play sound

By Nina B. Elkadi for Sentient.Broadcast version by Nadia Ramlagan for Kentucky News Connection reporting for the Sentient-Public News Service …

 

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