skip to main content
skip to newscasts

Monday, April 7, 2025

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

U.S. stock futures plunge ahead of Monday open as Trump tariff shock continues; AZ voting rights advocates oppose Trump's election order; OR hunger-fighting groups call USDA food program cuts 'cruel;' Debate over school vouchers in TX moves to House floor.

view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

White House economic plans dominate the headlines, but actions on elections and voting rules are sparking debate. Local groups voice concerns about the future of immigration, health care and nutrition.

view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

The proposed dismantling of the Depart. of Education has rural schools scared, postal carriers say USPS changes will hurt rural communities most, fiber networks to improve internet may be supplanted by Musk's satellites, and it's time to PLAY BALL!

Voting rights advocates warn SAVE Act could block voters in GA, U.S.

play audio
Play

Tuesday, March 4, 2025   

The U.S. House is preparing to vote on the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility Act, a bill voting rights groups said would block millions from registering to vote.

The legislation requires proof of citizenship, such as a passport, military papers or an original birth certificate, documents many Georgians do not have on hand.

Lauren Groh-Wargo, CEO of the advocacy group Fair Fight Action, called it the "Voter Cancel Act," arguing it would strip voting rights from young people, women and marginalized communities.

"We shouldn't be passing bills in Congress to take away 21 million Americans' rights," Groh-Wargo contended. "In Georgia, here, not only is it about 80,000 folks we estimate don't have that documentation."

Supporters of the bill claim it would strengthen election security by ensuring only U.S. citizens can vote in federal elections. But Groh-Wargo pointed out there is no evidence of widespread noncitizen voting and warns the measure could lead to more voter roll purges, an issue which has already affected many Georgians.

She said Fair Fight Action is working to educate voters on the bill's potential impact and urging them to engage with their representatives. Groh-Wargo also noted the bill could have major consequences for online registration.

"Every year in Georgia, many Georgians get registered to vote through automatic voter registration," Groh-Wargo emphasized. "That is when you go get your license or update your license, you're automatically reregistered to vote."

Sarah Harris, director of media engagement for the nonprofit Stand Up America, said the bill would be especially burdensome for rural voters and married women, many of whom have birth certificates which do not match their current legal names. She warned similar laws in other states have already prevented people from voting.

"A lot of people do not have readily available their birth certificates or their passport," Harris stressed. "And when this was tried in other states, like Kansas, let's say, they had a similar law, 31,000 eligible American citizens in the state were actually blocked from registering to vote."

Harris called the bill a "de facto poll tax," noting getting a passport costs $130. She added Stand Up America has mobilized its members to send more than 60,000 emails urging lawmakers to reject the measure before the upcoming vote.


get more stories like this via email

more stories
Senate Bill 766 would prohibit California car dealers from selling add-ons that fail to benefit the buyer, such as service contracts that are invalid because the car was damaged in a prior crash or flood. (Nebojsa/Adobe Stock)

Social Issues

play sound

A new bill to make car shopping more transparent goes before the California Senate Transportation Committee Tuesday. Senate Bill 766 would require …


Environment

play sound

Appalachian communities in Kentucky are poised to become manufacturing hubs for the wind energy industry, experts say. The region's workforce…

Social Issues

play sound

By Josh Israel for the Wisconsin Independent.Broadcast version by Judith Ruiz-Branch for Wisconsin News Connection reporting for the Wisconsin Indepen…


School vouchers, a program that would allow students to use public money to pay for private school tuition, has become a hot-button issue in Texas, pitting Republicans against one another. (KatMoy/Adobe Stock)

Social Issues

play sound

After several weeks of public comment, bills addressing school finance in Texas will be presented to the House of Representatives. House Bill 2 is …

Environment

play sound

The Comanche 3 coal-fired power plant in Pueblo, Colo., is set to close in just six years -- and community leaders, regulators, and Xcel are …

Environment

play sound

Minnesota is considered a national leader for community solar opportunities but a successful state program expanding solar access would end in the nex…

Environment

play sound

Wyoming's practice of feeding elk over winters is a century old but the spread of disease has increased concerns. Now, the Greater Yellowstone …

 

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