Business & Politics News and Discussions

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Kansas election law ruled unconstitutional as federal judge sides with voter advocates
https://www.yahoo.com/news/kansas-elect ... GlOJb8fpEq
Opinion | Democracy Docket

A federal judge struck down portions of a controversial Kansas election law on Thursday, ruling them unconstitutional.

U.S. District Court Judge Kathryn Vratil struck down provisions in statute KSA 25-1122 banning out-of-state entities from mailing advance ballot applications and prohibiting the applications from containing any pre-filled information.

Both provisions had previously been temporarily blocked, and Vratil last year permanently enjoined the state from enforcing the out-of-state mail provisions.

That left only the personalized application ban remaining to address in Thursday's ruling from the federal courthouse in Kansas City, Kan.

"Defendants have not established that the Personalized Application Prohibition is narrowly tailored to achieve the state's alleged interests in the enhancement of public confidence in the integrity of the electoral process and avoiding fraud, the avoidance of voter confusion or the facilitation of orderly and efficient election administration," Vratil wrote. "The Personalized Application Prohibition cannot withstand strict scrutiny and is therefore an unconstitutional infringement on plaintiff’s First Amendment rights to speech and association."

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DeSantis Signs Bill to Void Disney Development Deals

May 5, 2023 at 4:40 pm EDT By Taegan Goddard 51 Comments

https://politicalwire.com/2023/05/05/de ... ent-deals/

"SNIP........

“Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis on Friday signed legislation that effectively voids the development agreements Disney struck shortly before the governor chose a new board of supervisors to oversee the company’s Orlando parks,” CNBC reports.

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OR: Senate president clamps down on absences as walkout continues
Senate President Rob Wagner promised senators he would only grant excused absences for extraordinary circumstances when the GOP-led walkout persisted into its third day on Friday.

On Saturday, as the Senate failed to reach its required two-thirds quorum for the fourth day, Wagner, D-Lake Oswego, is enforcing that – even for senators who want time off for religious observances.

Ten senators had unexcused absences, all of them Republicans except for Sen. Brian Boquist, I-Dallas. That’s twice the number of unexcused absences for the first three days of the walkout. Two other senators, one Republican and one Democrat, had excused absences.

Twenty senators are needed for a quorum. No Democratic senators had an unexcused absence.

Republican senators say they’re protesting an unconstitutional process of passing bills that fails to meet about an eighth-grade reading level. Democratic Senate leaders say the Republicans are trying to block a vote on House Bill 2002, House Bill 2002, a reproductive and gender-affirming health care measure.

One of those absent on Saturday, Sen. Cedric Hayden, R-Fall Creek. Hayden had requested to be absent Saturday and the seven remaining Saturdays in the session. The reason: “duties scheduled as elder of my church,” Hayden wrote in the request, noting that he is scheduled to preach on Saturday.

https://oregoncapitalchronicle.com/2023 ... continues/

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18-to-20-year-olds can’t be barred from buying handguns, judge rules
https://www.washingtonpost.com/dc-md-va ... year-olds/

A federal judge in Virginia has declared unconstitutional a set of laws and regulations that prohibit federally licensed firearms dealers from selling handguns to 18-to-20-year-olds, finding that the measures violated the Second Amendment.

“Because the statutes and regulations in question are not consistent with our Nation’s history and tradition, they, therefore, cannot stand,” U.S. District Judge Robert E. Payne, who sits in Richmond, concluded in a 71-page opinion.

Advocates say the decision, if allowed to stand, would significantly increase gun access for a population that research shows is more impulsive and responsible for a disproportionate number of fatal shootings. But attorneys on both sides of the case said they expected the Justice Department to appeal and request a stay, which would prevent Payne’s ruling from taking effect while higher courts weigh the case.

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Ramaswamy proposes raising voting age to 25, unless people serve in military or pass a test

By MEG KINNARD
May 12, 2023

COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) — Republican presidential hopeful Vivek Ramaswamy on Thursday voiced support for changing the overall U.S. voting age to 25, unless younger Americans fulfill at least six months of service in the military or as a first responder — or pass the same citizenship test administered to those seeking to become naturalized citizens.

Ramaswamy’s campaign announced the biotech entrepreneur and “anti-woke” activist’s push for a U.S. Constitutional amendment promoting “civic duty voting,” which he announced in a news release and detailed during a campaign event in Urbandale, Iowa.

Revising the Constitution is no simple task, requiring overwhelming support in Congress and in state legislatures. Still, Ramaswamy said in his release that the “absence of national pride is a serious threat to the future of our country” and argued his proposal “can create a sense of shared purpose and responsibility amongst young Americans to become educated citizens.”

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Read more: https://apnews.com/article/vivek-ramasw ... 7b027f4ab9

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I have no idea about how reliable Joseph Allen or Distractify is, but MSN carried a news story by Allen indicating that Ingram was not fired. I guess we will know for sure in the next few days.

Fox News Is Standing by Laura Ingraham Following Reports That She Was Fired
by Jospeh Allen
“One Hour Ago”

Introduction:

(Distractify) For many regular viewers of Fox News, it may seem unthinkable to suggest that Laura Ingraham could be fired from the network. Of course, the same could have been said about Tucker Carlson, which is why so many interested viewers have taken rumors about Laura quite seriously.

The rumors that Laura would be fired first started spreading following a story in The Drudge Report which suggested that Fox would be significantly revamping its primetime lineup. Now, many want to know what the exact status of Laura's job is. Has Fox News really fired her?
Was Laura Ingraham fired from Fox?

Despite the rumors that have been spread by Drudge, it seems like Fox News is standing by Laura. The network released a statement suggesting that Laura was still with the network, although the statement also made some wonder whether she might be moving to a new time slot.

“Reports based on various tweets by left wing activists are wildly inaccurate — Laura Ingraham, the top-rated woman in cable news, is now and will continue to be a prominent host and integral part of the Fox News lineup,” the statement read.

Read more here: https://www.msn.com/en-us/tv/news/fox- ... AA1bmsp5