Latest news with #U.S.DepartmentofJustice
15 hours ago
- Politics
Wisconsin Elections Commission votes to let small communities hand count ballots
MADISON, Wis. -- Wisconsin communities with fewer than 7,500 people can hand count ballots under a decision by the state elections commission this week. However, under the Wisconsin Elections Commission decision, those communities and all other Wisconsin towns, villages and cities must still comply with federal law and provide at least one electronic voting machine at a polling location to accommodate voters with disabilities. The commission's decision Tuesday came in reaction to a complaint against the northwestern Wisconsin town of Thornapple, population about 700, over its decision to hand count ballots in the April 2024 presidential primary or the August state primary. The decision also comes as a federal lawsuit over Thornapple's decision not to have an accessible voting machine continues. A federal judge in October sided with the U.S. Department of Justice and ruled Thornapple was violating 2002's Help America Vote Act, or HAVA. The judge ordered the town to offer disabled people accessible voting machines. An appeal by the town is pending. Under the commission's decision this week, communities with fewer than 7,500 people can choose to have no other electronic vote-casting or tabulating machines other than one for disabled voters. Elections commission staff determined state law makes it optional for communities with fewer than 7,500 people to provide voting machines in every ward in every election. The law says those communities may 'adopt and purchase voting machines or electronic voting systems for use in any ward … at any election.' Republican commissioner Bob Spindell said the decision will give smaller communities more flexibility, especially in low-turnout local elections. But But Democratic Commissioner Ann Jacobs, who cast the lone no vote, said she worried small communities could game the system by selling voting machines purchased with funding from a state grant and then keep the money. The complaint against Thornapple was filed by the liberal law firm Law Forward on behalf of two Thornapple residents. A spokesperson for the law firm did not immediately return an email seeking comment Friday. The commission's decision could be appealed to circuit court.
Yahoo
15 hours ago
- General
- Yahoo
Wisconsin Elections Commission votes to let small communities hand count ballots
MADISON, Wis. (AP) — Wisconsin communities with fewer than 7,500 people can hand count ballots under a decision by the state elections commission this week. However, under the Wisconsin Elections Commission decision, those communities and all other Wisconsin towns, villages and cities must still comply with federal law and provide at least one electronic voting machine at a polling location to accommodate voters with disabilities. The commission's decision Tuesday came in reaction to a complaint against the northwestern Wisconsin town of Thornapple, population about 700, over its decision to hand count ballots in the April 2024 presidential primary or the August state primary. The decision also comes as a federal lawsuit over Thornapple's decision not to have an accessible voting machine continues. A federal judge in October sided with the U.S. Department of Justice and ruled Thornapple was violating 2002's Help America Vote Act, or HAVA. The judge ordered the town to offer disabled people accessible voting machines. An appeal by the town is pending. Under the commission's decision this week, communities with fewer than 7,500 people can choose to have no other electronic vote-casting or tabulating machines other than one for disabled voters. Elections commission staff determined state law makes it optional for communities with fewer than 7,500 people to provide voting machines in every ward in every election. The law says those communities may 'adopt and purchase voting machines or electronic voting systems for use in any ward … at any election.' Republican commissioner Bob Spindell said the decision will give smaller communities more flexibility, especially in low-turnout local elections. But But Democratic Commissioner Ann Jacobs, who cast the lone no vote, said she worried small communities could game the system by selling voting machines purchased with funding from a state grant and then keep the money. The complaint against Thornapple was filed by the liberal law firm Law Forward on behalf of two Thornapple residents. A spokesperson for the law firm did not immediately return an email seeking comment Friday. The commission's decision could be appealed to circuit court.
Winnipeg Free Press
15 hours ago
- Politics
- Winnipeg Free Press
Wisconsin Elections Commission votes to let small communities hand count ballots
MADISON, Wis. (AP) — Wisconsin communities with fewer than 7,500 people can hand count ballots under a decision by the state elections commission this week. However, under the Wisconsin Elections Commission decision, those communities and all other Wisconsin towns, villages and cities must still comply with federal law and provide at least one electronic voting machine at a polling location to accommodate voters with disabilities. The commission's decision Tuesday came in reaction to a complaint against the northwestern Wisconsin town of Thornapple, population about 700, over its decision to hand count ballots in the April 2024 presidential primary or the August state primary. The decision also comes as a federal lawsuit over Thornapple's decision not to have an accessible voting machine continues. A federal judge in October sided with the U.S. Department of Justice and ruled Thornapple was violating 2002's Help America Vote Act, or HAVA. The judge ordered the town to offer disabled people accessible voting machines. An appeal by the town is pending. Under the commission's decision this week, communities with fewer than 7,500 people can choose to have no other electronic vote-casting or tabulating machines other than one for disabled voters. Elections commission staff determined state law makes it optional for communities with fewer than 7,500 people to provide voting machines in every ward in every election. The law says those communities may 'adopt and purchase voting machines or electronic voting systems for use in any ward … at any election.' Republican commissioner Bob Spindell said the decision will give smaller communities more flexibility, especially in low-turnout local elections. But But Democratic Commissioner Ann Jacobs, who cast the lone no vote, said she worried small communities could game the system by selling voting machines purchased with funding from a state grant and then keep the money. The complaint against Thornapple was filed by the liberal law firm Law Forward on behalf of two Thornapple residents. A spokesperson for the law firm did not immediately return an email seeking comment Friday. The commission's decision could be appealed to circuit court.
Axios
20 hours ago
- Politics
- Axios
George Floyd protests 5 years later: A night that shook Cleveland
Five years ago, the killing of George Floyd by a Minneapolis police officer set off full-scale protests in cities around the country, including Cleveland. Why it matters: Several hours of violence and civil unrest downtown changed the way law enforcement handled public demonstrations moving forward. Flashback: In the early afternoon on May 30, 2020 — five days after Floyd's death — more than 1,000 people descended the Free Stamp downtown, according to the city of Cleveland's detailed accounting of events. By 3pm, a growing crowd had marched to the Justice Center on Ontario Street, home of police headquarters. Within the next hour, protesters began hitting windows at the Justice Center and throwing garbage cans, bottles and eggs at officers gathered in front of the building. Officers used pepper ball canisters, pepper spray and rubber bullets to try to push protesters back. Yes, but: Violence escalated with protesters reportedly attacking officers and setting fire to police vehicles. Just after 4pm, police chief Calvin Williams ordered all active officers to go downtown in full riot gear. The big picture: As violence continued at the Justice Center, riots spread to areas including West 6th Street and Public Square. Over the next several hours, businesses, vehicles and other properties throughout downtown were looted and vandalized. There were reports of people wielding weapons, including guns. Mayor Frank Jackson issued a downtown curfew that went into effect at 8pm. An hour later, Williams ordered officers to arrest anyone still downtown. Rioting continued until police had cleared most of downtown around midnight. More than 70 people were arrested, according to the city's report. What they said:"I believe we did the job that we needed to do at that time," Jackson said during a briefing the following day. "Were there lessons learned? Yes. Could we do things better now than we did then? Yes. Did we desire a better outcome? Yes. But what happened, happened. And our police officers stepped up and did their job." 💭 My thought bubble: Watching the events of May 30 via live feeds on social media was surreal. Cleveland resembled what you would see watching documentaries on the Civil Rights Movement of the 1960s. The aftermath In February 2021, the team monitoring Cleveland Police's adherence to the 2015 consent decree with the U.S. Department of Justice to reform the police division, filed a report on the events of May 30. State of play: An investigation found inconsistencies in the police reporting its use of force and inconsistent use of body cameras. In 2022, Cleveland was ordered to pay a $540,000 civil settlement to a dozen arrested protesters. Between the lines: It was also determined that police were not adequately prepared to handle such protests, especially given that other similar demonstrations had already occurred around the country. The Downtown Cleveland Alliance reported that over 100 businesses suffered more than $6 million in riot damages. In 2023, the Cleveland Division of Police revised its policies in dealing with civil disturbances. An order called for police to "protect constitutional rights related to assembly and free speech, effectively manage crowds to prevent loss of life, injury, or property damage and minimize disruptions to persons who are not involved." By some accounts, local progress on police reform has been slow, though steady in recent years. Meanwhile, the Trump administration's recent desire to end consent decrees has cast uncertainty about the future of police reform in several cities. Yes, but: While unveiling the city's 2025 summer safety plan, Mayor Justin Bibb reasserted a focus on police reform and accountability.
a day ago
- Politics
Track-and-field final in spotlight for rule change after trans athlete's success
SACRAMENTO, Calif. -- California's high school track-and-field state championships starting Friday are set to be the testing ground for a new participation and medaling policy for competitions that include transgender athletes. The California Interscholastic Federation will let an additional student compete and potentially offer an extra medal in three events in which a trans athlete is competing. The athlete, high school junior AB Hernandez, is the second seed in the triple jump and will also participate in the long jump and high jump. It may be the first effort by a high school sports governing body to expand participation when trans athletes are participating, and it reflects efforts to find a middle ground in the debate over trans girls' participation in youth sports. 'The CIF values all of our student-athletes and we will continue to uphold our mission of providing students with the opportunity to belong, connect, and compete while complying with California law,' the group said in a statement after announcing its rule change. State law allows trans students to compete on sex-segregated sports teams consistent with their gender identity. President Donald Trump threatened this week to pull federal funding from California unless it bars trans female athletes from competing on girls teams. The U.S. Department of Justice also said it would investigate the state federation and the district that includes Hernandez's high school to determine whether they violated federal sex discrimination law by allowing trans girls to compete in girls sports. The meet, which is taking place at a high school near Fresno, will open up the girls triple jump, long jump and high jump to one additional athlete each who would have qualified had Hernandez not participated. Hernandez will compete in the preliminaries Friday for a chance to advance to the finals Saturday. Under the pilot policy, if a transgender athlete medals, their ranking would not displace a 'biological female' student from medaling, the federation said. The federation said the rule would open the field to more 'biological female' athletes. One expert said the change may itself be discriminatory because it creates an extra spot for 'biological female' athletes but not for other trans athletes. The federation did not specify how they define 'biological female' or how they would verify whether a competitor meets that definition. Medical experts say gender is a spectrum, not a binary structure consisting of only males and females. The two-day meet is expected to draw attention from a coalition of protesting parents and students. Critics have objected Hernandez's participation and heckled her in qualifying events earlier this month. Leaders from the conservative California Family Council joined Republican state lawmakers Thursday for a press conference blasting the policy change and saying Hernandez shouldn't be allowed to compete. 'If they have to create special exceptions and backdoor rule changes to placate frustrated athletes, that's not equality, that's a confession," Sophia Lorey, the council's outreach director, said in a statement. 'Girls' sports should be for girls, full stop.' CIF Executive Director Ron Nocetti urged participants and bystanders to behave respectfully toward all student-athletes in a message shared in the championship program. A recent AP-NORC poll found that about 7 in 10 U.S. adults think transgender female athletes should not be allowed to participate in girls and women's sports at the high school, college or professional level. That view was shared by about 9 in 10 Republicans and roughly half of Democrats. Trump won Fresno County, where the meet will be held, in 2024. Hernandez told the publication Capital & Main earlier this month that she couldn't worry about critics. 'I'm still a child, you're an adult, and for you to act like a child shows how you are as a person,' she said. She noted that she has lost some of her events, saying that disproved arguments that she can't be beat. Hernandez is expected to perform well, particularly in the triple jump, in which she has a personal best of over 41 feet (12.5 meters). That is more than 3 feet (1 meter) short of a national record set in 2019. She's the fifth seed in the long jump but ranked much lower in the high jump. California's state championship stands out from that of other states because of the number of competitors athletes are up against to qualify. More than 57,000 high schoolers participated in outdoor track and field in California during the 2023-2024 school year, according to a survey by the National Federation of State High School Associations. California had the second-largest number of high school outdoor track-and-field athletes, only behind Texas. Of the 12 high school athletes who have set national records in the girls triple jump between 1984 and 2019, eight have been from California, according to the national sports governing body. Davis Whitfield, the national federation's chief operating officer, called a state championship 'the pinnacle' for high school student-athletes. 'It's certainly a once-in-a-lifetime experience in some cases to participate in a state championship event," he said.
