Good News to report.
from TPM.com:
North Carolina Dem Governor Vetoes GOP Voter-ID Bill
North Carolina Gov. Bev Perdue (D) has vetoed a Voter-ID bill passed by the Republican-controlled state legislature. The proposed law was part of a wave of similar bills that have been pushed by Republican-led legislatures in the wake of the 2010 elections. Like those, it would have required voters to show certain approved forms of photo identification at their polling places, or else cast provisional ballots and then have to prove their eligibility later.
"This bill, as written, will unnecessarily and unfairly disenfranchise many eligible and legitimate voters," Perdue wrote in her veto announcement.
She also added an allusion to North Carolina's past as a segregated, Jim Crow state before the Civil Rights movement: "There was a time in North Carolina history when the right to vote was enjoyed only by some citizens rather than by all. That time is past, and we should not revisit it."
Perdue's veto is likely to succeed, rather than be overridden. The CBS affiliate in Raleigh points out that while the bill had passed the state Senate by a veto-proof margin, it had in fact only passed the state House by a margin of 62-51, short of the 72 votes that would be needed to override the veto in that chamber.
Perdue's full veto message:
Governor Perdue Vetoes House Bill 351
Calls on Legislature to Pass Bill that Protects Votes Instead of Taking Them Away
Gov. Bev Perdue today vetoed House Bill 351 and issued the following statement:
"The right to choose our leaders is among the most precious freedoms we have - both as Americans and North Carolinians. North Carolinians who are eligible to vote have a constitutionally guaranteed right to cast their ballots, and no one should put up obstacles to citizens exercising that right.
"We must always be vigilant in protecting the integrity of our elections. But requiring every voter to present a government-issued photo ID is not the way to do it. This bill, as written, will unnecessarily and unfairly disenfranchise many eligible and legitimate voters. The legislature should pass a less extreme bill that allows for other forms of identification, such as those permitted under federal law.
"There was a time in North Carolina history when the right to vote was enjoyed only by some citizens rather than by all. That time is past, and we should not revisit it.
"Therefore, I veto this bill."
This is another reason why midterm elections count. This is the second Democratic Governor that has vetoed the attempt at GOP Voter Suppression. Remember, the Governor of Missouri also vetoed a GOP Voter Suppression Bill.
From New Hampshire.
From TPM.com:
New Hampshire Governor Vetoes Photo ID Bill, Says There's No Fraud Problem In State
Democratic New Hampshire Gov. John Lynch vetoed a voter identification law on Monday night because he said it "creates a real risk that New Hampshire voters will be denied their right to vote."
"Voter turnout in New Hampshire is among the highest in the nation, election after election. There is no voter fraud problem in New Hampshire. We already have strong elections laws that are effective in regulating our elections," Lynch said, Reuters reports.
But state lawmakers might still have the numbers to override Lynch's veto, as they have done with several recent pieces of legislation. The House passed the bill with a veto-proof majority, but the Senate fell short of the two-thirds required to overcome a veto, with a vote of 14-9, according to the Union Leader.
Good for him. A reminder once again - the FALSE PREMISE OF VOTER FRAUD is what the GOP has used as the reason to pass all these VOTER SUPPRESSION Laws.
From Ohio:
Ohio voter I.D. bill hits roadblock:
Ohio’s new proposed voter identification bill – potentially one of the strictest in the country – just hit a serious roadblock. Ohio’s Republican Secretary of State Jon Husted just signaled that he’s against the bill as currently written, calling its provisions “rigid.”
According to a statement, Husted said, “I want to be perfectly clear, when I began working with the General Assembly to improve Ohio’s elections system it was never my intent to reject valid votes. I would rather have no bill than one with a rigid photo identification provision that does little to protect against fraud and excludes legally registered voters’ ballots from counting.”
As we reported earlier this month, Ohio’s proposed voter identification bill would make a government-issued photo I.D. (like a driver’s license or a military I.D.) the sole form of identification voters can use on election day. The bill would eliminate many of the other forms of I.D. that are currently acceptable under Ohio law.
Is he concerned about Voter Suppression?
IMO, color me cynical, but this smells more like, ' I'm not going to let John Kasich and the other Republicans drag me down come next election time.'
But, I'll take good news, no matter how it happens.
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