Breaking News...
Yesterday, the team of Democratic senators working on a voting rights measure that could meet the demands of conservative Democratic West Virginia senator Joe Manchin released their bill. The 592-page document is described as a bill “to expand Americans’ access to the ballot box and reduce the influence of big money in politics, and for other purposes.” Led by Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), the senators have called their effort the “Freedom to Vote Act.”
This new measure is a pared-down version of the For the People Act passed by the House earlier this year before being blocked by Republicans in the Senate. It makes it easier to vote, allowing for automatic voter registration and mail-in voting. It protects the voting rights of minorities and establishes what forms of identification can be required for voter IDs. It makes Election Day a federal holiday and protects election workers from partisan pressure. The bill also tries to slow the flood of “dark money” from undisclosed sources into campaigns and bans partisan gerrymandering.
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—Reminder—
Meet the Candidate: Wade Herring
Tuesday, Sept 21 @ 4-5 pm
Join us as we kick off the 2022 election cycle with an opportunity to meet Savannah attorney Wade Herring, who is challenging Earl "Buddy" Carter for his U.S. House seat representing the first congressional district of Georgia.
"I have dedicated my career to the law, to Georgia, and to the community we share. I believe in the power of our democratic system to overcome the current discord and gridlock, and I can no longer watch from the sidelines. I am stepping forward to work for our community and the people who live here. I will be faithful to the Constitution and a representative for all residents, for we, the people.
"We are at a crossroad. Tomorrow is not promised, and our democracy is not guaranteed. With your help and the help of all the good people of the First District, I will do the hard work necessary to secure the blessings of this country for we, the people—for ourselves, for our children, and for their children’s children."
Topic: Meet the Candidate — Wade Herring
Time: Sep 21, 2021 04:00 PM Eastern Time (US and Canada)
Join Zoom Meeting
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/88417271033?pwd=Vm5kRlFHVS9ZOFA1Z0lJSWl0Y0x6QT09
Meeting ID: 884 1727 1033
Passcode: 406074
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—Save the Date—
Redistricting Panel Discussion
Thursday, Sept 30 @ 5:30–7 pm on ZOOM
The panel will discuss the once-a-decade process that divides Georgia into electoral districts for federal, state, and local offices; the lack of transparency to the process; and the potential for gerrymandering that deprives citizens of the power of their vote.
Our panelists are:
- Greg Bluestein, Political Reporter for the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, whose book on the 2020 Presidential election in Georgia will be published early next year
- Representative Carl Gilliard (Garden City), a member of the Legislative & Congressional Reapportionment Committee which is responsible for drawing the lines
- Ken Lawler, Chairman of FairDistricts Georgia, whose primary focus is to fight gerrymandering
- Adam Van Brimmer, Editorial Page Editor of the Savannah Morning News will moderate the panel
“While the House and Senate Committees held town hall meetings around the state to hear citizens’ comments,” said Nina Altschiller, president of the LWVCGA, “the Committees have not given assurances that the redistricting process itself will be transparent. Given that one party controls all three branches of state government, the potential for gerrymandering is gigantic. The League believes, as our founding fathers intended, that those elected should reflect the electorate, not the other way around. Gerrymandering guarantees the outcome of political contests rather than allowing our votes to carry the full weight of public opinion.”
MEETING INFORMATION:
Join Zoom Meeting at
https://us06web.zoom.us/j/81512705166
Meeting ID: 815 1270 5166
For more information, contact programs@lwvcga.org.
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 6 Ways to Get Your Say in Redistricting Hearings
As states nationwide begin their redistricting processes, it’s important to remember that every state has a process for receiving input from the public on what they want to see in new voting district maps — and concerned citizens can’t afford to sit on the sidelines. Voters’ comments really do make a difference in these hearings, but it’s hard to know how to make sure your voice is heard. Our new explainer features six tips for making sure your contribution is as effective as possible. From being prepared for reduced speaking times to providing specific instructions for map drawers, learn how you can help fight for fair maps.
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Stefanie Lindquist, Arizona State University
The new Texas law that bans most abortions uses a method employed by Texas and other states to enforce racist Jim Crow laws in the 19th and 20th centuries that aimed to disenfranchise African Americans.
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 We’re Suing to Stop Texas’s New Voter Suppression Law
The wave of new laws restricting voting access rolls on. Texas Gov. Greg Abbott has signed a massive and dangerous voter suppression bill into law. It condones harassment of voters and election officials by poll watchers, bans 24-hour and drive-thru voting, and makes it harder for voters with language access barriers or disabilities to get assistance. It also violates three constitutional amendments, the Americans with Disabilities Act, and the Voting Rights Act. The Brennan Center has taken action, filing a lawsuit in federal district court to stop the worst provisions in this cruel and unlawful law. |
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| The new census results make clear that our country’s diversity has grown, with all population growth coming from people of color for the first time in history. The redrawing of electoral districts, however, grants an opportunity for partisan political operatives to kneecap this new multiracial and coalitional America through gerrymandering. Preventing such a disastrous outcome will require bold action by Congress. Crucial reforms in the John R. Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act and the For the People Act would ban partisan gerrymandering and strengthen protections for the communities that need it most. |
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 By the end of Republicans’ long, divisive U.S. Senate primary, it’ll be clear that none of the candidates are focused on the issues that matter most to Georgians – all while Senator Reverend Warnock continues to deliver results for the people of Georgia.
- Herschel Walker’s entrance into Georgia’s chaotic GOP Senate primary is the nightmare scenario that Republicans have spent the entire cycle trying to avoid.
- It has barely been a week since Herschel Walker entered the chaotic GOP primary for Georgia’s U.S. Senate seat – but the Trump-tapped candidate’s campaign is off to a rocky start with potential FEC violations, criticism from conservatives, and false statements about the 2020 election.
- Meanwhile, Senator Reverend Warnock is working for the people of Georgia – providing COVID relief for small businesses and frontline workers, delivering middle-class tax cuts for families, investing in infrastructure to create good-paying jobs, and working to bring quality, affordable health care to every Georgian.
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Help Stop the Spread of Disinformation
As social media continues to grow more popular, disinformation becomes more common. Disinformation about COVID-19, BIPOC communities, and our democracy online is rampant. It’s hard to know what exactly to do when faced with disinformation. Here are a few tips for engagement.
- Don’t Amplify Disinformation – Your first instinct may be to try to engage with disinformation, but be careful! You may be introducing the content to new audiences.
- Look at the Popularity – If the post has a lot of likes and retweets, then it may be worth engaging and correcting it. If it doesn’t have a lot of traction, you may be better off moving on from it.
- If it is from someone you know, there are strategies for trying to reach them – Try correcting them in the comments, or reach out to them privately. That is the best way to have a constructive conversation without an audience.
- Use reportdisinfo.org – Submitting disinformation to our secure tip line allows us to track the spread of disinformation and work to get it removed from social media platforms, if necessary.
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Tell Congress to get lead out of our drinking water
The science is clear: Any amount of lead in our drinking water has devastating, lifelong health effects on children, harming their brains and nervous systems, causing learning disabilities, and impairing their hearing. Yet there are still 6 to 10 million lead service lines in place, some of which are more than 100 years old.
Congress has an opportunity to fix our crumbling water infrastructure, but we need our representatives to do their jobs.
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How to Visualize 2020 Census Redistricting Data for Your Area
Do you know how many people live in your area or how many houses are occupied or vacant according to the 2020 Census? In this article, you will learn how to use the 2020 Census Demographic Data Map Viewer to easily visualize 2020 Redistricting Data for your area. In just a few clicks you will have access to population, race, Hispanic Origin, Housing Occupancy, and Group Quarters population data down to the census tract level.
Measuring Communities’ Resilience in the Face of Adversity
The U.S. Census Bureau’s Community Resilience Estimates (CRE) is experimental no more. It will now be a regularly updated data product that measures communities’ ability to cope with disasters and other emergencies. Released last year as an experimental data product, the CRE garnered so much interest among public and government agencies that the Census Bureau decided to offer it regularly — with tweaks based on user feedback — to help decision-makers plan how to best serve their community. The changes will better measure a community’s ability to withstand various disasters and emergencies. The need for these estimates came to the forefront last year as the Census Bureau was inundated with data requests by government agencies that needed to make data-driven decisions in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Continue Reading...
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Ga. pandemic deaths hit 'grim milestone'
Andy Miller
The number of confirmed Covid deaths in Georgia has now surpassed 20,000, state officials said last week.
In addition, there are more than 3,000 “probable’’ deaths from Covid, according to the state Public Health website.
Georgia’s first confirmed Covid death was in March 2020.
“It is tragic but not surprising that we have surpassed this grim milestone of 20,000 Covid deaths in our state,” Dr. Kathleen Toomey, the commissioner of the Georgia Department of Public Health, said in a statement.
She added that 97 percent of the Covid deaths since vaccines became available have been in unvaccinated patients. “These deaths are preventable,” she said.
Hospitals in the state are swamped with Covid patients, with the vast majority being unvaccinated. At the same time, hospital officials are reporting shortages of medical workers and are voicing strong concerns about what could happen over the next two weeks if cases continue to increase.
Read more
Covid data disappearing in Georgia, other states despite the latest surge
Two state government websites in Georgia recently stopped posting updates on Covid-19 cases in prisons and long-term care facilities, just as the dangerous delta variant was taking hold.
Data has been disappearing recently in other states as well.
Florida, for example, now reports Covid cases, deaths and hospitalizations once a week, instead of daily, as before.
Both states, along with the rest of the South, are battling high infection rates.
Read more
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This week’s 20-year anniversary of the 9/11 attacks offers an opportunity to reflect and take account of how the world and the United States have changed over the course of this generational time span. These efforts have produced important gains in security at home, but these gains came with major human, financial, and strategic opportunity costs.
What emerges clearly, however, is the consistency with which some of the biggest challenges emanate from unforced U.S. policy errors and unpredictable consequences of well-intended actions.
Today, the United States is more secure on the home front from foreign terrorist attacks but faces increased domestic terrorist threats. America's efforts to promote freedom and democratic governance in the world faltered. Freedom has globally stagnated and deteriorated since 2005, and the significant stresses on America’s own democratic system have risen dramatically in recent years.
The strategic ledger accounting for 20 years remains decidedly mixed. But that ledger provides 10 key lessons for a U.S. national security strategy that looks to the next two decades.
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