News from Brownbackistan - Editorial: Voter hammer

[deminks]

http://www2.ljworld.com/news/2015/may/24/editorial-voter-hammer/?opinion

A bill that takes away local control of voter fraud prosecutions and allows people who violate state voting laws out of confusion or a simple misunderstanding to be convicted of a felony and sentenced to jail is now on its way to Gov. Sam Brownback’s desk.

The measure, which already had been approved by the Senate, passed the House on a narrow 67-55 vote on Thursday.

A key provision of the bill would give the Kansas secretary of state authority to prosecute voter fraud cases, something that has been advocated by Secretary of State Kris Kobach for several years. The power to prosecute those cases now lies with county and district attorneys. The new law would allow voter fraud cases to be prosecuted by local prosecutors, the secretary of state or the Kansas attorney general, meaning that a case that a local prosecutor decided shouldn’t be pursued still could be taken up by one of the state officials.

(snip)

Other provisions of this bill lower the standard of proof and raise the penalties for various voting infractions. A prosecutor would have to show only that a person knew he or she was committing a certain action — such as voting at a polling place or returning a mail ballot — but wouldn’t have to show that person knew he or she was committing an illegal act — such as casting a ballot at the wrong polling place or returning a mail ballot after moving to another state. Opponents of the bill say an act as simple as attempting to vote at the wrong polling place or without being properly registered could be prosecuted.

The bill also makes voting infractions that currently are misdemeanor crimes into Class 7, 8 or 9 nonperson felonies. People with no previous convictions who are convicted of those felonies likely would be eligible for parole, but they also could be subject to jail terms ranging from six months to a year. Having a felony conviction on their record also could affect their ability to get a job or qualify to participate in certain federal and state programs.

(end snip)

So, it will be a felony to even walk into the wrong polling place. See, the goal for Sunshine Sam and his posse is not to really prosecute voter fraud (which doesn't really exist and they know it) but to scare people from voting (a poll tax in it's own way). And it's coming to a state near you.

[riversedge]

1. Republicans taking away local control--this is happening in Wisconsin

also--with many issues.

[HereSince1628]

4. Yes, proof this is not your grandfather's GOP.

For decades between 1920 and the 1990s republicans pushed a concept known as Home Rule. Which was basically an interest in allowing municipalities to govern their own affairs in city ordinances, zoning, salary of law enforcement/fire protection etc. For most of the 20th century republicans worked to expand the control granted by the constitutional amendment, and they were largely successful.

The rise and expansion of commuter society brought municipal control ideas into suburban and later exurban enclaves, where they significantly changed the complexion of constituent interests in zoning and land uses. People now living in rural towns wanted the same sort of control that people living in cities had. And it was argued that the best governance was that local affairs should be decided locally.

However this created a conflict. Because lassez faire local governance frequently conflicts with lassez faire business/industrial interest. In recent years in WI that has been most evident in mining and waste disposal. People don't want ground water polluting, road destroying heavy traffic that mines impose on their immediate vicinity. Similarly they don't want privately built mountains of trash built in their immediate vicinity which will have half-lives for pollution otential that will be multiple lifetimes of their likely corporate ownership and maintenance.

Mining and waste disposal involve big money and in WI multinational corporations are deeply involved in both. These corporations find local interests to be impediments to 'development' aka profit, and the fracking sand-mining interests have lobbied hard to return to rather more strict interpretations of the Municipal Home Rule amendment.

[oberliner]

2. He likes to pretend to fight problems that don't exist

And ignore the ones that do.

This is like his push to not allow food stamps on cruises.

[vinny9698]

3. They are responding to a major problem

for the GOP. Demographics. Their only hope is voter suppression.

[Gothmog]

6. The GOP can only win by cheating

[Gothmog]

5. Giving Kobach increased power is dumb