Congress sends bill to Obama on civil rights-era deaths

[inanna]

Source: Associated Press

Dec. 10, 2016 11:37 AM ET

WASHINGTON (AP) — Congress has sent legislation to President Barack Obama's desk that would continue reviews of racially motivated killings in the civil rights era that are now cold cases.

The legislation passed by voice vote at the end of the congressional session early Saturday. It would indefinitely extend a 2007 law that calls for a full accounting of race-based killings, many of which had been closed for decades. The law expires next year.

More than 100 cases from the 1960s and earlier have been checked out so far, with one conviction.

The bill is named after Emmett Till, a 14-year-old black boy killed in 1955 after whistling at a white woman.

Read more: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/89ae8247abe8493fae24405546e9a1aa/Article_2016-12-10-US--Congress-Civil%20Rights-Deaths/id-1c9b6ff357bd4e5d94f612964b0fe9c7

[Blue Idaho]

1. Given the makeup of the Congress I'm totally shocked.

I could not be happier.

[dixiegrrrrl]

3. Me too.....

[yallerdawg]

2. Senate passes dozens of bills on way out of town

http://thehill.com/blogs/floor-action/senate/309790-senate-passes-dozens-of-bills-on-way-out-of-town

It's amazing what Republicans will pass when a Democrat won't get credit for it.

The Senate cleared dozens of bills early Saturday morning as lawmakers prepared to leave Washington until next year.

The upper chamber passed more than 70 pieces of legislation by unanimous consent during a rare Saturday session. Most senators had already left the Capitol after averting a government shutdown with a short-term spending bill just before midnight Friday.

Sen. Rob Portman (R-Ohio) wrapped up the chamber's work for the year around 6:40 a.m., capping up a long final night of work for the Senate.

[pinboy3niner]

4. Emmett Till's name is engraved on the Civil Rights Memorial...

...in Montgomery, Alabama.


The Civil Rights Memorial, designed by Maya Lin, was dedicated on November 11, 1989.
http://www.splcenter.org/civil-rights-memorial

And 2 years ago a tree was planted at the U.S. Capitol in his honor.

[Archae]

5. Was there any opposition at all to this bill?

Just wondering...