The Georgia state Senate on Tuesday passed legislation that would require voters to submit a driver’s license number, state identification card number or a photocopy of an approved form of identification in order to vote absentee in the state. Senate Bill 67 passed the upper chamber in 35-18 vote on Tuesday and now heads to the state House for consideration, The Associated Press reports . The bill has already been met with opposition from Democrats and voting rights groups who say the legislation would make it difficult for voters who don't have a driver’s license or state identification card to vote absentee. According to the AP, absentee ballots are currently tallied using signature verification. ADVERTISEMENT State Sen. Larry Walker, one of the Republicans sponsoring the bill, said the bill would not affect about 97 percent of voters, according to the AP. The remaining percentage of voters, Walker said, could vote in person. In a statement on Tuesday afternoon, voting rights group Fair Fight Action said the bill would add “needless barriers to voting in Georgia” and accused proponents of the measure of ignoring voters who would be affected by the legislation. “In Georgia, with more than 7,692,567 registered voters, that means that 230,777 electors may not have the requisite identification and will therefore incur a burden in complying with the law,” the group said, while also adding that the “discriminatory policy” shows “Georgia has not moved past the racist motivations for which it was included in preclearance under the Voting Rights Act of 1965.” The bill, which has more than 25 Republican co-sponsors, is one of a number of bills Republicans have filed in the Georgia General Assembly that would directly impact voting, particularly absentee voting , and voter registration in the state. Another bill advanced by a state Senate subcommittee in a party-line 3-2 vote would, if passed, require Georgians who wish to vote by absentee to ...
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Kafer: Restaurants’ sugary drinks don’t need regulation
It’s hard to pinpoint the moment when the “I’m okay, you’re okay” philosophy of the seventies morphed into the “I’m okay, you’re not” thinking of the present day. Back in the seventies, everyone smoked cigarettes, wore ugly polyester, ate Twinkies, and told cringe-worthy jokes. Nobody was in a position to judge. Now our betters know better how best to behave. Through virtue signaling, shaming, de-platforming, censoring, and outright coercion they intend to make others change their unacceptable views and ways. Take the Healthy Kid Meal Ordinance before the Aurora City Council which would foist new regulations on how restaurants advertise children’s meals, for example. The ordinance would require restaurants to make water or milk the default beverage for kid’s meals. Kids could still order any drink but restaurants could not list such drinks with the meal package. Restaurants that fail to comply will be fined or have their license suspended. Fortunately, the sponsor delayed the final vote until June which gives the council time to reflect on some data. Colorado is one of the leanest states in the union, ranked 49th in “obesity and overweight prevalence” on the November 2020 WalletHub survey. Given Colorado’s slimmer waistline why is this ordinance necessary? A “let’s do something” bill might be more appropriate in West Virginia or Mississippi. Even there, however, it would have a marginal impact. An occasional cola or lemonade with a kiddy meal isn’t going to make a difference in the life of an active kid who eats healthily at home or the life of a kid who spends each day staring at a screen eating potato chips. Proponents claim that the bill is necessary because certain minorities have higher obesity rates and Aurora has a higher percentage of Latino and Black residents. To help residents and their children achieve a preferred body mass index, politicians must therefore limit residents’ menu choices because they can’t be trusted to make the right choice. ...
Arizona woman returns 1950s Purple Heart to man’s family after finding it at thrift store
close Video World War II Purple Heart medal returns to recipient's family Dedicated workers at a Goodwill store in Tucson, Arizona were determined to do the right thing after they discovered the medal while sorting through a box of houseware donations. A family has been reunited with their father’s Purple Heart more than three decades after he died, thanks to a bit of sleuthing . Teresa Ferrin discovered the Purple Heart — along with several other military awards — at a thrift shop in Phoenix, Arizona , where she volunteers once a week. Ferrin explained to Fox News that her job involves pricing the donated items before displaying them on the shop's floor. But about two weeks ago, someone dropped off the military awards, making sure to point out the Purple Heart among the collection. CALIFORNIA MAN’S WALLET LOST IN ANTARCTICA RETURNED AFTER 53 YEARS She inspected the medal and found a name on the back. That’s when she decided to track down the owner. "I just felt it needed to go to the family, and I was going to try to find the family," Ferrin told Fox News. Teresa Ferrin discovered these military awards, including the Purple Heart, while she was volunteering at the Christian Family Care Thrift Store in Phoenix, Arizona, about two weeks ago. (Teresa Ferrin) At first, Ferrin she had trouble reading the name, but she eventually deciphered it: Erik Karl Blauberg. Blauberg was a veteran of the Korean War, where he received the Purple Heart , a medal presented to service members who have been wounded or killed in the line of duty. TEXAS WOMAN’S LOST WEDDING RING RETURNED AHEAD OF VALENTINE’S DAY, 48 YEARS LATER After doing some research online and making a few phone calls, Ferrin learned that Blauberg had been living in Apache Junction, Arizona, when he died in 1988 at the age of 58. Ferrin was able to track down the children of the original owner, a man named ...
Cancun loosens COVID-19 restrictions ahead of spring break travel
close Video 'Spring break's done': Florida beaches close amid coronavirus outbreak Miami-Dade County Mayor Carlos Gimenez speaks out on the need for social distancing. Unlike some spring-break hot spots in Florida , Cancun is actually easing its COVID-19 restrictions. With spring-break travel fast approaching, popular tourist destinations in Mexico like Cancun, Playa del Carmen and Tulum are raising capacity limits from 30% to 60% at hotels, restaurants and beaches, Quintana Roo government officials announced on Twitter. Attractions and group tours will also be allowed to operate at 60% capacity. Nightclubs and bars will stay closed, the guidance says. Playa Del Carmen, Mexico. (iStock). Travelers visiting Mexico also need to register with the government online and show proof of registration via a QR code received once they arrive. Face masks must be worn at all times inside the country’s restaurants, hotels and at airports. U.S. travelers will also need to present a negative COVID-19 test upon departure for re-entry into the states. FLORIDA OFFICIALS CRACKING DOWN ON SPRING BREAKERS OVER COVID-SAFETY CONCERNS: 'GO SOMEWHERE ELSE' Meanwhile, Florida officials in popular destinations like Miami Beach and Fort Lauderdale were taking almost the opposite approach, implementing new restrictions to slow the spread of COVID-19. South Beach imposed a curfew between midnight and 6 a.m., prohibited alcohol consumption on beaches, which were also subject to limited-capacity requirements, among other things. And in Fort Lauderdale, Mayor Steve Gellar said residents and visitors can expect more law enforcement at busy areas, with social distancing and mask-wearing mandates being heavily enforced. FOLLOW US ON FACEBOOK FOR MORE FOX LIFESTYLE NEWS Mexico, meanwhile, has been experiencing a tourism bump as of late, with nearly half of those tourists coming from the U.S. as of January, ...
‘Get off TV’: Critics blast Abbott over handling of Texas power outages following winter storm
Critics are slamming Texas Gov. Greg Abbott (R) over his handling of a winter storm that ripped through the state this week, shutting off power and heat to millions for more than three days and counting during a record-setting cold snap. In a statement issued on Tuesday, Abbott blamed the Electric Reliability Council of Texas for not being properly prepared for the storm and pledged reform. "The Electric Reliability Council of Texas has been anything but reliable over the past 48 hours,” Abbott said . “Far too many Texans are without power and heat for their homes as our state faces freezing temperatures and severe winter weather. This is unacceptable." ADVERTISEMENT But it was Abbott's comments during a Fox News interview earlier this week that drew the ire of the governor's harshest critics. "This shows how the Green New Deal would be a deadly deal for the United States of America," Abbott said while appearing on Sean Hannity Sean Patrick Hannity Grenell hints at potential California gubernatorial bid Cruz blames criticism of Cancun trip on media 'Trump withdrawal' The Hill's Morning Report - Presented by The AIDS Institute - Tanden's odds plummet to lead OMB MORE 's program. "It just shows that fossil fuel is necessary for the state of Texas as well as other states to make sure that we will be able to heat our homes in the winter time and cool our homes in the summer time." "So many Texans are in desperate conditions without heat, water, and little relief," Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez Democrats don't trust GOP on 1/6 commission: 'These people are dangerous' Progressives fume over Senate setbacks Budget Committee chair pledges to raise minimum wage: 'Hold me to it' MORE (D-N.Y.), the Green New Deal's most vocal advocate in Congress, responded on Twitter. "Gov. Abbott needs to get off TV pointing fingers & start helping people. After that, he needs to read a book on his ...
