Terri Sewell slams Alabama’s failure to comply with the National Voter Registration Act
Registering to vote and maintaining your registration will soon be easier in the Yellowhammer state if U.S. Congresswoman Terri Sewell (AL-07) has anything to say about it. Last month the U.S. Department of Justice sent a letter to Alabama Attorney General Luther Strange, warning the state has failed to comply with the National Voter Registration Act and will be sued by the federal government. The two-decades-old law was designed to make it easier for all Americans to register to vote and to maintain their registration. “It is deeply disappointing – but not surprising – that an ongoing investigation by the U.S. Department of Justice found that Alabama failed to comply with the National Voter Registration Act,” argued Sewell. “The purpose of the National Voter Registration Act is to remove impediments to voter registration, and to encourage Alabamians to make their voices heard through the electoral process.” According to the Justice Department, Alabama is not compliant with Section 5 of the law, which “requires states to provide individuals with the opportunity to register to vote at the same time that they apply for a driver’s license or seek to renew a driver’s license, and requires the State to forward the completed application to the appropriate state of local election official.” Sewell continued, “Alabama’s noncompliance with the National Voter Registration Act coupled with the limited access to DMV offices is further proof of the dire need to restore the Voting Rights Act of 1965. Alabamians have worked hard to put our painful past behind us, only to cast ourselves in the spotlight once more.” If the Justice Department follows through on their threat, Alabama would become the 15th state sued for failure to comply with the law. “Shame on Alabama for not living up to the promise of equal access to the ballot box. We must make voter registration easier and protect the vote, rather than suppress it,” Sewell concluded.
Grant funding to support programs for sexual assault victims
Grants from the U.S. Department of Justice will be used to fund programs throughout Alabama to support victims of sexual assault. Alabama Department of Economic and Community Affairs officials said in a release Tuesday that the Alabama Coalition Against Sexual Violence is being awarded more than $303,000 in funding. Officials say the money will be used to support 14 programs throughout the state that offer emergency shelters, rape crisis centers and 24-hour hotlines. Officials say the programs also offer educational programs on recognizing the warning signs of sexual abuse, preventing assault and referring victims. Republished with permission of the Associated Press.
Martha Roby: The Clinton emails: Why they matter
By now you’ve heard the news that the U.S. Department of Justice is taking possession of the personal, secret server former Secretary of State Hilary Clinton used to conduct official email correspondence. Clinton’s decision to finally surrender the server to authorities comes in the wake of revelations that classified, “Top Secret” materials were indeed contained in emails on her private account, counter to her previous claims. But, what makes this development so significant? Why does it matter to the FBI whether Clinton used her own private system to conduct email correspondence? First of all, federal law prohibits storing classified information in unauthorized places, with penalties ranging from a fine to one year in prison. We have stringent security protocols for those who deal with sensitive, classified information because that information could be used to threaten our national security and put those in military or clandestine service at risk. And, in a world with growing cyber security threats, the risk is even greater for digitally stored information. For example, NBC News recently reported that Chinese hackers had penetrated the private email accounts of many top Executive Branch officials since 2010. The officials’ government accounts were not penetrated, though, because they have a much higher level of security. It is unclear whether Secretary Clinton was among those top officials to have their private emails hacked though an in-house email system like hers is believed to be particularly vulnerable to hackers. The bottom line is Secretary Clinton deliberately flouted our nation’s protocols with her personal email arrangement and, in doing so, threatened the security of classified, Top Secret information. Her apparent obsession with retaining absolute control of her email came at the expense of national security, and that should concern all Americans. Secretary Clinton says she already deleted more than 30,000 emails and “wiped” the server housing them, so it’s unclear just how much can be gleaned from what was turned over. But I am hopeful the FBI, Inspectors General and the Select Committee on Benghazi can get to the bottom of it. It’s worth noting that none of this would have been brought to light without the formation of the Select Committee, the determination of our Chairman, Trey Gowdy, or the diligent work of our investigators. My colleagues and I are preparing for Secretary Clinton’s appearance before the Select Committee in October. Given these revelations and her previous statements, she will certainly have some explaining to do. Martha Roby represents Alabama’s 2nd Congressional District. She is currently serving her third term.
Court: Suit over using teen as bait in sex sting can proceed
A federal appeals court in Atlanta on Wednesday allowed a lawsuit against an Alabama school board to continue over a 14-year-old girl who was used by a school employee in a plot to catch an alleged sexual predator. A middle school teacher’s aide asked the 14-year-old to go into a bathroom as bait so a 16-year-old eighth-grader with a history of sexual harassment allegations could be caught trying to have sex with her and could be disciplined. The plan backfired, and evidence shows the girl was sexually assaulted. Why the plan was carried out and who knew about it are at issue in the court fight that pits the man and his daughter against the north Alabama school district that says its administrators aren’t to blame for the 2010 attack. The U.S. Department of Justice and 33 groups that advocate against sexual violence last year filed a brief in the case asking the 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals to overturn the lower court’s decision to dismiss the federal lawsuit filed by the girl’s father against the Madison County School Board and several employees at the time. They argued that U.S. Magistrate Judge Michael Putnam should have let the father’s lawsuit move forward, arguing Putnam erred when ruling that Sparkman Middle School officials didn’t have sufficient warning the boy might pose a threat. Putnam didn’t endorse the idea of using a girl as bait for a predator but said allowing her to be put in such a position wasn’t bad enough for the lawsuit to continue under legal standards. The lawsuit was filed under federal Title IX law, which in part prohibits sexual harassment in schools, including student-on-student harassment. A three-judge panel of the 11th Circuit found the suit did meet the necessary requirements to be considered under that law. Eric Artrip, a lawyer for the girl and her father, said in a phone interview that he’s pleased with the decision. “Hopefully, one day soon our client will have her day in front of a jury,” he said. “That’s what we’ve wanted all along and that’s what she’s wanted all along.” Lawyers for the school board did not immediately return a call and emails seeking comment Wednesday. Court files do not include the girl’s name, and The Associated Press isn’t reporting the boy’s because he was a juvenile at the time, wasn’t charged with a crime and was dismissed as a defendant in the lawsuit. Authorities have said the boy wasn’t prosecuted because the girl initially said she wasn’t threatened or forced to have sex. Republished with permission of the Associated Press.
