Mississippi absentee ballot law harms voters with disabilities, lawsuit says

Breadcrumb Trail Links PMN World PMN Politics PMN News Author of the article: The Associated Press Emily Waster Pettus Published June 02, 2023 • 3 minute read FILE – Absentee ballots waiting to be processed at the Lee County Circuit Clerk’s Office in Tupelo, Miss., on Nov. 3, 2020. A lawsuit filed Wednesday, May 31, 2023, seeks to block a Mississippi law that will put new restrictions on who can gather other people’s absentee ballots. The law is set to take effect July 1, and the lawsuit argues that it could disfranchise voters with disabilities by preventing them from receiving…

Norwich Township paid Christian-focused law firm to draft flag bylaw

The southwestern Ontario township in the midst of a culture war over gay Pride symbols hired a boutique law firm that specializes in representing churches and religious institutions to help it draft its flag by law, CBC News has learned. Norwich Township used the Ottawa-based Acacia Group to help it come up with its flag and banner policy, township clerk and chief administrative officer Kyle Kruger confirmed. The controversial bylaw forbids non-civic flags from being flown on municipal property and led one councillor to resign in protest. The Acacia Group is a law firm with Christian roots. A statement on…

Gadsden State hires law enforcement veteran Freeman as its first police chief

Veteran law enforcement officer Jay Freeman will become Gadsden State Community College’s first police chief. The school announced Freeman’s hiring, effective June 26, on Friday in a news release. He will leave the Southside Police Department, where he’s served since 2009. “We are delighted to have Chief Freeman on our staff,” school President Kathy Murphy said. “We know he will do an amazing job in building Gadsden State’s very first police department. We believe his past work experience and his passion for public safety and security made him the best person for this new role at Gadsden State.” Jay Freeman…

Kenneth Law investigations see rise of wellness checks: sources

Editor’s note: If you or anyone you know is struggling with mental health there are a number of ways to get help, including by calling Talk Suicide Canada at 1-833-456-4566. A list of local crisis centers is also available here. Amidst a global recognition around the unregulated sale of sodium nitrite online for the purpose of suicide, Peel Region is reporting a 10 per cent increase in calls “involving either attempted suicide or suicide” in 2023 compared to the same period in 2022. The police response to those calls in some jurisdictions, sources allege, has been intense. The uptick…

The government wants to toss ‘junk fees’ in the garbage

Consumer advocates in both Canada and the United States are welcoming recent announcements to crack down on the hidden and unexpected charges on purchases that Canadians often pay, but they also say authorities must enforce existing rules for there to be a difference. Following the footsteps of American lawmakers, the federal Liberals announced that they would be taking a look at the additional fees that are often paired with purchases of items such as concert or event tickets. In the federal budget released in late March, a small note referring to “junk fees” said the government plans to work to…

NCAA rules legalized gambling with tough penalties

Ralph D. Russo – More than 40 athletes from Iowa and Iowa State could face discipline from both law enforcement and the NCAA for impermissible online betting. The NCAA consequences could be far worse than the legal ones. While the penalty for betting on sporting events in the state of Iowa for individuals under the age of 21 is a fine of US$645, a college athlete could be sidelined for most of a season because of NCAA rules. Five years since a Supreme Court decision paved the way for states to legalize betting on sporting events, more than half have…

Protestors ramp up in Israel blocking roads

TEL AVIV, Israel – Israelis blocked roads and demonstrated on Thursday against a contentious government plan to overhaul the judiciary, hoping to ramp up pressure on lawmakers after parliament reconvened this week following a month-long recess. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu paused the overhaul in March after intense pressure and the opposing sides are trying to reach a compromise agreement. But in a sign of the mistrust of his intentions, tens of thousands have continued to protest every Saturday night since. Thursday’s midweek protests were smaller, but demonstrators are hoping to remind legislators of their presence and their past ability to…

‘Keira’s Law’ set to educate judges on domestic violence, coercive control

Keira’s Law has officially been passed by the Senate. Bill C-233, more commonly known as ‘Keira’s Law,’ is meant to expand the training of judges to accept on cases surrounding domestic violence, coercive control and the ability to consider risk factors when issuing decisions. Read more: Canada’s Senate passes Keira’s Law aimed at educating decision-makers on domestic violence The bill was named after Keira Kagan, a four-year-old girl who was found dead with her father at the bottom of a cliff outside of Toronto in 2022, believed to be the case of a murder-suicide. Jennifer Kagan-Viater, Keira’s mother, describes her…