Texas Governor Perry vetoes campaign legislation chilling free speech

In vetoing a campaign finance disclosure bill in Texas, Governor Rick Perry voiced concerns over the scandal over the IRS admitted intimidation of conservative nonprofit organizations.

“Freedom of association and freedom of speech are two of our most
important rights enshrined in the Constitution. My fear is that SB 346
would have a chilling effect on both of those rights in our democratic
political process. While regulation is necessary in the administration
of Texas political finance laws, no regulation is tolerable that puts
anyone’s participation at risk or that can be used by any government,
organization or individual to intimidate those who choose to participate
in our process through financial means.”

“At a time when our federal government is assaulting the rights of
Americans by using the tools of government to squelch dissent it is
unconscionable to expose more Texans to the risk of such harassment,
regardless of political, organizational or party affiliation. I
therefore veto SB 346.”

North Carolina poll worker accused of voter fraud



You can’t just go and vote in place of a family member.  A Lenoir County poll worker is accused of doing just that during the 2010 general election… 


Details as to the worker, the precinct and the candidate to whom those votes would have gone are not being released, as the case remains under investigation two and a half years later.



In those two and a half years – more than one full federal election cycle – the case has been handed from the local Lenoir County Board of Elections to the State Board of Elections to District Attorney Branny Vickory, who “couldn’t yet say if there will be further action resulting from its findings.”  

If officials can’t or won’t prosecute fraud cases in a timely manner (if at all), voters may rightly assume that election integrity is not a priority for the state.


 

Pennsylvania Voter ID challenge to proceed – without five plaintiffs who were able to get ID after all



“Commonwealth Court Judge Robert Simpson agreed with Corbett administration lawyers the five aggrieved voters — including lead plaintiff Vivian Applewhite of Philadelphia — should no longer be allowed to challenge the law since they have obtained acceptable IDs since filing their challenge of the law a year ago.”


 


The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette has more.


 


McConnell: Obama Administration trying to ‘shut people up’

The Obama administration is trying to bully its way out of the Internal Revenue Service targeting scandal, says Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell. He spoke on Fox News minutes after IRS official Lois Lerner pleaded the Fifth Amendment in a congressional hearing on the controversy.

“I think what we know for sure is that there is a culture of intimidation across this administration — the president demonizing his enemies, attempting to shut people up. There is certainly a culture of intimidation,” McConnell said.

“How Mac-n-Cheese and Water Ice caused a voting war in Southwest Philly”

Over in Southwest Philly’s 40th Ward, not everyone felt that way. I spent a few hours yesterday afternoon visiting polling places with City Commissioner Stephanie Singer, whose job is to oversee elections. At about 7 p.m., we rolled up to Patterson Elementary, where a group of young African-American volunteers were serving chicken wings, water ice, and mac-and-cheese, in hopes of enticing voters to the polls. The goal, said organizer Melissa Gray, who runs a non-profit called Adopt-A-School, was for “this smoke to get you over here.”

While Singer was elated by the concept of the cookout, Brian Keenan, the burly, ruddy-faced Committeeman for 22nd Division of the 40th Ward, didn’t share her enthusiasm. Standing across the school courtyard from the barbecue table, he began kvetching to Singer the instant he realized who she was.    
The rest of the story at PhillyPost

True the Vote Returns the Favor: Sues Federal Employees Personally

Daily Caller’s Caroline May: “True the Vote is not only suing the IRS, but also taking action against the IRS employees who participated in the harassment of the voter education and election monitoring organization. Those employees could personally be held liable to pay damages that would be established in litigation.

True the Votes’ lead counsel, Cleta Mitchell, explained in an email to The Daily Caller that she does not know whether the employees, if found to be liable in the lawsuit True the Vote filed against the IRS and its employees Tuesday, would pay out of pocket or take other avenues such as accessing union funds or homeowners insurance. Either way, she noted, the group will pursue its action.”