Civil Rights / Public News Service

In 2022, Harvard University established an endowment fund for $100 million for slavery reparations. Many major cities have taken up the issue of reparations, but few have completed action on it. (Adobe Stock)

Wednesday, April 24, 2024

IL city makes tangible effort to atone for discrimination

By Torsheta Jackson for Yes! Media.Broadcast version by Terri Dee for Illinois News Connection reporting for the YES! Media-Public News Service …

It's estimated about 3,400 transgender people, age 18 and older, live in Montana, according to the UCLA School of Law. (Adobe Stock)

Wednesday, April 24, 2024

Civil rights advocates file suit over MT birth certificate mandate

The Montana chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union has filed class-action lawsuit challenging a measure barring people from listing a gender on…

More than 70 million Americans have a criminal record that can create significant barriers to employment, according to the White House. (Adobe Stock)<br />

Monday, April 22, 2024

New KY website offers 'Second Chance' job, recovery resources

A new website aims to help Kentuckians just out of prison re-enter their communities and find job training, employment and recovery services…

Native American tribes and support organizations have pursued several lawsuits since the 2020 redistricting cycle, in hopes of securing fair political boundaries. There is also a push to get more tribes to be active when maps are drawn, so legal action will not be necessary. (Adobe Stock)

Tribal advocates keep up legal pressure for fair political maps

Across the U.S., most political boundaries tied to the 2020 Census have been in place for a while, but a national project on map fairness for …

128 of the 351 cities and towns in the state have had a change in their local clerk or chief election official since the 2020 presidential election, according to the Massachusetts Secretary of State. (Adobe Stock) <br />

Turnover in MA election officials as presidential election nears

Heightened scrutiny and harassment are helping fuel an increasing turnover rate of election officials in Massachusetts and beyond, according to a new …

A bill to prohibit attendance at captive audience meetings was several years in the making in Olympia. (Zack Frank/Adobe Stock)

WA workers won't be punished for skipping 'captive audience' meetings

Washington joins a handful of states to do away with mandatory meetings for employees on political or religious matters. Sometimes known as captive …

A quarter of election officials reported being harassed or threatened in 2020. (richjem/Adobe Stock)

Report: Election officials left positions at increasing rate since 2000

A new report dives into election official turnover during more than two decades. It says rates have increased steadily nationwide since 2000…

Nationally, turnover in election officials reached 38.7% in 2022. (richjem/Adobe Stock)

Report: Election official turnover trend stretches two decades

A new report dives into election official turnover during more than two decades. It says rates have increased steadily nationwide since 2000…

Turnover of election officials has been lower in smaller jurisdictions over the past two decades. (MyPhotoBuddy/Adobe Stock)

Steady increase in election staff changes over past two decades, report finds

A new report dives into election official turnover during more than two decades. It says rates have increased steadily nationwide since 2000…

As of this writing, a petition to stop Nassau County's plan to deputize residents with gun permits has 2,080 signatures. (Adobe Stock)

Nassau County exec's plan to deputize armed citizens draws fire

Nassau County's executive wants to deputize residents who hold gun permits. County Executive Bruce Blakemen's plan involves training 100 residents …

In North Dakota's upcoming June 11th primary election, nearly 70 legislative races are on the ballot. (Adobe Stock)

ND spring election: Local races round out ballots

Voters are consistently reminded to pay attention to local elections. But in 2024, North Dakota groups are stressing that message even more with …

According to data from Best Colleges, nearly half of states in the U.S. have either proposed anti-DEI legislation or could be in the process of drafting it. (Adobe Stock)

Students unite to defend DEI initiatives

Conversations about diversity, equity and inclusion are on the rise as lawmakers propose bills to restrict or ban DEI in state-funded institutions…

Michigan hosts the largest population of Arab Americans in the country, and Dearborn is home to the country's only Arab American History Museum. (flowertiare/Adobe Stock)

New US race, ethnicity standards include Middle Eastern, North African

Until recently, many Americans of Middle Eastern or North African descent were categorized as "white" in government surveys, making it challenging to …

Assemblywoman Pilar Schiavo, D-Chatsworth, Crime Survivor for Safety and Justice leader Stephanie Hatten and senior staff attorney Katherine Wutchiett for Legal Aid at Work spoke Tuesday in Sacramento on behalf of a bill to allow family members of crime victims to take unpaid leave. (Assembly Democratic Communications Office)

Criminal justice package moves ahead in CA state Legislature

A package to improve public safety is moving ahead in the California state Legislature - with a floor vote in the State Assembly on the first bill exp…

The Texas Diversity Council works with various groups to foster environments where people from marginalized groups feel seen and heard. (Ana Baraulia/Adobe Stock)

Texas Diversity Council remains steadfast in face of adversity

Since 2004, April has been designated "Celebrate Diversity Month," a time to recognize, understand and honor the differences between people. One …

According to a Pew Research study, while a significant majority of Black adults support providing reparations to descendants of enslaved people in the U.S., only a small minority of white Americans shares the same view. (f11photo/Adobe Stock)

TN reparations ban bill set for vote today

The Tennessee House of Representatives plans to vote today on House Bill 474, to end the study of reparations in the state. A Memphis nonpartisan …

$During his 17 years in prison, relatives said Brian Dorsey was committed to improving himself and remained infraction-free throughout his long incarceration. (Felipe Caparr�s/Adobe Stock)$

Missouri carries out its first execution of 2024

Missouri went through with its first execution of the year, as Brian Dorsey was put to death last night, just after 6 p.m. CT. The U.S. Supreme …

Wayne State University was named nationally as a top 15 Voter Friendly Campus last October, out of 262 U.S. institutions. It's the only one in Michigan, according to the National Association of Student Personnel Administrators, Student Affairs in Higher Education. (Adobe Stock)

Michigan voting: Major changes enhance access for fall elections

Michigan's upcoming fall elections will highlight significant strides in voting accessibility. Recent measures, such as nine days of early voting and …

A majority of women living in states where abortion is banned want abortion to be legal and support laws protecting abortion access, according to KFF. (Adobe Stock)

NV pro-choice advocates break down upcoming SCOTUS cases

Nevada reproductive-rights advocates are breaking down the importance of two looming Supreme Court abortion cases. In Moyle v. United States…

A new law in Washington state will look into why ballots are rejected during the voting process. (IanDewarPhotography/Adobe Stock)

WA's new ballot curing law ensures state 'counts every voter'

The process for correcting ballot errors is set to become easier this year thanks to a bill passed in Olympia this session. Lawmakers unanimously …

More than 650,000 Americans experienced homelessness on a single night in 2023. (Victoria/Adobe Stock)

SCOTUS to hear Oregon case on criminalizing homelessness

A case out of Oregon soon to be heard by the U.S. Supreme Court could have a major impact on how cities treat homelessness. Oral arguments for …

First Day Forward staff offer free Narcan and program pamphlets. (Northeastern Kentucky Substance Use Response Coalition via Facebook)

Reentry program for people incarcerated offers a model for others

By Taylor Sisk for The Daily Yonder.Broadcast version by Nadia Ramlagan for Kentucky News Connection for the Public News Service/Daily Yonder Collabor…

According to research from the Brennan Center, if the voter participation gap had not existed in 2020, 9 million more ballots would have been cast. (Adobe Stock)

Southern groups advocate for democracy amid legislative challenges

In the battle for democracy, grassroots organizations throughout the South are actively engaging voters on the issues that directly affect their …

Southern groups mobilize to empower voters, protect democracy

Southern groups are mobilizing to protect democracy and empower voters to address the issues that impact their communities, including in North …

The U.S. Supreme Court heard arguments this week about the popular abortion pill Mifepristone and will weigh in on whether the U.S. Food and Drug Administration was correct in how it can be dosed and prescribed. (Ascannio/Adobe Stock)

Survey: Missourians anxious over future birth control access

Missouri residents are worried about future access to birth control. The latest survey from The Right Time, an initiative based in Missouri…

A Republican-led provision included in legislation to avert a government shutdown last week effectively bans LGBTQ+ pride flags from flying over U.S. embassies. (Hodim/AdobeStock)

NM LGBTQ+ equality group endorses 2024 'Rock Star' candidates

After 30 years of championing the rights of LGBTQ+ people, Equality New Mexico has its finger on the pulse of supportive legislation and has made its …

About one-quarter of Maine farmworkers live in poverty, and they are roughly 4.5 times as likely to live below the poverty line as other workers in the state, according to the Maine Center for Economic Policy. (Adobe Stock)

Effort continues to ensure state minimum wage for ME farmworkers

Legislation proposed by Maine Gov. Janet Mills would ensure thousands of farmworkers are eligible to receive the state minimum wage. Current law …

The lawsuit claims the officers' conduct violates the Fourth Amendment, amounts to assault and battery, or at least negligence, and ultimitely is what caused the wrongful death of Darryl Tyree Williams. (Adobe Stock)

Lawsuit seeks justice for NC man's death in police custody

Three attorneys are joining forces to seek justice for a North Carolina family. At a news conference, civil rights lawyer Ben Crump - along with …

A survey of Jewish college students found 37% say they've had to

Silencing dissent: Where can students debate Israel-Palestinian conflict?

As the Israel-Hamas conflict continues, students find it hard to freely express opinions as universities shut down groups due to political tensions …

Gathering signatures for ballot measures can be hard during the snowy winter months. (MAriusz/Adobe Stock)

ID bill could add restrictions to ballot initiative process

Idaho lawmakers are once again looking to change the ballot initiative process in the state. With a little more than a week left in the session…

Gov. Greg Abbott said Tuesday's U.S. Supreme Court ruling allows Texas to begin enforcing Senate Bill 4, calling the decision a

Texas’ SB 4 in limbo again after late-night court decision

Story has been updated to reflect late-night 5th Circuit Court of Appeals decision.(8:01 a.m. MST, Mar. 20, 2024) The U.S. Supreme Court handed …

In cities across the nation, local governments are hearing more feedback and discourse from residents about a range of matters during regular meetings. Those include broader issues, such as calls for ceasefire resolutions in light of the Israel-Hamas war. (Adobe Stock)

Possible public-comment overhaul stirs backlash in Fargo

Public comment has long been a staple of local government meetings. But in North Dakota and other parts of the country, this engagement tool faces a …

Colorado law aims to keep voter districts fair by taking the redistricting process, which occurs after each once-a-decade U.S. Census count, out of the hands of elected officials and into the hands of independent commissions. (Adobe Stock)

Weld County’s Latino community wins court case on gerrymandered maps

Weld County commissioners are headed back to the drawing board, after a county district court ruled that their voter district maps created after the 2…

One of the more well-known housing discrimination cases in Montana involved a $37,343 verdict against a Bozeman landlord for charging $1,000 to a resident with physical and psychiatric disabilities to have a service animal in 2017. (Adobe Stock)

HUD files discrimination charge against MT apartment owner

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development has charged a Livingston landlord with discrimination after investigating a complaint filed by a …

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, elements all youth need, which are

NE advocates for LGBTQ+ rights hopeful after visits with state senators

State legislators across the country continue to introduce anti-LGBTQ bills and there have been a record number of them for four years in a row…

In 2018, the nonprofit Decolonizing Wealth Project defined reparative philanthropy as

Report: Older foundations, regardless of intent, may have racist beginnings

A recent report details how great wealth that later made philanthropy possible around the country but most evidently in the District of Columbia…

California and New York are the only states with a reparations task force. While New York's is just getting started, California's commission issued a report calling for some compensatory reparations based on numerous disparities like health and housing. (Wikimedia Commons)

Report: Philanthropies examining equity and past actions

A new report examines how philanthropy in and around Virginia came at the expense of Black people. The "Cracks in the Foundation" report noted …

Texas's effort to opt out of the federal immigration system and create its own rules has been blocked by a federal judge. (MaxSafaniuk/Adobe Stock)

Texas' battle over right to arrest suspected illegal immigrants will continue

A law aimed at immigrants crossing the border in Texas will not take effect tomorrow, after a federal judge halted enforcement until a court battle …

A poll released last June found 48% of Americans oppose reparations for Black Americans whose ancestors were enslaved, while 41% approve of it and another 13% don't know where they stand on the issue. (Wikimedia Commons)

Members appointed to NYS reparations commission

New York state lawmakers have appointed members to the Community Commission on Reparations Remedies, created through legislation Gov. Kathy Hochul …

Missouri's Senate Bill 1314, similar to House Bill 2365, prohibits funds from being expended by any state department for interdepartmental programs, staffing or other initiatives associated with

New report reveals high economic risk of anti-DEI laws in Missouri

A new report finds some Missouri laws and prospective laws are perceived as discriminatory regardless of their actual intent - and it outlines some bi…

An Illinois Juvenile Justice Commission year-end report said 388 youths, male and female, were admitted into juvenile detention centers as of December 2023. (Adobe Stock)

Digital court hearings cause uneasiness for young offenders

Online conferencing was a lifeline for school lessons and business meetings during the pandemic. However, there is concern about the effects of …

Organizations working for fair treatment of immigrants and refugees in Iowa are pushing back on state legislation they argued would discriminate against migrant communities. (Adobe Stock)

Groups push back on Iowa lawmakers' 'anti-immigrant' measures

Immigrants' rights advocates are pushing back on a flurry of bills in the Iowa Legislature they said would create discriminatory policies targeting mi…

More than 131,000 Tennesseans have already cast their ballots during early voting. (rawpixel/Adobe Stock)

New Tennessee law could lead to voter confusion at the polls

As municipal elections in Tennessee fast approach, groups are making an urgent push for more voter education - especially in the Nashville metro area…

In 1972, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that durational residency requirements violate the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment in Dunn v. Blumstein. (Adobe Stock)

Bill for 30-day waiting period to trigger ballot access stalls

Voting is a fundamental right in American democracy, but some Wyoming lawmakers want to restrict that right to people who can prove they have been …

Iowa ramps up push to register young voters

Election officials in Iowa are upping their efforts to increase political participation among the state's youngest voters. A registration event has …

Automotive manufacturer Ford estimates it will create 2,500 new American jobs through its EV production plant in Marshall. (sofirinaja/Adobe Stock)

Trump attempts appeal to Michigan's waning Biden support

Early voting for primaries in Michigan began this weekend. Rep. Rashida Tlaib, D-Mich., in a change from Democratic support, urged voters to block …

Regaining voting rights has been shown to reduce recidivism rates, meaning more Tennesseans would<br />be able to reenter their communities, work, and earn money to pay off their debts. (rawpixel.com/Adobe Stock)

Report: TN voting-rights restoration process 'overly complicated'

In Tennessee, almost a half million people won't be able to vote in any upcoming elections because of a past felony conviction, and one organization …

Nearly 700 Kentuckians died by gun violence in 2019, an average of nearly two people every day. Suicides made up 65% of gun deaths, according to the Kentucky Educational Fund to Stop Gun Violence.(Adobe Stock)<br />

KY crisis aversion bill would help decrease gun violence, advocates say

New legislation under consideration by Kentucky lawmakers would allow police to confiscate guns from people whose family members are concerned about t…

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Civil Rights

IL city makes tangible effort to atone for discrimination

Civil rights advocates file suit over MT birth certificate mandate

New KY website offers 'Second Chance' job, recovery resources

Tribal advocates keep up legal pressure for fair political maps

Turnover in MA election officials as presidential election nears

WA workers won't be punished for skipping 'captive audience' meetings

Report: Election officials left positions at increasing rate since 2000

Report: Election official turnover trend stretches two decades

Steady increase in election staff changes over past two decades, report finds

Nassau County exec's plan to deputize armed citizens draws fire

ND spring election: Local races round out ballots

Students unite to defend DEI initiatives

New US race, ethnicity standards include Middle Eastern, North African

Criminal justice package moves ahead in CA state Legislature

Texas Diversity Council remains steadfast in face of adversity

TN reparations ban bill set for vote today

Missouri carries out its first execution of 2024

Michigan voting: Major changes enhance access for fall elections

NV pro-choice advocates break down upcoming SCOTUS cases

WA's new ballot curing law ensures state 'counts every voter'

SCOTUS to hear Oregon case on criminalizing homelessness

Reentry program for people incarcerated offers a model for others

Southern groups advocate for democracy amid legislative challenges

Southern groups mobilize to empower voters, protect democracy

Survey: Missourians anxious over future birth control access

NM LGBTQ+ equality group endorses 2024 'Rock Star' candidates

Effort continues to ensure state minimum wage for ME farmworkers

Lawsuit seeks justice for NC man's death in police custody

Silencing dissent: Where can students debate Israel-Palestinian conflict?

ID bill could add restrictions to ballot initiative process

Texas’ SB 4 in limbo again after late-night court decision

Possible public-comment overhaul stirs backlash in Fargo

Weld County’s Latino community wins court case on gerrymandered maps

HUD files discrimination charge against MT apartment owner

NE advocates for LGBTQ+ rights hopeful after visits with state senators

Report: Older foundations, regardless of intent, may have racist beginnings

Report: Philanthropies examining equity and past actions

Texas' battle over right to arrest suspected illegal immigrants will continue

Members appointed to NYS reparations commission

New report reveals high economic risk of anti-DEI laws in Missouri

Digital court hearings cause uneasiness for young offenders

Groups push back on Iowa lawmakers' 'anti-immigrant' measures

New Tennessee law could lead to voter confusion at the polls

Bill for 30-day waiting period to trigger ballot access stalls

Iowa ramps up push to register young voters

Trump attempts appeal to Michigan's waning Biden support

Report: TN voting-rights restoration process 'overly complicated'

KY crisis aversion bill would help decrease gun violence, advocates say