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* South Dakota…
Whether it’s a hat or shirt with Donald Trump’s famous slogan, or apparel featuring any other candidate, [Minnehaha] County Auditor Leah Anderson says you can wear it when you show up at the polls.
“In the past, we didn’t allow campaigning at the polling place within 100 feet, so in the past that’s been viewed as not being able to wear something like if a person comes to vote and they have a particular hat or t-shirt that has a candidate’s name on it or issue in the past we’ve asked them to take their hat off or turn their t-shirt inside out,” Anderson said.
But that won’t be the case this year.
“Our states attorney’s office has done some research on that and followed some other case laws and has determined that could likely violate a person’s first amendment rights, so we are teaching our workers that it’s okay if a person comes into vote and has something on that’s not deemed as campaigning,” Anderson said.
* Texas…
Texas’s Republican Attorney General Ken Paxton sued Democratic U.S. President Joe Biden’s administration on Tuesday, saying the federal government was not providing the help it needed in assessing the citizenship status of some of its registered voters.
The lawsuit filed in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Texas accuses the Biden administration and specifically the Department of Homeland Security of refusing to help it determine the citizenship status of 450,000 of the 17.9 million registered voters in the state. […]
Paxton’s office said he sent a letter earlier this month asking the U.S. government to verify the citizenship status of people who may be unlawfully registered to vote in Texas by Oct. 19. His office said he proceeded with a lawsuit when his request was not answered.
His office said there were nearly half a million voters whose citizenship status has not been verified but acknowledged that the majority of those voters were likely citizens and hence eligible to vote.
* Alabama…
In August, the American Association of University Professors (AAUP) conducted a survey that received 2,924 responses from educators across the South, including Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Florida, Tennessee, Kentucky, Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana, Texas and Arkansas. Around 60 percent of the respondents indicated that their state was not a desirable place to work in higher education.
The responses among Alabama educators were particularly damning of the state, with 57 percent of Alabama’s respondents saying that they would not recommend their state as a place to work to work in higher education. About 29 percent of Alabama professors who responded to the survey stated that they have applied for jobs outside of the state since 2022.
Respondents were also able to indicate why they were concerned about being employed in higher education in their respective states. 56.5 percent of respondents cited salary as a concern, while 53.3 percent of respondents listed overall political climate as a motivator for seeking employment elsewhere. 49.6 percent reported concerns over academic freedom writ-large, and around 30 percent of the respondents specified concerns about tenure; diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI); and shared governance. LGBTQ+ issues, reproduction rights/abortion access, and cost of living were also noted as concerns among more than 20 percent of the respondents.
Reduced academic freedom in the face of new “anti-DEI” legislation was of particular concern among Alabama’s 88 survey respondents. SB 129, which went into effect on Oct. 1, prevents any state institution in Alabama from using public funding for diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) initiatives. The law also restricts classroom discussions on gender, race, and sexual orientation — listing them as “divisive concepts.” The law has resulted in campuses across the state closing or rebranding their DEI offices and campus resource centers.
* Florida…
Just this month a new law in Florida — that bans sleeping on public property anywhere in the state — took effect. While the law includes exceptions during emergencies like major storms, those protections end when the hurricane order is no longer in place.
In practical terms, this means that when Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis or a county official lifts Florida’s emergency hurricane order, Floridians who were homeless before Helene and Milton — roughly 31,000 people — could face new criminal penalties. Local homeless advocates say there are countless questions and rumors circulating about how the new law will be interpreted and enforced in the wake of climate disasters.
Most people experiencing homelessness were aware the new anti-camping law was set to take effect, according to Martha Are, the executive director at the Homeless Services Network of Central Florida. “Some people are already trying to relocate their encampments to harder-to-find areas,” she told me in mid-September, about a week before Helene made landfall in Florida’s Big Bend region. […]
“It’s going to be a challenge for how leaders actually enforce these [anti-camping] laws, like if I’ve lost my house from a hurricane and I’ve lived in that town for a decade, will I be found in violation of the law and are they going to arrest me?” asked Noah Patton, the manager of disaster recovery at the National Low Income Housing Coalition. “These laws create significant complications, will really make aid more difficult to sort out, and what I have been saying is it makes a community less resilient to disasters.”
* Idaho…
A trial to determine whether Idaho’s abortion law should be blocked for individuals facing pregnancy complications will begin on Nov. 12 in Boise. […]
The lawsuit is named for the lead plaintiff, Jennifer Adkins, who sought an abortion in Oregon because her 12-week-old fetus was diagnosed with a condition that would have resulted in a miscarriage or stillbirth, and likely jeopardized her own health. The three other plaintiffs, Jillaine St.Michel, Kayla Smith and Rebecca Vincen-Brown, also had fetal complications that were likely to affect their health.
Idaho has a near-total ban on abortions without exceptions provided to preserve the health of the pregnant patient, only to prevent their death. Physicians have said the law is unclear about when that exception would apply so that they could be safe from criminal prosecution.
The plaintiffs are asking the court to clarify what circumstances qualify under the “medical emergency” exceptions in the states’ abortion bans.
In some cases, pregnant patients have been airlifted out of Idaho emergency rooms to seek abortions in neighboring states, as doctors fear legal consequences for performing the procedure, even in medical emergencies, States Newsroom previously reported.
posted by Isabel Miller
Thursday, Oct 24, 24 @ 9:59 am
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=Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Florida, Tennessee, Kentucky, Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana, Texas and Arkansas=
The study data is mostly from SEC schools. While the professors may have concerns, enrollment at these universities ( the SEC ones anyway) is increasing. So that’s where the jobs are.
https://www.collegetuitioncompare.com/trends/southeastern-conference/#google_vignette
Comment by Donnie Elgin Thursday, Oct 24, 24 @ 10:15 am
When it comes to disappointment, South Dakota never disappoints.
– MrJM
Comment by @misterjayem Thursday, Oct 24, 24 @ 10:22 am
Every day I’m glad I live in Illinois. Every. Day.
Comment by Tony Dekalb Thursday, Oct 24, 24 @ 10:46 am
==enrollment at these universities ( the SEC ones anyway) is increasing. So that’s where the jobs are.==
Now do the Big Ten schools. I did a quick check, and the first 3 I chose (Michigan, OSU, Indiana) have all had enrollment increases over the past 20 years. UIUC has gone from 44k to 57k in just the past 10 years.
Comment by supplied_demand Thursday, Oct 24, 24 @ 10:51 am
=In August, the American Association of University Professors (AAUP) conducted a survey that received 2,924 responses from educators across the South, including Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Florida, Tennessee, Kentucky, Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana, Texas and Arkansas. Around 60 percent of the respondents indicated that their state was not a desirable place to work in higher education.=
Also true in this state at least at Western Illinois University. Seems the have layed off nearly 100 employees - all Faculty and Civil Service None in Administration and a bloated and deficit ridden Athletic budget remains untouched. Google Western Illinois University and you will see a number of articles on this subject.
Comment by Mason County Thursday, Oct 24, 24 @ 11:26 am
Texas claims it cannot affirm the citizenship status of 450,000 residents of Texas.
Iowa says it has found 2100 people for whom they are unsure of their citizenship status.
Georgia found 20 people who were not citizens at the time they registered.
Texas sure is a hot mess.
Comment by H-W Thursday, Oct 24, 24 @ 11:34 am
@ Mason City
Just a slight clarification. The news reports suggest 100 people were laid off at WIU. WIU actually laid of 100 academic personnel (educators) in two rounds so far (more to come), and an additional 30 or so civil service personnel so far. What is most shocking to me is the absence of a Union Response, beyond the layoffs of the entire library faculty (8 educators). The Union (UPI 4100) is working hard to get those positions back, but has been very silent regarding the 100 of their 425 faculty layoffs more generally.
Comment by H-W Thursday, Oct 24, 24 @ 11:41 am
== Now do the Big Ten schools. ==
Since Donnie Elgin hasn’t had time to do it, I did it for us. Comparing the Big Ten against the SEC in 2023, we see that on average:
- Tuition has risen slower at the Big Ten Schools over the last 20 years than it did in the SEC
- Student population is almost 30% higher in Big Ten school than the SEC, although it has risen at slower rate
- Getting accepted into a Big Ten school is harder than getting into an SEC school.
https://www.collegetuitioncompare.com/trends/big-ten-conference/
I wouldn’t say that the SEC is where the jobs are as much as the state flagship schools and major research institutions are where the jobs are, which is the general trend in higher education now.
Comment by Leap Day William Thursday, Oct 24, 24 @ 12:38 pm
In the last couple months both Manteno IL and Bradley IL have approved ordinances banning camping on public property as well. I’m sure there are plenty of other municipalities doing similar things but those are the two I’ve heard about recently near me.
Comment by Aaron B Thursday, Oct 24, 24 @ 1:12 pm
==Manteno IL and Bradley IL have approved ordinances banning camping on public property==
Streator comes to mind.
Where I live (not Streator) almost all the parks are owned by a separate park district. The city’s criminal trespass code allows “trespass enforcement agreements” between the police department and property owners so that’s how the parks get patrolled. Most transient persons are cited without arrest (unless they have an outstanding warrant) so they go to city admin hearings instead, and another $310 fine/fee is added to their “tab.”
Comment by yinn Thursday, Oct 24, 24 @ 2:26 pm