University of Florida bars professors from testifying in a voting rights case

Post by xenophonf » Mon, Nov 01, 2021, 4:59 PM UTC

scohesc wrote: post #132

alistairSH wrote: post #58

Earlier quoted context omitted.

GOP has the majority of state governors. GOP has the majority of state legislatures. Both of the above are currently drawing Congressional districts based on the latest census data. Both of the above are currently rolling out voting rules that are nominally about preventing fraud (of which there is zero evidence of anything widespread) but will impact the ability of people to vote.

This is what I don't understand. Why can't legislators be proactive when it comes to protecting voting rights? We don't need to see any evidence of fraud to ensure the safety of voting rights.

Post by isoskeles » Mon, Nov 01, 2021, 5:00 PM UTC

_jal wrote: post #169

isoskeles wrote: post #141

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Pretty clear not an illegal poll tax since this man is an edge case who uses a name with no proof. It’s sad that this is ultimately his mother’s fault, and he can’t ask her for the $250 to fix this.

Always nice to see people willing to write off other peoples' disenfranchisement as a rounding error or 'worth it' (whatever 'it' is.) That is exactly the attitude the authoritarians are counting on. This is how you lose your own representation.

Post by cmh89 » Mon, Nov 01, 2021, 5:00 PM UTC

the_snooze wrote: post #213

cmh89 wrote: post #190

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It depends on where you are. In my state (Oregon), voting is easy and secure. We vote by mail as a default and if you move and don't get your ballot, you can go to any voting office and request all the way up until when polls close on election day. Now, if you are in republican held states like Alabama or Georgia, it's going to be a different story. republicans use several methods to disenfranchise voters, voter ID i…

>3. Another tactic is voter roll purges. A lot of folks don't know that they've been unenrolled from the voter rolls till they show up on election day. This particularly effects renters who might not realize they aren't registered at their current address, and miss mail regarding it because its sent to their former address. I hear this a lot, but states do have to keep their voter rolls up-to-date by law. People move…

Post by xyzzy21 » Mon, Nov 01, 2021, 5:01 PM UTC

Loughla wrote: post #205

R0b0t1 wrote: post #198

Earlier quoted context omitted.

You should still record anyway. Use it in the court of public opinion.

Except if the recording is illegal, it can be used, in some states, against you criminally and civilly. I was just having this conversation. You can be sued and/or jailed if you record someone without their consent in a two party consent state. Not saying it's right or wrong, but it exists and is something to think about.

Post by rayiner » Mon, Nov 01, 2021, 5:03 PM UTC

ModernMech wrote: post #37

elliekelly wrote: post #10

I have a colleague who does environmental litigation. (Think Erin Brockovich.) They have a big civil case against a large energy company in a southern, “energy-friendly” state. They had an expert witness all lined up - a professor at the (public!) state university. Well this expert happened to be up for tenure and was (allegedly) told in no uncertain terms that, should they testify as an expert witness in this case,…

As a professor, I think the actions of The University of Florida are abhorrent. I would never want to work in an environment that kowtows to politics. There are enough political considerations within a University, but having to deal with state politics as well? Count me out. At the same time, he doesn’t have tenure? So they are actually fully within their rights to do this, and really no one should be surprised. But…