Here’s another installment of the GAS - the newsletter that's as smooth as a well-aged whiskey, minus the hangover.

Here’s what we have for you today…

• Republicans Move To Require ID for Federal Election Registration

• Grieving Mom Works To Protect Others From This Pain

• Actor Morgan Freeman Derides Black History Month: 'My History Is American History'

• Black Pastor says, “President Obama never came to the hood”

Republicans Make A Move To Require ID for Federal Election Registration

Speaker Mike Johnson, with Trump visible behind him, announced the House Republicans are introducing a bill that requires proof of American citizenship when registering to vote.

Senator John Kennedy (R-La.), a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, has joined Senator Mike Lee (R-Utah) and other colleagues in introducing the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility (SAVE) Act.

While current law prohibits non-citizens from voting in federal elections, it does not mandate that states require documentary proof of U.S. citizenship before individuals register to vote. All they have to do is check a box on the registration, confirming they are a citizen, and that is accepted as true. But that, many Americans agree, is not enough. 

The SAVE Act seeks to amend the National Voter Registration Act to ensure states require proof of citizenship for federal election voter registration.

"U.S. citizenship is sacred, and foreign nationals shouldn't be able to vote in America’s elections. The SAVE Act would ensure that non-citizens don't dilute the votes of Louisianians and other Americans," said Kennedy.

Since the last presidential election, the number of illegal immigrants in the U.S. has increased, making it crucial to ensure that only U.S. citizens vote in American elections.

"Illegal immigrants and non-citizens across the nation are being improperly registered to vote, allowing them to cast illegitimate ballots in federal elections. At a time when trust in voting is more important than ever, we must stop foreign election interference and pass the SAVE Act," said Lee.

Representative Chip Roy (R-Texas) introduced the legislation in the House of Representatives.

The SAVE Act also aims to:

• Require states to establish a process to remove non-citizens from existing voter rolls.

• Increase federal penalties for individuals who register non-citizens to vote in federal elections.

• Establish acceptable ways for individuals to prove their citizenship and require states to create their own processes for demonstrating citizenship when legal documentation is not available.

The legislation is cosponsored by Senators Kevin Cramer (R-N.D.), Ted Cruz (R-Texas), Tommy Tuberville (R-Ala.), Roger Marshall (R-Kan.), Ted Budd (R-N.C.), and Rick Scott (R-Fla.). [Read More]

Grieving Mom Works To Protect Others From The Pain of Graphic Personal Or Crime Scene Photos

It’s a parent’s worst nightmare, and Kim Devins will never wake up from it. Kim’s daughter Bianca was just 17 years old when her life was taken from her, and her killer posted horrific photos of her body to social media.

Those photos instantly went viral. Kim and the rest of her family never know when an online scroll might lead them to images of Kim’s body, as her killer draped himself over her. Or when a random message will appear from someone who feels compelled to send an image along with a cruel comment.

It’s trauma on a repeating cycle.

Even as she grieves, Kim is working to protect other families from experiencing this. Whether a loved one is injured or killed as a result of crime or an accident, no one should have to experience seeing images of a loved one shared about the internet, turned into memes, or used for clickbait. 

It’s regrettable enough that human nature includes the propensity for violence, let alone that we have to not legislate basic human decency and compassion for survivors.

And as rare as it is to see New York Governor Kathy Hochul use her power for good, Kim Devins has managed to make that happen. 

New York now has Bianca’s Law, making it a crime to upload or disseminate graphic personal or crime scene photos of another person.

Nothing will bring Bianca back or ease Kim’s pain, but Kim Devins is a testament to extracting triumph out of tragedy. [Read More]

—
Barb Allen
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