Page 20 - Florida Sentinel 8-27-19

National
Black Ex-Felons Will Bear The Brunt Of Florida’s New ‘Poll Tax’ Law, According To Findings Of New Study
GoFundMe For Officer Who Killed Eric Garner Reaches Nearly $100,000 In 2 Days
Some 80 percent of Florida’s ex-felons eligible to vote will be barred from reg- istering under a new state law, including a dispropor- tionate number of blacks, de- spite a clear majority of voters approving a change to the state’s constitution meant to restore their voting rights.
That’s the finding of a pre- liminary study done by a University of Florida profes- sor on behalf of civil rights groups suing to overturn the state law that critics say im- poses a poll tax on felons, the Palm Beach Post reports.
In November 2018, 65 per- cent of Florida voters ap- proved an amendment to the state’s constitution that re- stored the right to vote to all those who had been con- victed of felonies, except those found guilty of sex of- fenses or murder.
But by January of this year, ex-felons’ hopes of en- franchisement were dashed when Florida’s governor signed into law state Senate Bill 7066. The new law re- quired felons to have paid all court fees and fines before they would be able to register for their newly acquired right to vote.
The new law will not only stop approximately 80 per- cent of felons overall from voting, the study by political science professor Daniel A. Smith found, but it will have a disparate impact on black folks, the Post reports.
While both white and black felons owed between $500 and $5,000, the study found, “white felons were nearly twice as likely as black felons to owe no fines, fees or court-ordered restitution,” the Post reports:
“In my opinion, it is clear ... black individuals who have otherwise met all the terms of their felony convictions are significantly less likely to be able to gain voting rights under SB 7066, as compared to similar white individuals,” Smith wrote.
Civil rights groups, in- cluding the American Civil Liberties Union of Florida and the NAACP Legal De- fense and Educational Fund, submitted the study as part of their lawsuit to overturn the new law.
The suit argues the re- quirement of payment of fines in order to register to vote constitutes an illegal, unconstitutional (and racist) poll tax.
‘Dishonoring The Badge:’ Former Houston Police Officers Charged With Murder Over Deadly Drug Raid
Within days of officer Daniel Pantaleo, the NYPD cop who caused Eric Garner’s death after using an illegal chokehold, being formally let go by New York Police Commissioner James O’Neill, a Go- FundMe to support him has raised nearly $100,000.
The total amount—just over $95,000 as of Wednesday morning— nearly exceeds Pantaleo’s
PROTEST AGAINST DANIEL PANTALEO
$97,000 annual salary. “Support NYC Police Of- ficer Daniel Pantaleo and his family,” wrote the Go- FundMe’s organizer. “Mayor de Blasio’s anti- police rhetoric contributed toward the decision to fire him. Let’s help an officer in need who was only doing his job! It’s the least we can do for a brother in blue with a newborn and bills to
pay!”
Houston police are throw- ing the book at two of their of- ficers who were caught lying about having an informant during a drug raid that left two people dead and five fellow law enforcement officials injured.
On Friday, prosecutors an- nounced that ex-cop Gerald Goines was charged with murder for the deadly Jan. 28 drug raid that left Rhogena Nicholas, 58, and 59-year- old Dennis Tuttle, 59, dead.
Goines, who was shot in the gunfight, was charged with two counts of felony murder and was accused of lying in a search warrant about having a confidential informant who brought heroin at the home.
Ex-Houston Police Officer Gerald Goines
lice found small amounts of marijuana and cocaine in the home.
Family and friends of Tut- tle and Nicholas have contin- uously dismissed allegations that the couple sold drugs. Goines did acknowledge there was no informant and that he bought the drugs him- self, authorities said.
Another ex-officer, Steven Bryant, was caught in the web of deception, too.
For supporting his brethren’s bogus story about the confidential informant, he was charged with tampering with a government record for allegedly providing false infor- mation in a report after the deadly raid.
Press, the couple’s family members and friends dis- missed allegations that they sold drugs — even though po-
According to the Associated
A Michigan City Council Candidate Wants
To Keep A Town As White As Possible
A Michigan city council candidate merited shock and ire when she said she wants to keep a local town as white as possible. Jean Cramer made headlines over the weekend when she was posed a question by a moderator on diversifying Marysville, which is reportedly 95% white.
"My suggestion, recommen- dation: Keep Marysville a white community as much as possible," Cramer said.
Her statement was recorded by WPHM radio in which gasps can be heard from those in attendance and fellow candidates. However, the reac- tions didn't stop Cramer from doubling down on her state- ment.
"Seriously, in other words, no foreign-born, no foreign people because of what, in our
past, we've experienced it's better to have ... simply Amer- ican-born. Put it that way and no foreigners. No."
The 67-year-old was asked by a Port Huron Times Herald reporter to respond to criti- cisms from Mayor Kathy Hayman who has biracial grandchildren and a black son- in-law. Cramer, however, didn't back down and went as far as to call Hayman's family "wrong."
"How can I put this? What Kathy Hayman doesn't know is that her family is in the wrong," she said. "(A) husband and wife need to be the same race. Same thing with kids. That's how it's been from the beginning of, how can I say, when God created the heaven and the earth. He created Adam and Eve at the same time. But as far as me being against blacks, no I'm not," Cramer said.
PAGE 20 FLORIDA SENTINEL BULLETIN PUBLISHED EVERY TUESDAY ANDFRIDAY TUESDAY, AUGUST 27, 2019