Page 4 - aruba-today-20190928

A4 U.S. NEWS
Saturday 28 September 2019

Judge strikes down key changes

to Michigan ballot drive law

By DAVID EGGERT population hubs and would lot committee and voters
Associated Press impede circulators’ abilities who said lawmakers could
LANSING, Mich. (AP) — A to satisfy the Constitution’s not amend the constitution
judge struck down chang- signature requirements,” with legislation and con-
es to Michigan’s ballot Stephens wrote in her opin- tended the 15% require-
drive law Friday, ruling that ion . ment would dramatically
a geographic limit on peti- She also nullified a new re- increase the cost and dif-
tion gathering unconstitu- quirement that each pe- ficulty of mounting success-
tionally makes it harder to tition indicate whether a ful citizen petition cam-
qualify proposals for a pub- circulator is paid or a volun- paigns.
lic vote. teer. She let other portions Democratic Attorney Gen-
In this March 18, 2019, file photo, Michigan Attorney General
Dana Nessel attends an event in Clawson, Mich. Court of Claims Judge Cyn- of the law stand, including eral Dana Nessel previously
Associated Press thia Stephens said the state a requirement that paid said the 15% limit and other
constitution does not allow gatherers file an affidavit portions of the law are un-
the threshold that was ap- with the secretary of state constitutional. State elec-
proved by the Republican- and the invalidation of sig- tion officials will comply
led Legislature and then- natures that do not meet with her opinion, which is
Gov. Rick Snyder in last technical requirements. not binding on courts, un-
year’s lame-duck session. Stephens was initially ap- less an appellate court is-
The law says no more than pointed to the bench by sues orders otherwise.
15% of petition signatures former Gov. Jennifer Gran- Republicans, who still con-
can be used from any one holm, a Democrat. trol the Legislature while
of the state’s 14 congres- The Senate will likely ap- Democrat Gretchen Whit-
sional districts — a restric- peal, said a spokeswoman mer is governor, approved
tion that prevents ballot for Senate Majority Leader the law in December — a
committees from solely Mike Shirkey. month after voters passed
targeting the most heav- A spokesman for House three Democratic-backed
ily populated, more Demo- Speaker Lee Chatfield said proposals to legalize mari-
cratic urban areas. he had not yet reviewed juana for recreational use,
“The effect of the 15% geo- the decision. curtail the gerrymandering
graphic limitation would A lawsuit was filed in May of congressional and legis-
undoubtedly drive petition by the League of Women lative districts, and expand
circulators from the state’s Voters of Michigan, a bal- voting options.q

Subpoenas mark first concrete steps for

Trump impeachment

Continued from Page 2 fense, but Conway’s state- being treated as a whistle-
ment seemed to make that blower if all of the allega-
On Thursday, House Dem- less likely. tions are borne out as en-
ocratic chairmen called The intelligence commu- tirely true, or even if politi-
Trump’s comments “wit- nity’s inspector general cal motives or partisanship
ness intimidation” and sug- found the whistleblower’s did factor into the decision
gested efforts by him to complaint “credible” de- to come forward.
interfere with the potential spite finding indications of Giuliani, already in the spot-
witness could be unlawful. the person’s support for a light, was scheduled to ap-
Rep. Joaquin Castro, D- different political candi- pear at a Kremlin-backed
Texas, a member of the date. conference in Armenia on
intelligence committee, Legal experts said that by Tuesday, but he said Friday
said the president calling following proper proce- he would not be attend-
whistleblowers spies is “ob- dures and filing a com- ing. The agenda showed
scene ... just grotesque.” plaint with the government him speaking at a session
“If you ask me, I’d like to rather than disclosing the on digital financial tech-
hear from everybody that information to the media, nologies. Russian President
was mentioned in that the person is without ques- Vladimir Putin also was
whistleblowers report. I like tion regarded as a whistle- scheduled to participate in
to hear from Rudy Giuliani, blower entitled to protec- the conference.
from the attorney general. I tions against being fired or Republicans were straining
think Mike Pompeo has ex- criminally prosecuted. under the uncertainty of
plaining to do as well as the “This person clearly fol- being swept up in the most
State Department.” lowed the exact path he serious test yet of their alli-
Trump’s Friday comment was supposed to follow,” ance with the Trump White
questioning the whistle- said Debra D’Agostino, House.
blower’s status seemed to a lawyer who represents “We owe people to take it
foreshadow a possible ef- whistleblowers. “There is no seriously,” said Sen. Marco
fort to argue that legal pro- basis for not calling this per- Rubio, R-Fla., a onetime
tection laws don’t apply to son a whistleblower.” Trump rival who is now a
the person, opening a new Lawyers say it also doesn’t member of the intelligence
front in the president’s de- matter for the purposes of committee.q