News roundup: voting rights bill gathers momentum, update on DP registry challenge

A news round up from the week – good civil liberties articles and issues you don’t want to miss!

LGBT Rights
The Governor is hiring an outside council to represent the state in the challenge to the domestic partner registry. Lester Pines has represented the state before, most recently in the challenge against the Attorney General’s plan to make the Government Accountability Board purge the voter rolls before the 2008 elections.

Also, don’t get too confused as there is another challenge still pending. This one against the language of the ballot question itself. That hearing is set for November of this year.

Voting Rights
The ACLU of Wisconsin was a part of the hearings for AB 353, a bill that would restore voting rights to felons who are no longer incarcerated and are now living in our communities. The bill made the issues section of the Wisconsin State Journal and there was a supportive letter to the editor. The hearing got some media hits including on WPR headlines, a clip on the Wisconsin Radio Network site.

It’s difficult to find organizations that oppose this common sense voting rights measure. But the Attorney General made a statement against it. Read more about the issue and write your own letter to the editor of your local paper.