Who does a better job on voting rights: Texas or Canada?

When Republicans in Texas passed their Voter ID law we looked at how much a lie that was with their claims of protecting the right to vote or making sure nobody who isn't eligible to vote is voting.  We examined our neighbors to the north, Canada, and its Voter ID law.

Just a reminder, the only forms of ID allowed by Texas are:

• Texas driver license issued by DPS
• Texas Election Identification Certificate issued by DPS (good for only 6 years)
• Texas personal identification card issued by DPS
• Texas concealed handgun license issued by DPS
• U.S. military identification card containing the person's photograph
• U.S. citizenship certificate containing the person's photograph
• U.S. passport

7 forms.

Just a quick refresher, Canada allows 3 options for showing Voter ID.  Under Option 1 you have 3 choices.  Under Option 2, you have between 13 and 325 possible combinations to prove you can vote.  Under Option 3, someone who knows you (and is an authorized voter) can vouch for you.

In terms of actual ID, Canada allows between 3 and 325 ways to prove you can vote.

So what is the point of this refresher?

Today in Canada, specifically the province of Nova Scotia, the election authority changed some voting procedures.  From the CBC:

In a bid to increase voter turnout, Elections Nova Scotia is increasing the number of days people will be able to cast their ballot in the next general election.

“You'll be able to vote on almost any day during the four weeks before Election Day,” said Dana Doiron, director of policy and communications at Elections Nova Scotia.

Voters will be able to vote on all but four days in the next campaign, not just in the advance and special polls and on election day.

It’s one of many changes Elections Nova Scotia is implementing.

There will now be polling stations in hospitals, shelters, prisons and nursing homes...

See in Canada, prisoners have had the vote since 2002.

But there are at least 2 people in Canada who are not allowed to vote: the head of Election Canada (i.e., Canada's top election supervisor/authority) and the deputy of Elections Canada.

To reiterate, the person who is in charge of running the elections and his/her deputy are not allowed to vote.  For us that would be like the Texas Secretary of State and his deputy.  The person in charge of making sure the elections are run right, can't vote.

It's an interesting concept.  What better way to ensure the elections are free and fair?  Most likely the person who is appointed head of Elections Canada is probably very civic minded.  He or she can't vote, but would very much like to.  They can't vote, so they make sure other voters are not denied the right they don't have.

Imagine if we had a rule in Texas, Governor Rick Perry, as the head of Texas, and the Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst, as the deputy head of Texas, aren't allowed to vote as long as they hold either of those offices.  Wonder if either one would suddenly value the right to vote?

Women on Women Action in the Texas Legislature

Who would've ever thought you'd see women on women action taking place in a legislative body?  Let alone the Texas Legislature.

Yet that's what any observer has been treated to.  These are the Republican women in the Texas Legislature who have said that abortion by coat hanger in Texas is just fine.  These are the Republican women who have said that abortion can only happen if you can afford it...which will primarily be rich white women.

 These abortion clinics do more than provide abortions.  Let's take Planned Parenthood, since that seems to be the constant fly in the ointment for Republicans.

According to Planned Parenthood's website, they offer the following at their various clinics across the state: Abortion Referral, Abortion Services, Birth Control, General Health Care, HIV Testing, LGBT Services, Men's Health Care, Morning-After Pill, Pregnancy Testing & Services; STD Testing, Treatment & Vaccines, Women's Health Care.

Of the 58 clinics Planned Parenthood lists on their website, 14 provide Abortion Services or 24%.  52 provide Men's Health Care.  51 provide Birth Control, Morning-After Pill, Pregnancy Testing & Services, STD Testing, Treatment & Vaccines, and Women's Health Care.  50 provide HIV testing.  46 provide General Health Care. 36 provide LGBT Services. 2 provide Abortion Referral.

With the passage of SB 5, the women pictured above have essentially said goodbye to all these available services.

But they've said more than that.  They have essentially given the green light for women to have their epitaphs read, "Dead from regulation."

So tell me, how does closing these clinics and these services protect and improve womens' health?

Are Texas cities gay friendly?

From the Human Rights Campaign:

The Municipal Equality Index (MEI), the first ever rating system of LGBT inclusion in municipal law, finds that while many U.S. cities lag behind in protections for LGBT people, some of the most LGBT-friendly policies in the country have been innovated and implemented at the municipal level, including in states with laws that are unfriendly to the LGBT community.

The MEI rates cities based on 47 criteria falling under six broad categories: non-discrimination laws; relationship recognition; the municipality’s employment practices; inclusiveness of city services; law enforcement; and municipal leadership.  Key findings from the MEI create a snapshot of LGBT equality in 137 municipalities of varying sizes drawn from every state in the nation – these include the 50 state capitals, the 50 most populous cities in the country, and the 25 large, 25 mid-size, and 25 small municipalities with the highest proportion of same-sex couples.  Seattle and other 100-point cities serve as shining examples of LGBT inclusivity, with excellent policies ranging from non-discrimination laws, equal employee benefits, and cutting-edge city services. 

In Texas, HRC looked at 7 cities: Arlington, Austin, Dallas, El Paso, Fort Worth, Houston, & San Antonio.  These are also the top 7 cities in the state in terms of population.  So how did they do?

Out of a possible 100...
Austin - 91
Fort Worth - 89
Dallas - 76
Houston - 52
El Paso - 49
San Antonio - 48
Arlington - 16

For San Antonio we scored:
0 points for Non-Discrimination Laws
0 points for Relationship Recognition
6 points for Municipality as Employer
10 points for Municipal Services & Programs
18 points for Municipality as Law Enforcement
8 points for Municipality's Relationship with the LGBT Community

We got bonus points for Services to vulnerable LGBT populations (2), Engagement with LGBT Community (2), & Success despite restrictive state laws (2).

Voter ID: Texas vs. Canada

Thankfully Texas' Voter ID law was rejected by the DOJ.  Now the state wants to argue that Section 5 of the Voting Rights Act is unconstitutional.

The LA Times gets it correct with Texas' Voter ID law: Texas' Solution in Search of a Problem

One of the Republican talking points on voter id is to ensure against fraud.  Now correct me if I'm wrong, but I could have sworn I heard some Republicans making the point that voters in other countries must present an id at the polls.  So let's take a look at our neighbors to the north: Canada.

From Elections Canada: To vote, you must prove your identity and address.

Okay.  How?