Supreme Court Strikes Major Part Of Voting Rights Act
June 26, 2013
A closely divided U.S. Supreme Court struck down a key section of the Voting Rights Act that applies to five Florida counties, leading to protests from voting-rights organizations that said the change will make it more difficult to protect citizens’ access to the ballot box.
Writing for the 5-4 majority, Chief Justice John Roberts said that the formula Congress established in the 2006 version of the law to single out so-called “covered jurisdictions” like the five Florida counties is antiquated. That formula, based on data from the 1960s and 1970s, is used to decide which parts of the country must submit almost any changes in voting laws or practices to the federal government for approval, a procedure known as “preclearance.”
“Our country has changed, and while any racial discrimination in voting is too much, Congress must ensure that the legislation it passes to remedy that problem speaks to current conditions,” Roberts wrote.
Roberts was joined by the more-conservative members of the high court, including Justices Antonin Scalia, Anthony Kennedy, Clarence Thomas and Samuel Alito.
But in a dissent joined by all of the more-liberal members of the court, Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg said the section of the voting of the law struck down by the court was crafted specifically to make sure that discriminatory voting laws never returned to areas of the country that had used them to bar minorities from participating in elections.
“Throwing out preclearance when it has worked and is continuing to work to stop discriminatory changes is like throwing away your umbrella in a rainstorm because you are not getting wet,” Ginsburg wrote. ” … The sad irony of today’s decision lies in its utter failure to grasp why the VRA has proven effective.”
Joining Ginsburg’s opinion were Justices Stephen Breyer, Sonia Sotomayor and Elena Kagan.
Florida officials said the ruling would allow them to more fairly administer elections in Florida without waiting for approval from the U.S. Department of Justice or a three-judge panel in Washington, D.C. Secretary of State Ken Detzner said the state spent more than $500,000 last year to secure preclearance for its voting changes.
Parts of a 2011 state elections law were either struck down by courts or altered to get approval from the D.C. court.
“Any time we have the opportunity to make our own decisions, I think that’s great for our state,” Gov. Rick Scott told reporters Tuesday following the state Cabinet meeting.
Five Florida counties have been covered by preclearance: Collier, Hardee, Hendry, Hillsborough and Monroe. But failure to gain preclearance for laws in those counties has put any changes in jeopardy across the state.
There will be some limits to the ruling’s effects in Florida. For example, the state’s redistricting process will likely not change as much, in part because protections for districts crafted to help minority voters elect their preferred candidates are now written into the state Constitution as part of the 2010 “Fair Districts” amendments.
Still, voting-rights groups that have spent years fighting a slew of election changes approved by Scott and state lawmakers said their efforts would be undermined by the court’s decision. While citizens can still sue the state for voting discrimination under another section of the Voting Rights Act, those cases are more difficult to win and often don’t finish until after the changes have been used for at least one election cycle.
In addition to the preclearance for the 2011 changes, a Voting Rights Act lawsuit has been filed against the state’s efforts to purge suspected non-citizens from the voting rolls.
“This governor and this Legislature have been walking advertisements for why federal oversight is needed,” said Howard Simon, executive director of the American Civil Liberties Union of Florida.
Simon’s group is looking at other ways of attacking the voter-purge initiative.
Meanwhile, voting-rights organizations said, Congress should pass a new version of the formula that would allow preclearance to take effect again.
“It should be disturbing to every Florida voter that the Supreme Court seems not to have noticed what happened in Florida over the last two years, where we have battled the Legislature’s partisan manipulation of our voting rights,” Deirdre Macnab, president of the League of Women Voters of Florida, said in a statement. “Today’s decision undermines 40 years of fundamental protections against discriminatory voting laws and the League urges Congress to act quickly to restore the Voting Rights Act.”
By Brandon Larrabee, The News Service of Florida
Pensacola Rolls Past Mississippi
June 26, 2013
The Pensacola Blue Wahoos rallied from a 3-0 fifth-inning deficit, scoring seven unanswered runs over four straight at-bats in a 7-3 triumph over the Mississippi Braves on Tuesday night at Pensacola Bayfront Stadium.
Pensacola won for the first time after trailing by three or more runs this season. Down 3-0 halfway through the game, the Wahoos started the comeback with a two-run double in the last of the fifth by Brodie Greene, cutting the Braves lead to one.
Travis Mattair provided the deciding blow in the contest for Pensacola, breaking out of a 0-for-16 skid in the sixth inning. With the Wahoos trailing 3-2, Yorman Rodriguez singled with one out in front of Mattair, who launched his team-leading ninth homer of the season to left-center field off Mississippi starter Michael Lee, putting Pensacola on top 4-3. Lee fell to 3-6 by allowing four runs on six hits in six frames for the Braves.
The Wahoos added two more runs in the last of the seventh inning against Major League rehabber Cristhian Martinez. Ryan LaMarre led off with a walk, stole second base, moved to third on a groundout and scored on a balk by Martinez to make it 5-3. Devin Lohman drove home Pensacola’s sixth run of the day with a two-out single scoring Greene.
In the eighth, Mattair led off with a single and came around on a LaMarre base knock to give Pensacola a four-run cushion. That was more than enough for Trevor Bell, who picked up his second save of the season by tossing the final two frames to shut the door on the Braves.
Wahoos starter Tim Crabbe retired the first 10 batters of the game before allowing a solo homer to Christian Bethancourt in the top of the fourth inning to give the Braves a 1-0 lead. An inning later, Mississippi had runners on second and third with one when Dan Brewer chopped a ball to Mattair at third. Mattair threw home to catcher Tucker Barnhart, who dropped the ball when he was run over by Barrett Kleinknecht. The ball trickled away allowing Kleinknecht and Mycal Jones to score, opening up a 3-0 lead.
Crabbe exited after five innings, not factoring in the decision. The right-hander allowed three runs, two earned, on four hits while striking out three. Josh Ravin (1-2) picked up the win for Pensacola out of the bullpen by firing two scoreless innings, facing the minimum six hitters in the sixth and seventh innings.
Winners of three in a row for only the second time all season, Pensacola looks for a season-long four-game winning streak and a series win against Mississippi on Wednesday night. Ryan Dennick (3-8, 3.23) will get the ball for the Wahoos against Braves southpaw Ian Thomas (3-4, 2.70). First pitch is scheduled for 7:00 p.m.
story by Kevin Burke
Man Stabbed, Robbed Just Off Nine Mile Road
June 25, 2013
A transient was stabbed and reportedly robbed early Tuesday morning just off Nine Mile Road.
About 5:30 a.m., the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office responded to a stabbing in the 5400 block of Music Lane. They discovered a male transient who had injuries consistent with stab wounds outside the Liberty Church, just behind Wendy’s. The victim described the suspects as two white male juveniles and one black male juvenile.
According to the victim, the juveniles stabbed him prior to taking some of his personal belongings.
Stolen BMW Found Torched In Molino
June 25, 2013
A stolen BMW was found torched beside the road Monday night in Molino.
The BMW with a Georgia license plate was fully involved when the first firefighters arrive on scene on Barrineau Park Road just east of Highway 95A shotly after 9 p.m. Preliminary information indicated that the stolen car had been set on fire; the arson is under investigation by the Florida State Fire Marshals Office.
The driver of the vehicle had fled the scene prior to the fire department’s arrival.
The incident is also under investigation by the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office. The Cantonment and Molino stations of Escambia Fire Rescue and Escambia County EMS also responded to the blaze.
Further details have not yet been released.
Pictured: A stolen BMW was found burning on Barrineau Park Road in Molino Monday night. NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Cantonment Teen Victim Of Hit And Run Driver
June 25, 2013
A Cantonment teen and a Pensacola man were the victims of a hit and run driver Monday night in Pensacola.
The Florida Highway Patrol said a full size pickup was stopped in the center turn lane of Michigan Avenue before the unknown driver attempted to turn on East Shore Drive and pulled into the path of a 2007 GMC Sierra driven by 17-year old Jenni L. York of Cantonment. The unknown driver also hit a 2004 Dodge Ram driven by 42-year old James E Marchiniak of Pensacola.
The pickup, possibly a Ford or Dodge occupied by a white male and white female, fled the scene. The vehicle will have very heavy right rear corner damage and have damage in an unknown area that struck the Dodge Ram, the FHP said.
York and Marchiniak received minor injuries but were not transported to the hospital. There were two other passengers in York’s vehicle that were not injured, according to FHP.
Anyone with information on the accident is asked to call Trooper Tucker at (850) 484-5000 ext. 330. Callers can remain anonymous.
Search Committee Begins Process Of Picking Escambia Administrator
June 25, 2013
A five-member selection committee tasked with guiding the selection process for the next Escambia County Administrator held their first meeting Monday.
The group was named by the Escambia County Commission to look at 40 plus applicants for the position, narrow the field and make a recommendation to the commission. There were 63 people that applied for the administrator’s job, 41 of which were qualified, according to the Human Resources Department.
Applicants range from a TSA security director to a college professor, former city and county administrators and CEOs of private companies. Also on the qualified list is Interim Administrator George Tourt who also applied for the position.
Members of the selection committe e are David Pavlock, appointed by Commissioner Wilson Robertson; Joseph Ward, Sr., appointed by Commissioner Gene Valentino; Pastor Joseph Marshall,appointed by Commissioner Lumon May; Tom Knox,. appointed by Commissioner Grover Robinson; and Bob Price, Jr., appointed by Commissioner Steven Barry.
The committee will meet again at 1:30 p.m. on July 8.
High Flying Reading: Blue Angels Pilot Takes Part In Molino Storytime
June 25, 2013
It was high flying storytime Monday at the Molino Branch Library as the No. 2 Blue Angel shared his own stories and read a couple of books to a large crowd.
LCDR John Hiltz, a Blue Angels pilot since September 2011, told the children how he came to love flying — and reading. He read a couple of books to the children, and even played “airplane” and lifted off a couple of children.
The Blue Angels are participating in community events like storytime at the library after being grounded for the season by the federal government’s sequester. Hiltz, like his fellow pilots, doesn’t know when they’ll get the green light to perform in air shows again. The pilots are currently getting individual flight time in the F-18, but there’s no practicing those high flying stunts that have made the Blue Angels world famous.
Once they get the budget go ahead to fly again, the Blue Angels will have to get in a lot of practice hours before their first air show.
“It’s going to be up to us to look ourselves in the eye and say we are ready,” he said. “Right now all we are getting is elementary flying. But the Blue Angels don’t do elementary flying.”
Hiltz knows Blue Angels air shows are expensive, but there’s a lot of return on the investment.
Special storytimes will continue with a member of the Blue Angels at area libraries as follows:
- Wednesday, June 26 at 10:30 A.M.,: Main Library, 239 N. Spring St.
- Wednesday, June 26 at 2:30 P.M.,: Century Branch, 7991 N. Century Blvd.
- Thursday, June 27 at 10:30 A.M.,: Tryon Branch, 1200 Langley Ave.
- Saturday, June 29 at 2:30 P.M.,: Westside Branch, 1580 W. Cervantes St.
- Tuesday, July 2 at 10:30 A.M.,: Southwest Branch, 12248 Gulf Beach Hwy.
Groups of 20 or less are invited to contact their favorite library to inquire if seating is available for attendance at this very special Blue Angels storytime event.
Pictured top: LCDR John Hiltz,, pilot of the No. 2 Blue Angels plane, gets a little help with a story that pointed out humans have arms, not wings. Pictured inset: A little high-flying blast off with a young reader. Pictured below: Monday’s storytime at the Molino Branch Library. NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Five Questions For Mike Hill
June 25, 2013
Voters in Escambia and Santa Rosa counties two week ago elected Pensacola Republican Mike Hill to replace state Rep. Clay Ford, a Gulf Breeze Republican who died of cancer in March.
The founder of the Northwest Florida Tea Party, Hill used his conservative message to beat Democrat Jeremy Lau in House District 2, a Republican stronghold. Hill collected just under 58 percent of the vote, while Lau received about 42 percent.
Hill, 54, became the only black Republican in the Legislature. He’s a State Farm agent and U.S. Air Force Academy graduate. He’s been married for 30 years and has three children. State Republican Chairman Lenny Curry told Florida Public Radio on Friday he’s hiring an outreach coordinator for African-American voters and hopes Hill will be part of that effort.
Five questions for Mike Hill:
Q: Was there a specific event or issue that caused you to start the Northwest Florida Tea Party? Was there a point at which you said, “That’s it — I’m fed up?”
HILL: It was a culmination of many events, including the Florida increase in fees to register vehicles and renew license plates and driver’s licenses in 2009, and the passage of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act in 2010.
The current Tea Party movement is a continuation of the spirit of patriots rising up against injustice. Its origins were before our Revolutionary War, though we can use that as a starting point. The original Boston Tea Party was a movement against the British tyranny. Once the tyranny has been defeated, then the Tea Party movement melts back into society ready to answer the call whenever tyranny rears its ugly head.
The Tea Party spirit was the catalyst that began the Abolitionist movement. The Tea Party was the spirit behind the women’s suffrage movement, and the civil rights struggles of the 1960s. And the current Tea Party movement is a push back to the overreaching, out of control government that we have at all levels. I want to be a part of that spirit that makes a stand against unjust government and that is why I started my old group. (I stepped down when I ran for this office).
Q: We keep hearing that the Tea Party movement has peaked. Does your election refute that, at least in the Panhandle?
HILL: I believe it does. The Tea Party believes in a constitutionally-limited government and the principles of limited government, low taxes, personal freedom and individual responsibility.
There is still a strong need for these principles. Perhaps the Tea Party has lost a few battles, but the fight against tyranny continues. I wouldn’t say that the Tea Party or being associated with it won my election. It was about those timeless principles that my constituents identified and connected with.
Q: As you head to Tallahassee, do you have any legislation in mind to sponsor?
HILL: I want to be a champion of liberty. I will support legislation that removes unnecessary rules, regulations, and burdens from people and businesses. That kind of legislation creates prosperity. I will support legislation that champions the sanctity of life and protects the family. I would like to see a rollback of many, if not all, of the fee increases passed a few years ago like the vehicle license fee, because we need to return more money back to the citizens of this state as our economy improves.
Q: You came from behind in the primary against the establishment GOP candidate. How?
HILL: By staying on message of wanting to be a servant leader that will provide good public policy. Good public policy will answer these questions: One, is it constitutional? Two, is it fiscally responsible? Three, what problems will it fix in both the short term and long term? And four, is it morally sound? I worked hard and stayed true to my message and didn’t try to be something I was not. My conservatism is genuine and from the heart and that clearly resonated with the voters who were looking for a servant leader, not a business-as-usual politician.
Q: As a black conservative, you’ll be in demand for leadership in the House — are you interested?
HILL: I do not know why simply because I am black and a conservative that I should be considered for leadership. I want to be considered for any position based solely on the content of my character, my commitment to conservative principles, and because I have the courage to not waver from providing good public policy in the face of special interests who might demand otherwise. If I am a leader among my fellow members, it should be because I have the character to stand firm on my values.
Federal Appeals Court Halts Execution Of Florida Killer
June 25, 2013
A temporary stay halted Monday’s planned execution of Marshall Lee Gore, who had been found competent enough a month ago by a state panel to be put to death. The delay was ordered by the 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals about an hour before the scheduled execution.
Gore was scheduled to die by lethal injection Monday at 6 p.m. at Florida State Prison near Starke. The court is expected to hold a hearing later this week on the latest request from Gore’s attorney as the warrant period for Gore’s execution expires at noon July 1.
Gore, 49, was convicted in the 1988 murders of two women in Miami-Dade and Columbia counties. The execution was scheduled for the murder of Robyn Novick, whose nude body was found in rural Miami-Dade County after being last seen leaving the parking lot of a tavern, according to a summary in a 2009 Florida Supreme Court ruling.
Gov. Rick Scott initially signed the death warrant on May 13, but at the request of Gore’s attorney put a temporary stay in effect on May 22 so a panel of psychiatrists could consider whether Gore was sane enough to be executed. The panel was asked to determine whether Gore understood the nature and effect of the death penalty and why it was to be imposed upon him. Scott’s stay was lifted May 31 following the psychiatric review.
By The News Service of Florida
Wahoos Walk Off Over Braves 3-2
June 25, 2013
The Pensacola Blue Wahoos entered the ninth inning with just two hits on the night, but the Wahoos strung together three straight one-out knocks, culminating on Theo Bowe’s two-runwalk-off triple to give the Wahoos a thrilling 3-2 win over the Mississippi Braves on Monday night at Pensacola Bayfront Stadium.
Facing Braves closer Mark Lamm, Devin Lohman reached on a single with one out before Yorman Rodriguez followed with a bloop single off the glove of the shortstop Jaime Pedroza. Bowe, pinch-hitting for the pitcher, laced a first pitch fastball into the right field corner scoring Lohman from second and Rodriguez all the way from first to give the Wahoos their third walk-off win of the season. It was Bowe’s second triple of the year and 12th and 13th RBI.
The game featured two phenomenal pitching performances. In his first start since June 2, Pensacola’s Chad Rogers allowed just a first-inning run on an Edward Salcedo RBI single in four innings of work. Having just come off the DL earlier in the day, Rogers didn’t miss a beat as he struck out six and retired the final eight batters he faced.
Jamie Walczak entered in the fifth inning and retired the first six batters he faced before allowing a one-out double in the seventh inning. He ended up allowing just the one hit in three innings while striking out five.
Meanwhile, Braves starter Mitch Atkins tossed a two-hit gem over seven innings. Both of the hits came from Marquez Smith, who doubled in the fifth and scored on a sac fly from Ray Chang to knot the game at one. Atkins struck out seven in a season-long seven innings.
The game was tied at one after seven frames before pinch-hitter Dan Brewer led off the eighth with a single against Pensacola reliever Drew Hayes. A sac bunt and groundout moved Brewer to third with two outs before Christian Marrero was intentionally walked up to set up a matchup between Hayes and Salcedo. The Braves’ third baseman lifted a ball down the right field line that landed on the chalk for an RBI double. Wahoos’ second baseman Brodie Greene picked up the ball and gunned down Marrero trying to score all the way from first for the final out, keeping the lead at just one.
Hayes (2-1) picked up the win for the Wahoos, allowing a run on three hits in two innings. Hayes combined with Rogers and Walczak to strike out 12 Mississippi hitters, tying a season-high for a nine-inning game. Lamm (3-3) took the loss while blowing just his second save in 11 chances this season.
Having won back-to-back games for the first time since a doubleheader on June 6, the Wahoos look to tie their season-long winning streak of three games with a victory on Tuesday night. Tim Crabbe (3-6, 3.36) gets the ball for Pensacola against Mississippi’s Michael Lee (3-5, 4.38). First pitch is scheduled for 6:00 p.m.
story by Kevin Burke