Mitch pulls the switch
The state's most Democratic city will lose its license branch Saturday. One has to wonder with the new voter ID law if this isn't an attempt to suppress the vote in this city. How will those without transportation make it to the next branch?
Protesters left happy, but mood didn't last
Gary group thought it had won a reprieve for BMV branch set to close Saturday.
The state says it still plans to close Gary's lone license branch Saturday despite an angry protest at the Statehouse by busloads of Gary residents Monday.
Gary Mayor Scott King and other city leaders left Indianapolis thinking they had an agreement that would allow the branch to keep operating until Oct. 1 while he tried to arrange financing for the city to take over management.
Instead, he learned in a phone call late Monday afternoon with Harry Gonso, chief of staff to Gov. Mitch Daniels, and Joel Silverman, commissioner of the Bureau of Motor Vehicles, that he still has only until Saturday to come up with a solution.
"This does appear to be a bit of a moving target," said King, mayor of Indiana's fifth-largest city.
Protesters left happy, but mood didn't last
Gary group thought it had won a reprieve for BMV branch set to close Saturday.
The state says it still plans to close Gary's lone license branch Saturday despite an angry protest at the Statehouse by busloads of Gary residents Monday.
Gary Mayor Scott King and other city leaders left Indianapolis thinking they had an agreement that would allow the branch to keep operating until Oct. 1 while he tried to arrange financing for the city to take over management.
Instead, he learned in a phone call late Monday afternoon with Harry Gonso, chief of staff to Gov. Mitch Daniels, and Joel Silverman, commissioner of the Bureau of Motor Vehicles, that he still has only until Saturday to come up with a solution.
"This does appear to be a bit of a moving target," said King, mayor of Indiana's fifth-largest city.
posted by torporindy at 9/13/2005
10 Comments:
Very very interesting observation. I never put those two things together. Look for a rant later on IN Politico.
I thought voter ID laws were outlawed already??? Aren't they, like, so unconstitutional? Huh.
Wait a minute - people who live in Gary and need to conduct DMV business now have to leave the city? Please tell me that I've misunderstood this - it's not like Gary is a small town in the middle of nowhere
That was the original concern. They were going to have to go to the next city to be able to travel to the license branch.
Let's think about this, Gary stands out when compared to the other towns on the closure list.
Closed in May and June: Butler, Cayuga, Elwood, Garrett, Knightstown, Montpelier, North Manchester, Summitville, and Warren.
• Closed in July and August: Bicknell, Brownstown, Chesterton, North Judson, Odon, and Syracuse.
• Closing in September: Gary, Middletown, Mooresville, Morristown, Newburgh, Ossian, and Rockport.
• Slated for possible closure: Albany, Cambridge City, Churubusco, Clay City, Dunkirk, Fairmount, Hagerstown, Parker City, and Union City.
• Branches proposed for closure but then kept open: Berne, Bloomfield, Hope, Versailles, and Walkerton.
It's the fifth largest city in Indiana and 84% black. I am not familiar enough with public transport in Lake County, but I am not even sure if the buses from Gary run into Hammond or Griffith.
Silverman has proposed to keep open a photo ID booth in a mental health center. The problem is that this mental health center is not even on a public bus route. As for those who need reinstatement or other license services they are going to have to go to Griffith or Hammond.
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And Indygirl here is a link to the Indiana voter ID law
link
I think what was thrown out was the BMV's emergency rule implementing new voter requirements. They leapfrogged over the statuory requirements for implementing new agency rules for the BMV. I don't think the BMV even has the authority to implement emergency rules, but I could be wrong about that. It's been a long time since I looked at Indiana law on the subject.
and of course the unstated reason is to supress voter turnout. it was the reason they rushed the law through in the first place, IMO.
I say again that the two things that are going to cost R's the house next election (unless the D's screw it up) are Joel Silverman and daylight savings time. It's to the GOP what gay marriage was to the D's last election.
Thanks, Lawgeek, I had forgotten about that. That's what Indygirl was talking about.
Here is the link to that story.
And you're right about those two issues. People are pissed off all over the state. Let's just see if it will carry to the next election cycle. I am sure DST will.
I've read it and I still don't believe it.
This is as sillya s leaving thousands of people in New Orleans behind after an evacuation.... oh, wait. Never mind.
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