Politics, Policy & PowerSeptember 12, 2023
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A View From the Ground
News and information about politics, government, civic participation and engagement from the URL Media network.
Credit: Pexel
🗳️ ♿ Disability rights advocates call for improved access to early voting: As it prepares for local and national elections this year and in 2024, New York State, including New York City, must consider whether polling sites are equipped for people with disabilities. Last year, a report by the Brennan Center for Justice found that 94% of polling sites outside of the five boroughs were not fully accessible to voters with disabilities. Epicenter-NYC's Amber Castillo recently spoke with disability advocates about the design of polling sites and some of the key barriers that prohibit voters with disabilities from early voting. Read more here.
Credit: iStock
📚🚫 Fla. parents struggle with discriminatory policies in schools: The new school year has already filled many Florida families with fear, as a number of laws passed by the state's governor and Department of Education this year have called for a review of library and classroom materials available to students in public schools. “I’m horrified with what’s going on right now...and how they’re trying to whitewash and water down and indoctrinate our kids,” one parent told Prism. Read more here.
Plus: US Secretary of Education stresses multilingual education during Minn. visit (Sahan Journal)
Staten Island residents rallied earlier this summer against the opening of a new temporary migrant shelter that can hold a maximum of 300 people. This large blue banner stands right next to the building, which once housed a school. Credit: Nancy Chen/Documented 🪧🗣️ NYC grapples with rising tensions over migrant crisis: An old school building. A recreational center. A municipal airport. It's been a summer of protests and rallies against migrant shelters opening across New York City's open spaces — and both local and federal politicians have caught wind of NYC Mayor Eric Adams' oft-repeated message: the city just isn't equipped to house migrants. Read more from Documented.
What's Your View?
Mayor Eric Adams' comments on asylum seekers have raised tensions about whether New York City can continue to accept asylum seekers. What's your perspective on this issue?
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