U.S. Briefs: Voting rights fight brews in Virginia

Virginia

The state chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union filed a federal lawsuit on June 26 against a state law that bars convicted felons from voting. The plaintiffs claim the law disenfranchises black residents. They contend a state constitutional provision stripping all felons of the right to vote violates an 1870 law setting the terms of the state’s readmission to the Union after the Civil War. The Virginia Readmission Act prohibits the state from amending its constitution to deprive any citizen of the right to vote “except as punishment for such crimes as are now felonies at common law.” Only nine crimes were common law felonies in 1870: murder, manslaughter, arson, burglary, robbery, rape, sodomy, mayhem, and larceny. Not included: illegal sales of controlled substances, a modern felony for which black residents are disproportionately arrested. A separate lawsuit filed in April also challenges the process by which a convicted felon’s voting rights may be restored as vesting too much discretion in Gov. Glenn Youngkin. —Steve West

Utah

A school district north of Salt Lake City voted on June 20 to restore the Bible to the shelves of its elementary and middle school libraries. A committee initially removed Bibles from the Davis School District under a 2022 Utah law that allows ­parents to challenge books with “sensitive materials.” Many of the books challenged had LGBTQ or racial themes. But in December, an anonymous individual challenged the King James Version of the Bible under the same law, and a review ­committee agreed it should be removed. After a community outcry, the district board voted unanimously to reverse the decision. Brigit Gerrard, the board’s vice president, said the Bible’s literary value outweighed any violence or profanity it ­contained. —Emma Freire

Florida

A first responder has a message for the mother who left her newborn girl in a Safe Haven Baby Box outside an Ocala fire station in January: She’s loved beyond words. The firefighter and his wife, who don’t wish to be identified, adopted the baby after a decade of fertility struggles. The firefighter was on duty Jan. 2 when the box’s alarm sounded. He and a co-worker found a legally surrendered infant inside. She was wearing a pink beanie and a onesie, and she was less than 12 hours old. Her umbilical cord was tied with a shoelace. The firefighter and his wife quickly let the hospital and social services know they wanted to adopt the baby. “The way I found her … this was God helping us out,” he said. Ocala’s box is the only such device operating in the state. —Kim Henderson

South Dakota

Jared Bossly is one of many farmers protesting a new environmental company. Summit Carbon Solutions had legal permission to survey his land in mid-June, but during the process it damaged his crops. Soil testing also left two 90-foot-deep holes. The company, which says it will pay for damages, is one of several that want to build about 2,000 miles of carbon sequestration pipelines in Nebraska, Iowa, Minnesota, and the Dakotas. Pipes would carry ­carbon dioxide from ethanol and fertilizer plants and deposit it deep into rock formations in Illinois and North Dakota, where landowners are also fighting the project. The company says it wants to reduce harm to the environment, but some environmentalists say the pipeline would hurt drainage systems and drinking water, and may eventually transport oil. Rather than help the environment, they say SCS wants to harvest lucrative tax credits and subsidies. Bossly and other farmers are also angry that SCS has filed over 80 eminent domain lawsuits against South Dakota landowners. —Sharon Dierberger

Alaska

Officials near the small seaside town of Teller logged the first recorded case of a North American moose with rabies in early June. State fish and game department officials responded after several residents said a moose came into town and acted aggressively toward people. It was “stumbling, drooling profusely, and had bare patches of skin” according to a statement from the department. Wildlife officials killed the moose, collected samples, and had its body burned to prevent scavengers from becoming infected. Tests showed the moose’s brain was infected with the arctic fox variant of rabies. The same variant was found in red foxes during an outbreak in the Nome/Seward Peninsula last winter. State officials said the solitary nature of the moose makes it unlikely a rabies outbreak will occur in the moose population but asked residents to report any mammal with signs of rabies. —Todd Vician

Michigan

A new bill could greatly expand the state’s definition of hate crimes. HB 4474 would amend an existing “ethnic intimidation” ordinance, adding age, disability, sexual orientation, and gender identity to the list of protected characteristics. The bill also adds “intimidation”—defined as repeated harassment that causes someone to feel “terrorized, frightened, or threatened”—to the list of possible violations. The bill says its definition of “intimidation” doesn’t cover constitutionally protected activity, but Republican legislators aren’t so sure. State Rep. Andrew Fink told fellow legislators that “the risk that disfavored opinions will become criminal under this legislation is too severe.” The bill also increases fines and jail time, and adds a new option: community service to help offenders understand “the impact of the offense upon the victim and wider community.” The state House passed the bill 59-50 on June 20. HB 4474 is now set for review by the Democrat-controlled Senate. —Elizabeth Russell