The Texas Senate will decide today whether voters should be required to present photo identification at the polls. Texas Republicans argue that this is a necessary step to protect against voter fraud, but have produced little evidence that such fraud is a significant problem. Democrats criticize the measure, which will have an undue impact on minorities and the elderly, both key Democratic constituencies. Laws requiring photo identification at the polls have been approved in seven states, but State Sen. Eliot Shapleigh (D-El Paso) said that its only an effort by Republicans to scare off “enough eligible elderly, disabled, blacks and Hispanics to stay in power four more years, plain and simple.” (Chron.com)
New York Attorney General Andrew Cuomo said in a letter Monday that he would continue to seek information on bonuses that Merrill Lynch paid to its employees. In a recent interview, Bank of America’s CEO Ken Lewis refused to reveal information about these bonuses. But Cuomo maintains that as a recipient of bailout funds, B of A is obligated to disclose how they spent taxpayer money. Refusal to do so, he said, “fuels distrust and cynicism at a most sensitive time.” (New York Times)
Documents released by a group of California Democrats indicate that they received thousands of dollars worth of gifts from lobbyists the day after Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger declared California’s fiscal emergency last December. Lobbyists for lawyers, firefighters and carpenters hosted a two-day retreat to influence lawmakers on California’s budget passed in February. The lobbyists also paid for international travel, tickets to sporting events, and tens of thousands of dollars in restaurant tabs. The L.A. Times reports that each of the lobbyists’ goals was represented in the budget. (L.A. Times)
Irving Picard, the trustee charged with liquidating Bernard Madoff’s assets, has approved payments of $500,000 to 12 Madoff investors. Picard will use funds advanced by the Securities Investor Protection Corporation, a nonprofit government agency to refund investors of failed financial institutions. Under the provisions of the SIPC, each investor can receive a maximum of $500,000. (Reuters)
U.S. Attorney Patrick Fitzgerald will continue investigating corruption allegations against Rod Blagojevich, a federal judge ruled Monday. The scandal-plagued former Illinois Governor petitioned to have Fitzgerald removed for saying in a press conference that Blagojevich’s conduct would make Abraham Lincoln “roll over in his grave” among other inflammatory remarks. The judge found no legal precedent for removing Fitzgerald from the case. (Associated Press)
