Law

Once Neglected, Secretaries Of State Step Into The Spotlight

by Peter Overby

There was a time when secretaries of state were seen as little more than functionaries. That view changed in 2000's Florida presidential election recount, which starred Katherine Harris. Now, secretaries of state are involved in implementing new state laws that have been making it either easier or harder for non-traditional voters to cast ballots — with decidedly partisan implications.
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The Ins And Outs Of Local IDs

New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio is announcing a plan to implement local IDs regardless of legal status. To learn how local IDs have worked in other places, Robert Siegel speaks with Patricia Sollami Covello, clerk of Mercer County, N.J. They discuss the community ID program that Mercer County began in 2010.
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In Security Cases, Feds No Longer Get Benefit Of The Doubt

by Carrie Johnson

Disclosures by former NSA contractor Edward Snowden have shaken the intelligence community and spurred Congress to try to impose new limits on electronic surveillance. In recent weeks, aftershocks from those leaks have been rippling through the courts too. Some judges have signaled they're no longer willing to take the government's word when it comes to national security.
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Mass. Suit Aims To Clarify Religious Groups' Latitude In Hiring

by Tovia Smith

When it comes to hiring pastors and teachers, religious organizations like churches or schools are exempt from most employment discrimination laws. But a lawsuit in Massachusetts wants to clarify how much leeway they have. For example, can they discriminate against people in same-sex marriages for non-religious jobs like gym teacher or cafeteria worker?
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