Civil Rights News: Youth Health Cost; PA Voter ID Law; DOJ Sues FL over Voter Suppression

Compiled by Willie Roberson, a Summer 2012 Intern

Young Americans Get Health Insurance, Still Have Debt: Study
Anna Yukhananov
Reuters

Results gathered from a study conducted through the Commonwealth Fund indicate that  President Barack Obama’s Affordable Care act has given an additional 6.6 million young adults health care coverage though the ability to remain on their parent’s health insurance until the age of 26. Before the law’s passage, young adults who were not enrolled in college full time would have been denied this privilege. Despite this relief, however, the Commonwealth Fund’s study shows that 36 percent of young adults between the ages of 19 and 29 have had or currently have trouble paying off medical bills. Sara Collins, vice president at the Commonwealth Fund, said that “some young adults may be affected by the high costs of maternity coverage,” which might not be provided through health insurance plans.

Too Many Roadblocks Before the Ballot Box
Editorial
Philadelphia Daily News

Daily News Editors argue that state legislative efforts that would require photo ID in order to vote would have an unfavorable impact on current eligible voters. In Pennsylvania, a new voter ID law threatens to strip voting privileges due to strict documentation requirements. Several outraged Pennsylvania residents assert that they would lose their right to vote because they do not have birth certificates. In response to losing their voting rights, these impacted voters have filed suit against the law. Proponents of the law say that photo ID requirements deter fraudulent voting. State officials have downplayed the difficulties associated with photo ID requirements and say that they are working on a way to make the process easier. Regardless of the changes in policy, the Daily News reports that photo identification requirement significantly heightens the burden of voter registration and may discourage potential voters from trying.

US Department of Justice Sues Fla Over Voter Purge; State Suing Feds For Database Access
Associated Press

Led by Governor Rick Scott, the state of Florida has filed a lawsuit in a federal court in Washington D.C., demanding that the state be given the right to check the names of its registered voters against an immigration database maintained by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. The U.S. Department of Justice plans to ask a federal court to block Scott’s latest push, arguing that the state’s effort to prohibit illegal voting oversteps its bounds and violates federal voting laws.