CCI members to Schultz: Throw voter intimidation rules out!

Schultz to hold public hearings on a rulemaking package designed to intimidate immigrants and potentially suppress the vote.

 Iowa CCI members will demand Secretary of State Matt Schultz throw out a rulemaking package designed to intimidate voters and other immigrants during a public hearing tomorrow, Thursday, January 3, at 2 pm at the Iowa Department of Public Health, Lucas State Office Building, Des Moines.“Schultz’s proposed voter-suppression rules will unfairly target Latino immigrants, intimidate voters from exercising their rights, and could result in voters being purged from the rolls without cause,” said Ana Belén Mancebo, a CCI member from Des Moines.  “Voter fraud is not a real problem in the state of Iowa and devoting resources to bullying immigrant communities already in the shadows is a waste of taxpayer dollars.”“Iowa CCI members demand Schultz’s throw these bad rules out, end his witch-hunt for non-existent voter fraud, and instead use the power of his office to promote universal voter registration and other means of expanding voting rights.”Schultz wants to cross-check Iowa DOT records with the U.S. Systematic Alien Verification for Entitlements (SAVE) system to force new citizens to prove they are legally eligible to vote.Critics say Schultz does not have the legal authority to pass this rule, that the rule with have a disparate impact on new citizen voters, will likely result in voter intimidation, and violate due process.The United Latin America Citizens of Iowa and the state chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union are also set to testify against the proposed rules during tomorrow’s hearing.Here is the full text of Schultz' prosposed rule: http://sos.iowa.gov/elections/pdf/ARC0528C.pdf