Florida Republicans on verge of barring free legal help for election officials
Source: CNN
Legislation recently approved in Florida would cut off free legal assistance to election officials -- alarming legal advocates who have worked to defend election workers from a barrage of threats, harassment and punishing new laws.
The bill, which Florida's Republican-controlled Legislature passed this month and GOP Gov. Ron DeSantis is expected to sign, would extend an existing ban on private donations to help run elections to include "the cost of any litigation related to election administration." Critics say that provision amounts to a ban on pro-bono legal help for election officials.
The legislation would also create a new elections police force with broad powers to investigate potential wrongdoing in the state, including the conduct of election officials.
The Florida move to prevent election officials from getting free legal assistance appears to be the first of its kind. Opponents of the proposal worry the idea will spread to other states at a time when Republican-led states have taken aim at private funding of election functions.
Read more: https://www.cnn.com/2022/03/25/politics/florida-republicans-elections-bar-free-legal-help/index.html
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