House expands domestic violence gun control
Last Thursday, the U.S. House of Representatives successfully passed legislation that will expand law enforcement’s ability to restrict gun purchases by convicted domestic abusers. The legislation will also close the “boyfriend loophole” and restrict gun purchases by individuals under a court restraining order or conviction of abuse, assault or stalking of a domestic partner. According to the New York Times, despite threats by the NRA to track and publish how lawmakers voted on the issue, 33 house Republicans crossed the aisle to vote in favor of the Democratic bill. The bill passed with a vote of 263 to 158, but legislators including Elise Stefanik opposed the bill due to the unlikelihood that it will pass the republican controlled Senate.
Justice department report reveals Alabama prison conditions
Last Wednesday, the Justice Department released a 56-page report on the Alabama prison system. According to the NY Times, the report is the first major civil rights investigation by the department to be released under President Trump. It uncovered the conditions in the state’s massively overcrowded and understaffed facilities, including “some of the highest rates of homicide and rape in the country” with “ troubled and violent conditions.” According to the report, the major prisons were found to be at 182 percent capacity with some facilities with less than 20 percent of allotted positions filled. While the state claims to be actively addressing the issues, litigators from the Equal Justice Initiative and the Southern Poverty Law Center who have focused on these institutions for the last two years have disputed the assertion.
College student murdered after mistaking a vehicle for her Uber
After mistaking her suspected killer’s vehicle for her Uber driver, University of South Carolina senior, Samantha Josephson, was found dead last Friday in a wooded area in rural Clarendon County, SC. Rideshare companies including Uber and Lyft have since released statements about working with colleges and local law enforcement across the U.S. to make the public aware of fake rideshare drivers. Uber has urged individuals to follow safety tips outlined on their website including making sure to get in the right car by checking the car, license plate, driver photo, and driver name before entering the vehicle. Lawmakers have also spoke out, proposing the Samantha L. Josephson Ridesharing Safety Act which would require drivers to clearly identify their ride-hailing vehicles by displaying illuminated signs when active.
