The Milwaukee Post

Appeals court reinstates Wisconsin's voter ID law MILWAUKEE — A federal appeals court reinstated Wisconsin's voter photo identi- fication law Sept. 12 after a group of judges listened to arguments on restarting the law ahead of the November election. The three-judge panel of the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals in Chicago said the state can enforce the photo ID requirement in this November's elections. The measure, which requires voters to show photo identification, was signed into law in 2011 by Gov. Scott Walker, who said that it will make it "easy to vote and hard to cheat" in Wisconsin. "It was something that was logical, it's common sense, people understand that," said Walker, who spoke Sept. 12 at Sussex IM, a molded plastics manufacturing com- pany in Sussex. "We are also making it clear that we are protecting the integrity of each and every vote here in the state of Wisconsin." The measure was originally signed into law ahead of the February 2012 primary election. Under the law, those arriving at polling stations must produce a government- issued ID with a photo to vote. However the requirement had not been enforced since that primary because of legal challenges. U.S. District Judge Lynn Adelman struck down the law as unconstitutional in April, citing unfair burdens on the poor and minority voters who may not have an identifi- cation. Attorney General J.B. Van Hollen appealed the ruling to the 7th Circuit Court. The governor said his office will work aggressively to ensure over 300,000 voter IDs are distributed in time for the November election. The no-charge verification process was scheduled to start Monday. Wisconsin Democratic Party Chairman Mike Tate said the decision is "certain to further fire up students, veterans, seniors and every other community across Wisconsin hungry for new leadership." Milwaukee agencies receive grants MILWAUKEE — The Dollar General Literacy Foundation has awarded $11,000 to local organizations to support youth literacy programs. La Causa Inc., Milwaukee, and the School for Early Development, Milwaukee, were each awarded $2,500. The Bay View Community Center of Milwaukee was awarded $1,000. The Literacy Council of Greater Waukesha Inc. was awarded $2,500, and the United Way of Racine County, Racine, was awarded $2,500. Youth literacy grants from the Dollar General Literacy Foundation help provide teachers, schools and organizations with the funding and resources they need to prop- erly begin the school year. "Youth literacy grants from the Dollar General Literacy Foundation help make a distinct impact on the communities we serve by supporting programs that improve education and enhance literacy," said Rick Dreiling, Dollar General's chairman and CEO. The Dollar General Literacy Foundation awarded about $4 million in youth literacy grants to approximately 825 schools, nonprofit organizations, libraries and communi- ty groups dedicated to literacy. The Dollar General Literacy Foundation has awarded more than $97 million in grants since its inception in 1993. A complete list of grant recipients may be found online at www.dgliteracy.org. Grant applications for adult, family, summer and youth literacy grants will be avail- able in January. 4 • Milwaukee County Post • September 19, 2014 WEEK IN REVIEW STATE AND LOCAL STORIES OF INTEREST Kohl's plans to hire 67,000 workers for holidays MENOMONEE FALLS — Kohl's Department Stores announced it antici- pates hiring more than 67,000 associates nationwide the upcoming holiday season to support seasonal business in stores and growth on Kohls.com. Kohl's anticipates hiring an average of 50 associates per store at its 1,163 stores in 49 states. In addition, the company says it anticipates hiring approximately 9,300 sea- sonal positions at distribution centers across the country and approximately 670 seasonal credit operations positions. Hiring began this month, and most jobs will be filled by mid-November. Holiday posi- tions are also being filled at the company's distribution centers, where hiring began in August. Associates working in Kohl's credit operations will perform a variety of jobs, including assisting customers with Kohls.com orders. Hiring levels at specific locations will vary depending on the business needs of each facility, the company said. For information about employment opportunities, visit www.KohlsCareers.com. Moore speaks out against implementing voter ID law in November election MILWAUKEE — Wisconsin Rep. Gwen Moore, D-Milwaukee, is speaking out against implementing the voter ID law for the November election. Moore has written a letter to Kevin Kennedy, director and gener- al counsel of the state Government Accountability Board. In it, she is requesting that the law be enforced after the election because of the "irreparable harm and mass confusion it will cause." She pointed out in the letter that the law would disproportionate- ly affect certain vulnerable subpopulations, including seniors, stu- dents, blacks, Hispanics and other people of color. She added that enforcing the law for the November election will also cause wide- spread confusion for voters and election officials. The November election is scheduled for Nov. 4, but absentee vot- ing begins Oct. 20. Moore calls implementing the law for the next election "irresponsible." A total of 34 states have passed laws requiring voters to show some form of identifi- cation at the polls and 32 of those were in force as of Sept. 12. Regional home sales in August behind last year's mark MILWAUKEE — Home sales in the four-county Metropolitan Milwaukee real estate marketplace dipped slightly in August, according to a new report from the Greater Milwaukee Association of Realtors. The report states there were 1,821 homes sold last month in the area — which is made up of Waukesha, Milwaukee, Washington and Ozaukee counties — compared with 1,862 sold in 2013, a 2.2 percent drop. The biggest drop came in Ozaukee County, where sales in August decreased by 23, down to 128 compared with 2013. Waukesha County also recorded a drop of 4 percent (584 in 2013, 562 in 2014), while Milwaukee and Washington counties both saw minimal gains. Listings also decreased for the first time in the last six months in August, as there were only 2,429 new homes added to the market. In August 2013 there were 2,492 listings. Washington County saw a 13 percent decline. August was the eighth month in 2014 that saw lower sales than last year. However, the report states that last year's sales were boosted by the sale of several distressed proper- ties. This year's buyers are more "traditional," characterized as first-time buyers, families looking for a larger home and empty-nesters moving into a new home or condo. Despite sales numbers dropping from this point a year ago, brokers and agents remain enthusiastic about the metropolitan real estate market, according to the report, mainly because of the quality of buyers. Other reasons for optimism include an increasing inven- tory, high buyer interest and sellers' expectations of realistic prices. Through August, the GMAR is projecting sales for the year at approximately 16,331 units, which lags about 10 percent behind 2013's totals, but would be about equal with 2012. MU professor to receive national award MILWAUKEE — Marquette University communications professor Lynn Turner will be honored with the National Communication Association's Bernard J. Brommel Award for Outstanding Scholarship or Distinguished Service in Family Communication. Turner and her co-author Richard West will be honored at the NCA 100th annual con- vention in Chicago on Nov. 22. Turner, who has been at Marquette since 1985, directs the family studies minor in the Diederich College of Communication. Her research focuses on family communication, gender and communication, and work or family intersections. In 2012, Turner was inducted into the Central States Communication Association's Hall of Fame and received the Diederich College of Communication's research award. "Lynn is nationally recognized for her excellence as a scholar and leader in the field, and we're fortunate to have her as a colleague and to have our students benefit from her informed teaching," said Lori Bergen, dean of the Diederich College of Communication. Moore

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