States brief ~ Opponents of GA voter ID law to file federal lawsuit News
States brief ~ Opponents of GA voter ID law to file federal lawsuit

[JURIST] Leading Monday's states brief, opponents of a recently approved Georgia voter identification law are expected to announce the filing of a federal lawsuit this week. The bill [PDF text] calls for voters to have photo identification and was recently been approved by the US Department of Justice [JURIST report]. The Coalition for the People's Agenda, the Georgia Association of Black Elected Officials [advocacy website], the NAACP and the Southern Christian Leadership Conference [advocacy website] are plaintiffs in the suit. A news conference is set for tomorrow. AP has more.

In other state legal news …

  • The Colorado Supreme Court [official website] has scheduled arguments on whether videotapes and diaries made by the Columbine High School gunmen can be released to the public. The court will balance homeowners' privacy rights against state open-record laws. The gunmen's parents argue that the videotapes and diaries are privately owned and not subject to the Colorado Criminal Justice Records Act. Colorado Attorney General John Suthers [official website] believes that the records could be made public if a judge determines their release would not be contrary to the public interest. Last year the court of appeals said there was no reason to seal the documents, but they could be withheld from release if "contrary to public interest." AP has more.
  • North Carolina Governor Mike Easley has signed [Governor's press release] legislation establishing a state lottery. Officials expect the law [PDF text] to raise approximately $400 million annually which will be used for school construction, class-size reduction, college scholarships and preschool programs. J.D. Evans, chairman of the Wayne County commissioners, said the lottery funding should not replace current state funding and that it will be important to define a proper use for the generated revenues. Lt. Governor Beverly Perdue [official website] served as the tie-breaking vote in the Senate after the Senate deadlocked 24-24 last week. The Goldsboro News-Argus has local coverage.
THIS DAY @ LAW

UN General Assembly approves Palestine partition plan

The UN General Assembly approved UN Resolution Resolution 181 (II) on November 29, 1947, recommending that the British Mandate for Palestine be split into a Jewish state, an Arab state, and an international zone for Jerusalem. The vote in the assembly was 33 for to 13 against, with 10 abstentions. The resolution sparked a war between Palestinian Arabs and Jews in 1947 and a wider war after Egypt, Syria, Jordan, Iraq, and Lebanon invaded the new State of Israel in 1948. Read Resolution 181 (II).

UN divided Palestine between Arabs and Jews

On November 29, 1947, the UN General Assembly voted to partition Palestine into Jewish and Arab territories, leading to the establishment of a Jewish state the following year. Read UN General Assembly Resolution 181.

Defense Secretary Robert McNamara resigns during Vietnam Conflict

On November 29, 1967, Secretary of Defense Robert S. McNamara announced that he was resigning from his office to accept an appointment as head of the World Bank. The announcement came as the Vietnam Conflict was becoming increasingly unpopular in the United States and abroad.