California passes automatic voter registration. You're eighteen years old, you have a driver's license, and are not a Kardashian, congratulations you are a registered voter. (Okay I made up that Kardashian part, but I think we can all agree it's a good idea.)

California Governor Jerry Brown.

Courtesy of Yahoo News:

Gov. Jerry Brown has approved legislation to make California the second state in the nation to begin automatically registering eligible voters when they obtain or renew their driver's licenses. 

AB1461 by Assemblywoman Lorena Gonzalez, D-San Diego, aims to boost California's voter rolls by registering visitors to the Department of Motor Vehicles and was among dozens of bills that Brown announced Saturday he had signed. 

It follows Oregon's move earlier this year to adopt the nation's first automatic voter registration law. 

The legislation backed by Democratic Secretary of State Alex Padilla calls for data collected by the DMV to be provided to the secretary of state's office, which would verify a resident's legal eligibility to vote before registering them. Drivers would have the option to opt out or cancel their voter registration at any time. 

Padilla praised the signing of the automatic registration bill. 

"Citizens should not be required to opt-in to their fundamental right to vote," he said in a statement. "We do not have to opt-in to other rights, such as free speech or due process. The right to vote should be no different." 

You know that makes so much sense that it pisses me off that this is not the law in EVERY state.

In fact I would like to see it expanded so that you get per-registered on the day you are born, and on the day you turn eighteen you receive your voter ID in the mail.

And if THAT makes you respect California just a little more get a load of this courtesy of The Sacramento Bee: 

Gov. Jerry Brown on Saturday signed legislation to ban the concealed carry of handguns at colleges and schools, further tightening California firearms restrictions that are already among the strictest in the nation. 

Current California law makes it illegal to possess a firearm within 1,000 feet of a school or on a college campus without permission from administrators, but it exempts those with concealed carry permits. 

Senate Bill 707, by Sen. Lois Wolk, D-Davis, expands the prohibition on school and college grounds to include concealed weapons, while keeping the same rules in place for the 1,000-foot zone surrounding schools. Active and retire law enforcement officers are not covered by the law. 

I swear sometimes California does something that really sets it apart from the rest of the country in a good way.

If they were not always on the brink of bankruptcy, constantly on fire, and home to some of the most vacuous people on the planet, it might even be nice place to live.

Palin-bot sues Nevada DMV for not allowing him to display his ignorance on his license plates.

From the Daily Mail:

A Nevada man has filed suit against the state's Department of Motor Vehicles after multiple requests for personalised licence plates supporting Republican Sarah Palin were rejected.

James Linlor, of Douglas County, claims his rights were violated when the state refused to issue a series of license plates supporting the former Alaska governor, branding them 'inappropriate' in nature.

According to the claim, 'GOPALIN' was among several requests rejected, while the agency approved others including 'GO OBAMA' and 'DMOCRAT'.

According to court documents filed on Friday in U.S. District Court, Mr Linlor filed for the personalised licence plate 'GOPALIN' in 2009 and 2010. Both, he says, were rejected, reports the Las Vegas Sun.
In June, 2010, his requests for 'PALIN,' 'PALIN12' and 'PALIN16' were denied.

The DMV’s Special Plates Committee, which reviews applications, stated the applications were 'vulgar or obscene or expressing superiority of political affiliation.'

Well at this point I have to side with the Nevada DMV, I mean clearly this vanity plate choice would fall into the "vulgar or obscene" category. I guess the reason could be that last one, but nah.

After all it is not like there is a clear demonstration of bias on the part of the Nevada DMV.

I'm sorry, WHICH license plate submissions did they okay?

Mr Linlor says he later discovered the DMV had issued other politicly-motivated license plates, including 'GOGREEN,' 'DMOCRAT,' 'AL GORE,' 'KERRY,' 'EDWARDS,' 'DEAN,' 'HILLARY' and 'RONPAUL,' while requests for 'REPBLCN' and 'BUSH,' were rejected.

Testing the system, Mr Linlor said he applied for a 'GO OBAMA' plate, which was approved. 

Oh.  They actually issued an "EDWARDS" and a "RONPAUL?"

Well that sort of changes things now doesn't it?


As much as it pains me to say, I do believe this gentleman has a very definite legal point and he should in fact be allowed to put "IMBCIL," I'm sorry I mean "GOPALIN" on his license plate. As ridiculous, and ill informed as that decision might be, it does appear to be unfair to reject HIS request while allowing other Nevada residents to put THEIR political idols on the license plates which adorn their vehicles.


After all, his decision could have been much, much worse.