Petition to Congress:
We urge you to scrap the cap on Social Security taxes, make millionaires and billionaires pay their fair share of Social Security taxes, and protect and expand Social Security benefits for seniors.

While billionaires like Elon Musk take advantage of the broken American tax system, many seniors are struggling to get by.

While House Republicans try to slash Social Security, Senator Bernie Sanders is fighting to protect and expand benefits. Sen. Sanders said recently, “It is absurd that a billionaire in America today pays the same amount of Social Security taxes as someone making $168,000 a year.”¹

Teachers, nurses, and customer service workers all pay a greater percentage of their incomes in Social Security taxes than Elon Musk and Jeff Bezos. It’s time to end this unfair, outrageous tax loophole for the rich and strengthen one of America’s most important social safety net programs.

Sign the petition: Protect and expand Social Security! It’s time to get rid of the ridiculous cap on Social Security taxes for millionaires and billionaires.

The vast majority of workers pay into Social Security all year long, but millionaires and billionaires don’t have to because of the cap on Social Security taxes.² The Social Security Board recently released a report concluding that Social Security will have a funding shortfall without tax increases on the rich.³ This is a crisis for one of the most important social safety net programs in America.

Big corporate CEOs only pay Social Security taxes at the very beginning of the year — then, their massive salaries roll into their bank accounts without paying into the program. This is not how our tax system should work. And it’s not how a democracy should function.

Instead of doing what the American people demand and making the wealthy pay their fair share, Wall Street-funded politicians are trying to set up a closed-door commission to cut Social Security in secret. We can’t let it happen.

Sign the petition to Congress: Scrap the Cap, protect Social Security, and make the ultra-wealthy pay their fair share!

demandprogress.org

Sources:

1. Senator Bernie Sanders on Twitter, “It is absurd that a billionaire in America today pays the same amount of Social Security taxes…” September 5, 2024.
2. Common Dreams, “Calls to ‘Scrap the Cap’ Grow as Millionaires Stop Paying Into Social Security for the Year,” February 28, 2023.
3. CBS News, “Social Security projected to cut benefits in 2035 barring a fix,” May 7, 2024

The Judiciary Act of 1789 is passed by Congress and signed by President George Washington, establishing the Supreme Court of the United States as a tribunal made up of six justices who were to serve on the court until death or retirement. That day, President Washington nominated John Jay to preside as chief justice, and John Rutledge, William Cushing, John Blair, Robert Harrison and James Wilson to be associate justices. On September 26, all six appointments were confirmed by the U.S. Senate.

READ MORE: Why Do 9 Justices Serve on the Supreme Court?

The U.S. Supreme Court was established by Article 3 of the U.S. Constitution. The Constitution granted the Supreme Court ultimate jurisdiction over all laws, especially those in which their constitutionality was at issue. The high court was also designated to oversee cases concerning treaties of the United States, foreign diplomats, admiralty practice and maritime jurisdiction. On February 1, 1790, the first session of the U.S. Supreme Court was held in New York City’s Royal Exchange Building.

For the complete article: history.com

READ MORE: 7 Things You Might Not Know About the U.S. Supreme Court

Citation Information

Article Title

The first Supreme Court is established

AuthorHistory.com Editors

Website Name

HISTORY

URL

https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/the-first-supreme-court

Access Date

September 24, 2022

Publisher

A&E Television Networks

Last Updated

September 21, 2021

Original Published Date

November 24, 2009

1789 – The U.S. Congress passed the First Judiciary Act. The act provided for an Attorney General and a lower federal courts.

1869 – Thousands of businessmen were financially ruined after a panic on Wall Street. The panic was caused by an attempt to corner the gold market by Jay Gould and James Fisk.

1915 – “The Lamb,” Douglas Fairbanks first film, was shown at the Knickerbocker Theater in New York City, NY.

1929 – The first all-instrument flight took place in New York when Lt. James H. Doolittle guided a Consolidated NY2 Biplane over Mitchell Field.

1933 – “Roses and Drums” was heard on WABC in New York City. It was the first dramatic presentation for radio.

1934 – Babe Ruth played his last game as a New York Yankee player.

1938 – Don Budge became the first tennis player to win all four of the major titles when he won the U.S. Tennis Open. He had already won the Australian Open, the French Open and the British Open.

1957 – The Brooklyn Dodgers played their last game at Ebbets Field.

1957 – U.S. President Eisenhower sent federal troops to Little Rock, AR, to enforce school integration.

1960 – The first nuclear powered aircraft carrier was launched. The USS Enterprise set out from Newport News, VA.

1961 – “The Bullwinkle Show” premiered in prime time on NBC-TV. The show was originally on ABC in the afternoon as “Rocky and His Friends.”

1963 – The U.S. Senate ratified a treaty that limited nuclear testing. The treaty was between the U.S., Britain, and the Soviet Union.

1968 – “60 Minutes” premiered on CBS-TV.

1968 – “The Mod Squad” premiered on ABC-TV.

1977 – “The Love Boat” debuted on ABC-TV. The theme song was sung by Jack Jones and was written by Paul Williams and Charles Fox.

1995 – Three decades of Israeli occupation of West Bank cities ended with the signing of a pact by Israel and the PLO.

1996 – The United States, represented by President Clinton, and the world’s other major nuclear powers signed a Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty to end all testing and development of nuclear weapons.

1998 – The U.S. Federal Reserve released into circulation $2 billion in new harder-to-counterfeit $20 bills.

2001 – U.S. President George W. Bush froze the assets of 27 suspected terrorists and terrorist groups.

2003 – Anthony Hopkins received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

1792 – The French National Convention voted to abolish the monarchy.

1784 – “The Pennsylvania Packet and Daily Advertiser” was published for the first time in Philadelphia. It was the first daily paper in America.

1893 – Frank Duryea took what is believed to be the first gasoline- powered automobile for a test drive. The “horseless carriage” was designed by Frank and Charles Duryea.

1897 – The New York Sun ran the “Yes, Virginia, there is a Santa Claus” editorial. It was in response to a letter from 8-year-old Virginia O’Hanlon.

1931 – Britain went off the gold standard.

1931 – Japanese forces began occupying China’s northeast territory of Manchuria.

1937 – J.R.R. Tolkien’s “The Hobbit” was first published.

1941 – “The Second Mrs. Burton” premiered to the entire CBS Radio Network.

1948 – Milton Berle debuted as the host of “The Texaco Star Theater” on NBC-TV. The show later became “The Milton Berle Show.” Berle was the regular host until 1967.

1948 – “Life With Luigi” debuted on CBS Radio.

1949 – Communist leaders proclaimed The People’s Republic of China.

1957 – “Perry Mason”, the television series, made its debut on CBS-TV. The show was on for 9 years.

1961 – Antonio Abertondo swam the English Channel (in both directions) in 24 hours and 25 minutes.

1964 – Malta gained independence from Britain.

1966 – The Soviet probe Zond 5 returned to Earth. The spacecraft completed the first unmanned round-trip flight to the moon.

1970 – “NFL Monday Night Football” made its debut on ABC-TV. The game was between the Cleveland Browns and the New York Jets. The Browns won 31-21.

1973 – Henry Kissinger was confirmed by the U.S. Senate to become 56th Secretary of State. He was the first naturalized citizen to hold the office of Secretary of State.

1981 – The U.S. Senate confirmed Sandra Day O’Connor to be the first female justice on the U.S. Supreme Court. 

1981 – Belize gained full independence from Great Britain.

1982 – National Football League (NFL) players began a 57-day strike. It was their first regular-season walkout.

1982 – Amin Gemayel was elected president of Lebanon. He was the brother of Bashir Gemayel who was the president-elect when he was assassinated.

1984 – General Motors and the United Auto Workers union reached an agreement that would end the previous six days of spot strikes. 

1985 – North and South Korea opened their borders for their family reunion program.

1993 – Russian President Boris N. Yeltsin announced that he was ousting the Communist-dominated Congress. The action was effectively seizing all state power.

1996 – The board of all-male Virginia Military Institute voted to admit women.

1996 – John F. Kennedy Jr. married Carolyn Bessette in a secret ceremony on Cumberland Island, GA.

Know Your Rights

What Is a Provisional Ballot?

By Lyle Therese A. Hilotin-Lee, J.D. | Legally reviewed by Melissa Bender, Esq. | Last reviewed January 29, 2024

A voter casts a “provisional ballot” when they cannot prove their eligibility to vote while at the polling place on election day. Provisional ballots ensure that voters are not excluded from the voting process because of an administrative error or easily corrected oversight. The idea behind provisional ballots is to provide a mechanism for voters whose eligibility to vote is uncertain.

How Do Provisional Ballots Work?

A provisional ballot is often submitted in a sealed envelope. Election officials will account for the regular ballots first. Then, after the regular ballots, election officials will process provisional ballots. Once the ballot gets cast, it’s kept separate from other ballots and investigated by local election officials.

Election officials must confirm a voter’s identity and eligibility to vote. They might also ask the voter to verify their identity or provide more information, such as a utility bill, for verification.

If election officials can confirm the voter’s eligibility or identity by examining the voter rolls, the officials will count all or part of the voter’s ballot. But, if election officials cannot confirm the voter’s eligibility or identity, they do not count the ballot.

In some states, election officials may ask voters to return to an election office after Election Day to provide the proper ID. Included among the commonly accepted forms of identification when voting are as follows:

• Driver’s license
• State ID
• Passport
• Government-issued document with your name and address
• Current utility bill
• Government check
• Bank statement
• Paycheck

In some states, voters must provide the needed ID a few days after an election. Those states include Alabama, Arizona, Georgia, Ohio, Tennessee, Virginia, and Wisconsin.

When Might You Need a Provisional Ballot?

There are several reasons you need a provisional ballot:

• Your name isn’t on the voter rolls
• You might not have the right identification
• You might have tried to vote in the wrong precinct

Federal law requires that states provide for a provisional balloting process. Some states have longstanding same-day voter registration that makes provisional ballots unnecessary. In the following states, you vote with a regular ballot:

• Idaho
• Minnesota
• New Hampshire
• Wisconsin
• Wyoming

When Did Provisional Ballots Begin?

Most political parties have long stationed observers at polling places to make sure that everyone voting is eligible to do so. Before provisional ballots, some states allowed voters to cast “challenge ballots” if the polling places deemed them ineligible. The local canvassing boards examined those ballots and decided whether the votes should count.

The Help America Vote Act (HAVA) of 2002 brought consistency to the use of challenged ballots. HAVA requires all states and localities to upgrade parts of their election procedures in their election districts. This includes their voting systems, registration processes, and how they train their poll workers. As with provisional balloting, each state has detailed guidelines to implement this rule. But HAVA makes the many different state rules about challenged ballots more consistent.

How Do You Request a Provisional Ballot?

All it should take is asking for one at the polling place. At the polling place, the law requires the election judge to give you a registration application with a receipt. Again, ask for a receipt if one isn’t offered. The receipt gives the necessary information to follow up and ensure they counted your vote. Many states also have websites or phone numbers that can help you confirm that they counted your vote.

Section 302 of HAVA establishes the right of a voter to submit a provisional ballot. This provision is relevant in cases where the voter’s name is absent from the list of registered voters or if an election official challenges the voter’s eligibility. When this happens, voters can still vote even if there are questions about their eligibility. In these cases, election officials mark the voter’s ballot as provisional until they can confirm their eligibility to vote. This process ensures every qualified voter’s right to take part in the election process.

According to regulations published by the Federal Judicial Center, election officials should follow a five-step procedure under HAVA’s provisional voting rules:

• Notification. Election officials must notify people whose names do not appear on the voter registration list that they can cast a provisional ballot.
• Affirmation. The voter must show their registration in the jurisdiction and their eligibility to vote in the election.
• Transmittal. Poll workers must send the provisional ballot or the data provided in the affirmation to the proper election official.
• Counting. If an election official determines you are eligible to vote, they should count your provisional ballot.
• Confirmation. Election officials must have a system that lets provisional voters know whether their ballots got counted — and, if not, why.

Are Provisional Ballots Counted?

That depends on the state or locality and the circumstances of each provisional ballot. In some states, regulations specify the people present while counting provisional ballots. In contrast, other states mandate that election officials place provisional ballots in the ballot box as soon as possible. Often, officials count the majority of provisional ballots. Provisional ballot rejection rates vary significantly from state to state. Some states count almost all provisional ballots, while others reject more than half.

What Are Provisional Ballot Laws by the State?

States can define the rules of their provisional balloting process. This means the process can vary significantly from one state to another. Those states count provisional ballots according to their procedures. But what’s needed to make that happen can range from simple to arduous.

Below are examples of what some states need to have a provisional ballot counted:

• Alaska. A person must be a registered voter within the last four calendar years and sign a statement confirming this. They must have their statement verified by election officials.
• Connecticut. Election officials can reject a provisional ballot if it’s cast in a precinct where the voter does not live.
• Florida. Election officials only accept provisional ballots after verification the voter is registered to vote in that precinct.
• New York. Election officials accept a provisional ballot when research at the county board confirms the voter’s eligibility, as claimed in their oath on the provisional ballot envelope.
• Oklahoma. Requires an affidavit whose relevant data (address, Social Security number, etc.) matches that in the state’s voter registration database.
• South Dakota. Counted only if documentation after Election Day proves that the person was properly registered to vote in that precinct.
• Tennessee. To include the provisional ballot in the tallying of votes, election officials need the voter’s valid ID within two days after the election.
• Texas. Texas law requires an affidavit if election officials can’t verify the voter’s registration or don’t have a valid ID. The affidavit should state the voter’s qualifications and eligibility to vote.
• Vermont. If a person not on the voter rolls submits an affidavit swearing they submitted a provisional application before the deadline, election officials will count their provisional ballot.
• Virginia. Provisional voters without photo ID have until noon on the Friday following the election to deliver a copy of the identification to the local electoral board. Election officials will only count their votes if they present their ID within this time frame.
• Wisconsin. Election officials issue provisional ballots to U.S. citizens who are first-time voters. They address those who need help bringing ID to the polling station or prove their home address. They also give provisional ballots to registered voters unable or unwilling to present a valid ID.

States emphasize different factors when deciding whether to count provisional ballots.

Are Some States Stricter About Provisional Balloting?

Source: For the complete article, http://www.findlaw.com