Congressmen Pledge Support for Death Row Inmate

After meeting for nearly two hours with death row inmate Troy Davis on Friday, two Georgia congressmen and the president of the NAACP say they are convinced of his innocence and committed to saving his life. Congressmen John Lewis and Hank Johnson say they plan to pursue other legal means to resolving Davis' case, which is in the U.S. Supreme Court on appeal. NAACP President Ben Jealous says the case is now a national priority for his organization. Davis was convicted in the 1989 killing of Savannah police officer Mark MacPhail. His guilt was put in question after several witnesses from his trial changed their testimony. Supporters are calling for a new trial. Lewis says he has considered asking for a presidential pardon for Davis, but has not yet spoken to President Barack Obama about intervening in the case.

(Associated Press)

State Agencies Closed Monday for Confederate Memorial Day

State government offices will be closed Monday for Confederate Memorial Day. The holiday has been observed for decades, although there are only a few ceremonies in each state.

Mississippi and Alabama also celebrate the holiday.

Critics say it's time to rethink the practice of recognizing the Old South. Mississippi NAACP president Derrick Johnson says Confederate Memorial Day is "an affront" to people whose ancestors were enslaved.

But the Alabama commander of the Sons of Confederate Veterans, Robert Reames, says it's proper to recognize the sacrifices of people he believes "legally seceded from the United States."

Other southern states, from South Carolina to Texas, have different holidays to honor the Confederacy.

(Associated Press)

USDOJ admits it failed to verify constitutionality of GA ID law

The head of the U-S Justice Department's voting rights division told members of the NAACP that when he cleared Georgia's voter ID law, he didn't look at whether it violated the U-S Constitution. John Tanner told the annual meeting of Georgia's NAACP that his office can look at racial discrimination but not at other constitutional issues. The voting chief faced criticism after a memo revealed that he signed off on the Georgia law in 2005, over the objections of four of the five career employees who concluded it ran afoul of the U-S Voting Rights Law. Last month, a federal judge upheld a Georgia law which requires all voters to show a government issued photo ID at the ballot box.