Democracy Happy Hour - March 5, 2025

Fix Democracy First hosts a weekly Democracy Happy Hour on Wednesdays @ 5-6:30pm PT. Grab a drink and join us and learn about the latest democracy efforts, challenges, solutions, as well upcoming events and actions.

This is a recurring event. You only have to register once.

Democracy Vouchers and the Promise of Fairer Elections in Seattle  

With Dr. Jennifer Heerwig

• Speaker View Recording: https://us02web.zoom.us/rec/play/jgGyLiQ2xX1VZVpfrJ6xjkS-kPXWkCkG4Ooe33pPSXQJ-cAyqNo5wTsuv_XJte7jStCeea48gVMXqpif.Q4ZwfPoftUs0Erl9

• Gallery View Recording:  https://us02web.zoom.us/rec/play/4p58cff7ktmvBnaHHb4DjZv9BdU8a3OLSXJVsavsVp3-PsmvayNwOpttRxUXuczWUZ6nZI0bdIle3dWw.yqspOPadtUgzoCks

• Chat file (will download directly to your computer): https://us02web.zoom.us/rec/sdownload/wA-5mf4-gRkjqA5e0iX1pHWJZ5o6a144YyIvkSV5OOo_tKt0AD_l9SyJXqYMKh2CofmOWHKp5I8vy8E.1uAr-bpFSdQTwS33

• Closed Caption file (will download directly to your computer):  https://us02web.zoom.us/rec/sdownload/PHRgd4bLL_G8T8qslH1bFqtBer4Tn3qctEXAkNOXlt5gZo_pMWE6WAFk2Ndui2AfcmikthxzMwCUzUc.aW7UYY2l5jFhL_5U

Meeting resources

Dr. Jennifer Heerwig - https://www.jenheerwig.com/

Democracy Vouchers and the Promise of Fairer Elections in Seattle & Other Seattle reports – https://www.jenheerwig.com/seattle-democracy-vouchers

Seattle Ethics & Elections Commission (SEEC) Democracy Voucher Program - https://www.seattle.gov/democracyvoucher

Program Data - https://www.seattle.gov/democracyvoucher/program-data

You can purchase the book here:

• Elliot Bay Book Company - https://www.elliottbaybook.com/item/uxX3cMoLlaL6egrcuCUD9g
• Amazon - https://www.amazon.com/dp/1439926255

FDF Links

• Fix Democracy First - https://www.fixdemocracyfirst.org/
• Donate to Fix Democracy First here: https://www.fixdemocracyfirst.org/donate

Democracy Happy Hour Upcoming Topics/Schedule

• Mar 12 - SPECIAL Program for Civic Learning Week - Increasing Youth Civic Engagement with Hands-on Projects & Civic Seal Programs with Generation Citizen
• Mar 19 - Multi-Member Districts with the League of Women Voters of WA Education Project Team
• Mar 26 - Grand Bargain Project: Reuniting America around a Common-Sense Plan for Nationwide Prosperity
• Apr 2 - Rural Reconnect: Healing America by Rebuilding Rural Local News with Miles Sisk
• Apr 9 - Leaving MAGA with Rich Logis
• Apr 16 - More Like Us: How to Reduce Political Divides at Scale with James Coan

Actions and events

Actions

• 5 Calls - https://5calls.org/
• 50 50 1 - https://www.fiftyfifty.one/
• Declaration for American Democracy – Share Your Democracy Story -  https://dfadcoalition.org/story
• How You Can Protect Democracy - 29 concrete actions you can take right now to protect democracy - https://protectdemocracy.org/how-to-protect-democracy
• Join Braver Angels - https://braverangels.org/get-involved/#become-member
• Join a local Indivisible group - https://indivisible.org/groups
• Paths to Understanding - The Potluck Project – https://pathstounderstanding.org/get-involved/potluck
• Take Action Network for Washington State Legislation & Actions - https://www.takeaction.network
• The People's Hub For Grassroots Democracy Organizing  - https://www.usgrassroots.org/

Events

• What is the Role of Nonprofits in Strengthening Democracy – March 19^th @ 11 am PT/2 pm ET - https://results.zoom.us/meeting/register/DfWU4mg0TL-IhWrkdXiFeg

Democracy in the News

Resources

• All of the Trump Administration’s Major Moves in the First xx Days - https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2025/us/trump-agenda-2025.html
• Democracy 2025 – Democracy 2025 is the strategic hub to protect people and their rights should the Trump-Vance administration seek to unlawfully strip away freedoms and prosperity. -  https://www.democracy2025.org/
• How to Politically Engage when You Feel Like Shutting Down - https://thephiladelphiacitizen.org/guest-commentary-how-to-politically-engage-when-you-feel-like-shutting-down/
• Tracking the lawsuits against Donald Trump’s executive actions - https://apnews.com/projects/trump-executive-order-lawsuit-tracker/
• Trump keeps creating avenues for people to quietly give him money - https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2024/09/27/trump-keeps-creating-avenues-people-quietly-give-him-money/
• What has Trump done today? - https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/interactive/2025/trump-administration-actions

February 2025

February 13

• Fourth federal judge blocks Trump’s birthright citizenship order - https://apnews.com/article/trump-birthright-citizenship-ruling-boston-3e442a97de8398dc4faf691857ea48ea

February 19

• Colorado Voting Rights Act picks up nine amendments and clears first committee - https://coloradonewsline.com/2025/02/19/colorado-voting-rights-act-picks-up-nine-amendments-and-clears-first-committee/

February 20

• Trump expected to take control of USPS, fire postal board, officials say - https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2025/02/20/trump-usps-takeover-dejoy/
• What is Humphrey’s Executor? A look at the 90-year-old Supreme Court decision Trump is targeting - https://apnews.com/article/humphreys-executor-supreme-court-trump-independent-agencies-8facfe6107fa94b28f391734d1620fe4

February 21

• AP sues 3 Trump administration officials, citing freedom of speech - https://apnews.com/article/ap-lawsuit-trump-administration-officials-0352075501b779b8b187667f3427e0e8
• NC voters appeal loss in 'election integrity' lawsuit challenging maps for Congress, state legislature - https://www.wral.com/story/nc-voters-appeal-loss-in-election-integrity-lawsuit-challenging-maps-for-congress-state-legislature/21872533/

February 22

• As Trump pursues his policies, Democratic states block his path - https://www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2025/02/22/trump-lawsuits-democratic-attorney-generals/
• Pennsylvania lawmakers resume push to allow 1.3 million independents to vote in primaries - https://www.goerie.com/story/news/politics/elections/2025/02/22/pa-open-primary-memo-independent-voters/79325702007/

February 23

• Republicans Face Angry Voters at Town Halls, Hinting at Broader Backlash - https://www.nytimes.com/2025/02/23/us/politics/republicans-congress-town-halls-trump.html
• The Death of Competition in American Elections - https://www.nytimes.com/2025/02/23/us/politics/us-elections-gerrymandering.html

February 24

• ‘A true free-speech emergency’: alarm over Trump’s ‘chilling’ attacks on media - https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/feb/24/trump-free-speech-media-attack
• An Important Judicial Tool Mysteriously Goes Missing at the Supreme Court - https://www.nytimes.com/2025/02/24/us/supreme-court-summary-reversals.html
• New polling shows most Portlanders prefer ranked choice - https://www.axios.com/local/portland/2025/02/24/ranked-choice-voting-poll
• Supreme Court turns back challenges to laws keeping abortion opponents away from clinics, patients - https://apnews.com/article/supreme-court-abortion-buffer-zones-7979c3d747d7eab88f7e8b723397e768

February 26

• #AltGov: the secret network of federal workers resisting Doge from the inside - https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/feb/26/altgov-elon-musk-doge-federal-workers?
• Court finds evidence Arizona lawmakers discriminated against voters - https://tucson.com/news/state-regional/government-politics/article_9a22af3e-f3b6-11ef-88ab-a3830d9d5517.html
• Immigration officials say everyone living in the US illegally must register. What does that mean? - https://apnews.com/article/illegal-immigration-immigrant-registry-trump-homeland-security-942d770aa7a54a34bfed1e8d93d82510
• Kentucky just purged over 225,000 voters from its voter rolls. Here's why - https://www.whas11.com/article/news/politics/225000-ineligible-voters-kentucky-voter-rolls/417-6987a562-bc17-42cf-8018-6139e9d74627
• Outcry as White House starts dictating which journalists can access Trump - https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/feb/26/white-house-journalists-trump
• Post owner Bezos announces shift in opinions section; Shipley to leave - https://www.washingtonpost.com/style/media/2025/02/26/washington-post-bezos-opinions-section/
• Supreme Court Poised to Rule for Straight Woman in Discrimination Case - https://www.nytimes.com/2025/02/26/us/politics/supreme-court-reverse-discrimination.html

February 27

• 23 Dem AGs think they’ve cracked the code to fighting Trump - https://www.politico.com/news/2025/02/27/democrats-taking-trump-musk-winning-00206310
• Judge Says Trump Administration Memos Directing Mass Firings Were Illegal - https://www.nytimes.com/2025/02/27/us/politics/federal-layoffs-trump-opm.html
• Republicans terrified of crossing Trump due to physical threats, Democrat says - https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/feb/27/republicans-trump-threats

February 28

• Democratic National Committee Files Lawsuit Against Trump - https://www.nytimes.com/2025/02/28/us/politics/democrats-file-lawsuit-against-trump.html
• Reynolds signs law ending trans civil rights protections; Iowa 1st state to repeal rights - https://www.desmoinesregister.com/story/news/politics/2025/02/28/kim-reynolds-signs-law-removing-gender-identity-protections-from-iowa-civil-rights-act-sf-418/80576830007/
• Strong Enforcement Protects the Integrity of Public Campaign Financing - https://www.brennancenter.org/our-work/analysis-opinion/strong-enforcement-protects-integrity-public-campaign-financing
• Voice of America Journalists Face Investigations for Trump Comments - https://www.nytimes.com/2025/02/28/business/media/voice-of-america-trump.html

March 2025

March 01

• Judge Rules Trump Can’t Fire Head of Federal Watchdog Agency Without Cause - https://www.nytimes.com/2025/03/01/us/politics/dellinger-trump-watchdog-judge-jackson.html
• Musk and Republican Lawmakers Pressure Judges with Impeachment Threats - https://www.nytimes.com/2025/03/01/us/politics/trump-musk-republicans-congress-judge-impeachment.html
• Trump wants to make English the official language of U.S. What does that mean? - https://www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2025/03/01/trump-english-official-language-explainer
• Trump’s moves test the limits of presidential power and the resilience of US democracy - https://apnews.com/article/trump-democracy-autocrats-authoritarian-constitution-threat-542ac437a58880e81c052f8f2df1643f

March 02

• GOP pushes ahead with citizenship voting bill. Some state election officials say it’s problematic - https://apnews.com/article/congress-elections-citizenship-voter-id-republicans-17c6e7877b7ba63a08b68a771c92da92

March 03

• Bill requiring voter ID for mail-in ballots moves forward in Utah Legislature - https://www.fox13now.com/news/politics/bill-requiring-voter-id-for-mail-in-ballots-moves-forward-in-utah-legislature
• Bills banning ballot drop boxes, touch screen voting machines fail in (Wyoming) Senate - https://www.wyomingnews.com/news/local_news/bills-banning-ballot-drop-boxes-touch-screen-voting-machines-fail-in-senate/article_2a82b5bc-f883-11ef-9af2-a3594b244328.html
• Lawmakers want to change Utah elections. These 5 bills have a shot in the final week - https://www.kuer.org/politics-government/2025-03-03/lawmakers-want-to-change-utah-elections-these-5-bills-have-a-shot-in-the-final-week
• Trump Bid to Take Over Postal Service Could Threaten Mail Voting - https://www.democracydocket.com/analysis/trump-postal-service-executive-order-mail-voting-threat/
• Wisconsin Supreme Court race puts Trump and Musk at center stage - https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2025/03/03/wisconsin-supreme-court-trump-musk/

March 04

• Murphy Signs Legislation Extending In-Person Early Voting in New Jersey Primary Elections - https://www.insidernj.com/murphy-signs-legislation-extending-in-person-early-voting-in-new-jersey-primary-elections/
• Supreme Court Deals Blow to E.P.A. in Dispute Over Federal Water Rules - https://www.nytimes.com/2025/03/04/us/politics/supreme-court-epa-water.html
• Utah bill to require voter ID changes again; effort to remove Utah from ERIC stalls - https://utahnewsdispatch.com/2025/03/04/utah-bill-to-require-voter-id-changes-again-effort-to-remove-utah-from-eric-stalls/

March 05

• Divided Supreme Court says judge can force Trump administration to pay foreign aid - https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2025/03/05/supreme-court-usaid-spending-freeze
• Revealed: how Wall Street is making millions betting against green laws - https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2025/mar/05/revealed-how-wall-street-is-making-millions-betting-against-green-laws-isds-aoe
• Speaker Johnson tells GOP lawmakers to skip town halls after an onslaught of protests - https://apnews.com/article/town-halls-musk-doge-trump-gop-749d91ea516284057e4c7bcb1615527e

Good News Websites

• ABC Good News - https://abcnews.go.com/alerts/good-news
• Daily Good - https://www.dailygood.org/
• Democracy's Good News - https://www.democracygroup.org/topics/democracys-good-news
• Good News Network - https://www.goodnewsnetwork.org/
• Politics & Government Good News - https://www.goodgoodgood.co/impact/democracy
• Sunny Skyz - https://www.sunnyskyz.com/good-news
• The Happy News - https://thehappynewspaper.com/

‍

‍

‍

‍

‍

‍

‍