Democracy Happy Hour – April 21, 2021

04/21/21 Topic: Local Reforms' Impact on National Policy

Meeting Recordings & Chat:

• Speaker View Recording

• Gallery View Recording

• Chat file

Upcoming Democracy Happy Hour Topics:

• 04/28/21 – Court Cases Impacting Democracy
• 05/05/21 – John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act

Actions, Events & Misc. Links:

• Many Maps, One Voice – April 24th @ 4 pm PT https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/9016173019023/WN_677ndhjWSBqmVqGhVNlTqw

• John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Action Day – May 8th – Votercades & Teach-ins - https://dfadcoalition.org/lewis-day/

• S.1 – For the People Act – Markup session on May 11th in Senate Rules - 8-8 committee and Republicans can block amendments. There will be another chance for amendments when S1 goes to the floor. - https://www.rules.senate.gov/

• FDF Donation Page - http://fixdemocracyfirst.org/donate
  

Democracy in the News Links:

• Interactive Map Reveals Which Indigenous Lands You’re Living On - https://mymodernmet.com/interactive-map-indigenous-lands/ - Native Land - https://native-land.ca/

• Chauvin guilty of murder and manslaughter in Floyd’s death - https://apnews.com/article/derek-chauvin-trial-live-updates-04-20-2021-955a78df9a7a51835ad63afb8ce9b5c1

• Police in Washington who see fellow officer using excessive force must intervene, Legislature says - https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/politics/washington-legislature-passes-bill-requiring-police-officers-to-intervene-if-they-witness-excessive-force/

• Washington Legislature approves ban of open carry of guns at demonstrations, state Capitol - https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/politics/washington-legislature-approves-bill-to-ban-open-carry-of-guns-at-demonstrations-the-capitol/

• Washington state House approves capital gains tax bill - https://www.thenewstribune.com/news/politics-government/article250828484.html

• Research undercuts idea that changes to absentee voting in 2020 benefited Democrats - https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2021/04/14/new-research-undercuts-idea-that-absentee-voting-changes-2020-benefited-democrats/

• The 2020 election still hovers over the Supreme Court with another pending Pennsylvania case - https://www.cnn.com/2021/04/17/politics/2020-election-supreme-court-pennsylvania/index.html

• More voting curbs advance under the GOP whip in Arizona, Florida and Ohio - https://thefulcrum.us/voting-restrictions

• Montana Democrats sue after GOP governor signs into law two bills restricting voting access - https://www.cnn.com/2021/04/20/politics/montana-democrats-lawsuit-governor-voting-bills/index.html

• The next big voting rights fight is in Texas - https://www.vox.com/policy-and-politics/2021/4/19/22374521/texas-voting-laws-sb7-hb6

• Senators Debating Federal Voting Laws Scrutinize Georgia Statute - https://www.nytimes.com/2021/04/20/us/politics/senate-voting-rights-georgia.html

• Faith leaders across US join in decrying voting restrictions - https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/wireStory/faith-leaders-us-join-decrying-voting-restrictions-77148478

• White House appoints voting rights adviser in federal elections bill push - https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/white-house/white-house-appoints-new-voting-rights-adviser-during-federal-elections-n1264579

• Biden’s Choice for Civil Rights Post Has Worked to Defend Voting Rights - https://www.nytimes.com/2021/04/14/us/politics/kristen-clarke-civil-rights.html

• House Panel Advances Bill to Study Reparations in Historic Vote - https://www.nytimes.com/2021/04/14/us/politics/reparations-slavery-house.html

• Restrictive Voting Bills Will Make Elections Easier to Hack - https://www.brennancenter.org/our-work/analysis-opinion/restrictive-voting-bills-will-make-elections-easier-hack

• U.S. sanctions Russia for 2020 election interference, SolarWinds hack - https://www.nbcnews.com/news/world/u-s-sanction-russia-alleged-election-interference-solarwinds-hack-n1264142

• Inside the GOP's tense fallout with the big business lobby - https://www.cnn.com/2021/04/19/politics/business-lobby-republican-lawmaker-breakup/index.html

• Lawmakers Who Voted Against Certifying Biden’s Victory Saw Drop in Business Contributions - https://www.wsj.com/articles/lawmakers-who-voted-against-certifying-bidens-victory-saw-drop-in-business-contributions-11618595920

• Why Corporate America Opposes Voter Suppression - https://www.forbes.com/sites/michaelposner/2021/04/14/why-corporate-america-opposes-voter-suppression/?sh=2445e3cb7163

• Companies Signing Voting Rights Statement Are Members of Anti–H.R. 1 Lobbying Group - https://prospect.org/power/companies-signing-voting-rights-statement-anti-hr1-lobbying-group/

• U.S. Chamber rewards Senators Manchin, Sinema for opposing Biden initiatives - https://www.reuters.com/world/us/us-chamber-backs-manchin-sinema-with-campaign-contributions-2021-04-15/

• Voting Rights Inspire Company Words While Actions Fall Short - https://www.bloombergquint.com/onweb/voting-rights-inspire-company-words-while-actions-fall-short

• Companies Who Want Everyone to Know They Support Voting Rights Don’t Actually Seem To Want To Expand Voting Rights - https://thebrick.house/companies-signing-voting-rights-statement-are-members-of-anti-hr-1-lobbying-group/

• Dozen Megadonors Gave $3.4 Billion, One in Every 13 Dollars, Since 2009 - https://www.nytimes.com/2021/04/20/us/politics/megadonors-political-spending.html

• GOP faces massive realignment as it sheds college-educated voters - https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/meet-the-press/gop-faces-massive-realignment-it-sheds-college-educated-voters-n1264425

• Opinion: Two stats show why Republicans are so fixated on suppressing the vote - https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2021/04/21/why-republicans-fixate-suppressing-vote/

• Why Political Sectarianism Is a Growing Threat to American Democracy - https://www.nytimes.com/2021/04/19/us/democracy-gop-democrats-sectarianism.html

• RNC sets fundraising record in March in drive to retake control of Congress - https://www.foxnews.com/politics/rnc-fundraising-record-congress-senate-house

• Lawmakers break fundraising records to kick off 2022 cycle - https://www.opensecrets.org/news/2021/04/fundraising-records-break-to-kick-off-2022-cycle/

• Small-dollar donors get behind headline-grabbing lawmakers - https://www.opensecrets.org/news/2021/04/small-dollar-donors-q121-headline-congress/

• U.S. SUPREME COURT DONOR PRIVACY CASE COULD HAVE RAMIFICATIONS FOR DARK MONEY IN ELECTIONS - https://ritzherald.com/u-s-supreme-court-donor-privacy-case-could-have-ramifications-for-dark-money-in-elections/

• Republicans’ Criminalization of Protest and Cops’ Crackdown on Journalists Go Hand in Hand - https://newrepublic.com/article/162104/desantis-protest-riot-george-floyd-police

• Most Americans want to end lifetime Supreme Court appointments for justices - https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/supreme-court/most-americans-want-end-lifetime-supreme-court-appointments-justices-n1264423

• Opinion: Court-packing isn’t the right fix for our courts. Ending life tenure is. - https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/court-packing-isnt-the-right-fix-for-our-courts-ending-life-tenure-is/2021/04/09/482af550-994d-11eb-b28d-bfa7bb5cb2a5_story.html

• State Supreme Court Diversity — April 2021 Update - https://www.brennancenter.org/our-work/research-reports/state-supreme-court-diversity-april-2021-update

• Killing Our Climate A Primer on the Koch Network’s Impact on the Environment Through Dark Money, Deceit, and Disinformation - https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5400da69e4b0cb1fd47c9077/t/607dddf07855b675a00d58c1/1618861577297/UKMC_KillingOurClimate_April2021-2.pdf

• Gerrymandering is like... really bad – Represent Us VIDEO - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=on1yMLMiIgc

• COMMISSIONER SOUGHT FOR SEATTLE ETHICS AND ELECTIONS COMMISSION - https://docs.google.com/document/d/1of3w-Q8KAjHcJQ1QdAn-F-rwrBsqA5D7z1oPAroO-MY/edit

Local & State Reforms' Impact on National Policy Links:

• Federalism — the Relationship between Federal and State Government - https://medium.com/@faizan81/federalism-the-relationship-between-federal-and-state-government-d9d8074edd75

• Factors That Influence Public Policy - https://saylordotorg.github.io/text_the-sustainable-business-case-book/s07-01-factors-that-influence-public-.html

• A History of Social Movements in the U.S. - https://www.thoughtco.com/social-movements-history-4109227

• Mapping American Social Movements - https://depts.washington.edu/moves/index.shtml

• 7 Influential Protests in American History - https://www.ucf.edu/news/7-influential-protests-in-american-history/

• How the Civil Rights Movement Shaped Us - https://www.american.edu/media/news/20120220_1963_civil_rights_movement.cfm

• The Decade in 11 Movements - https://prospect.org/civil-rights/the-decade-in-11-movements/

• The Strategy to End Corruption – VIDEO - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UTP4uvIFu5c&t=1s

• Nine facts about state and local policy - https://www.brookings.edu/research/nine-facts-about-state-and-local-policy/

• What Is the Role of States in Evidence-Based Policymaking? - https://bipartisanpolicy.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/What-Is-the-Role-of-States-in-Evidence-Based-Policymaking.pdf

• How Do State‐Level Environmental Policies Impact the Voting Behavior of National Legislators? -  https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/ssqu.12559

• How California is changing the US - https://www.bbc.com/news/business-45767736

• 5 Charts About Public Opinion on the Affordable Care Act and the Supreme Court - https://www.kff.org/health-reform/poll-finding/5-charts-about-public-opinion-on-the-affordable-care-act-and-the-supreme-court/

• Seattle Democracy Voucher Program - http://www.seattle.gov/democracyvoucher

• ‘Democracy dollars’ could pump millions of dollars of public funding into elections - https://www.azmirror.com/2019/11/01/democracy-dollars-could-pump-millions-of-dollars-of-public-funding-into-elections/

• ‘Democracy dollars’ proposal looks to spread influence, participation in elections - https://www.austinmonitor.com/stories/2021/03/democracy-dollars-proposal-looks-to-spread-influence-participation-in-elections/

• St. Petersburg City Council Votes to Abolish Super PACs and Limit Foreign Corporate Money in Local Elections - https://freespeechforpeople.org/st-petersburg-city-council-votes-abolish-super-pacs-limit-foreign-corporate-money-local-elections/

• Seattle City Council bans ‘foreign-influenced’ companies from most political spending - https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/politics/seattle-city-council-bans-foreign-influenced-companies-from-most-political-spending/

• Ranked-Choice Voting Gains Momentum Nationwide - https://www.pewtrusts.org/en/research-and-analysis/blogs/stateline/2021/03/12/ranked-choice-voting-gains-momentum-nationwide

• Constitutional Amendments to Reverse Citizens United - http://united4thepeople.org/amendments/
  

• Influence State and Local Policy - https://www.multistate.us/solutions/influence-state-and-local-policy