Democracy Happy Hour – August 9, 2023

Democracy Happy Hour, Aug 9, 2023 - Meeting Recordings:

• Speaker View Recording:  https://us02web.zoom.us/rec/play/Epm3g46Y7luvzJICpXASsa0EcRb_fj1gee4FODsnrRIrERTtPvzUs_ipVcHltU2znS5RST5BEVqDxcjX.770EmRjehEYbOd9c
• Gallery View Recording: https://us02web.zoom.us/rec/play/rWBNP6JuRa7VxNMEejEwKkLb4n-Fzrhnp0-3B-rXxdIa6LHPKbMOoNWiW_8eRmcjMWKUi7IsdoCMev5p.lNGjGck0-RCJKbqU

FDF Links:

• Fix Democracy First - https://www.fixdemocracyfirst.org/
• Donate @ https://www.fixdemocracyfirst.org/donate
• Fix Democracy First 20^th Anniversary Celebration & Get Together – September 9, 2023 @ 6-9 pm – Bloedel Hall @ St. Mark’s in Seattle - Tickets & Sponsorships: https://www.fixdemocracyfirst.org/event-pages/20th-anniversary-celebration

Democracy Happy Hour Upcoming Topics/Schedule:

• Aug 16th - The Decline of Local News and Its Impact on Democracy with Dee Anne Finken & Carol Rikerd, LWVWA  
• Aug 23rd - Veterans for Political Innovation with Todd Connor
• Aug 30th - Forward Party: Reforms & Strategies with Darin Foster

ACTIONS & EVENTS:

• Sightline Institute – Hiring a democracy researcher - https://www.sightline.org/about/careers/
• American Democracy Summit 2023 – Sept 27-29 in Los Angeles - https://americandemocracysummit.org
• Citizen Connect - https://citizenconnect.us/

Multi-Member Districts for Better Representation Links:

• FairVote WA - https://fairvotewa.org/
• Politics in the Animal Kingdom, STV
• Proportional Representation in Portland Oregon
• Single Transferrable Vote Explained
• Fixing Gerrymandering and the Electoral College by Danielle Allen
• Article: The Hill: There's Only One Way to Fix Gerrymandering (and it's not through the courts)
• Summary: Towards Proportional Representation for the U.S. House
• Report from Protect Democracy on PR for US House: https://protectdemocracy.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/Towards-Proportional-Representation-_-March-2023-.pdf
• Fix Our House - https://www.fixourhouse.org/
• Reports: 2023 - https://assets-global.website-files.com/613563a06af623f7dbce91f8/645d299aa6f84b1806f51aae_Fix%20Our%20House%20-%20Debt%20Limit%20Chicken.pdf
• 2022 - https://assets-global.website-files.com/613563a06af623f7dbce91f8/640de2822e2b1643e130b035_FOH%20Redistricting%20Report.pdf
• Global Lessons: Proportional Voting Systems and Women’s Representation -https://democracysos.substack.com/p/global-lessons-proportional-voting
• There’s only one way to fix gerrymandering (and it’s not through the courts)  

Democracy in the News Links

Trump pleads not guilty to charges that he plotted to overturn election - https://www.washingtonpost.com/dc-md-va/2023/08/03/trump-court-appearance-dc-indictment/

Prosecutors seek to prevent Trump from sharing January 6 case evidence - https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2023/aug/07/trump-evidence-witness-transcripts-january-6

Prosecutors cite Trump’s social media posts as they seek limits on handling of evidence - https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2023/08/05/trump-protective-order/

Special counsel got a search warrant for Twitter to turn over info on Trump’s account, documents say - https://apnews.com/article/twitter-trump-account-capitol-riot-jack-smith-9e66943fd7ebdae0038838c144b57d4f

Trump says he will seek a recusal, venue change in Jan. 6 case - https://www.politico.com/news/2023/08/06/trump-venue-change-jan-6-case-00110006

‘Fake’ elector plot raised concerns over legal peril, indictment shows - https://www.washingtonpost.com/national-security/2023/08/07/fake-electors-trump-indictment/

What to know about the Trump 'fake electors' scheme in the 2020 election - https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/donald-trump/what-know-fake-electors-trump-indictment-2020-election-rcna98013

House Democrats push for televising Trump trials on classified documents, 2020 charges - https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2023/08/04/trump-cameras-courtroom-indictment/

Could Trump pardon himself if he became president? Key questions and scenarios amid criminal charges - https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2023/aug/02/donald-trump-indictment-update-2020-election

Fulton county prosecutors to seek new 2020 election charges next week - https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2023/aug/08/trump-2020-election-fulton-county-charges-next-week

Trump political operation steers $130 million in donor money to cover legal fees - https://www.opensecrets.org/news/2023/08/trump-political-operation-steers-130-million-in-donor-money-to-cover-legal-fees

Election disinformation campaigns targeted voters of color in 2020. Experts expect 2024 to be worse - https://napavalleyregister.com/news/nation-world/government-politics/election-disinformation-campaigns-targeted-voters-of-color-in-2020-experts-expect-2024-to-be-worse/article_c148849d-afd6-5bd6-b0f4-1cbb01f2a2a6.html

Republicans Are Targeting the Youth Vote in 2024, But Students Are Fighting Back - https://www.teenvogue.com/story/republicans-youth-vote-2024-students

Bills limiting student voter access put colleges on the front lines of democracy - https://thefulcrum.us/limiting-student-voter-access-puts-colleges-on-front-line

Some states are trying to boost youth voter registration. Here's what they're doing - https://www.npr.org/2023/08/06/1191961698/youth-voter-registration

Redistricting battles could determine control of US House in 2024 - https://www.reuters.com/world/us/redistricting-battles-could-determine-control-us-house-2024-2023-08-03/

Status of Partisan Gerrymandering Litigation in State Courts - https://www.brennancenter.org/our-work/research-reports/status-partisan-gerrymandering-litigation-state-courts

The fight over Alabama’s congressional redistricting now shifts back to federal court - https://apnews.com/article/alabama-legislature-redistricting-voting-rights-181dc7b8172a39e4bb83c97bff4404c8

Cartographer appointed in Alabama congressional redistricting case - https://alabamareflector.com/briefs/cartographer-appointed-in-alabama-congressional-redistricting-case/

Colorado Republicans reject rule change that would have made it easier to close GOP primary, leaving out unaffiliated voters - https://www.cpr.org/2023/08/05/colorado-republican-central-committee-rejects-rule-change/

Miami map battle goes to U.S. Supreme Court after city wins appeal - https://www.wlrn.org/government-politics/2023-08-06/miami-districts-map-supreme-court-racial-gerrymandering

Renewed call for paper ballots in Georgia flares up at crowded State Election Board meeting - https://georgiarecorder.com/2023/08/01/renewed-call-for-paper-ballots-in-georgia-flares-up-at-crowded-state-election-board-meeting/

3rd Trump ally charged with vote machine tampering as Michigan 2020 election case grows - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/politics/3rd-trump-ally-charged-with-vote-machine-tampering-as-michigan-2020-election-case-grows

Jim Crow-era lifetime ban on felons voting is unconstitutional, court rules - https://www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2023/08/05/mississippi-felons-voting-rights-appeal/

Ohio voters reject measure that would have made it harder to change constitution - https://www.npr.org/2023/08/08/1191679261/ohio-election-results-issue1-abortion-state-constitution-amendment-ballot-voters

Tennessee lawmakers expelled by GOP win back state House seats - https://www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2023/08/03/justin-jones-pearson-tennessee-three-election-win/

Federal Appeals Court Undercuts First Amendment Protest Rights - https://www.brennancenter.org/our-work/analysis-opinion/federal-appeals-court-undercuts-first-amendment-protest-rights

Supreme Court allows Biden administration’s ‘ghost gun’ restrictions - https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2023/08/08/supreme-court-ghost-guns/

Senate Democrats ask for Alito to be recused from Supreme Court ethics and tax cases - https://www.cnn.com/2023/08/03/politics/supreme-court-durbin-alito/index.html

Supreme Court approval mired at record low: Gallup - https://news.yahoo.com/supreme-court-approval-mired-record-150217206.html

The Legal Assault on Corporate Diversity Efforts Has Begun - https://www.wsj.com/articles/diversity-equity-dei-companies-blum-2040b173

2024 presidential candidates are burning cash fast - https://www.axios.com/2023/08/06/2024-presidential-candidates-burning-cash-fast

Biden primed to benefit from millions in secretive donations from his outside super PAC, records indicate - https://wfin.com/fox-political-news/biden-primed-to-benefit-from-millions-in-secretive-donations-from-his-outside-super-pac-records-indicate/

R.F.K.-Aligned Super PAC Draws Heavily From a Republican Megadonor - https://www.nytimes.com/2023/08/02/us/politics/rfk-jr-donors.html

Congressional leadership rakes in millions ahead of ‘most expensive election in history’ - https://www.opensecrets.org/news/2023/08/congressional-leadership-rakes-in-millions-ahead-of-most-expensive-election-in-history

Artificial Intelligence Legislation Tracker - https://www.brennancenter.org/our-work/research-reports/artificial-intelligence-legislation-tracker

Forget banning books — a rural WA county may close its library - https://crosscut.com/news/2023/08/forget-banning-books-rural-wa-county-may-close-its-library