Democracy Happy Hour – Dec 1, 2021

Democracy Happy Hour, December 1, 2021 - Meeting Recordings, Chat & Closed Caption Files:

• Speaker View Recording:  https://us02web.zoom.us/rec/play/1M0Z0A4wkIJRs46w8E4qUwe85KzVmoEyqJB4D46xrwiT09dvkqbDRrCLY-ut4LWfi7kE9XFE1CNLlMiI.Gmy-d2hbTeUSdwuj

• Gallery View Recording:  https://us02web.zoom.us/rec/play/L4XY5WrMyAXmBDMlpt6jeyMQCMWR5BQER7E0lOpTKFDfWKSwzflc0hT73q0XrYkfssgU1OlOGNym0et1.n5XsKKiyRS0BqRMo

• Chat (Link will download a text file to your computer):  https://us02web.zoom.us/rec/sdownload/MJh4nF7kFUD_1xy63lsYqdOeaXInLMbiSWL5WxKKr3s2FmgE2r_-t0qRMGCkKVert46UGm96EFsMWr0B.mQacW-JbCXEDeavE

• Closed Caption - Started late, about half-way through (Link will download a text file to your computer):  https://us02web.zoom.us/rec/sdownload/p7hsTZpCF0dN39YQysGvP_HKiQcps3ohhUgE0JNmzMr3vn-2usUii2qTOBI-Jc8vYBuFAE2SqYlx9ps0.K_o3kJ5fD06hlITG

Actions, Events & Misc. Links:

Upcoming Democracy Happy Hour topics:

• Dec 8th – The Push to Take Over State Elections
• Dec 15th – How Do We Win the Fight for Democracy?
• Dec 22nd – CANCELLED for the Holidays
• Dec 29th – CANCELLED for the Holidays

LWV of WA – Action Workshop – Saturday, December 4th @ 9:30 am – 3:30 pm

• Register @ https://lwvwa.org/event-4545317

ACTION HOUR for DEMOCRACY: Fight for the Freedom to Vote & John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Acts on Monday, December 6th at 6 pm PT.

• Register @  https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_dJRzQe-sT1CHdNCSNtHDxA

SAVE THE DATE: Lobby Week 2022 - Co-hosted w/ League of Women Voters of WA – January 24-27, 2022 - https://lwvwa.org/This-Month-in-the-League/12134203

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Proportional Representation Links:

Washington for Equitable Representation - https://representingwa.org/

Local Options Bill - HB 1156 - https://apps.leg.wa.gov/billsummary/?BillNumber=1156&Year=2021&Initiative=false

How Proportional Representation Elections Work - https://www.fairvote.org/how_proportional_representation_elections_work

Politics in the Animal Kingdom: Single Transferable Vote - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l8XOZJkozfI

Benefits of Proportional Representation - https://prfound.org/basics/benefits-of-pr/

Proportional Representation: Reimagining American Elections to Combat Gerrymandering - https://www.democracydocket.com/news/proportional-representation-reimagining-american-elections-to-combat-gerrymandering/

More U.S. locations experimenting with alternative voting systems https://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2021/06/29/more-u-s-locations-experimenting-with-alternative-voting-systems/

Redistricting doesn't give us fair representation. Here's what will. - https://thefulcrum.us/Elections/Redistricting/multimember-districts

Tweak the Vote, entertaining podcast! - https://www.wnycstudios.org/podcasts/radiolab/articles/tweak-vote

Video on fractional transfers: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lNxwMdI8OWw&list=PLxW1b5v_sbMZYenOmFjp950oY9Zo7i8t6&index=2

Video for tabulating Proportional RCV with sticky notes: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lNxwMdI8OWw&list=PLxW1b5v_sbMZYenOmFjp950oY9Zo7i8t6&index=3

LWV of WA voting methods in the study in 2000 -  https://www.lwvme.org/sites/default/files/pdfs/lwvwa_evaluation_of_major_election_methods.pdf

Fair Representation Act: https://fairvote.app.box.com/v/FairRepWashington

Democracy in the News Links:

Jan. 6 Organizers Used Anonymous Burner Phones to Communicate with White House and Trump Family, Sources Say - https://www.rollingstone.com/politics/politics-news/jan-6-rally-organizers-trump-white-house-1262122/

Appeals court judges poised to reject Trump’s effort to withhold Jan. 6 documents - https://www.politico.com/news/2021/11/30/trump-jan-6-appeals-court-523484

Meadows Agrees to Cooperate in Capitol Attack Investigation - https://www.nytimes.com/2021/11/30/us/politics/capitol-riot-investigation-meadows.html

Trump’s judicial campaign to upend the 2020 election: A failure, but not a wipe-out - https://www.brookings.edu/blog/fixgov/2021/11/30/trumps-judicial-campaign-to-upend-the-2020-election-a-failure-but-not-a-wipe-out/

'Nothing about this is normal': RNC payments to Trump attorneys irk GOP officials - https://www.cnn.com/2021/11/24/politics/trump-rnc-payments/index.html

Trump allies work to place supporters in key election posts across the country, spurring fears about future vote challenges - https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/trump-allies-election-oversight/2021/11/28/3933b3ce-4227-11ec-9ea7-3eb2406a2e24_story.html

There's a GOP push in Wisconsin to take over the state's election system - https://www.boisestatepublicradio.org/2021-11-30/theres-a-gop-push-in-wisconsin-to-take-over-the-states-election-system

Inside the ‘big wave’ of misinformation targeted at Latinos - https://apnews.com/article/latinos-misinformation-election-334d779a4ec41aa0eef9ea80636f9595

“What voter suppression looks like”: Rejected ballot requests up 400% after new Georgia voting law - https://www.salon.com/2021/12/01/what-suppression-looks-like-rejected-ballot-requests-up-400-after-new-georgia-voting-law/

Challenging Georgia on Latino Voting Rights - https://prospect.org/civil-rights/challenging-georgia-on-latino-voting-rights/

Stacey Abrams' Voting Rights Lawsuit Gets Trial Date After Three-Year Delay - https://v103.iheart.com/content/2021-11-30-stacey-abrams-voting-rights-lawsuit-gets-trial-date-after-three-year-delay/

OPINION: The attacks on the U.S. 2024 election are already underway - https://cnnphilippines.com/world/2021/11/29/opinion-US-2024-election-attacks.html

Anger sets in among Dems as voting rights push stalls - https://www.politico.com/news/2021/12/01/dems-anger-voting-rights-stall-523576

LARGEST DIRECT ACTION TO DATE: Voting Rights Activists Arrested at White House After Fifth Direct Action Demanding that Biden Do More to Protect Freedom to Vote - https://www.lwv.org/newsroom/press-releases/largest-direct-action-date-voting-rights-activists-arrested-white-house

Dozens of political science experts issue dire warning about retaining the filibuster - https://www.msnbc.com/the-reidout/reidout-blog/political-science-experts-filibuster-freedom-to-vote-act-rcna6454

Opinion: If Democrats don’t fight for voting rights, not much else matters - https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/letters-to-the-editor/if-democrats-dont-fight-for-voting-rights-not-much-else-matters/2021/11/29/f17bfb60-4ed6-11ec-a7b8-9ed28bf23929_story.html

Biden’s Global Democracy Summit Raises an Awkward Question: Can Ours Endure? - https://www.newyorker.com/news/daily-comment/bidens-global-democracy-summit-raises-an-awkward-question-can-ours-endure

Democracy is declining in the U.S. but it's not all bad news, a report finds - https://www.npr.org/2021/12/01/1059896434/united-states-backsliding-democracy-donald-trump-january-6-capitol-attack

Pa. lawmakers prepare for a month of intense redistricting negotiations - https://whyy.org/articles/pa-lawmakers-prepare-for-a-month-of-intense-redistricting-negotiations/

Group challenging Ohio’s congressional redistricting map asks Supreme Court to move quickly - https://www.cleveland.com/news/2021/11/group-challenging-ohios-congressional-redistricting-map-asks-supreme-court-to-move-quickly.html

Ohio Redistricting Commission asks for dismissal in congressional redistricting lawsuit - https://ohiocapitaljournal.com/2021/11/30/larose-congressional-lawsuit-could-wreak-havoc-on-2022-primary/

Florida House releases aggressive Republican redistricting plan for congressional seats - https://floridapolitics.com/archives/476134-florida-house-releases-aggressive-republican-redistricting-plan-for-congressional-seats/

Wisconsin Supreme Court says it would minimize changes to current election maps, handing Republicans an initial redistricting victory - https://www.jsonline.com/story/news/politics/2021/11/30/wisconsin-supreme-court-to-minimize-changes-current-election-maps-called-a-republican-victory/8811621002/

G.O.P. Cements Hold on Legislatures in Battleground States - https://www.nytimes.com/2021/11/25/us/politics/republican-redistricting-swing-states.html

States create few new minority districts in redistricting so far - https://www.rollcall.com/2021/11/23/states-create-few-new-minority-districts-in-redistricting-so-far/

Aggressive gerrymandering may make elections far less competitive, experts say - https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/elections/aggressive-gerrymandering-may-make-elections-far-less-competitive-experts-say-n1284179

Early Lessons from the Current Redistricting Round - https://www.brennancenter.org/our-work/analysis-opinion/early-lessons-current-redistricting-round

The people have a right to know how government conducts its business - https://www.seattletimes.com/opinion/the-people-have-a-right-to-know-by-law-how-redistricting-commission-conducted-its-business/

Abortion rights at stake in historic Supreme Court arguments - https://apnews.com/article/abortion-donald-trump-us-supreme-court-health-amy-coney-barrett-a3b5cf9621315e6c623dc80a790842d8

Supreme Court Appears Open to Upholding Mississippi Abortion Restriction - https://www.nytimes.com/live/2021/12/01/us/abortion-mississippi-supreme-court

Supreme Court to consider GOP lawmakers' right to defend North Carolina voter ID law - https://www.politico.com/news/2021/11/24/supreme-court-north-carolina-voter-id-law-523294

Maine’s ban on public funds for religious schools goes before US Supreme Court next week - https://bangordailynews.com/2021/11/29/news/maines-ban-on-public-funds-for-religious-schools-goes-before-u-s-supreme-court-next-week-joam40zk0w/

From vaccine mandates to abortion to insurrection probes, key court fights could shape Biden's legacy - https://www.cnn.com/2021/11/29/politics/vaccines-abortion-january-6-legal-cases-biden/index.html

Koch Spent Nearly $150 Million in 2020 to Extend His Influence and Promote His Agenda - https://www.exposedbycmd.org/2021/11/29/koch-spent-nearly-150-million-2020

Liberal dark money juggernaut raises $1.6 billion to flood left-wing groups with cash, tax forms reveal - https://www.foxnews.com/politics/dem-dark-money-juggernaut-raises-1-6-billion-flood-liberal-groups-cash-tax-forms

PFIZER IS LOBBYING TO THWART WHISTLEBLOWERS FROM EXPOSING CORPORATE FRAUD - https://theintercept.com/2021/11/29/pfizer-whistleblower-reform-corporate-fraud/

How Manchin and Sinema’s status as Senate holdouts is proving lucrative - https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2021/nov/28/joe-manchin-kyrsten-sinema-build-back-better-plan

Record number of U.S. firms change tack on political spending after Jan. 6 attack - https://www.reuters.com/world/us/record-number-us-firms-change-tack-political-spending-after-jan-6-attack-2021-11-29/

Corporate disclosure of political giving hits record - https://www.politico.com/news/2021/11/30/corporate-disclosure-political-giving-523514

Most state lawmakers earn low salaries. It impacts who can afford to be one. - https://thefulcrum.us/Government/State/state-legislators-salaries

Should the Seattle area adopt new voting systems for elections? The conversation is growing - https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/politics/should-the-seattle-area-adopt-new-voting-systems-for-elections-the-conversation-is-growing/

What Happens to Democracy When Local Journalism Dries Up? - https://www.washingtonpost.com/magazine/2021/11/30/margaret-sullivan-the-local-news-crisis/

Civics as a National Security Imperative - https://www.csis.org/programs/international-security-program/civics-national-security-imperative

Rethinking civic engagement to regain trust - https://thefulcrum.us/Government/Congress/global-parliamentary-report

Young Americans are fearful about the future of democracy - https://thefulcrum.us/big-picture/Leadership/future-of-democracy