Democracy Happy Hour - February 2, 2022

Democracy Happy Hour, February 2, 2022 - Meeting Recordings, Chat & Closed Caption Files:

• Speaker View Recording:  https://us02web.zoom.us/rec/play/bn9RiSvCHJPZ1kTJRI5Mi5jWDvOtZBSBRWbM7QafXcy5cQFOeZPH2OmonXWcActi26ixYTYHq-jmA3gn.S6yfgklC8FuqsIZJ

• Gallery View Recording: https://us02web.zoom.us/rec/play/kOoa_10sp5i0pFK9Z-gytg5qAAImSoegLKBODrDmiRVIPK4Mc9t8GZHqhbHDhHNtbdNIeAr4ubKFFGHF.a6C9tFBpnL_RRK4L

• Chat (Link will download a text file to your computer):  https://us02web.zoom.us/rec/sdownload/EnkHFa9P3EYPH5ydmQ-94h-fk-OMu5dPZxdutXZNz3L01D8lyvFzZ71Vn8KBJ4y-g2vnVATvVm3LI8k._HflsRt6Awq6b1aZ

Actions, Events & Misc. Links:

DONATION Links:

• Fix Democracy First or Fix Democracy First Education Fund - https://www.fixdemocracyfirst.org/donate
• YO VOTE! - https://www.yo-vote.org/donate

Upcoming Democracy Happy Hour topics:

• Feb 9th - Voter Fraud vs. Election Fraud
• Feb 16th - The Advance of Authoritarianism in the U.S.
• Feb 23rd – The Electoral Count Act

FDF – Current Democracy Legislation - https://www.fixdemocracyfirst.org/legislation

TAKE ACTION: Email your reps about RCV legislation! - https://p2a.co/s6dlbuc

WON (Women in Office Now) – Training Modules to help run for office will start March 8th - https://www.facebook.com/events/663647144827117

Sign the petition to close the Citizens United Loophole. - https://actionnetwork.org/forms/tell-congress-get-foreign-money-out-of-us-elections-close-the-citizens-united-loophole?source=direct_link&referrer=group-fixdemocracyfirst

TAKE ACTION for Voting Rights:

• Voter Protection Volunteer Phonebanks with Common Cause - https://www.mobilize.us/dfadcoalition/event/376178/
  

Saving Democracy: Where do we go from here? Links:

Can We Still Save U.S. Democracy? - https://www.yesmagazine.org/opinion/2022/01/25/voting-rights-reform-congress-save-democracy

American democracy is neither a 'fragile flower' nor guaranteed - https://www.dispatch.com/story/opinion/editorials/2022/01/06/year-after-jan-6-what-can-we-do-save-democracy/9093025002/

Americans, Deeply Divided, Yet Share Core Values of Equality, Liberty & Progress - https://scri.siena.edu/2021/10/25/americans-deeply-divided-yet-share-core-values-of-equality-liberty-progress/

Saving Democracy Will Require Institutional and Civil Resistance at All Levels - https://washingtonmonthly.com/2021/12/04/saving-democracy-will-require-institutional-and-civil-resistance-at-all-levels/

How To Save American Democracy - https://www.americanprogress.org/article/how-to-save-american-democracy/

Six things we must do to save our democracy and protect our elections in 2022 - https://thefulcrum.us/big-picture/Leadership/issue-one-reforms

What the average citizen can do about the demise of US democracy - https://www.cnn.com/2022/01/08/politics/how-to-save-us-democracy-what-matters/index.html

Experts Share How the U.S. Can Save Our Democracy … and Avoid a Civil War - https://www.lx.com/politics/experts-share-how-the-u-s-can-save-our-democracy-and-avoid-a-civil-war/33302/

Our Common Purpose - Reinventing American Democracy for the 21st Century - https://www.amacad.org/ourcommonpurpose/report

Can “Lottocracy” Save Democracy From Itself? - https://www.thenation.com/article/politics/helene-landemore-open-democracy/

You Should Run for Local Office. Here’s Why - https://www.democracydocket.com/news/you-should-run-for-local-office-heres-why/

Democracy in the News Links:

Black History Month 2022, Black Health and Wellness - https://blackstudies.missouri.edu/black-history-month

New rules are limiting how teachers can teach Black History Month - https://www.axios.com/black-history-month-critical-race-theory-2e021dfb-8604-4d23-8a11-36069c93dde9.html

Black History is American History - https://naacp.org/?link_id=1&can_id=b5e0cc021f810d6766e566cd48f5babf&source=email-vote-early-day-is-an-award-winning-civic-holiday

Exclusive: Trump advisers drafted more than one executive order to seize voting machines, sources tell CNN - https://www.cnn.com/2022/01/31/politics/trump-executive-orders-seize-voting-machines/index.html

Jan. 6 Panel Examining Trump’s Role in Proposals to Seize Voting Machines - https://www.nytimes.com/2022/02/01/us/jan-6-panel-trump-voting-machines.html

Jan. 6 Committee Subpoenas Fake Trump Electors - https://www.nytimes.com/2022/01/28/us/politics/jan-6-committee-trump-electors.html

What to know about the Trump 'fake electors' scheme - https://www.cnn.com/2022/01/27/politics/fake-electors-explainer/index.html

Pence chief of staff Marc Short questioned by Jan. 6 committee - https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/pence-chief-staff-marc-short-questioned-jan-committee/story?id=82588211

Some records sent to Jan. 6 committee were torn up, taped back together — mirroring a Trump habit - https://www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2022/01/31/trump-ripped-up-documents/

Trump suggests Pence should have ‘overturned’ the election on Jan. 6 - https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2022/01/31/trump-pence-overturned-election/

Trump says he would consider pardons for Jan. 6 defendants if elected - https://www.bostonglobe.com/2022/01/30/nation/trump-says-he-would-consider-pardons-jan-6-defendants-if-elected/

Jan. 6 committee member: Trump ‘absolutely’ tampering with witnesses - https://www.politico.com/news/2022/02/02/jan-6-committee-trump-witnesses-00004559

Fulton DA seeks FBI’s aid as Trump probe advances - https://www.ajc.com/news/atlanta-news/breaking-fulton-da-seeks-fbis-aid-as-trump-probe-advances/OSABSTUVHBATPPMQCU7LXSXMV4/

Documents Reveal Trump Administration’s ‘Unprecedented’ Attempts to Influence 2020 Census - https://www.brennancenter.org/our-work/analysis-opinion/documents-reveal-trump-administrations-unprecedented-attempts-influence

From coast to coast, GOP lawmakers are seeking new powers over state elections | Analysis - https://www.penncapital-star.com/government-politics/from-coast-to-coast-gop-lawmakers-are-seeking-new-powers-over-state-elections-analysis/

Campaigning to Oversee Elections, While Denying the Last One - https://www.nytimes.com/2022/01/30/us/politics/election-deniers-secretary-of-state.html

'Join the fight': Some GOP poll worker recruitment takes partisan bent - https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/join-fight-gop-poll-worker-recruitment-takes-partisan/story?id=82515550

AZ - The newest GOP election proposal would allow lawmakers to reject election results - https://www.azmirror.com/2022/01/26/the-newest-gop-election-proposal-would-allow-lawmakers-to-reject-election-results/

Voting restrictions advance in Arizona statehouse - https://www.courthousenews.com/voting-restrictions-advance-in-arizona-statehouse/

A battleground fight over polling places and voting rights in Georgia - https://publicintegrity.org/politics/elections/fight-over-polling-places-voting-rights-in-georgia/

We Uncovered How Many Georgians Were Disenfranchised by GOP Voting Restrictions. It’s Staggering. - https://www.motherjones.com/politics/2022/01/gop-voting-law-disenfranshised-georgia-voters/

Pennsylvania voting fight escalates as court strikes down mail ballot law - https://www.politico.com/news/2022/01/28/pennsylvania-court-strikes-mail-voting-law-00003179

Michigan GOP candidates draw scrutiny for suggestions to unplug election machines, use firearms to protect observers - https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2022/02/01/michigan-candidates-suggest-unplugging-machines-firearms-polling-places/

Trial underway for Florida’s GOP voting restrictions law - https://apnews.com/article/voting-rights-business-lawsuits-florida-voting-38535d680dca3d68aa7c1c4ce22a8edb

MA - House approves permanent mail, early voting - https://www.eagletribune.com/news/boston/house-approves-permanent-mail-early-voting/article_7280ebe0-7f8c-11ec-9f5f-b33bad34ba5e.html

As absentee voting triples in New Mexico, legislators consider making the option permanent - https://www.kunm.org/local-news/2022-01-28/as-absentee-voting-triples-in-new-mexico-legislators-consider-making-the-option-permanent

New Mexico to consider letting 16-year-olds vote in local elections - https://www.borderreport.com/politics/elections/new-mexico-to-consider-letting-16-year-olds-vote-in-local-elections/

More states fight back against threats to election workers - https://www.cnn.com/2022/01/27/politics/election-worker-threats/index.html

Justice Dept. tells states they can use federal grant money to protect election workers - https://www.washingtonpost.com/national-security/2022/01/26/justice-grants-election-workers/

Organizers refuse to let up after Senate GOP blocks voting rights bills - https://www.nbcnews.com/news/nbcblk/organizers-refuse-let-senate-gop-blocks-voting-rights-bills-rcna13696

Native Americans feel overlooked in voting rights push - https://www.axios.com/native-american-voters-voting-rights-72cbe06e-b881-478a-b314-490c9ae0fcd5.html

States moving fast after Congress failed to expand felon voting rights - https://www.politico.com/news/2022/02/02/felon-voting-rights-states-00004372

There are election reforms that both Democrats and Republicans seem to like - https://www.npr.org/2022/02/01/1076938812/there-are-election-reforms-that-both-democrats-and-republicans-seem-to-like

Schumer and McConnell are giving bipartisan Electoral Count Act reform gang a chance - https://theweek.com/chuck-schumer/1009474/schumer-and-mcconnell-are-giving-bipartisan-electoral-count-act-reform-gang-a

Senators look to break logjam on elections overhaul - https://rollcall.com/2022/02/01/senate-elections-overhaul/

Civil Rights Groups: Electoral Count Act Is Insufficient, Protecting the Right to Vote Is Essential - https://www.naacpldf.org/press-release/civil-rights-groups-electoral-count-act-is-insufficient-protecting-the-right-to-vote-is-essential/

Replacing the Refs - TRACKING THE TREND OF ELECTION DENIERS RUNNING FOR STATEWIDE OFFICE IN 2022 - https://statesuniteddemocracy.org/resources/replacingtherefs/

Biden vs. Trump: The Makings of a Shattering Constitutional Crisis - https://www.politico.com/news/magazine/2022/02/01/biden-trump-constitutional-crisis-00003959

A masterclass in election-rigging: how Republicans ‘dismembered’ a Democratic stronghold - https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/ng-interactive/2022/jan/25/nashville-tennessee-gerrymandering-congress-republicans

Fight over Ohio’s legislative maps goes right back to Supreme Court - https://www.fox19.com/2022/01/26/fight-over-ohios-legislative-maps-goes-right-back-supreme-court/

Texas violated voting rights law during redistricting, retiring state GOP senator says in sworn court statement - https://www.houstonpublicmedia.org/articles/news/politics/2022/01/27/417838/texas-violated-voting-rights-law-during-redistricting-retiring-state-gop-senator-says-in-sworn-court-statement/

Judges maintain order for Alabama to draw new districts - https://apnews.com/article/voting-rights-alabama-voting-census-2020-house-elections-941c1b56dcf216e1942b98520f6f5f08

Wolf vetoes GOP congressional map, courts to pick Pa.’s redistricting plan - https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/wolf-vetoes-gop-congressional-map-courts-pick-pas-redistricting-plan

GOP-drawn map in Utah has no competitive House districts - https://rollcall.com/2022/02/02/gop-drawn-map-in-utah-has-no-competitive-house-districts/

No recusals as NC's redistricting case heads to state Supreme Court - https://www.wral.com/no-recusals-as-nc-s-redistricting-case-heads-to-state-supreme-court/20109015/

The US state that fought back after Republicans tried to rig its elections - https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2022/feb/01/michigan-republican-effort-rig-elections-voting-rights

Ready, Set, Gerrymander! - https://www.nytimes.com/2022/02/01/insider/ready-set-gerrymander.html

Can You Gerrymander Your Party to Power? - https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2022/01/27/us/politics/congressional-gerrymandering-redistricting-game-2022.html

Biden plans to name Breyer’s successor by the end of February. - https://www.nytimes.com/2022/01/27/us/politics/biden-breyer-retire.html

Meet five Black women on the shortlist for the Supreme Court nomination - https://ignitenational.org/blog/meet-the-five-black-women-on-the-shortlist-for-the-supreme-court-nomination

Breyer’s Supreme Court vacancy opens the door to even more ‘dark money’ in 2022 midterm elections - https://www.opensecrets.org/news/2022/01/breyers-supreme-court-vacancy-even-more-dark-money-2022-midterm-elections

A new Supreme Court case could make it nearly impossible to stop racial gerrymanders - https://www.vox.com/2022/2/1/22910909/supreme-court-racial-gerrymander-alabama-merrill-singleton-milligan

The Supreme Court Appears Ready, Finally, to Defeat Affirmative Action - https://www.newyorker.com/news/daily-comment/the-supreme-court-appears-ready-finally-to-defeat-affirmative-action

This Supreme Court Case Could Destroy Water Protections - https://gizmodo.com/supreme-court-clean-water-act-sackett-vs-epa-1848423915

The Supreme Court is leading a Christian conservative revolution - https://www.vox.com/22889417/supreme-court-religious-liberty-christian-right-revolution-amy-coney-barrett

Critics say Ginni Thomas’s activism is a Supreme Court conflict. Under court rules, only her husband can decide if that’s true. - https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2022/01/31/ginni-thomas-clarence-thomas-conflict-jan6-committee/

Democrats’ election reform bill failed in the Senate. What’s next for campaign finance reform? - https://www.opensecrets.org/news/2022/01/election-bill-failed-what-next-campaign-finance-reform

Sasse reintroduces bill to bar lawmakers from trading stocks - https://thehill.com/homenews/senate/592481-sasse-reintroduces-bill-to-bar-lawmakers-from-trading-stocks?rl=1

The Bill That Congress Might Be Embarrassed Enough to Pass - https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2022/01/congress-stock-trading-ban/621402/

Kyrsten Sinema courted Republican fossil fuel donors with filibuster stance - https://www.theguardian.com/business/2022/feb/01/kyrsten-sinema-courted-republican-fossil-fuel-donors-filibuster-stance

Kyrsten Sinema raises over $1.5 million in fourth quarter while opposing key pieces of Biden agenda - https://www.cnbc.com/2022/01/31/kyrsten-sinema-raised-over-1point5-million-as-she-fought-key-biden-goals.html

Companies, executives donated nearly $300,000 to Manchin’s campaign after he rejected Biden’s Build Back Better bill - https://www.cnbc.com/2022/01/31/joe-manchin-campaign-gets-big-donations-from-corporations-executives.html

Corporations send large donations to GOP group behind abortion bans and voter suppression - https://popular.info/p/corporations-send-large-donations

Judge Says States Can Investigate WinRed’s Fund-Raising Tactics - https://www.nytimes.com/2022/01/26/us/politics/winred-investigation-republican-fundraising.html

Democrats Decried Dark Money. Then They Won With It in 2020. - https://www.nytimes.com/2022/01/29/us/politics/democrats-dark-money-donors.html

Republicans lead 2022 money race as both parties hit record levels of cash on hand - https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2022/01/31/midterm-election-money-parties/

Dual Agents - Political Consulting Firms Working Jointly for Candidates or Political Parties and for Unregulated Outside Groups in the Same Elections Received $1.4 Billion in 2018 and 2020 - https://www.citizen.org/article/dual-agents/

Brennan Center – Share of spending by special interest groups before and after Citizens United - https://www.instagram.com/p/CZMnsSArT7v/

DITCHING ODD-YEAR ELECTIONS WOULD GIVE MORE WASHINGTONIANS A SAY IN LOCAL GOVERNMENT - https://www.sightline.org/2022/01/21/ditching-odd-year-elections-would-give-more-washingtonians-a-say-in-local-government/

Push for ‘approval voting’ ballot measure in Seattle gets $160,000 boost from national think tank - https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/politics/push-for-approval-voting-ballot-measure-in-seattle-gets-160000-boost-from-national-think-tank/

RCV vs Approval Voting - https://www.fairvote.org/electoral_systems_rcv_vs_approval_voting

WA Community Alliance - We Oppose Approval Voting Petition - https://actionnetwork.org/petitions/we-oppose-approval-voting/