Democracy Happy Hour – January 6, 2021

This week's theme: Election Updates & Democracy Legislation for 2021.

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

Democracy Happy Hour - Citizen Initiative Review - January 6, 2021 Meeting Recording Links:

• Gallery view: https://us02web.zoom.us/rec/play/37yk-2b4ukyUUQR6-c9wpDNKV3_9zDN2LjSpVN6fg7zQt82Ove6_yEBDbGRjAKpiu4UuI4x6AowOWJHz.f0s_LIqMVIbf8Yid

• Speaker view: https://us02web.zoom.us/rec/play/-oV4rYg_uecbX6J8kXb1OhgKkqB9uOMu_xxuXFVGCoS7iv2CDvwd08A7Ofb3RFeELxx-V-juUQ7GogXz.pgDSKlzJuR7qBMX6

• Chat file: https://us02web.zoom.us/rec/sdownload/cQjBoc1mmjLmELRe1lFQx9rR4kXLCniObeHX-TYDAhJv_NW9_kFJYi-076rvRcINJC_94fDistxx4yI5.BhbBriaxMkK-L90d
  

Democracy Happy Hour – January 6, 2021 Shared Links:

Democracy In the News Articles:

• Fourteen days that will test our democracy - https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/fourteen-days-that-will-test-our-democracy/2020/12/31/7a59d6d6-4b96-11eb-a9f4-0e668b9772ba_story.html

• Live updates: D.C. National Guard activated as mobs breach Capitol; one person shot; curfew imposed - https://www.washingtonpost.com/dc-md-va/2021/01/06/dc-protests-trump-rally-live-updates/

• Trump tweets amid violent Capitol Hill insurrection as leaders beg him to address the nation - https://www.cnbc.com/2021/01/06/trump-tweets-as-political-leaders-beg-him-to-intervene-in-violent-capitol-hill-insurrection.html

• Romney: Trump caused 'this insurrection' - https://thehill.com/homenews/senate/532955-romney-trump-caused-this-insurrection

• National Task Force on Election Crises Statement on Violence at U.S. Capitol - https://www.electiontaskforce.org/news/national-task-force-on-election-crises-statement-on-violence-at-us-capitol

• National Association of Manufacturers encouraging Pence to initiative the 25th Amendment: https://twitter.com/carlquintanilla/status/1346921397193494530?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Etweet

• 25th Amendment - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Twenty-fifth_Amendment_to_the_United_States_Constitution

• Lawmakers expect to reconvene to continue Electoral College count after riot at Capitol - https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/elections/2021/01/06/electoral-college-vote-stopped-unclear-when-resume-after-riot/6572441002/

• President exhorts outcry against a democracy proving resilient to his attacks - https://thefulcrum.us/donald-trump-election

• ‘I just want to find 11,780 votes’: In extraordinary hour-long call, Trump pressures Georgia secretary of state to recalculate the vote in his favor - https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/trump-raffensperger-call-georgia-vote/2021/01/03/d45acb92-4dc4-11eb-bda4-615aaefd0555_story.html

• A Georgia election official debunked Trump’s claims of voter fraud, point by point. - https://www.nytimes.com/2021/01/04/us/politics/trump-georgia-election-fraud.html

• Trump puts fresh pressure on Pence to break the rules and upend the election - https://thefulcrum.us/big-picture/pence-electoral-votes

• Pence seeks rejection of lawsuit that aimed to expand his power to overturn the election - https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/sasse-letter-electoral-college-ploy/2020/12/31/44da8dba-4b65-11eb-a9d9-1e3ec4a928b9_story.html

• Judges Doing What Judges Do: A Unified Theory of the 2020 Election Season - https://www.justsecurity.org/74062/judges-doing-what-judges-do-a-unified-theory-of-the-2020-election-season/

• Despite smooth election, GOP leaders seek vote restrictions - https://apnews.com/article/election-2020-joe-biden-donald-trump-voting-rights-elections-82cd5b52e924b818bb8d8db80edba44b

• Brad Raffensperger Defended the Election—But Not the Right to Vote in Future Ones - https://www.motherjones.com/politics/2021/01/brad-raffensperger-defended-the-election-but-not-the-right-to-vote-in-future-ones/

• In 2020 women ran, won and donated in record numbers - https://www.opensecrets.org/news/2020/12/women-ran-won-donate-record-numbers-2020-nimp/

• Election Day Voting in 2020 Took Longer in America’s Poorest Neighborhoods - https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2021/01/04/upshot/voting-wait-times.html?action=click&module=Top%20Stories&pgtype=Homepage

• Election Lessons from 2020 - https://www.brennancenter.org/our-work/analysis-opinion/election-lessons-2020

• The Electoral College Isn’t Supposed to Work This Way - https://www.nytimes.com/2021/01/06/opinion/electoral-college.html?action=click&auth=login-google&module=Opinion&pgtype=Homepage

• Georgia Live Updates: Democrats Win the Senate as Ossoff Defeats Perdue - https://www.nytimes.com/live/2021/01/06/us/georgia-election-results

• Black Georgia voters' high turnout helped solidify a historic win, organizers say - https://www.cnn.com/2021/01/06/politics/black-voter-turnout-georgia-senate-runoff/index.html

• In Georgia, Latinos shatter runoff turnout record as groups make last push for voters - https://www.nbcnews.com/news/latino/georgia-latinos-shatter-runoff-turnout-record-groups-make-last-push-n1252791

• Youth voter turnout in Georgia runoffs shows signs of sustained enthusiasm post-November - https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/georgia-runoff-youth-vote/2020/12/30/8104720c-4605-11eb-b0e4-0f182923a025_story.html

• Send texts to cure ballots with the New Georgia Project Action Fund - https://www.mobilize.us/thenewgeorgiaproject/event/367766/

• Georgia Senate races shatter spending records - https://thehill.com/homenews/campaign/532749-georgia-senate-races-shatter-spending-records

• Pennsylvania Republicans block seating of Democratic state senator, take control from lieutenant governor - https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2021/01/05/pennsylvania-senate-fetterman-brewster/

• Lawmakers Prepare for Battles Over Congressional Redistricting - https://www.wsj.com/articles/lawmakers-prepare-for-battles-over-congressional-redistricting-11609151400

• Fifty Years of Tax Cuts for Rich Didn’t Trickle Down, Study Says - https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2020-12-16/fifty-years-of-tax-cuts-for-rich-didn-t-trickle-down-study-says?srnd=premium-middle-east&fbclid=IwAR1FnMCt5ZsvIqXbOACakZix-yUB9RipOPKi-M6ba_41oog1flePB4h0RCk

• Biden’s State Department Nominee Is a Walking, Talking Conflict of Interest - https://thebrick.house/bidens-state-department-nominee-is-a-walking-talking-conflict-of-interest/

• Seattle’s Public Financing System Doubled Donor Participation in Second Run - https://readsludge.com/2020/12/22/seattles-democracy-vouchers-doubled-users-in-second-election/

• Courts, Confirmations, & Consequences: How Trump Restructured the Federal Judiciary and Ushered in a Climate of Unprecedented Hostility toward LGBTQ+ People and Civil Rights - https://www.lambdalegal.org/sites/default/files/judicial_report_2020.pdf

• Court Reform Gets New Attention - https://www.brennancenter.org/our-work/research-reports/court-reform-gets-new-attention

• Democracy, Justice, and Civil Liberties in 2021 - https://www.brennancenter.org/our-work/analysis-opinion/democracy-justice-and-civil-liberties-2021

Democracy Legislation for 2021 (New bill links were not yet available):

• H.R.1 - For the People Act - https://www.congress.gov/bill/116th-congress/house-bill/1/text

• H.R. 1, the For the People Act of 2021 Overview of Technical Changes - https://democracyreform-sarbanes.house.gov/sites/democracyreform.house.gov/files/MEMO_H.R.1-Technical-Changes_FINAL.pdf

• DFAD TAKE ACTION – For the People Act - https://dfadcoalition.org/takeaction

• H.R.4 - Voting Rights Advancement Act - https://www.congress.gov/bill/116th-congress/house-bill/4

• H.R.51 - Washington, D.C. Admission Act - https://www.congress.gov/bill/116th-congress/house-bill/51

• WA Voting Rights Restoration – Free the Vote - https://www.freethevotewa.org/

• WA Voting Rights – Preclearance - https://washingtonstatewire.com/voting-rights-bill-introduced-in-sessions-fourth-week/

• WA CITIZENS’ INITIATIVE REVIEW – Healthy Democracy - https://healthydemocracy.org/cir/

• WA Local Options for Ranked Choice Voting - https://fairvotewa.org/

Actions, Events & Links:

• Democracy Happy Hour Upcoming Topics:
  

• 01/13/21 - SPECIAL EVENT: Democracy Week Virtual Rally
• 01/20/21 - Democracy & Civil Liberties
• 01/27/21 - Democracy in the U.S. Compared to Other Countries

• Send texts to cure ballots with the New Georgia Project Action Fund - https://www.mobilize.us/thenewgeorgiaproject/event/367766/

• For the People Act - TAKE ACTION - https://declarationforamericandemocracy.org/takeaction/

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

• Donation $35 or more to FDF and receive a FREE copy of Becoming a Democracy by Kristin Eberhard - https://www.fixdemocracyfirst.org/donate-book-fundraiser

• FDF Events Page - Past Events- https://www.fixdemocracyfirst.org/events#past-events

• Mark Your Calendars:
  

• “Eastpointe” Film Screening & Panel Discussion on RCV – January 28th @ 6 pm PT
• “Becoming a Democracy” TAKE 2 w/ Kristin Eberhard – February 18th @ 6 pm PT
• Democracy Lobby Week w/ LWV of WA - Week of February 22nd

• FDF Events Page - Past Events- https://www.fixdemocracyfirst.org/events#past-events