Democracy Happy Hour – July 21, 2021

Topic for July 21, 2021: Anti-Corruption & Accountability in Government.

Meeting Recordings & Chat:

• Speaker View Recording:  https://us02web.zoom.us/rec/play/F6oHcGaCKa0iZW5M6QaN_-7cltMIlnSZYOiqtDUllkspmi2e9Wiop6-83Dtks2UsHFvCXO0bCNZjl7QA.heJw7XV89Rsp6afD

• Gallery View Recording: https://us02web.zoom.us/rec/play/CsvhLRn6jlq6WJSGIcoePIeWt6xtB0M6aYMI5KBH6RanWx0vCHGt6_R7VlpsAsTkQ_zHwBw1Gb0_aEHo.gXLqsAIUm_yLMIY8

• Chat (Link will download a text file to your computer):  https://us02web.zoom.us/rec/sdownload/OPXCAGnN7UaSCIT16iZjaZn7onN6URvP2Wm4q7djp4EdWY2Zo4KdNtPGzyTobZT4hCeBo60WzYdzdADU.N98g2GlH4yG6MfZs

Actions, Events & Misc. Links:

• Next week’s topic on 07/28/21 – Fair & Impartial Courts: How do we get there?

• WA Register to Vote or Update Registration Online - Deadline is July 26th for August 3rd Primary – Update your registration or register to vote in person up until 8 pm on Aug 3rd - https://voter.votewa.gov/WhereToVote.aspx

• For The People Act: Quick Start Guide - https://docs.google.com/document/d/1v3Z0o28CmGwCatyh7zImOZ6p6jm4KChsz4c2ACBH7dg

• National Call-In WEEK: to support the For the People Act &  John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act:

• Call Your Senator - 1.888.453.3211 - The U.S. Senate must make passing the For the People Act (S. 1/H.R. 1) & the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act are top priorities. Let them know the American people are tired of a government that serves only the wealthy and corporate interests. Here's a fun video to show you how: How to Call a Senator - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kasuOxGbwGc
  
  

• OTHER ACTIONS you can take to support the For the People Act &  John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act:
  

• S1 PHONE BANKING - Sign up to phone back to key states with Common Cause. -https://www.mobilize.us/commoncause/event/376178/
• Letter To the Editor DRIVE - Use this LTE tool to submit a letter to their local newspapers. - https://dfadcoalition.org/lte/

• WA Redistricting Links:

• Redistricting Justice for WA - https://www.redistrictingjusticewa.org/
• RJW Redistricting Outreach Hearing Signup - https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfdIk3YIJ-Mm1P8nvkLwJ-QwuS33pju7m2YqEi85ymEVcUiWw/viewform
• WA State Redistricting Commission - https://www.redistricting.wa.gov/

• Upcoming WA Redistricting Hearings in July:

• 1st & 2nd CD: July 24, 10am–12pm
• 4th & 5th CD: July 24, 1–3pm
• 3rd & 6th CD: July 26, 7–9pm
• 7th & 9th CD: July 31, 10am–12pm
• 8th & 10th CD: July 31, 1–3pm

• DONATE to Fix Democracy First - https://www.fixdemocracyfirst.org/donate

Democracy in the News Links:

Joint Chiefs chairman feared potential ‘Reichstag moment’ aimed at keeping Trump in power - https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/joint-chiefs-chairman-feared-potential-reichstag-moment-aimed-at-keeping-trump-in-power/2021/07/14/a326f5fe-e4ec-11eb-a41e-c8442c213fa8_story.html

This historian predicted Jan. 6. Now he warns of greater violence. - https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2021/07/15/american-democracy-survived-its-reichstag-fire-jan-6-threat-has-not-subsided/

Disbelief in election results and distrust of the vaccines are connected - https://www.cnn.com/2021/07/16/media/election-result-disbelief-vaccine-distrust-reliable-sources/index.html

Fact check: Arizona audit chief baselessly raises suspicion about 74,000 ballots - https://www.cnn.com/2021/07/18/politics/fact-check-maricopa-audit-arizona-cyber-ninjas-74000/index.html

Records of Arizona’s review of the 2020 election must be made public, a judge rules. - https://www.nytimes.com/2021/07/15/us/records-of-arizonas-review-of-the-2020-election-must-be-made-public-a-judge-rules.html

Pa. Republicans are taking election ‘audits’ seriously. Here’s what to know about their plan - https://whyy.org/articles/pa-republicans-are-taking-election-audits-seriously-heres-what-to-know-about-their-plan/

Texas Republicans want audit of 2020 election in biggest counties, mostly won by Biden - https://www.star-telegram.com/news/politics-government/article252903673.html

Oklahoma Election Board Secretary Shoots Down Republican's Request For Audit Of 2020 Results - https://www.publicradiotulsa.org/post/oklahoma-election-board-secretary-shoots-down-republicans-request-audit-2020-results#stream/0

Georgia Republicans center campaigns on false claims of election fraud - https://www.ajc.com/politics/georgia-republicans-center-campaigns-on-false-claims-of-election-fraud/JNRJYNAG6BD5JC5BB2TQG3LYGA/

The spirit of John Lewis lives on in the voting rights fight - https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2021/07/19/spirit-john-lewis-lives-voting-rights-fight/

Voting Rights Activists Think Biden's Actions Fall Short Of His Dire Warnings - https://www.npr.org/2021/07/17/1016936166/voting-rights-activists-think-bidens-actions-fall-short-of-his-dire-warnings

Senate Democrats target Georgia law to push voting bills in Congress - https://www.ajc.com/politics/senate-democrats-target-georgia-law-to-push-voting-bills-in-congress/NNG4USXKDBGV5LZKRTEJVL26Z4/

Manchin meets with Texas Dems and says he wants pared-down voting rights bill - https://www.cnn.com/2021/07/15/politics/manchin-texas-democrats-voting-rights/index.html

The Battle Over State Voting Rights Is About the Future of Texas - https://www.nytimes.com/2021/07/14/us/texas-democrats-washington.html

The next voting rights battleground is Michigan - https://www.vox.com/2021/7/17/22580037/michigan-republican-party-voting-rights-mike-shirkey-big-lie

Michigan GOP plans “shocking” scheme to ram through voting restrictions over Whitmer’s veto - https://www.salon.com/2021/07/15/michigan-gop-plans-shocking-scheme-to-ram-through-voting-restrictions-over-whitmers-veto/

Klobuchar: Infrastructure bill could include voting measures - https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/wireStory/klobuchar-infrastructure-bill-include-voting-measures-78915264

More than 30 former top Senate Democratic aides call for changes to the filibuster rules. - https://www.nytimes.com/2021/07/21/us/politics/senate-filibuster.html

Most Americans don't want voting to be harder; Democrats and GOP see political fortunes at stake - CBS News study - https://www.cbsnews.com/news/voting-rights-laws-poll-americans-voting-not-harder/

Voting Rights: A Legal Battle Is Under Way Across the U.S. as Election-Related Litigation Surges - https://www.wsj.com/articles/new-voting-laws-face-court-challenges-across-the-u-s-11626696001

Personal threats, election lies and punishing new laws rattle election officials, raising fears of a mass exodus - https://www.cnn.com/2021/07/21/politics/election-officials-exodus/index.html

EDITORIAL: Attacking laws on voting is about power - https://thetandd.com/opinion/editorial/editorial-attacking-laws-on-voting-is-about-power/article_7309d44e-dba5-5806-876c-760a18e8fdbc.html

How America lost its commitment to the right to vote - https://www.vox.com/22575435/voting-rights-supreme-court-john-roberts-shelby-county-constitution-brnovich-elena-kagan

Many in Jail Can Vote, but Exercising That Right Isn’t Easy - https://www.pewtrusts.org/en/research-and-analysis/blogs/stateline/2021/07/16/many-in-jail-can-vote-but-exercising-that-right-isnt-easy

It’s not just voting rights. Republicans are going after ballot campaigns. - https://www.politico.com/news/2021/07/21/republicans-ballot-campaigns-voting-rights-500347

More than 150 companies back update to Voting Rights Act - https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/elections/more-150-companies-back-update-voting-rights-act-n1273919

The For the People Act Isn’t Dead - https://inthesetimes.com/article/for-the-people-act-democracy-manchin-biden-filibuster-voting-rights

Congress, follow Washington’s lead on voting rights and pass the For the People Act - https://www.seattletimes.com/opinion/congress-follow-washingtons-lead-on-voting-rights-and-pass-the-for-the-people-act/

Sen. Joe Manchin, key Democratic holdout on federal voting protections, coming to Texas for fundraiser hosted by several GOP donors - https://www.texastribune.org/2021/07/15/joe-manchin-texas-fundraiser-republicans/

Murdoch-backed Fox News corporate PAC donates to Sen. Joe Manchin's campaign - https://www.salon.com/2021/07/15/fox-news-corporate-pac-donates-to-joe-manchins-campaign-filing/

Activist Shareholders Score Wins on Election Spending After Riot - https://news.bloomberglaw.com/securities-law/activist-shareholders-score-wins-on-election-spending-after-riot

Super PACs tied to major parties misled voters, complaint alleges - https://thefulcrum.us/campaign-finance/super-pacs-fec-complaint

Campaign Legal Center Files Complaint Against Bipartisan Set of 23 Super PACs - https://campaignlegal.org/press-releases/campaign-legal-center-files-complaint-against-bipartisan-set-23-super-pacs

How a powerful US lobby group helps big oil to block climate action - https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2021/jul/19/big-oil-climate-crisis-lobby-group-api

Small Donors Hit Record Highs in New York City’s Public Campaign Financing Program - https://readsludge.com/2021/07/19/small-donors-hit-record-highs-in-new-york-citys-public-campaign-financing-program/

Gerrymandering reform, if passed, is still a decade away - https://thefulcrum.us/redistricting/reforms-for-gerrymandering

The new playbook for partisan gerrymandering - https://www.axios.com/republicans-democrats-gerrymandering-midterms-4e394a4c-c5f2-4006-9f16-8b04d30e570c.html

Legislators say they're not bound to follow independent commission's ideas for new political boundaries - https://www.ksl.com/article/50204640/legislators-say-theyre-not-bound-to-follow-independent-commissions-ideas-for-new-political-boundaries

As the Press Weakens, So Does Democracy - https://www.nytimes.com/2021/07/18/opinion/media-newspapers-democracy.html

Anti-Corruption & Accountability in Government Links:

Anti-corruption – Wikipedia - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anti-corruption

Accountability – Wikipedia - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Accountability

Defining Democracy: Corruption - https://rdi.org/defining-democracy/2020/10/8/defining-democracy-corruption/

Defining Democracy: Accountability - https://rdi.org/defining-democracy/2020/4/14/defining-democracy-accountability/

Corruption and democracy - https://www.unodc.org/e4j/en/anti-corruption/module-3/key-issues/corruption-and-democracy.html

U.S. Transparency and Accountability - https://www.coalitionforintegrity.org/what-we-do/transparency-and-accountability/

A history of corruption in the United States - https://today.law.harvard.edu/a-history-of-corruption-in-the-united-states/

Taming Systemic Corruption: The American Experience and its Implications for Contemporary Debates - https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=3686821

CORRUPTION IN THE US: IS CHANGE COMING? - https://www.transparency.org/en/blog/cpi-2020-corruption-united-states#

A Bipartisan Plan to Combat Global Corruption - https://us.transparency.org/news/a-bipartisan-plan-to-combat-global-corruption/

How to Fix Corruption - https://www.politico.com/interactives/2019/how-to-fix-politics-in-america/corruption/

What States Can Do to Fight Corruption and Empower Voters - https://www.americanprogress.org/issues/democracy/reports/2019/01/23/465444/states-can-fight-corruption-empower-voters/

American Anti-Corruption Act - https://anticorruptionact.org/

A momentous victory for global anti-corruption efforts - https://www.brookings.edu/blog/up-front/2021/01/28/a-momentous-victory-for-global-anti-corruption-efforts/

SWAMP STORIES: CASH AND CORRUPTION IN WASHINGTON - https://www.swampstories.org/