Democracy Happy Hour – March 16, 2022

* Democracy Happy Hour, March 16, 2022 - Meeting Recordings & Chat File:

• Speaker View Recording:  https://us02web.zoom.us/rec/play/IwcTjSJxnMQHvqIV5rKvJeuKq11UvF6YHJpZy8y89r5_v_gAfXHcQMLWSgLmNNi_NQ9Wcry2_uHmZnRE.WDydQ_keK4w2RxaJ
• Gallery View Recording: https://us02web.zoom.us/rec/play/S--k_zvtUlCMUlk1_YQkb864nsZ1Z8JEJqd3_6u1PwestZ8rOkdQwwbMp4GIWT_Ea9C64GQGHHxzIniW.4coM_xTNAbtC5gbu
• Chat (Link will download a text file to your computer):  https://us02web.zoom.us/rec/sdownload/kXzcQaSnWjxozeZtonqX7OIrnJEq_gEVXM3UjgTK3jzRnJtq87EaQwNzb-97kfWyggJ3CslbNAXzmGN7.Axy5bff03Y9PawT1

Actions, Events & Misc. Links:

DONATE to Fix Democracy First or Fix Democracy First Education Fund @ https://www.fixdemocracyfirst.org/donate

Upcoming topics:

• Mar 23rd - U.S. Supreme Court: Impact of Recent & Upcoming Decisions
• Mar 30th - Social Media Management to Support Democracy w/ Jeremy Chase

YO VOTE! (Youth Organizers for Voter Outreach, Teaching & Engagement) - https://www.yo-vote.org/donate

WON (Women in Office Now) – https://www.fixdemocracyfirst.org/won

• Training Module 2 – March 22nd @ 6 pm - WHERE TO START? QUESTIONS TO ASK YOURSELF - https://www.fixdemocracyfirst.org/won-modules/module-02-where-to-start-questions-to-ask-yourself

Sign Petition - Boeing, Support Our Fundamental Democratic Values - asking Boeing withdraw funding to Jan 6th seditionist Members of Congress - https://actionnetwork.org/petitions/boeing-support-our-fundamental-democratic-values/

Free the Vote! Celebrating Voting Rights Restoration in WA – April 7th @ 6 pm - https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZcucuCvrDsvGtXZGHqjR_08lpOT1s2YZJ-w

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Redistricting Updates & Final WA Maps Links:

League of Women Voters of WA Redistricting - https://lwvwa.org/redistricting

LWV of WA - Maps - https://www.lwvwa.org/maps

Sign up to join Alison's Redistricting Reform Meetings: https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZAofu6sqjkpEtMr0G6MX5ur3aJ93EIAbX1B

WA Redistricting Commission - Final District Maps - https://www.redistricting.wa.gov/final-maps

Dave’s Redistricting version of the Commission's FINAL maps:

Legislative: https://davesredistricting.org/join/3ee18c1d-a9ea-4c4b-8ee0-de5c241ddc90
Congressional: https://davesredistricting.org/join/73a73133-3f50-4bac-ad88-cfc12a8bd3ca

Politics of the Possible Many Maps - https://politicsofthepossible.com/many-maps

Michigan Independent Citizens Redistricting Commission - https://www.michigan.gov/micrc

California Citizens Redistricting Commission - https://wedrawthelines.ca.gov/

Democracy in the News Links:

2020 Census Undercounted Hispanic, Black and Native American Residents - https://www.nytimes.com/2022/03/10/us/census-undercounted-population.html

Major Census Quality Check Spotlights Persistent Undercounts - https://www.brennancenter.org/our-work/analysis-opinion/major-census-quality-check-spotlights-persistent-undercounts

Garland says the Jan. 6 investigation won't end until everyone is held accountable - https://www.npr.org/2022/03/10/1085016383/garland-says-the-jan-6-investigation-wont-end-until-everyone-is-held-to-account

The evidence is clear: it’s time to prosecute Donald Trump - https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2022/mar/16/donald-trump-criminal-charges-january-6-capitol-attack

New clues emerge about the money that might have helped fund the Jan. 6 insurrection - https://www.npr.org/2022/03/11/1085783310/new-clues-emerge-about-the-money-that-might-have-helped-fund-the-jan-6-insurrect

Document in Jan. 6 Case Shows Plan to Storm Government Buildings - https://www.nytimes.com/2022/03/14/us/politics/enrique-tarrio-jan-6-document.html

Fearing political violence in 2024, judges sentence Jan. 6 defendants to probation through the next election - https://www.washingtonpost.com/dc-md-va/2022/03/15/jan-6-sentences-probation-2024/

In Wisconsin, a political battle over the 2020 vote still rages - https://www.cbsnews.com/news/wisconsin-republicans-2020-election-60-minutes-2022-03-13/

Colorado county elections official Tina Peters is indicted in probe of alleged tampering with voting equipment - https://www.washingtonpost.com/investigations/2022/03/09/tina-peters-colorado-elections-clerk-charged/

Rogue county officials spark fear of growing 'insider' threats to elections - https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/2022-election/rogue-county-officials-spark-fear-growing-insider-threats-elections-rcna19586

Local Election Officials Survey (March 2022) - https://www.brennancenter.org/our-work/research-reports/local-election-officials-survey-march-2022

Local election officials are exhausted, under threat and thinking about quitting - https://www.politico.com/news/2022/03/10/election-officials-exhausted-under-threat-00015850

1 in 5 local election officials say they're likely to quit before 2024 - https://www.npr.org/2022/03/10/1085425464/1-in-5-local-election-officials-say-theyre-likely-to-quit-before-2024

States Want to Boost Protections for Threatened Local Election Officials - https://www.pewtrusts.org/en/research-and-analysis/blogs/stateline/2022/03/09/states-want-to-boost-protections-for-threatened-local-election-officials

Georgia House passes sweeping bill with new election policing powers - https://www.cnn.com/2022/03/15/politics/georgia-house-election-fraud-bill/index.html

Voting rights groups speak out against “Zuckerbucks” bill - https://www.alreporter.com/2022/03/09/voting-rights-groups-speak-out-against-zuckerbucks-bill/

Arizona state senators block a dozen GOP-sponsored election reform bills - https://www.courthousenews.com/arizona-state-senators-block-a-dozen-gop-sponsored-election-reform-bills/

Texas flagged 27,000 mail ballots for rejection in primary - https://apnews.com/article/2022-midterm-elections-elections-austin-texas-voting-f28a41bf6482c25299c99a8ea52734be

Harris Co. election workers were 'too exhausted' to count ballots, administrator says - https://www.chron.com/politics/article/Harris-County-missing-ballots-election-Hidalgo-17001587.php

PA Mail-in voter case awaits state Supreme Court decision. About 2.5M voters could be affected if law is struck down - https://www.buckscountycouriertimes.com/story/news/2022/03/15/pa-supreme-court-ruling-mail-ballots-could-effect-millions-pennsylvania-voters-election/6972034001/

Florida lawmakers approve an elections police force, the first of its kind in the U.S. - https://www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2022/03/09/florida-lawmakers-approve-an-elections-police-force-first-its-kind-us/

'Throwing kerosene on every fire': DeSantis targets Black-held congressional seats. And his own party. - https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/politics-news/ron-desantis-targets-black-held-congressional-seats-party-rcna19771

3 Black women oversee voting access for more than 37 million Americans - https://www.nbcnews.com/news/nbcblk/3-black-women-secretaries-state-are-protecting-voting-rights-rcna18754

Mailed ballots boosted 2020’s turnout — will they work in 2022? - https://thefulcrum.us/voting-by-mail

Exclusive: MTV launches "Voting Early is Easier" campaign targeting young voters - https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2022/03/10/early-voting-mtv-college-students/9342177002/

Experts say nonpartisan observers are key to restoring faith in elections - https://thefulcrum.us/election-observers

Which states run the best elections? MIT researchers have an answer. - https://thefulcrum.us/election-performance-index

Elections Performance Index - https://elections.mit.edu/#/data/map

Florida voters look to courts to implement new congressional map - https://news.wfsu.org/state-news/2022-03-14/florida-voters-look-to-courts-to-implement-new-congressional-map

Louisiana Governor John Bel Edwards vetoes congressional map without new Black district -https://www.shreveporttimes.com/story/news/2022/03/09/louisiana-governor-john-bel-edwards-vetoes-congressional-map-without-new-black-district/9448112002/

Civil rights groups sue Louisiana over state legislative district maps - https://www.wwno.org/2022-03-14/civil-rights-groups-sue-louisiana-over-state-legislative-district-maps

Hawaii Supreme Court Mulls Constitutional Requirements In Redistricting Challenge - https://www.civilbeat.org/2022/03/hawaii-supreme-court-mulls-constitutional-requirements-in-redistricting-challenge/

Claims of partisan gerrymandering in Md. congressional map go to trial - https://www.washingtonpost.com/dc-md-va/2022/03/15/maryland-partisan-gerrymandering-trial/

Missouri’s one of only four states without new congressional maps. Will lawsuits break the gridlock? - https://www.kansascity.com/news/politics-government/article259388779.html

Ohio coalition emphasizes their fight for 'fair districts' as supreme court deliberates - https://news.wosu.org/politics-government/2022-03-15/ohio-coalition-emphasizes-their-fight-for-fair-districts-as-supreme-court-deliberates

Federal judge says he’s staying out of Ohio’s redistricting fight, for now - https://www.cleveland.com/news/2022/03/federal-judge-says-hes-staying-out-of-ohios-redistricting-fight-for-now.html

Redistricting: Tribes fight for an equal voice - https://publicintegrity.org/politics/elections/redistricting-fight-for-native-american-representation/

A Potential Rarity in American Politics: A Fair Congressional Map - https://www.nytimes.com/2022/03/10/us/politics/redistricting-congressional-maps-elections.html

WA voters deserve better than redistricting fiasco - https://www.seattletimes.com/opinion/editorials/wa-voters-deserves-better-than-redistricting-fiasco/

Why I resigned as chair of the redistricting commission - https://www.seattletimes.com/opinion/why-i-resigned-as-chair-of-the-redistricting-commission/

Americans want cameras at Supreme Court, but live audio there is on life support - https://www.courthousenews.com/americans-want-cameras-at-supreme-court-but-live-audio-there-is-on-life-support/

What to Know About the EPA Supreme Court Case That Could Give Polluters Free Rein - https://gizmodo.com/what-to-know-about-the-epa-supreme-court-case-that-coul-1848650828

Ginni Thomas' revelation she went to Jan. 6 rally puts squishy Supreme Court rules in spotlight - https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2022/03/15/ginni-thomas-justice-clarence-jan-6-politics-recuse-supreme-court/7039934001/?gnt-cfr=1

Judicial Diversity Is Not Just Important on the Supreme Court - https://www.brennancenter.org/our-work/analysis-opinion/judicial-diversity-not-just-important-supreme-court

Lobbying broke all-time mark in 2021 amid flurry of government spending - https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2022/03/12/lobbying-record-government-spending/

Millions of dollars poured into a ‘dark money’ group tied to billionaire-backed super PAC and efforts to expose voter rolls - https://www.opensecrets.org/news/2022/03/millions-of-dollars-poured-into-a-dark-money-group-tied-to-billionaire-backed-super-pac-and-efforts-to-expose-voter-rolls/

Untraceable cash has infiltrated political campaigns from school boards to president - https://www.northjersey.com/story/news/watchdog/2022/03/13/dark-money-infiltrates-local-state-and-national-political-campaigns/7017307001/

House Republicans who challenged Biden's win are losing lots of corporate cash - https://www.reuters.com/world/us/house-republicans-who-challenged-bidens-win-are-losing-lots-corporate-cash-2022-03-16/

Democratic Group Says Trump Is Breaking Campaign Law by Not Declaring for 2024 - https://www.nytimes.com/2022/03/14/us/politics/trump-campaign-fec-violation.html

President Biden Nominates New FEC Commissioner - https://www.jdsupra.com/legalnews/president-biden-nominates-new-fec-1507633/

Supporters of ‘ranked-choice’ elections confident in Missouri initiative - https://www.fultonsun.com/news/2022/mar/15/supporters-of-ranked-choice-elections-confident/

Florida is on the verge of banning ranked-choice voting - https://thefulcrum.us/florida-ranked-choice-voting

Oakland Community Groups Launch Campaign to Fight Big Money in Elections - https://readsludge.com/2022/03/11/oakland-community-groups-launch-campaign-to-fight-big-money-in-elections/

MisinfoDay – Center for an Informed Public - https://www.cip.uw.edu/get-involved/misinfoday/