Democracy Happy Hour – May 25, 2022

Democracy Happy Hour, May 25, 2022 - Meeting Recordings & Chat File:

• Speaker View Recording:  https://us02web.zoom.us/rec/play/yumAjSEhQbdZDDvJSTP_bF0zjM6YAYv7ejwABDCOBPoZpXsw9CHN-zv6_0481NNLo5iymhf08RPUwBus.3l2onnPqEi0oxUTd
• Gallery View Recording:  https://us02web.zoom.us/rec/play/0sRimx0ijMEtgGyDiLWdZyHPMSJleYUvH_e9DwEyq7IDkNvw0Rbbg0gg4DQo_aQPX6zzVLwpQZgsWGvY.eCntzyD1Xsq28_mW
• Chat (Link will download a text file to your computer):  https://us02web.zoom.us/rec/sdownload/N6Q3fTatsKzrfzYQILGaKYo8z4GXAolXEeHQjnZYjcLaYcedlz_5nwM2D5O4auipWDl1ac9mHOSsIw3f.nS3hphoJBuYMmhjT

Actions, Events & Misc. Links:

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

Upcoming Democracy Happy Hour topics:

• June 1^st – Tracking Money in Elections
• June 8^th – Proportional Representation as a Social Justice Issue w/ More Equitable Representation
• June 15^th – The Independent State Legislature Theory
• June 22^nd – The Precinct Strategy: What is it and why?

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

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

Campaign Finance – May 31^st @ 6 pm – w/ guest speaker Scott Haley with the PDC – Register @ https://www.fixdemocracyfirst.org/won-modules/module-07-campaign-finance

EVENTS:

• Running With My Girls – Film Screening & Panel Discussion – May 26^th @ 6 pm PT – Register @ https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_bJh0GUlAR3-G8z0WV4NhOw
• January 6th Commission Hearing Watch Event - Thursday, June 9th @ 4:30 pm PT - (Time tentative based on Commission schedule) - https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_tUim-Dh8Q_GjUBQvDlaNkQ
• Suppressed and Sabotaged: The Fight to Vote – Film Screening & Panel Discussion – June 9^th @ 6 pm PT –  https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_t-6eJlOiR6Kdw7TqMzIruQ

ACTIONS – Voter Registration:

• Festival Sundiata – June 18^th & 19^th – Seattle Center, Armory – Sign up for shifts @ https://www.signupgenius.com/go/60b054babaa2baaf85-festival
• Fremont Fair– June 18^th & 19^th – Fremont Neighborhood in Seattle – Sign up for shifts @ https://www.signupgenius.com/go/60b054babaa2baaf85-fremont

Social Media to Support Democracy Links:

Why can’t America do anything to stop mass shootings? - https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2022/may/25/why-cant-america-stop-mass-shootings-gun-control

US gun control: What is the NRA and why is it so powerful? - https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-35261394

OpenSecrets - National Rifle Assn - https://www.opensecrets.org/orgs/national-rifle-assn/summary?toprecipcycle=2020&contribcycle=2020&lobcycle=2020&outspendcycle=2020&id=d000000082&topnumcycle=A

Capitol attack panel to hold six public hearings as it aims to show how Trump broke law - https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2022/may/23/capitol-attack-panel-public-hearings-trump

Jan. 6 committee alleges Trump, allies engaged in potential ‘criminal conspiracy’ by trying to block Congress from certifying election - https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2022/03/02/eastman-pence-trump-jan-6/

Understanding the criminal allegations the Jan. 6 committee is constructing against Trump - https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2022/03/03/understanding-criminal-allegation-jan-6-committee-is-constructing-against-trump/

Eastman provides new details of Trump’s direct role in legal effort to overturn election - https://www.politico.com/news/2022/05/20/eastman-trump-role-legal-overturn-election-00034023

Intensifying Inquiry Into Alternate Electors Focuses on Trump Lawyers - https://www.nytimes.com/2022/05/25/us/politics/pro-trump-lawyers-elector-scheme.html

Former Attorney General William Barr tentatively agrees to give sworn testimony to January 6 committee - https://www.cnn.com/2022/05/19/politics/william-barr-january-6/index.html

Ginni Thomas, wife of Supreme Court justice, pressed Ariz. lawmakers to help reverse Trump’s loss, emails show - https://www.washingtonpost.com/investigations/2022/05/20/ginni-thomas-arizona-election-emails/

How Trump’s 2020 Election Lies Have Gripped State Legislatures - https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2022/05/22/us/politics/state-legislators-election-denial.html

Primaries show divisions are not only between the parties, but within them - https://rollcall.com/2022/05/18/primaries-show-divisions-are-not-only-between-the-parties-but-within-them/

Takeaways: Trump’s big defeat; election denial backfiring - https://apnews.com/article/2022-midterm-elections-georgia-takeaways-f2226127c5f6223501b77edf277bfd73

Primary voters in key states navigate new voting rules - https://www.cnn.com/2022/05/17/politics/primary-voting-rules-ctzn/index.html

Democracy Crisis in the Making: How State Legislatures are Politicizing, Criminalizing, and Interfering with Elections [May 2022] - https://protectdemocracy.org/update/democracy-crisis-in-the-making-how-state-legislatures-are-politicizing-criminalizing-and-interfering-with-elections-may-2022/

The election system shuddered in 2020. Now, there are fears of an attack within - https://www.npr.org/2022/05/24/1099591174/election-results-midterms-trump-biden-fraud-poll-workers-michigan-denial

Effort to recruit poll workers relaunches amid fears of shortage - https://www.politico.com/news/2022/05/20/recruit-poll-workers-shortage-00033841

Klobuchar, Warren introduce bill to provide $20 billion for election administration - https://thehill.com/blogs/blog-briefing-room/news/3493562-klobuchar-warren-introduce-bill-to-provide-20-billion-for-election-administration/

Klobuchar, Warren, Colleagues Introduce Legislation to Strengthen Election Administration - https://www.klobuchar.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/news-releases?ID=CBBBF829-8D39-44E1-B4BB-65D9EA12424B

Elections require more consistent federal funding, per report - https://thefulcrum.us/funding-for-elections

Voting is surging in Georgia despite controversial new election law - https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2022/05/21/voting-is-surging-georgia-despite-controversial-new-election-law/

Misinformation, violence and a paper shortage threaten midterm elections, officials say - https://idahocapitalsun.com/2022/05/19/misinformation-violence-and-a-paper-shortage-threaten-midterm-elections-officials-say/

Montana Supreme Court says no to Election Day voter registration - https://montanafreepress.org/2022/05/17/montana-court-overturns-voting-rights-injunction/

A mail-in voting law is under attack by Pennsylvania GOP lawmakers who passed it - https://www.npr.org/2022/05/16/1096943765/some-pennsylvania-lawmakers-who-helped-pass-mail-in-voting-law-now-want-it-throw

US federal judge rules that Sioux tribes in South Dakota have standing in voting rights lawsuit - https://www.jurist.org/news/2022/05/us-federal-judge-rules-that-sioux-tribes-in-south-dakota-have-standing-in-voting-rights-lawsuit/#

Thousands of Virginia convicts to have voting rights restored - https://wtop.com/virginia/2022/05/thousands-of-va-convicts-to-have-voting-rights-restored/

Alaska Supreme Court rejects redrawn Senate map, orders use of interim political map for state elections - https://www.adn.com/politics/2022/05/24/alaska-supreme-court-orders-use-of-interim-politic-map-for-state-elections/

Redrawn Arizona congressional map drains Native American voting power - https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2022/may/23/native-americans-arizona-redistricting-congressional-map

Florida appeals court reinstates DeSantis congressional map - https://www.wrdw.com/2022/05/20/florida-appeals-court-reinstates-desantis-congressional-map/

Kansas Supreme Court upholds Republican congressional map - https://www.politico.com/news/2022/05/18/kansas-supreme-court-republican-congressional-map-00033407

Divided panel of federal judges refuses to rule on constitutionality of redrawn U.S. House map - https://www.wjtv.com/news/politics/focused-on-politics/divided-panel-of-federal-judges-refuses-to-rule-on-constitutionality-of-redrawn-u-s-house-map/

Judge Approves N.Y. House Map, Cementing Chaos for Democrats - https://www.nytimes.com/2022/05/21/nyregion/redistrict-map-nadler-maloney.html

A GOP power grab shatters 30 years of political progress for Black voters in Galveston County - https://www.texastribune.org/2022/05/20/galveston-redistricting-black-voters/

Big Tech Takes Texas to the Supreme Court - https://www.nytimes.com/2022/05/18/business/dealbook/free-speech-limits.html

Supreme Court Strikes Candidate Loan Repayment Limits - https://readsludge.com/2022/05/19/supreme-court-strikes-candidate-loan-repayment-limits/

Dark money gets darker with less disclosure in the 2022 election - https://www.opensecrets.org/news/2022/05/dark-money-gets-darker-with-less-disclosure-in-the-2022-election/

Everyone’s a Fat Cat in US Politics Today - https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/everyones-a-fat-cat-in-us-politics-today/2022/05/23/2f0f6ae0-da94-11ec-bc35-a91d0a94923b_story.html

16 watchdog groups demand Joe Biden 'publicly and actively' push Congress to ban lawmaker stock trades - https://www.businessinsider.com/watchdogs-demand-joe-biden-start-leading-congress-stock-trade-ban-2022-5

EXPLAINER: White ‘replacement theory’ fuels racist attacks - https://apnews.com/article/great-white-replacement-theory-explainer-c86f309f02cd14062f301ce6b9228e33

Congress is fractured. So Democrats, Republicans went to family therapy – together. We were there. - https://news.yahoo.com/congress-fractured-democrats-republicans-went-090156026.html

Ballot tracking can improve rejection-rate disparities - https://www.seattletimes.com/opinion/ballot-tracking-can-improve-rejection-rate-disparities/