Democracy Happy Hour – Nov 3, 2021

Democracy Happy Hour, November 3, 2021 - Meeting Recordings & Chat:

• Speaker View Recording: https://us02web.zoom.us/rec/play/O9DACT00hGH9fWXLXcwDL-ZnCJBKlJNIGETuTfH7_lKMPaaP-VDC7YlzQzTJzqSGvF3U4swor6W6_7VO.bwSXiWjtu7VCTR5E
• Gallery View Recording:  https://us02web.zoom.us/rec/play/MlWNgtucbZQaWsmQy2a40HwcRU63jPwi25aefJqt5OZhWdlnzF__pMhCFEYxhXe9NPATT_YozoKz6NBa.Vo9a4JtggQMSVjtd
• Chat (Link will download a text file to your computer):  https://us02web.zoom.us/rec/sdownload/VgT0IDCNBPwb74SamKTc27RjPqNcOXugwt1vwSnC4s6qcmoynb45LDhD41IyN3Mbe1j7yrFL3-3aPNPM.SWo1YrYHmgKZRWIj
• Closed Caption (Link will download a text file to your computer):  https://us02web.zoom.us/rec/sdownload/2VZoJlcKaPZFtlzwaTDSllGEYCjQyhYxQ-ECfohFj8QmzOAHG638W7qdHkVrySl3CBgxIvP3bjak8vLJ.wnzNiJWwyDdvvxGZ

Actions, Events & Misc. Links:

SPECIAL EVENT on November 10th!

• Defending Democracy 2021 Virtual Awards Ceremony, November 10th @ 6 pm - Ticket & more info here: https://www.fixdemocracyfirst.org/event-pages/2021-virtual-awards-ceremony

DONATE:

• 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:

• Nov 10th - DEFENDING DEMOCRACY 2021 Virtual Awards Ceremony - More info @ https://www.fixdemocracyfirst.org/event-pages/2021-virtual-awards-ceremony
• Nov 17th - Impact of Polarization in Local Government
• Nov 24th - WA Redistricting Update: Review of the Maps w/ Alison McCaffree
• Dec 1st – Proportional Representation w/ special guests from WA for Equitable Democracy

WA Redistricting ACTION NEEDED:

• Email comment@redistricting.wa.gov or Submit Public Comments @ https://www.redistricting.wa.gov/submit-public-testimony
• Key points to focus on. Please prioritize the first two points:
• Comply with the Voting Rights Act and draw a majority-minority CVAP state legislative district in Yakima that also includes the Yakama Nation.
• Draw a majority-minority 9th congressional district that includes South Seattle and Chinatown-International District.
• Draw a majority-minority 21st LD in Snohomish County
• Draw a majority-minority 28th and 29th LD in Pierce County
• Draw majority-minority CVAP districts in the 37th, 11th, and 33rd LDs. Do not split Chinatown-International District from the 37th district.
• Draw a majority-minority 47th LD.
• Draw a majority-minority 16th LD in Pasco and Kennewick
• WA Redistricting Commission - https://www.redistricting.wa.gov/
  

Monday, November 15 (11:59 p.m.) – Deadline for Commission to submit final maps to the Legislature.

TAKE ACTION for VOTING RIGHTS BILLS:

• Freedom to Vote Act & John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act Actions you can take:
• Declaration for American Democracy TAKE ACTION page - https://dfadcoalition.org/takeaction/
• FREEDOM TO VOTE: TIME TO ACT Events - https://freedomtovoteactions.org/
• Call the U.S. Senate @ 1.888.453.3211 - Tell them to pass the Freedom to Vote Act and the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act, as well as address the filibuster so these bills can pass.
• Call the White House @ 1.888.724.8746 - Tell the President to use his power to push the Senate to pass these bills and support reforming the filibuster. (The comment line is open Tuesday, Wednesday & Thursday, 8am-noon PT.)
• Volunteer Phone Banks:
• Common Cause - https://www.mobilize.us/commoncause/event/376178
• RepresentUs - https://vol.represent.us/a/events-calendar
• Write a Letter to the Editor: Use the Letter To the Editor Tool to submit a letter to your local newspaper - https://dfadcoalition.org/lte/?eType=EmailBlastContent&eId=0efbe054-a67f-421e-af75-404e630ad65b

Civics for Adults II: Beyond Voting-Elections and Campaign Financing – Nov 5th @ 6:30 pm - https://wccls.bibliocommons.com/events/search/local_start=2021-11-05%20TO%20/event/616ee860f8179c2900e153b3  

Democracy in the News Links:

RED FLAGS – Before, During & After January 6th - https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/interactive/2021/warnings-jan-6-insurrection/‍

Trump seeking to block hundreds of pages of documents from Jan. 6 committee, court filing shows - https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2021/10/30/trump-jan-6-block-documents/

Texas’ new secretary of state doesn’t deny Joe Biden’s 2020 victory, but he’s still prioritizing an election audit - https://www.texastribune.org/2021/10/28/texas-secretary-of-state-john-scott-election-audit

Election disinformation has Colorado clerks trying new tactics to assure voters - https://www.cpr.org/2021/10/27/election-disinformation-has-colorado-clerks-trying-new-tactics-to-assure-voters/

Virginia AG presses GOP senator for proof of claims of fraud in statewide elections - https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/virginia-politics/virginia-election-chase-fraud-claims-herring/2021/10/28/2cad0a4a-381f-11ec-9bc4-86107e7b0ab1_story.html

Hobbs pushes for federal voting legislation to protect workers, voters - https://gilaherald.com/hobbs-pushes-for-federal-voting-legislation-to-protect-workers-voters/

‘It’s been a barrage every day’: US election workers face threats and harassment - https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2021/nov/01/us-election-workers-threats-violence

An army of poll watchers — many driven by GOP’s ‘election integrity’ push — turns out across Virginia - https://www.washingtonpost.com/dc-md-va/2021/10/27/virginia-poll-watchers-election/

Republicans want more eyes on election workers. Experts worry about their intent - https://www.npr.org/2021/11/01/1050563273/republicans-want-more-eyes-on-election-workers-experts-worry-about-their-intent

University of Florida bars faculty members from testifying in voting rights lawsuit against DeSantis administration - https://www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2021/10/30/florida-voting-rights-desantis-lawsuit/

Heading into 2022, Georgia is poised to be at the center of the political universe — again - https://www.ledger-enquirer.com/news/politics-government/article255359771.html

Most Americans trust elections are fair, but sharp divides exist, a new poll finds - https://www.npr.org/2021/11/01/1050291610/most-americans-trust-elections-are-fair-but-sharp-divides-exist-a-new-poll-finds

Navigator Research - Voting and Democracy: A Guide for Advocates - https://navigatorresearch.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/Navigator-Update-11.02.2021.pdf

Poll finds bipartisan support for reforming Electoral Count Act - https://thefulcrum.us/Government/Congress/1887-electoral-count-act

Latino civil rights group sues Iowa election officials over 'English-only' law - https://qctimes.com/news/local/govt-and-politics/latino-civil-rights-group-sues-iowa-election-officials-over-english-only-law/article_f891baea-8a0d-5af7-8f1b-5f13720de6c6.html

Manchin, Murkowski back revised John Lewis voting rights bill - https://thehill.com/homenews/senate/579673-manchin-murkowski-back-revised-john-lewis-voting-rights-bill

Senate Republicans block debate on a third major voting rights bill - https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/senate-voting-john-lewis/2021/11/03/de00974e-3cc5-11ec-bfad-8283439871ec_story.html

Bipartisan Commissions Cause Redistricting Pain for Democrats - https://www.pewtrusts.org/en/research-and-analysis/blogs/stateline/2021/11/02/bipartisan-commissions-cause-redistricting-pain-for-democrats

Texas Republicans Are Again Targeting Communities of Color - https://www.brennancenter.org/our-work/analysis-opinion/texas-republicans-are-again-targeting-communities-color

Despite transparency vows, much of Pa.’s redistricting still takes place behind closed doors - https://www.spotlightpa.org/news/2021/10/pa-redistricting-mapmakers-closed-door-process/

Before making changes to political maps, Michigan’s redistricting commission retreats behind closed doors - https://www.mlive.com/public-interest/2021/10/before-making-changes-to-political-maps-michigans-redistricting-commission-retreats-behind-closed-doors.html

Voting rights groups concerned over Alabama’s draft redistricting maps - https://www.alreporter.com/2021/10/29/voting-rights-groups-concerned-over-alabamas-draft-redistricting-maps/

Princeton research group fails many of NC's proposed voting maps - https://www.wral.com/princeton-research-group-fails-many-of-nc-s-proposed-voting-maps/19947776/

Brace yourselves: Politicians begin remap of a changing Georgia - https://www.ajc.com/politics/brace-yourselves-politicians-begin-remap-of-a-changing-georgia/RQK6KHATZ5HDVGNYB2UPIWGUY4/

What you need to know about redistricting in California - https://www.capradio.org/articles/2021/10/28/what-you-need-to-know-about-redistricting-in-california/

Colorado Supreme Court approves new congressional map drawn by redistricting commission - https://coloradosun.com/2021/11/01/colorado-congressional-map-approved-supreme-court/

Democrats backed a commission to draw fair House lines in Colorado. Now they worry they gave up their power. - https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/interactive/2021/colorado-redistricting-democrats/

States rethink 'prison gerrymandering' in 2020 redistricting process - https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/elections/states-rethink-prison-gerrymandering-2020-redistricting-process-n1282677

Gerry's Partisan Pizza - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6kC893OEC0Y&t=17s & https://gerryspartisanpizza.com/

Supreme Court seems willing to allow challenge of Texas’s restrictive abortion law - https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/courts_law/texas-abortion-supreme-court/2021/11/01/548c7ea2-3b0c-11ec-bfad-8283439871ec_story.html

Why The Supreme Court Might Overturn Texas’s Abortion Law - https://fivethirtyeight.com/features/why-the-supreme-court-might-overturn-texass-abortion-law/

Supreme Court Won’t Block Maine’s Vaccine Mandate for Health Care Workers - https://www.nytimes.com/2021/10/29/us/politics/maine-coronavirus-vaccine.html

Supreme Court to hear case on state efforts to revive a Trump immigration policy - https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/supreme-court/supreme-court-hear-case-state-efforts-revive-trump-immigration-policy-n1282754

The Supreme Court case that could gut America’s gun laws, explained - https://www.vox.com/22745312/supreme-court-guns-second-amendment-nyc-bruen

Justices’ Questions Suggest New York Gun-Control Law Unlikely to Survive - https://www.nytimes.com/2021/11/03/us/supreme-court-guns-second-amendment.html

NRA sued for allegedly violating campaign finance laws - https://www.reuters.com/business/cop/nra-sued-allegedly-violating-campaign-finance-laws-2021-11-03/

Representing Giffords, CLC Action Sues NRA, Senate Campaigns, for Illegal Spending - https://campaignlegal.org/update/representing-giffords-clc-action-sues-nra-senate-campaigns-illegal-spending

Secret real estate purchases are a driving force behind the offshore economy - https://www.icij.org/investigations/pandora-papers/secret-real-estate-purchases-are-a-driving-force-behind-the-offshore-economy/

Big Oil CEOs deny lying to the public about climate change - https://www.nbcnews.com/business/business-news/big-oil-ceos-deny-lying-public-climate-change-rcna4033

AOC And Other Members Of Congress Called Out Big Oil’s Climate BS In A Historic Hearing - https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/zahrahirji/aoc-democrats-big-oil-hearing-climate-change-lobbying

Analysis of the Fossil Fuel Industry’s Legislative Lobbying and Capital Expenditures Related to Climate Change - https://context-cdn.washingtonpost.com/notes/prod/default/documents/593066df-4c7d-4b9d-87b9-00802bdb0968/note/b6f3e5dc-a78c-448f-9226-e4740afe8289.#page=1

Joe Manchin has made millions from coal. His ties are now facing examination as Democrats scramble for a climate and economic agreement - https://www.cnn.com/2021/10/27/politics/joe-manchin-coal-interests/index.html

Joe Manchin’s former aides lobbied Congress for oil, gas and pharma while he fought to shrink Biden’s economic plans - https://www.cnbc.com/2021/11/02/joe-manchin-former-aides-lobby-congress-for-oil-gas-pharma-giants.html

Pro-pharma Democrats kill bill to lower drug costs — advocates ask: “What did they get for that?” - https://www.salon.com/2021/10/29/pro-pharma-democrats-bill-to-lower-costs--advocates-ask-what-did-they-get-for-that/

Big Tech, facing Congressional scrutiny, continues to flex its lobbying power - https://www.opensecrets.org/news/2021/10/big-tech-facing-congressional-scrutiny-flex-lobbying-power

Cases show foreign donors secretly funnel money through straw donors, shell companies, ‘dark money’ - https://www.opensecrets.org/news/2021/10/foreign-donors-funnel-money-straw-donors-shell-companies-dark-money/

Foreign nationals can finance ballot initiatives, FEC affirms - https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2021/11/02/foreign-money-ballot-initiatives/

GOP rethinks super PACs - https://www.axios.com/gop-rethinks-super-pacs-c6b6e52e-cc8f-4c94-ae89-eeb3654f1968.html

The Massive Progressive Dark-Money Group You’ve Never Heard Of - https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2021/11/arabella-advisors-money-democrats/620553/

A year out, political groups prepare for what could be the most expensive midterms ever - https://www.rollcall.com/2021/11/01/a-year-out-outside-political-groups-prepare-for-potentially-costliest-midterms/

Exposed: The Insidious Cancer at the Core of Democracy that Could Take Down Biden - https://hartmannreport.com/p/the-insidious-cancer-at-the-core?r=dgpz&utm_campaign

Corruption Scandals Can Make the Public Cynical — or They Can Spark Change, Advocate Says - https://wdet.org/posts/2021/10/25/91597-corruption-scandals-can-make-the-public-cynical-or-they-can-spark-change-advocate-says/

PAC spending in Seattle elections tops $3 million with late surge in real estate, business money - https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/politics/pac-spending-in-seattle-elections-tops-3-million-with-late-surge-in-real-estate-business-money/

With campaign spending at record heights, is Seattle’s Democracy Voucher program still working? - https://mynorthwest.com/3206413/is-seattle-democracy-voucher-program-still-working/

What Seattle Can Teach the Country About Fixing Our Democracy - https://www.commondreams.org/views/2021/10/29/what-seattle-can-teach-country-about-fixing-our-democracy

League of Women Voters looks at local news landscape in Washington, possible impact on democracy - https://www.knkx.org/politics/2021-10-27/league-of-women-voters-looks-at-local-news-landscape-in-washington-possible-impact-on-democracy

2021 Election Report Links:

Election Day poses first security test for Biden officials, overhauled voting laws - https://www.cyberscoop.com/2021-election-security-biden-laws/

No major snags for Election Day voting amid a year of scrutiny, false claims - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/politics/no-major-snags-for-election-day-voting-amid-a-year-of-scrutiny-false-claims

New York Times Elections 2021 - https://www.nytimes.com/news-event/elections-2021

FiveThirtyEight 2021 Elections: Live Updates And Results - https://fivethirtyeight.com/politics/

8 takeaways from the 2021 elections - https://www.cnn.com/2021/11/03/politics/election-2021-takeaways/index.html

4 takeaways on Virginia, New Jersey and Election Day 2021 - https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2021/11/03/4-takeaways-virginia-new-jersey-election-day-2021

Reeling Democrats see threat to House and Senate control as Republicans crack their 2020 coalition - https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/virginia-democrats/2021/11/02/c204c8ca-3843-11ec-9bc4-86107e7b0ab1_story.html

Rough Night for Democrats Exposes the Party’s Weakness - https://www.nytimes.com/2021/11/03/us/politics/democrats-virginia-governor-race.html

Westbrook, ME adopts ranked-choice voting for local races - https://www.mainepublic.org/politics/2021-11-02/westbrook-adopts-ranked-choice-voting-for-local-races

Returns show Broomfield, CO voters in favor of ranked choice voting - https://www.dailycamera.com/2021/11/02/returns-show-broomfield-voters-in-favor-of-ranked-choice-voting/

"Symbolic" ranked voting proposal passes in Ann Arbor, MI - https://www.michiganradio.org/politics-government/2021-11-02/symbolic-ranked-voting-proposal-passes-in-ann-arbor

Seattle Times November 2 election live updates: Results roll in for Seattle mayor, other contests in King County - https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/politics/nov-2-election-live-updates-latest-on-race-for-seattle-mayor-other-king-county-contests/

Progressives on the ropes? 5 take-aways from Seattle’s election night returns - https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/politics/progressives-on-the-ropes-five-takeaways-from-seattles-election-night-returns/

Crosscut Election results for Seattle and King County 2021 races - https://crosscut.com/politics/2021/11/election-results-seattle-and-king-county-2021-races

Seattle voters appear to elect Bruce Harrell to be next mayor - https://crosscut.com/politics/2021/11/seattle-voters-appear-elect-bruce-harrell-be-next-mayor

Dow Constantine leads for King County executive, Lambert in trouble - https://crosscut.com/politics/2021/11/dow-constantine-leads-king-county-executive-lambert-trouble

Ann Davison leading in Seattle city attorney race - https://crosscut.com/politics/2021/11/ann-davison-leading-seattle-city-attorney-race

WA SOS November 2, 2021 General Election Results - https://results.vote.wa.gov/results/20211102/