Democracy Happy Hour – October 27, 2021

October 27, 2021
PAST EVENT
Event Details

Democracy Happy Hour, October 27, 2021 - Meeting Recordings & Chat:

ACTION NEEDED WA State Redistricting: PLEASE EMAIL THE COMMISSION

Step 1: Pick a Subject Line - or write your own

  • All Maps Should Comply with the Voting Rights Act
  • Commissioners Fain and Graves Must Comply with the Voting Rights Act
  • All Commissioners Should Have VRA-compliant Maps
  • Commissioners Shouldn’t Violate the Voting Rights Act  
  • The Voting Rights Act Isn’t Negotiable

Step 2: Pick a Message - or put it in your own words

  • Hello,  
    My name is []. I’m a resident of Washington state and I’m calling on all commissioners to publish maps that comply with the federal Voting Rights Act. Specifically, all commissioners should draw a VRA-compliant, majority-Latino CVAP district in Yakima and Central Washington. The Commissioners have a historic opportunity to allow communities of color across Washington state to obtain fair representation and elect candidates of their choice. Latino communities in Yakima especially have been underrepresented for decades. This is a chance to give fair representation to those communities for the first time in the state legislature.  
  • Hi there,
    My name is []. I’m a resident of Washington state and I’m calling on all commissioners to publish maps that comply with the federal Voting Rights Act. Specifically, all commissioners should draw a VRA-compliant, majority-Latino CVAP district in Yakima and Central Washington. Commissioners should be accountable to taxpayers and not risk handing them a bill for a pending lawsuit if they don’t create maps that are legally binding. If the Commission is to draw illegal maps, it would not only waste our tax dollars but damage public faith in our independent redistricting commission process. The responsible thing for the Commissioners to do is draw legal, VRA-compliant maps.
  • Dear Commissioners,  
    My name is []. I’m a resident of Washington state and I’m calling on all commissioners to publish maps that comply with the federal Voting Rights Act. Specifically, all commissioners should draw a VRA-compliant, majority-Latino CVAP district in Yakima and Central Washington. Don’t let Yakima become a point on the map for a voting rights lawsuit again. The people in the Yakima valley deserve a chance at fair representation.

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:

Actions you can take:

  • FREEDOM TO VOTE: TIME TO ACT - 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 Phonebanks: Common Cause & RepresentUs  
  • Write a Letter to the Editor: Use the Letter To the Editor Tool to submit a letter to your local newspaper

Sign These Petitions:  

SPECIAL EVENT:

DONATE:

Upcoming Democracy Happy Hour topics:

Democracy in the News Links:

House Finds Bannon in Contempt for Defying Jan. 6 Inquiry Subpoena - https://www.nytimes.com/2021/10/21/us/politics/bannon-contempt-jan-6-subpoena.html

Jan. 6 Protest Organizers Say They Participated in ‘Dozens’ of Planning Meetings With Members of Congress and White House Staff - https://www.rollingstone.com/politics/politics-news/exclusive-jan-6-organizers-met-congress-white-house-1245289/

Judge Says He and Others Presiding Over Jan. 6 Cases Are Receiving ‘All Kinds of Threats’ Thanks to Capitol Rioters Pushing Election Lies - https://www.rollingstone.com/politics/politics-news/jan-6-judges-threats-vinson-sentencing-1246438/

'It's absolutely getting worse': Secretaries of state targeted by Trump election lies live in fear for their safety and are desperate for protection - https://www.cnn.com/2021/10/26/politics/secretaries-of-state-personal-threats-trump-election-lies/index.html

Election officials say in memo they are debunking “false claims” - https://abc-7.com/news/2021/10/25/election-officials-say-in-memo-they-are-debunking-false-claims/

Inside Facebook’s struggle to contain insurrectionists’ posts - https://www.politico.com/news/2021/10/25/facebook-jan-6-election-claims-516997

Five points for anger, one for a ‘like’: How Facebook’s formula fostered rage and misinformation - https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2021/10/26/facebook-angry-emoji-algorithm/

Be Careful What You Wish For’: Texas Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick Pays Prize Money To Democrat Who Reported Republican Voter Fraud - https://www.reformaustin.org/voting-rights/be-careful-what-you-wish-for-texas-lt-gov-dan-patrick-pays-prize-money-to-democrat-who-reported-republican-voter-fraud/

They defended the 2020 election against Trump's lies. Now they are running for higher office in states that could decide 2024 - https://www.cnn.com/2021/10/25/politics/voting-rights-candidates-georgia-arizona-pennsylvania/index.html

Report: Washington Secretary of State Kim Wyman will be named to Biden administration election-security post - https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/politics/report-washington-secretary-of-state-kim-wyman-will-be-named-to-biden-administration-election-security-post/

Washington Secretary of State Kim Wyman resigns to join Biden administration - https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/politics/washington-secretary-of-state-kim-wyman-resigns-to-take-election-security-post-in-biden-administration/

A short list of ideas to replace Kim Wyman as WA secretary of state - https://crosscut.com/politics/2021/10/short-list-ideas-replace-kim-wyman-wa-secretary-state

Good vs. Ugly: How to Spot True Post-Election Audits From Sham Reviews - https://verifiedvoting.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/RealvsSham-VerifiedVoting-October2021.pdf

Democratic frustration boils over with lack of progress on voting rights - https://www.ajc.com/politics/democratic-frustration-boils-over-with-lack-of-progress-on-voting-rights/OCU4G5ZLXFBPTGIZBQ3RZKDFWA/

All eyes on Manchin after Republicans again block voting rights legislation - https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/voting-rights-manchin-senate/2021/10/20/caba5168-31a6-11ec-a1e5-07223c50280a_story.html

Manchin Tells Associates He’s Considering Leaving the Democratic Party and Has an Exit Plan -https://www.motherjones.com/politics/2021/10/senator-joe-manchin-democratic-party-exit-plan-biden-infrastructure-deal-exclusive/

After GOP minority in the Senate blocks voting rights bill, Sinema suffers exodus of supporters - https://www.salon.com/2021/10/21/after-minority-in-the-senate-blocks-voting-rights-bill-sinema-suffers-exodus-of-supporters/

Biden Is Open to Scrapping Filibuster for Voting Rights Bill ‘and Maybe More’ - https://www.nytimes.com/2021/10/21/us/politics/biden-filibuster-voting-rights.html

One More Voting Rights Filibuster Will Soon Cause A Final Showdown In The Senate - https://www.huffpost.com/entry/voting-rights-filibuster-restore_n_6173284ee4b06573573b60ea

Texas lawmakers push John Lewis Voting Rights bill as it stalls in US Senate - https://www.kxan.com/news/texas/texas-lawmakers-push-john-lewis-voting-rights-bill-as-it-stalls-in-u-s-senate/

GOP using ballot measures to push election restrictions in unlikely states - https://www.latimes.com/world-nation/story/2021-10-23/gop-uses-voters-to-push-election-reforms-in-unlikely-states

Energizing Conservative Voters, One School Board Election at a Time - https://www.nytimes.com/2021/10/21/us/republicans-schools-critical-race-theory.html

After success in Florida, civil rights leader says support for voting rights for felons is growing - https://www.wlrn.org/news/2021-10-25/after-success-in-florida-civil-rights-leader-says-support-for-voting-rights-for-felons-is-growing

The ‘profound power’ of vote by mail: Evolving a new ritual of democracy - https://www.csmonitor.com/USA/Politics/2021/1025/The-profound-power-of-vote-by-mail-Evolving-a-new-ritual-of-democracy

All-mail voting states - https://ballotpedia.org/Ballotpedia%27s_The_Ballot_Bulletin

A New Strategy to Persuade Voters: Listen Carefully. And Don’t Hurry. - https://www.nytimes.com/2021/10/20/us/politics/minneapolis-deep-canvassing.html

State redistricting stumbles across the nation amid familiar partisan infighting - http://www.ncpolicywatch.com/2021/10/21/state-redistricting-stumbles-across-the-nation-amidst-familiar-partisan-infighting/

Redistricting draft maps violate Voting Rights Act, civil rights director says - https://www.detroitnews.com/story/news/politics/2021/10/20/michigan-redistricting-hearing-detroit-tcf-center-black-minority-districts/8521137002/

Texas lawmakers drew political maps that will make elections less competitive in the coming years - https://www.tpr.org/government-politics/2021-10-25/texas-lawmakers-drew-political-maps-that-will-make-elections-less-competitive-in-the-coming-years

Proposed WA redistricting maps may violate Voting Rights Act - https://crosscut.com/politics/2021/10/proposed-wa-redistricting-maps-may-violate-voting-rights-act

Republicans May Revive the Most Dangerous Kind of Gerrymandering - https://slate.com/news-and-politics/2021/10/south-carolina-republicans-gerrymandering-malapportionment.html

The GOP Roots of Redistricting Reform - https://www.brennancenter.org/our-work/analysis-opinion/gop-roots-redistricting-reform

Partisan Gerrymandering Targets Campuses - https://www.insidehighered.com/news/2021/10/22/partisan-gerrymandering-targets-college-campuses

Democrats May Need to Embrace Gerrymandering to Abolish It - https://newrepublic.com/article/164164/partisan-gerrymandering-bipartisan-commission-failure

Most Americans Distrust Partisan Redistricting, Prefer Independent Commissions - https://truthout.org/articles/most-americans-distrust-partisan-redistricting-prefer-independent-commissions/

PORTLAND: WHY RISK GERRYMANDERING WHEN YOU COULD GO PROPORTIONAL? - https://www.sightline.org/2021/09/27/portland-why-risk-gerrymandering-when-you-could-go-proportional/

HOW PROPORTIONAL REPRESENTATION GAVE AMERICAN VOTERS MEANINGFUL REPRESENTATION IN THE 1900S - https://www.sightline.org/2021/10/05/how-proportional-representation-gave-american-voters-meaningful-representation-in-the-1900s/

Supreme Court Again Refuses to Block Texas Abortion Law - https://www.nytimes.com/2021/10/22/us/supreme-court-abortion-texas.html

Alaska Supreme Court will decide legality of new ranked-choice voting system ahead of 2022 election - https://www.adn.com/politics/2021/10/25/alaska-supreme-court-will-decide-legality-of-new-ranked-choice-voting-system-ahead-of-2022-election/

Trump’s judges will call the shots for years to come. The judicial system is broken - https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2021/oct/25/trump-judges-supreme-court-justices-judiciary

Federal Judges Would Face Tougher Stock-Trading Rules Under Bipartisan Bill - https://www.wsj.com/articles/federal-judges-would-face-tougher-stock-trading-rules-under-bipartisan-bill-11635166900

Judiciary plans new financial disclosure system to identify conflicts - https://www.reuters.com/legal/government/judiciary-plans-new-financial-disclosure-system-identify-conflicts-2021-10-26/

Pandora Papers journalists face government backlash for investigating financial secrecy - https://www.icij.org/investigations/pandora-papers/pandora-papers-journalists-face-government-backlash-for-investigating-financial-secrecy/

Private equity, hedge funds accounted for over $625 million in political spending during 2020 campaign, study says - https://www.cnbc.com/2021/10/25/private-equity-hedge-funds-spent-over-625-million-during-2020-election-study.html

Money and misinformation: how Turning Point USA became a formidable pro-Trump force - https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2021/oct/23/turning-point-rightwing-youth-group-critics-tactics

The congressional fundraising treadmill: 5 key numbers to know from the newest House and Senate campaign finance filings - https://www.issueone.org/the-congressional-fundraising-treadmill-5-key-numbers-to-know-from-the-newest-house-and-senate-campaign-finance-filings/

Joe Manchin’s Deep Corporate Ties - https://www.newyorker.com/news/daily-comment/joe-manchins-deep-corporate-ties?s=09

What Insurrection? Corporate America Can’t Stop Bankrolling the Jan. 6 Sedition Caucus - https://www.rollingstone.com/politics/politics-features/corporate-donors-sedition-caucus-insurrection-1247707/

Seattle mayoral race fundraising hits highest total in nearly two decades of available data - https://mynorthwest.com/3196501/seattle-mayoral-fundraising-highest-level-two-decades-data/

Banks engaged in multi-million dollar lobbying effort to protect wealthy tax cheats - https://popular.info/p/banks-engaged-in-multi-million-dollar

A 30-Year Campaign to Control Drug Prices Faces Yet Another Failure - https://www.nytimes.com/2021/10/21/us/politics/drug-prices-democrats.html

Pharma Campaign Cash Delivered to Key Lawmakers With Surgical Precision - https://khn.org/news/article/pharma-campaign-cash-delivered-to-key-lawmakers-with-surgical-precision/

Kyrsten Sinema takes thousands in campaign contributions from pharmaceutical giants while stalling prescription drug pricing reforms - https://www.businessinsider.com/kyrsten-sinema-pharmaceutical-giants-campaign-donations-drug-price-reform-2021-9

How Chemical Companies Avoid Paying for Pollution - https://www.nytimes.com/2021/10/20/business/chemours-dupont-pfas-genx-chemicals.html

Federal Reserve Board announces a broad set of new rules that will prohibit the purchase of individual securities, restrict active trading, and increase the timeliness of reporting and public disclosure by Federal Reserve policymakers and senior staff - https://www.federalreserve.gov/newsevents/pressreleases/other20211021b.htm

Record number of cities will use ranked-choice voting in Nov. 2 elections -

https://thefulcrum.us/Elections/Voting/ranked-choice-voting-89708234

As online voting becomes more popular, election security experts raise an alarm - https://thefulcrum.us/Elections/Voting/online-voting

Repeal Tim Eyman’s misleading advisory votes-initiative, a waste of time and money - https://www.seattletimes.com/opinion/repeal-tim-eymans-misleading-advisory-votes-initiative-a-waste-of-time-and-money/

Will pouring money into state races help America reach gender parity? - https://thefulcrum.us/Government/State/women-in-state-government

Why 'civic transitions' are key to building an inclusive democracy in America - https://thefulcrum.us/big-picture/Civic-Ed/ask-every-student‍

CIVICS SECURES The Civics Secures Democracy (CSD) Act Toolkit - https://sites.google.com/icivics.org/supportcivics/home

Empowering Government to Work for the People Links

Socrates Exchange: What does government of, by and for the people really mean? - https://www.nhpr.org/2010-03-12/socrates-exchange-what-does-government-of-by-and-for-the-people-really-mean

GOVERNMENT OF THE PEOPLE, BY THE PEOPLE, FOR THE PEOPLE - https://www.clingendael.org/publication/government-people-people-people

Beyond Distrust: How Americans View Their Government - https://www.pewresearch.org/politics/2015/11/23/beyond-distrust-how-americans-view-their-government/

Fixing Our Broken Political System and Returning to a Government Of, By and For the People - https://forthepeople.speaker.gov/the-proposals/better-deal-for-our-democracy

A Vision for Better Government - https://medium.com/centre-for-public-impact/a-manifesto-for-better-government-8121132f45ef

Three lessons to make government work better now and in the future - https://ourpublicservice.org/blog/lessons-to-make-government-work-better/

3 core ideas for empowering citizens, societies, and governments - https://cloudblogs.microsoft.com/industry-blog/government/2019/12/16/3-core-ideas-for-empowering-citizens-societies-and-governments/

Empowering Citizens, Opening Government - https://www.opengovpartnership.org/stories/empowering-citizens-opening-government/

Americans Want the Federal Government To Help People in Need - https://www.americanprogress.org/issues/politics-and-elections/reports/2021/03/10/496744/americans-want-federal-government-help-people-need/

11 Things State and Local Governments Can Do to Build Worker Power - https://www.americanprogress.org/issues/economy/reports/2021/02/09/495627/11-things-state-local-governments-can-build-worker-power/

10 Ways To Empower Government Employees - https://www.govexec.com/management/2016/02/10-ways-empower-government-employees/125806/

50 WAYS GOVERNMENT WORKS FOR US - https://www.sec.gov/spotlight/sec-employees/psrw50ways.pdf

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October 27, 2021
5:00 pm
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