Democracy Happy Hour – October 6, 2021

Topic for 10/6/2021: Pandora Papers & Gender & Racial Parity in Political Participation – Why does it matter?

Democracy Happy Hour, October 6, 2021 - Meeting Recordings & Chat:

• Speaker View Recording:  https://us02web.zoom.us/rec/play/7FtF0OrSPs4ummPMzdhqaFB6XvBRdTi84QZz6L1B82HkZ_3cKkGuJyjsMfYMw0ZxO1WLaaDEvH53pBeB.gNaj2pTZ59i2iqw3

• Gallery View Recording: https://us02web.zoom.us/rec/play/N-wga-7KtEkNAzre8DlnzOi7vnDSFtxg7mxT2i9yDFZ-REXMXt99K5dSH-qBbBU4JRQueHL1rD5JgMP4.bjnyjEyaASCNyvwc

• Chat (Link will download a text file to your computer): https://us02web.zoom.us/rec/sdownload/sIuqrziZ7xOI6-Z9-Kko2K4hv8h5oQtztOL6fxrYNnPXo9oxiL_lG0ar6mQ8dabe4pJq_kJ5UHVL2iIg.S7lMdWN4uB46vKlo

Actions, Events & Misc. Links:

DONATE to Fix Democracy First:

• Fix Democracy First/Fix Democracy First Education Fund - https://www.fixdemocracyfirst.org/donate
• YO VOTE! - https://www.yo-vote.org/donate
• Defending Democracy 2021 Virtual Awards Ceremony, November 10th @ 6 pm - Ticket & more info here: https://www.fixdemocracyfirst.org/event-pages/2021-virtual-awards-ceremony
  

Upcoming topics:

• Oct 13th  - Gender & Racial Parity in Political Participation – Why does it matter?
• Oct 20th  - Updating the U.S. Constitution: Is it time?
• Oct 27th  - Redistricting Update: Review of the Maps

WA Redistricting:

• WA Redistricting Commission - https://www.redistricting.wa.gov/
• ACTIONS You Can Take to Support Community Maps:

• Sign up to testify HERE with Redistricting Justice For Washington (RJW)
• Register to testify officially with the Commission: October 9th - Congressional Districts Meeting - 10AM -1PM
• Share this sign-up link with your networks: bit.ly/rjw2021
• Submit Public Comment: You can also submit public comment via written testimony, email, voicemail, video submissions.
• Sign on to pledge support these maps for South King County/ Congressional District 9, Yakima/ Legislative District 14 and the Snohomish Area (LD 21, 38, 44, 1, 32)
• Send Email to the commission with your comments.
• League of Women Voters online video training explaining the redistricting process, writing effective testimony, and testifying.

Sample Testimonies & Talking Points:

• RJW Talking Points for Legislative Districts
• RJW Sample Testimony for Legislative Districts
• RJW Sample Testimony for Congressional Districts
• LWV Redistricting Talking Points for LDs & CDs
• Link to all materials HERE

• Proposed Legislative District Maps Released by the commission - https://www.redistricting.wa.gov/commissioner-proposed-maps
• Proposed Congressional District Maps Released by the commission – https://www.redistricting.wa.gov/proposed-congressional-maps

Important dates to note:‍

• Friday, October 22 – Deadline to ensure full consideration of third-party map submissions by the Commission.‍
• Monday, November 15 (11:59 p.m.) – Deadline for Commission to submit final maps to the Legislature.

TAKE ACTION for VOTING RIGHTS – Please do one or more of these actions:

• 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 Phone Banks & RepresentUs Phone Banks
• Write a Letter to the Editor: Use the Letter To the Editor Tool to submit a letter to your local newspaper

Sign These Petitions:

• Urge the Senate to pass John Lewis VRAA @ bit.ly/38qI0Zg
• Congress must pass the Protecting Our Democracy Act now! @ bit.ly/3uJXZff
• Tell Senate Democrats: Reform the Jim Crow Filibuster @ bit.ly/3kL30ks
  

Democracy in the News Links:

Whistleblower: Facebook is misleading the public on progress against hate speech, violence, misinformation - https://www.cbsnews.com/news/facebook-whistleblower-frances-haugen-misinformation-public-60-minutes-2021-10-03/

Facebook Whistle-Blower Urges Lawmakers to Regulate the Company - https://www.nytimes.com/2021/10/05/technology/facebook-whistle-blower-hearing.html

A Trump lawyer wrote an instruction manual for a coup. Why haven’t you seen it on the news? - https://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/media/sullivan-eastman-memo/2021/09/29/68d93000-211f-11ec-9309-b743b79abc59_story.html

Arizona election audit fact check: Were there 17,322 duplicate ballots? - https://www.abc15.com/news/arizona-election-audit/arizona-election-audit-fact-check-were-there-17-322-duplicate-ballots

Donald Trump adds fresh pressure to Gov. Greg Abbott over demand for a forensic election audit - https://www.texastribune.org/2021/09/29/donald-trump-texas-election-audit/

Texas’ Election 2020 audit praised by Gov. Abbott, knocked by Dallas judge - https://www.ketk.com/news/politics/texas-politics/texas-election-2020-audit-praised-by-gov-abbott-knocked-by-dallas-judge/

A bill to increase criminal penalties for illegal voting has passed in the Texas Senate -https://www.houstonpublicmedia.org/articles/news/politics/2021/10/05/410163/a-bill-to-increase-criminal-penalties-for-illegal-voting-has-advanced-in-the-texas-senate/

'Election subversion' accusations: Donald Trump and allies look for new ways to challenge votes - https://news.yahoo.com/election-subversion-donald-trump-allies-090019878.html

How the Christian right embraced voter suppression - https://www.vox.com/22696286/evangelicals-texas-georgia-voting-law-trump

State-level erosion of election integrity is an urgent threat to American democracy, and Congress is largely helpless to stop it - https://www.businessinsider.com/congress-is-powerless-to-fully-prevent-state-level-threats-to-democracy-2021-9

Will 2024 Be the Year American Democracy Dies? - https://www.nytimes.com/2021/09/30/opinion/american-democracy-2024.html

Voting Laws Roundup: October 2021 - https://www.brennancenter.org/our-work/research-reports/voting-laws-roundup-october-2021

DOJ is probing attacks on voting rights, says U.S. attorney general - https://www.reuters.com/world/us/doj-is-probing-attacks-voting-rights-says-us-attorney-general-2021-10-04/

Federal agencies roll out plans for promoting voter access - https://thefulcrum.us/Elections/Voting/federal-government-voter-access

'The future belongs to us': NextGen America launches $32 million program to turn out young voters in 2022 - https://www.cnn.com/2021/09/30/politics/nextgen-america-2022-investment/index.html

The Freedom to Vote Act Would Counteract State Laws That Undermine Elections - https://www.americanprogress.org/issues/democracy/news/2021/10/05/506087/freedom-vote-act-counteract-state-laws-undermine-elections/

Inside Manchin’s search for GOP votes on elections reform - https://www.politico.com/news/2021/10/01/inside-manchins-search-for-gop-votes-on-elections-reform-514876

A Senate fight is brewing over the Freedom to Vote Act — and the filibuster - https://www.facingsouth.org/2021/09/senate-fight-brewing-over-freedom-vote-act-and-filibuster

Biden says changing filibuster rules to raise debt ceiling is a ‘real possibility’ - https://www.washingtonpost.com/us-policy/2021/10/05/biden-debt-ceiling-filibuster/

John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act Introduced in Senate; Brennan Center Reacts - https://www.brennancenter.org/our-work/analysis-opinion/john-lewis-voting-rights-advancement-act-introduced-senate-brennan-center

Senate Democrats are making a fresh push to strengthen the Voting Rights Act - https://www.npr.org/2021/10/05/1043467456/senate-democrats-are-making-a-fresh-push-to-strengthen-the-voting-rights-act

There’s a Bipartisan Voting Rights Bill. Yes, Really. - https://www.nytimes.com/2021/09/30/us/politics/native-american-voting-rights.html

Redistricting revs up - https://www.axios.com/redistricting-gerrymandering-midterm-congress-56c493ba-ac11-493f-bc8f-361e1688ad34.html

Texas appears to be paying a secretive Republican political operative $120,000 annually to work behind the scenes on redistricting - https://www.texastribune.org/2021/09/29/texas-redistricting-adam-foltz/

How Texas Plans to Make Its House Districts Even Redder - https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2021/10/03/us/politics/texas-redistricting-map-2022.html

As Communities of Color Grow, Racial Gerrymandering Takes Center Stage - https://www.yesmagazine.org/democracy/2021/09/29/census-gerrymandering-racial-redistricting

All About Redistricting – Court Cases - https://redistricting.lls.edu/cases/?cycles%5B%5D=2020&sortby=-updated&page=1

Redistricting in Washington state: What's at stake in 2021 - https://crosscut.com/politics/2021/10/redistricting-washington-state-whats-stake-2021

Fight looms over 2022 midterms as Democrats and Republicans propose dueling Washington congressional maps - https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/politics/fight-looms-over-2022-midterms-as-democrats-and-republicans-propose-dueling-washington-congressional-maps/

Voters Had Their Say. Partisans Ignored Them. - https://www.nytimes.com/2021/09/29/opinion/redistricting-commissions-democracy.html

The Koch Empire Goes All Out to Sink Joe Biden’s Agenda — and His Presidency, Too - https://www.rollingstone.com/politics/politics-news/climate-koch-brothers-lobbying-biden-build-back-better-1234815/

With Biden’s Agenda in the Balance, Lobbying Kicks Into High Gear - https://www.nytimes.com/2021/10/04/us/politics/biden-lobbying-congress.html

Scores of lawmakers’ leadership PACs spent vast sums on luxurious dining, lodging, and travel, new Issue One and Campaign Legal Center report shows - https://www.issueone.org/scores-of-lawmakers-leadership-pacs-spent-vast-sums-on-luxurious-dining-lodging-and-travel-new-issue-one-and-campaign-legal-center-report-shows/

The land was worth millions. A Big Ag corporation sold it to Sonny Perdue’s company for $250,000. - https://www.washingtonpost.com/climate-environment/interactive/2021/sonny-perdue-adm-land-deal/

Walmart calls for "strong climate policy now," backs campaign to kill strong climate policy - https://popular.info/p/walmart-calls-for-strong-climate

WE DESERVE BETTER: HOW THE UNLIMITED POLITICAL BRIBERY OF DARK MONEY ROBS AMERICANS OF QUALITY HEALTH CARE - http://www.milwaukeeindependent.com/thom-hartmann/deserve-better-unlimited-political-bribery-dark-money-robs-americans-quality-health-care/

BREAKING: Victory! Federal Court Orders FEC to Take Action on NRA Complaint - https://campaignlegal.org/press-releases/breaking-victory-federal-court-orders-fec-take-action-nra-complaint

U.S. House Democrats plan hearings on judges' conflicts of interest - https://www.reuters.com/legal/government/us-house-democrats-plan-hearings-judges-conflicts-interest-2021-09-29/

Supreme Court will hear Ted Cruz’s challenge of campaign contribution limit - https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/courts_law/supreme-court-cruz-campaign-limit/2021/09/30/d7c602c2-21f6-11ec-8200-5e3fd4c49f5e_story.html

Sen. Ted Cruz wants to weaken a campaign finance law that’s meant to discourage bribes - https://chicago.suntimes.com/2021/10/3/22704753/ted-cruz-campaign-finance-laws-dark-money-super-pacs-editorial

Century-old racist US Supreme Court cases still rule over millions of Americans - https://theconversation.com/century-old-racist-us-supreme-court-cases-still-rule-over-millions-of-americans-167091

In political spotlight, Supreme Court embarks on extraordinarily controversial term - https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/courts_law/supreme-court-abortion-gun-control-religious-right/2021/10/02/c5f7487c-22b3-11ec-8200-5e3fd4c49f5e_story.html

Justice Sonia Sotomayor: 'There is going to be a lot of disappointment in the law, a huge amount' - https://www.cnn.com/2021/09/29/politics/sonia-sotomayor/index.html

History Teaches that Constitutional Reforms Come in Waves. We May Be Approaching One Now. - https://www.politico.com/news/magazine/2021/10/06/constitutional-reforms-waves-bipartisan-515187

Washington Supreme Court unanimously OKs tax on big banks - https://apnews.com/article/business-courts-washington-constitutions-washington-supreme-court-81a12e239cae47672a56c9056c3f64da

How $25 Vouchers Can Help Save Our Democracy - https://www.thenation.com/article/politics/democracy-vouchers-seattle/

Fierce Civility Project - https://www.fiercecivility.org/

SPECIAL REPORT: The Pandora Papers Links:

Pandora Papers – ICIJ - https://www.icij.org/investigations/pandora-papers/

Pandora Papers – ICIJ – VIDEO - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dHAtIFyDB8k&t=20s

FAQ: The world of secret money – VIDEO - https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2021/10/03/offshore-companies-trusts-pandora-papers/

Pandora Papers sparks more international calls for investigation as pressure mounts on leaders in leaked records - https://www.icij.org/investigations/pandora-papers/pandora-papers-investigation-sparks-more-international-calls-for-investigation-as-pressure-mounts-on-leaders-revealed-in-leaked-records/

Key findings from the Pandora Papers investigation - https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2021/10/03/takeaways-pandora-papers/

BILLIONS HIDDEN BEYOND REACH - https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/interactive/2021/pandora-papers-offshore-finance/?itid=lk_inline_manual_3

The Pandora Papers – Guardian - https://www.theguardian.com/news/series/pandora-papers

Pandora Papers: A simple guide to the Pandora Papers leak - https://www.bbc.com/news/world-58780561

Pandora Papers: A Money Bomb With Political Ripples - https://www.nytimes.com/2021/10/04/world/pandora-papers.html

SECRET MONEY, SWANKY REAL ESTATE AND A MONTE CARLO MYSTERY - https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/interactive/2021/putin-monaco-luxury-apartment/?itid=co_pandorapapers_3

HOW U.S. SANCTIONS TAKE A HIDDEN TOLL ON RUSSIAN OLIGARCHS - https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/interactive/2021/us-russia-sanctions

FOREIGN MONEY SECRETLY FLOODS U.S. TAX HAVENS. SOME OF IT IS TAINTED. - https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/interactive/2021/booming-us-tax-haven-industry/

ROGUE AMERICANS STASHED ASSETS OFFSHORE, ELUDING VICTIMS AND IMPEDING INVESTIGATORS - https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/interactive/2021/us-offshore-accounts-belize-enforcement/

GLOBAL HUNT FOR LOOTED TREASURES LEADS TO OFFSHORE TRUSTS - https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/interactive/2021/met-museum-cambodian-antiquities-latchford/

SECRET TROVE ILLUMINATES THE LIVES OF BILLIONAIRES - https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/interactive/2021/billionaires-offshore-accounts/

Pandora Papers Factsheet - https://us.transparency.org/resource/pandora-papers-factsheet/