Democracy Happy Hour – August 16, 2023

Democracy Happy Hour, Aug 16, 2023 - Meeting Recordings:

• Speaker View Recording: https://us02web.zoom.us/rec/play/5Kyki_HBys8N6EC3HNP8Cxh0CqSo-HIa89jqJgNzPLEWS43mCKK1p9nQvt8jCgD_9zjp_mzY2t5qMhHU.CsajMFMPegzj4KUI

• Gallery View Recording: https://us02web.zoom.us/rec/play/r_7txuPxEyD2fAo-MC_8ncD2cA71I_WSTQvqsWRwBfwixscmEWbNjJFoTyziXI_lSvnhZP-yoArQYas.jOcdvi9lGjI5nVbH

FDF Links:

• Fix Democracy First - https://www.fixdemocracyfirst.org/
• Donate @ https://www.fixdemocracyfirst.org/donate
• Fix Democracy First 20^th Anniversary Celebration & Get Together – September 9, 2023 @ 6-9 pm – Bloedel Hall @ St. Mark’s in Seattle - Tickets & Sponsorships: https://www.fixdemocracyfirst.org/event-pages/20th-anniversary-celebration

Democracy Happy Hour Upcoming Topics/Schedule:

• Aug 23rd - Veterans for Political Innovation with Todd Connor
• Aug 30th - Forward Party: Reforms & Strategies with Darin Foster

ACTIONS & EVENTS:

• U.S. v. Trump: The Big Lie on Trial – Aug 23^rd @ 12 pm PT/3 pm ET - https://www.eventbrite.com/e/us-v-trump-the-big-lie-on-trial-tickets-698360865147

• Common Power & Goodwill Voter Registration Drives - https://linktr.ee/2023voterregcampaign

• Sightline Institute – Hiring a democracy researcher - https://www.sightline.org/about/careers/

• American Democracy Summit 2023 – Sept 27-29 in Los Angeles - https://americandemocracysummit.org/

• Citizen Connect - https://citizenconnect.us/

The Decline of Local News and Its Impact on Democracy Links:

• LWVWA Study on The Decline of Local News and Its Impact on Democracy - https://lwvwa.org/resources/Documents/Studies/LocalNews/Decline%2036.pdf
• LWVWA - Local News and Democracy - https://www.lwvwa.org/local-news
• Study is available on Amazon: The Decline of Local News and Its Impact on Democracy - https://www.amazon.com/Decline-Local-News-Impact-Democracy/dp/B0C6BQW37F
• New study documents Washington’s local news and democracy crisis - https://www.seattletimes.com/opinion/new-study-documents-washingtons-local-news-and-democracy-crisis/
• The State of Local News 2022 - https://localnewsinitiative.northwestern.edu/projects/state-of-local-news/
• New local journalism fellowship included in WA state budget - https://crosscut.com/briefs/2023/05/new-local-journalism-fellowship-included-wa-state-budget
• SB 5199 - WA Bill - Providing tax relief for newspaper publishers - https://app.leg.wa.gov/billsummary?BillNumber=5199&Year=2023
• Q&A: Rep. DelBene on new bill to save local journalism - https://www.seattletimes.com/opinion/qa-rep-delbene-on-new-bill-to-save-local-journalism/
• Sen. Murray backs key journalism bill - https://www.seattletimes.com/opinion/sen-murray-backs-key-journalism-bill/
• California assembly passes journalism bill, brushing off Meta’s threat - https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2023/06/02/california-assembly-passes-journalism-bill-brushing-off-metas-threat/
• Facebook, Instagram to block news stories in California if bill passes - https://www.npr.org/2023/05/31/1179184256/news-facebook-california-journalism-preservation-act
• Understanding Bill C-18: Canada's Online News Act explained - https://www.ctvnews.ca/politics/understanding-bill-c-18-canada-s-online-news-act-explained-1.6488532
  
• As newspapers close, struggling communities are hit hardest by the decline in local journalism - https://news.northwestern.edu/stories/2022/06/newspapers-close-decline-in-local-journalism/
• How the Decline of Local News Threatens Local Democracy - https://www.governing.com/now/how-the-decline-of-local-news-threatens-local-democracy.html
• What Happens to Democracy When Local Journalism Dries Up? The end result is disastrous. - https://www.washingtonpost.com/magazine/2021/11/30/margaret-sullivan-the-local-news-crisis/

Democracy in the News Links

Donald Trump and allies indicted in Georgia over bid to reverse 2020 election loss - https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2023/aug/14/donald-trump-georgia-indictment-2020-election

Trump is indicted in Georgia on charges of racketeering. What it means, what happens next -  https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2023/08/15/trump-indicted-georgia-explained/

Trump faces 13 counts in Georgia indictment; 18 others charged - https://www.washingtonpost.com/national-security/2023/08/15/trump-indictment-georgia-charges-fulton-county

Understanding the Georgia Indictment of Trump and his Allies - https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=990861995322705

Fulton County, GA Criminal Indictment For 2020 Election Overthrow Efforts - https://projectdefenddemocracy.com/fulton-county-ga-criminal-indictment-for-2020-election-overthrow-efforts/

Full Trump GA indictment - https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/23909569-trump-ga-indictment

Fulton County district attorney wants Trump trial to begin March 4, 2024 – one day before Super Tuesday primaries - https://www.cnn.com/2023/08/16/politics/trump-trial-request-march-4/index.html

Donald Trump’s possible Georgia indictment could be the only televised case he faces - https://www.atlantanewsfirst.com/2023/08/12/donald-trumps-possible-georgia-indictment-could-be-only-televised-case-he-faces/

Governor Brian Kemp tells Trump Georgia’s 2020 election ‘was not stolen’ - https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2023/aug/15/georgia-governor-brian-kemp-trump-2020-election-not-stolen

Special counsel proposes January 2024 trial date in Trump election case - https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2023/aug/10/trump-trial-date-2020-election-jack-smith

Judge Limits Trump’s Ability to Share Jan. 6 Evidence - https://www.nytimes.com/2023/08/11/us/politics/trump-judge-protective-order.html

Trump’s free-speech defense in January 6 case is danger to democracy, experts say - https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2023/aug/16/donald-trump-free-speech-jan-6-case

Conservative Case Emerges to Disqualify Trump for Role on Jan. 6 - https://www.nytimes.com/2023/08/10/us/trump-jan-6-insurrection-conservatives.html

Twitter was fined $350,000 for failing to turn over Trump’s data - https://www.washingtonpost.com/dc-md-va/2023/08/09/twitter-fine-jan-6-trump

Rising political threats take U.S. into uncharted territory as 2024 election looms - https://www.politico.com/news/2023/08/12/political-threats-2024-elections-00110966

Political violence in polarized U.S. at its worst since 1970s - https://www.reuters.com/investigates/special-report/usa-politics-violence/

Report Warns State Voter Purges Are a Growing Threat to Democracy - https://www.commondreams.org/news/voter-purges

DEMOS REPORT: Protecting Voter Registration: An Assessment of Voter Purge Policies in Ten States - https://www.demos.org/research/protecting-voter-registration-assessment-voter-purge-policies-ten-states

Alabama Republicans refuse to create second majority-Black district - https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2023/aug/14/alabama-republican-majority-black-district-update-supreme-court

Alabama says creating two Black congressional districts would be unconstitutional - https://www.montgomeryadvertiser.com/story/news/local/alabama/2023/08/08/alabama-says-creating-two-black-districts-would-be-unconstitutional/70541614007/

Why Alabama’s Congressional Maps May Need to Be Redrawn, Again - https://www.nytimes.com/2023/08/14/us/politics/alabama-redistricting-hearing.html

Pro-Voting Groups Challenge Michigan’s Voter Transportation Ban in New Lawsuit - https://www.democracydocket.com/news-alerts/pro-voting-groups-challenge-michigans-voter-transportation-ban-in-new-lawsuit/

Judge rules in favor of Montana youths in landmark climate decision - https://www.washingtonpost.com/climate-environment/2023/08/14/youths-win-montana-climate-trial

Groups gathering signatures to get citizen-led statewide redistricting commission on the 2024 ballot - https://news.wosu.org/politics-government/2023-08-11/groups-gathering-signatures-to-get-citizen-led-statewide-redistricting-commission-on-the-2024-ballot

Civil Rights Groups Sue Tennessee Governor Over Alleged Racial Gerrymandering - https://themessenger.com/politics/civil-rights-groups-sue-tennessee-governor-over-alleged-racial-gerrymandering

Tennessee inflicts a strict voter re-registration process on formerly incarcerated people. A trial will determine if it’s constitutional. - https://wpln.org/post/tennessee-inflicts-strict-voter-re-registration-process-on-all-formerly-incarcerated-people/

In federal trial, Galveston County challenged on efforts to undo Black and Latino voting power - https://www.texastribune.org/2023/08/10/galveston-voting-rights-trial-redistricting/

Judge calls new Texas election law unconstitutional but state says it will appeal ruling - https://apnews.com/article/voting-texas-elections-harris-county-unconstitutional-2f0ee4a3a4bee1b673782544c39e36a9

Virginia becomes the latest state to leave nonpartisan election security pact - https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/elections/virginia-becomes-latest-state-depart-nonpartisan-election-security-pac-rcna99207

WA State - Federal judge orders redrawing of Yakima Valley legislative district - https://washingtonstatestandard.com/2023/08/10/federal-judge-orders-15th-legislative-district-redrawn/

Clarence Thomas’ 38 Vacations: The Other Billionaires Who Have Treated the Supreme Court Justice to Luxury Travel - https://www.propublica.org/article/clarence-thomas-other-billionaires-sokol-huizenga-novelly-supreme-court

‘Unprecedented, stunning, disgusting’: Clarence Thomas condemned over billionaire gifts - https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2023/aug/11/clarence-thomas-undeclared-vacations-gifts-rightwing-donors

Meet the donors behind hard-to-trace super PAC contributions - https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2023/08/11/meet-donors-behind-hard-to-trace-super-pac-contributions/

Manchin ‘thinking seriously’ about leaving Democratic Party - https://thehill.com/homenews/senate/4147292-manchin-thinking-seriously-about-leaving-democratic-party/

Twice as many ranked-choice voting bills introduced in state legislatures this year than in 2022 - https://news.ballotpedia.org/2023/08/08/twice-as-many-ranked-choice-voting-bills-introduced-in-state-legislatures-this-year-than-in-2022/

FEC taking up AI in political ads again, but rules still in limbo - https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2023/08/10/fec-taking-up-ai-political-ads-again-rules-still-limbo/

Good Government Groups Defend Washington State Disclosure Law, Facing Opposition from Meta - https://campaignlegal.org/press-releases/good-government-groups-defend-washington-state-disclosure-law-facing-opposition-meta

State of Washington v. Meta Platforms Amicus Brief - https://www.lwvwa.org/amicus-brief