Democracy Happy Hour — January 11, 2023

Democracy Happy Hour, January 11, 2023 - Meeting Recordings & Chat File:

• Speaker View Recording:  https://us02web.zoom.us/rec/play/t4ES11fHlH9qo4KmNqD1BjoO4w356vYxOogjKY_wWqHEwmjAJmweGBLJ7NBak0d7jN1mTpospODP7Hug.FJ6E7esEyWa5k-W2
• Gallery View Recording: https://us02web.zoom.us/rec/play/9RNsLTA0JaZxuSLV9we0cNXXcYoUuEeWeA-sV68Q_qMTc5ngJbQYfWIeI9JWdtOZyjLGItg5_ePLRA4V.rLqyHeXvLwYn6B3z
• Chat File (Link will download a text file to your computer):  https://us02web.zoom.us/rec/sdownload/bEOoX1MTJSCjvFPHrbsMRhWC66NXPYTbBq9w0d6P5Dvo9kuD-mtkvIZft6oDrcqWeQ9p8wHCAWaUKGIn.HJ2ZwZUGpEmrPVUX

Fix Democracy First Links:

Fix Democracy First

• Website & past event recordings: fixdemocracyfirst.org
• Please Donate @ fixdemocracyfirst.org/donate

Democracy Happy Hour Upcoming Topics/Schedule

• Jan 18 – The Influence of Fossil Fuel Lobbyists w/ James Browning from Global Energy Monitor  
• Jan 25th - Utilizing Coalitions to Reform Democracy
• Feb 1st - Media Literacy w/ Lesley James, Media Literacy & Digital Citizenship Program Supervisor, WA Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction  

ACTIONS & EVENTS:

• Local Links:
• Fix Democracy First & League of Women Voters of WA  - Democracy Lobby Week 2023 – Feb 6-10 - https://lwvwa.org/event-4701721
• National Links:
• Citizen Connect - https://citizenconnect.us/

Democracy Legislation in 2023: What Can We Expect? Links:

• WA State Legislature - https://leg.wa.gov/
• Enhancing Automatic Voter Registration:  
• SB 5112 – Updating processes related to voter registration - https://app.leg.wa.gov/billsummary?BillNumber=5112&Year=2023 - Status & Hearings: Public hearing held in the Senate Committee on State Government & Elections on Jan 10th & executive session scheduled on Jan 13th
• Eliminate Advisory Votes:  
• SB 5082 – Encouraging electoral participation and making ballots more meaningful by abolishing advisory votes. - https://app.leg.wa.gov/billsummary?BillNumber=5082&Year=2023 - Status & Hearings: Public hearing held in the Senate Committee on State Government & Elections on Jan 10th & executive session scheduled on Jan 13^{th -}
• HB 1158 (Companion bill to SB 5082) – Encouraging electoral participation and making ballots more meaningful by abolishing advisory votes - https://app.leg.wa.gov/billsummary?BillNumber=1158&Year=2023 - Status & Hearings: Public hearing held in the House Committee on State Government & Tribal Relations on Jan 11th
• Enhancing Voting Rights Act:  
• HB 1048 – WA Voting Rights Act Enhancements - https://app.leg.wa.gov/billsummary?BillNumber=1048&Year=2023 - Status & Hearings: Scheduled for public hearing in the House Committee on State Government & Tribal Relations on Jan 13th at 8:00 AM.  
• ACTION NEEDED: Sign in PRO https://bit.ly/PROWVRA
• SB 5047 (Companion bill to HB 1048) – WA Voting Rights Act Enhancements - https://app.leg.wa.gov/billsummary?BillNumber=5047&Year=2023 - Status & Hearings: No hearing scheduled yet
• Improving Access for Jail Voting:  
• HB 1174 – Improving access and removing barriers to jail-based voting - https://app.leg.wa.gov/billsummary?billnumber=1174&year=2023 - Status & Hearings: Scheduled for public hearing in the House Committee on State Government & Tribal Relations on Jan 13^th at 8:00 AM
• ACTION NEEDED: Sign in PRO @ https://bit.ly/JailVoting
• Updating Online Voter Registration:
• SB 5208 – Updating the process for online voter registration by allowing voter applicants to provide the last four digits of social security number for authentication - https://app.leg.wa.gov/billsummary?billnumber=5208&year=2023 - Status & Hearings: No hearing scheduled yet
• Expanding public funding of elections to legislative districts candidates – This would be a statewide program similar to Seattle Democracy Voucher Program – No bill introduced yet – More info about the Seattle voucher program @ https://www.seattle.gov/democracyvoucher/about-the-program
• Ranked Choice Voting for Presidential Primaries – No bill introduced yet – More info @ https://fairvotewa.org/ranked-choice-voting-legislation/

Democracy in the News Links:

Special counsel Jack Smith gets trove of new documents from local election officials - https://www.cnn.com/2023/01/04/politics/special-counsel-documents-local-election-officials/index.html

At trial, Oath Keeper alleges specific plan to stop vote count - https://www.washingtonpost.com/dc-md-va/2023/01/05/oath-keepers-trial-cooperator-testimony/

At Proud Boys trial, U.S. aims to win another seditious conspiracy case - https://www.washingtonpost.com/dc-md-va/2023/01/09/proud-boys-trial-jan6/

Two Years Later, Prosecutions of Jan. 6 Rioters Continue to Grow - https://www.nytimes.com/2023/01/06/us/politics/jan-6-capitol-riots-prosecutions.html

Giuliani subpoenaed amid special counsel investigation into Trump’s fundraising - https://www.cnn.com/2023/01/09/politics/rudy-giuliani-subpoena-special-counsel-fundraising-trump/index.html

Special grand jury completes Trump investigation - https://www.politico.com/news/2023/01/09/atlanta-special-grand-jury-trump-investigation-2020-00077002

Pro-Bolsonaro Riots Laid Bare Threat to Brazilian Democracy - https://www.nytimes.com/live/2023/01/09/world/brazil-congress-riots-bolsonaro

Videos of Brazil attack show striking similarities to Jan. 6 - https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2023/01/09/brazil-attack-january6-capitol/

Brazil’s riot puts spotlight on close ties between Bolsonaro and Trump - https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2023/01/09/bolsonaro-riots-us-election-deniers-trump-bannon/

CLC Explains: Jo Deutsch on Updates to the Electoral Count Act That Will Safeguard Democracy - CLC Explains: Jo Deutsch on Updates to the Electoral Count Act That Will Safeguard Democracy

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Kevin McCarthy elected House speaker, but at a cost - https://www.reuters.com/world/us/us-house-speaker-fight-enters-fourth-day-amid-antebellum-era-dysfunction-2023-01-06/

In Speaker Fight’s Final Hours, Arm-Twisting, Flaring Tempers and Calls From Trump - https://www.nytimes.com/2023/01/07/us/politics/kevin-mccarthy-house-speaker-gaetz-trump.html

What’s in Kevin McCarthy’s Deal With Conservatives - https://www.wsj.com/articles/whats-in-kevin-mccarthys-deal-with-conservatives-11673188873

House Narrowly Approves Rules Amid Concerns About McCarthy’s Concessions - https://www.nytimes.com/2023/01/09/us/politics/house-rules-republicans-mccarthy.html

Divided House Approves G.O.P. Inquiry Into ‘Weaponization’ of Government - https://www.nytimes.com/2023/01/10/us/politics/house-republican-committee-weaponization-government.html

House Republicans voted to gut the House Ethics Committee, and George Santos said it was 'fantastic' - https://www.businessinsider.com/house-gop-votes-gut-office-congressional-ethics-george-santos-fantastic-2023-1

How Republicans are transforming the House in the majority - https://apnews.com/article/politics-united-states-government-us-republican-party-office-of-congressional-ethics-pandemics-60b4f098523b982b549823f4b3e8f9e4

Here Are All the Ways Republicans Plan to Investigate Biden - https://www.nytimes.com/2023/01/11/us/politics/house-republicans-investigations.html

Documents Found in Biden’s Private Office Include Material on Foreign Countries - https://www.nytimes.com/2023/01/10/us/politics/biden-documents-classified-foreign-countries.html

Biden ‘Surprised’ to Learn Classified Documents Were Found in Private Office - https://www.nytimes.com/2023/01/10/us/politics/biden-documents-classified-foreign-countries.html

U.S. Postal Service delivered at least 54.4 million ballots during 2022 election - https://www.reuters.com/world/us/us-postal-service-delivered-least-544-million-ballots-during-2022-election-2023-01-09/

3 Lessons on Misinformation in the Midterms Spread on Social Media - https://www.brennancenter.org/our-work/research-reports/3-lessons-misinformation-midterms-spread-social-media

As 2024 Election Looms, State Legislatures Consider Voting Changes - https://www.pewtrusts.org/en/research-and-analysis/blogs/stateline/2023/01/06/as-2024-election-looms-state-legislatures-consider-voting-changes

Federal judges strike down SC’s 1st Congressional District as racial gerrymandering - https://www.postandcourier.com/politics/federal-judges-strike-down-scs-1st-congressional-district-as-racial-gerrymandering/article_6bd4e4ca-8dd9-11ed-986e-d75f2862b11b.html

The Courts Protected Democracy in 2022 - https://www.democracydocket.com/opinion/the-courts-protected-democracy-in-2022/

South Carolina abortion ban violates state's constitution, state Supreme Court rules - https://www.cbsnews.com/news/south-carolina-supreme-court-strikes-down-abortion-ban/

Eyes on states as challenges to abortion bans move through courts: Cases to watch in 2023 - https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2023/01/06/abortion-bans-cases-watch-2023/10878163002/

Biden, Senate Democrats gear up to prioritize judges in 2023 - https://www.reuters.com/legal/government/biden-senate-democrats-gear-up-prioritize-judges-2023-2023-01-03/

Supreme Court gavels in 2023 with major decisions ahead - https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/supreme-court-gavels-2023-major-decisions-ahead/story?id=96316448

Why you should pay attention to these 4 upcoming Supreme Court cases - https://www.fastcompany.com/90827825/why-you-should-pay-attention-to-these-4-upcoming-supreme-court-cases

Fears US supreme court could radically reshape clean water rules - https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2023/jan/06/us-supreme-court-ruling-clean-water-act-looming

The Supreme Court May Kick Off 2023 With a Huge Gun Rights Ruling - https://slate.com/news-and-politics/2023/01/guns-supreme-court-new-york-concealed-carry.html

U.S. Supreme Court considers narrowing federal protections for unions - https://www.reuters.com/legal/us-supreme-court-considers-narrowing-federal-protections-unions-2023-01-10/

The American public no longer believes the Supreme Court is impartial - https://thehill.com/regulation/court-battles/3807849-the-american-public-no-longer-believes-the-supreme-court-is-impartial/

The Supreme Court's back door - https://www.businessinsider.com/supreme-court-nonprofit-anti-abortion-access-1

Corporate America Condemned the January 6 Riot—Then Went Right Back to Funding Election Deniers - https://www.motherjones.com/politics/2023/01/top-corporations-still-funding-election-deniers-january-6-insurrection/

Corporations have given over $50 million to the Sedition Caucus - https://www.citizensforethics.org/reports-investigations/crew-reports/corporations-have-given-over-50-million-to-the-sedition-caucus/

On anniversary of the Capitol attack, companies face new pressures to disclose political spending - https://www.marketwatch.com/story/on-anniversary-of-the-capitol-attack-companies-face-new-pressures-to-disclose-political-spending-11673013055?mod=eleanor-laise

Supporters raise millions to rebrand Jan. 6 rioters as ‘patriots’ - https://www.seattletimes.com/nation-world/supporters-raise-millions-to-rebrand-jan-6-rioters-as-patriots/

Defense sector contributed heavily to 45 senators who secured $1.8 billion in military construction earmarks - https://www.opensecrets.org/news/2023/01/defense-sector-contributed-heavily-to-45-senators-who-secured-1-8-billion-in-military-construction-earmarks

$858,000,000,000 – Military budget - https://popular.info/p/858000000000

2022 RANKED CHOICE VOTING YEAR IN REVIEW - https://fairvote.org/report/2022-ranked-choice-voting-year-in-review/

Will cities buy into proposed ‘ranked choice’ pilot program? - https://www.codyenterprise.com/news/local/article_91200f30-9058-11ed-8bca-b314be3298a8.html

SIFT (The Four Moves) - https://hapgood.us/2019/06/19/sift-the-four-moves/