Democracy Happy Hour — January 4, 2023

Democracy Happy Hour, January 4, 2023 - Meeting Recordings & Chat File:

• Speaker View Recording: https://us02web.zoom.us/rec/play/k9LFzPrvTZpw-pQylGbIpM13g6M-uAse6KX82mOdmOhlhnBMt1ZN1WQTkGz1JCmMlTwH0-PZGL436aZJ.fSleqpyC4KBEPgga

• Gallery View Recording: https://us02web.zoom.us/rec/play/5W9YLfxqoOC6RHq-WGfvFJrOpJIN_K6QWY1z4i-oaAK_JTPpzk6WgcYaG0W6yeGNJhmUMJ09cHJ7w29P.1B-Ko1n1wyeLz2FS

• Chat File (Link will download a text file to your computer):  https://us02web.zoom.us/rec/sdownload/OrfkS6NnqtxNiotaVB3tJU6ru3P49gr7opAOcwg9TK3XBtIC-fZuzSATkb7V187vT_m1l_HatxK974Zs.NBKL8fV6gixgP8xV

Fix Democracy First Links:

• Fix Democracy First 2022 End-of-Year Fundraiser – OPEN ONE MORE WEEK - Gifts available at various donation levels - https://www.fixdemocracyfirst.org/donate

Democracy Happy Hour Upcoming Topics/Schedule

• Jan 11th - Democracy Legislation in 2023: What Can We Expect?
• 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:

• LWVWA Speak Up School – Learn to Testify – Jan 7^th @ 9 am - https://lwvwa.org/event-5006556?CalendarViewType=1&SelectedDate=12/14/2022
• FDF & LWVWA - Democracy Lobby Week 2023 – Feb 6-10 - https://lwvwa.org/event-4701721
  

National Links:

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

January 6th: Two Years Later & Committee Report Review Links:

• Jan. 6 Committee Refers Former President Trump for Criminal Prosecution - https://www.nytimes.com/live/2022/12/19/us/jan-6-committee-trump
• Jan. 6 Panel Issues Final Report, Placing Blame for Capitol Riot on ‘One Man’ - https://www.nytimes.com/2022/12/22/us/politics/jan-6-committee-report.html
• Key findings from the Jan. 6 committee’s final report - https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/interactive/2022/jan-6-final-report-findings/
• Inside the Jan. 6 committee’s massive new evidence trove - https://www.politico.com/news/2023/01/02/jan-6-committee-files-trump-evidence-00076004
• Jan. 6 Transcripts Reveal Disagreements That Divided Trump Camp - https://www.nytimes.com/2022/12/30/us/politics/jan-6-transcripts.html
• Trying to Trademark ‘Rigged Election,’ and Other Revelations From the Jan. 6 Transcripts - https://www.nytimes.com/2023/01/02/us/politics/jan-6-committee-transcripts.html
• Jan. 6 Transcripts Detail Failures in Surveillance and National Guard Response - https://www.nytimes.com/2022/12/29/us/politics/jan-6-transcripts-national-guard-trump.html
• Jan. 6 papers detail infighting, ‘chaos’ among extremist organizers - https://www.washingtonpost.com/national-security/2023/01/03/capitol-riot-extremists-select-committee/
• January 6 committee warns White House it can’t ensure identity of anonymous witnesses will remain protected - https://www.cnn.com/2023/01/02/politics/january-6-committee-biden-white-house-anonymous-witnesses/index.html
• The January 6 Committee Dropped the Ball When It Failed to Call for Abolition of the Electoral College - https://www.thenation.com/article/politics/january-6-committee-abolish-electoral-college/
• January 6 Clearinghouse - https://www.justsecurity.org/77022/january-6-clearinghouse/
• FINAL REPORT Select Committee to Investigate the January 6th Attack on the United States Capitol - https://january6th.house.gov/sites/democrats.january6th.house.gov/files/Report_FinalReport_Jan6SelectCommittee.pdf
• Select January 6th Committee Final Report and Supporting Materials Collection - https://www.govinfo.gov/collection/january-6th-committee-final-report
• Jan. 6 panel shutting down after referring Trump for crimes - https://apnews.com/article/capitol-siege-politics-united-states-government-house-of-representatives-us-department-justice-d529c94071f3ab2bbbca5c520f5f1c48
• Lessons for Our Elections from the January 6 Hearings - https://www.brennancenter.org/our-work/research-reports/lessons-our-elections-january-6-hearings

Democracy in the News Links:

Congress passes election reform designed to ward off another Jan. 6 - https://www.npr.org/2022/12/22/1139951463/electoral-count-act-reform-passes

CONGRESS JUST PASSED THE UPDATED ELECTORAL COUNT ACT. - https://act.represent.us/sign/heres-what-you-need-know-about-electoral-count-act-and-why-it-needs-be-fixed/

Biden Signs Electoral Count Reform Act Into Law - https://www.democracydocket.com/news-alerts/biden-signs-electoral-count-reform-act-into-law/

Trump’s tax returns released, launching fresh scrutiny of his finances - https://www.politico.com/news/2022/12/30/trumps-tax-returns-released-launching-fresh-scrutiny-of-his-finances-00075851

Trump Tax Returns Undermine His Image as a Successful Entrepreneur - https://www.nytimes.com/2022/12/30/us/politics/trump-tax-returns.html

Trump's main holding company racked up over $300M in losses - https://www.axios.com/2022/12/30/trump-tax-returns-djt-business-losses

McCarthy Loses 4th Vote for Speaker - https://www.nytimes.com/live/2023/01/04/us/house-speaker-vote

How is the House speaker chosen? The Constitution doesn’t say. - https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2023/01/03/house-speaker-election/

Meet the newcomers in Congress, including 12 elected officials who have no government experience - https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/interactive/2022/new-members-of-congress/

As GOP Takes Over House, Officials Remove Metal Detectors Installed After Jan. 6 - https://www.commondreams.org/news/metal-detectors-gop-house

McCarthy Proposes Gutting Office of Congressional Ethics in Bid for Speaker - https://time.com/6243981/mccarthy-proposes-gutting-office-of-congressional-ethics-in-bid-for-speaker/

Advocacy groups denounce GOP proposals to ‘gut’ ethics office - https://rollcall.com/2023/01/03/advocacy-groups-denounce-gop-proposals-to-gut-ethics-office/

Three watchdogs with different politics explain what they want House GOP to investigate - https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/news/three-watchdogs-with-different-politics-house-gop-investigate

New data shows the folly of Trump’s crusade against early voting - https://www.politico.com/news/2023/01/02/trump-early-voting-new-data-00075611

The ‘Red Wave’ Washout: How Skewed Polls Fed a False Election Narrative - https://www.nytimes.com/2022/12/31/us/politics/polling-election-2022-red-wave.html

Volunteers fueled an upset WA Congressional win one doorbell at a time - https://www.seattletimes.com/opinion/volunteers-fueled-an-upset-wa-congressional-win-one-doorbell-at-a-time/

Arizona Court Rejects Kari Lake’s Election Contest - https://www.democracydocket.com/news-alerts/arizona-court-rejects-kari-lakes-election-contest/

Voter ID, partisan gerrymandering struck down in NC rulings just before court flips to GOP - https://www.newsobserver.com/news/politics-government/article270101577.html

Ohio Redistricting: The Sequel - https://ohiocapitaljournal.com/2022/12/30/redistricting-the-sequel/

New year expected to bring more changes to state voting laws - https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/wireStory/new-year-expected-bring-state-voting-laws-95916656

Key battleground states are moving to change election laws ahead of ’24 - https://www.politico.com/news/2023/01/02/battleground-election-laws-2024-00075525

Ten Questions that Will Shape Democracy and Voting Rights in 2023 - https://boltsmag.org/ten-questions-democracy-and-voting-rights-in-2023/

State Court Cases – Democracy Docket - https://www.democracydocket.com/cases/

At the Supreme Court, it’s taking longer to hear cases - https://apnews.com/article/supreme-court-lengthy-arguments-3972cd3bc725431545c47ad6dddf96d2

The case of the Supreme Court that just can't seem to stop talking - https://www.npr.org/2022/12/26/1142353954/the-case-of-the-supreme-court-that-just-cant-seem-to-stop-talking

These Civil Rights Cases at the Supreme Court Could Make History This Year - https://news.bloomberglaw.com/us-law-week/these-civil-rights-cases-at-the-supreme-court-could-make-history-this-year

2023 Could Be The Year The Supreme Court Finally Tells Us What The Guidelines On Online Content Moderation Are - https://abovethelaw.com/2023/01/2023-could-be-the-year-the-supreme-court-finally-tells-us-what-the-guidelines-on-online-content-moderation-are/

Where student loan forgiveness stands: Legal fight shifts to Supreme Court - https://thehill.com/education/3796397-where-student-loan-forgiveness-stands-legal-fight-shifts-to-supreme-court/

A Charity Tied to the Supreme Court Offers Donors Access to the Justices - https://www.nytimes.com/2022/12/30/us/politics/supreme-court-historical-society-donors-justices.html

Groups Connected With Leonard Leo Have Funneled $31 Million to State Court Races - https://truthout.org/articles/groups-connected-with-leonard-leo-have-funneled-31-million-to-state-court-races/

Leonard Leo is quietly remaking state high courts in his conservative image - https://www.grid.news/story/politics/2022/12/27/leonard-leo-is-quietly-remaking-state-high-courts-in-his-conservative-image/

Democrats Have Given Up on Fighting Dark Money - https://jacobin.com/2022/12/democrats-congress-dark-money-donors-citizens-united-democracy

Charles Koch’s Campaign to Make Dark Money Even Darker - https://www.exposedbycmd.org/2022/12/19/charles-kochs-campaign-to-make-dark-money-even-darker/

‘Not business as usual’: Health lobbyists brace for Bernie Sanders - https://www.politico.com/news/2023/01/03/health-care-lobbyists-bernie-sanders-00075192

Health & Democracy Index - https://democracyindex.hdhp.us/

Newspapers are disappearing where democracy needs them most - https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2022/12/27/newspapers-disappearing-democracy-media/

Reform in 2023: It’s time for the civil rights community to embrace independent voters - https://thefulcrum.us/Elections/Voting/independent-voters

Democracy means more than just holding elections - https://thefulcrum.us/democracy-means-more-than-elections

Organizing for collective impact: Prepared for anything, more effective at everything - https://thefulcrum.us/caleb-christen-prepared-for-anything

Right wing group “Let’s Go Washington” fails to qualify any of its 11 statewide initiatives - https://www.nwprogressive.org/weblog/

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