Democracy Happy Hour – May 18, 2022

Democracy Happy Hour, May 18, 2022 - Meeting Recordings & Chat File:

• Speaker View Recording: https://us02web.zoom.us/rec/play/D_jYlvxTQbb1yR5R544IOm1J2MkpiqgB4-R_T-dHxR2kX32C3No21KJl5CNCYQ5HcVMEQVZqjlWmlki8.E3BnwWIVahmJ1WPR
• Gallery View Recording:  https://us02web.zoom.us/rec/play/bzByMh5UcgwqGpEMM9KG6Pk5_ov6JbxaXGYTZ2HEcRcHtMpZRHiZTIX6LtiuyUaMgk0Ezl3O5MtJJUbe.NQOgFHviilSUdDPG
• Chat (Link will download a text file to your computer):  https://us02web.zoom.us/rec/sdownload/iAosw_tCSV2vYkN4IuYnibYaq3-egFWJTO8A_gag3t279pnSKLvOlMNh8hovwVKSB2_mmLTjPgu4XKEK.ML-pb_XwC3qa647g

Actions, Events & Misc. Links:

• DONATE to Fix Democracy First or Fix Democracy First Education Fund @ https://www.fixdemocracyfirst.org/donate

Upcoming Democracy Happy Hour topics:

• May 25th – The Precinct Strategy: What is it and why?
• June 1st – Tracking Money in Elections
• June 8th – Proportional Representation as a Social Justice Issue w/ More Equitable Representation
• June 15 th – The Independent State Legislature Theory

YO VOTE! (Youth Organizers for Voter Outreach, Teaching & Engagement) - https://www.yo-vote.org

WON (Women in Office Now) – https://www.fixdemocracyfirst.org/won

Campaign Finance – May 31st @ 6 pm – w/ guest speaker Scott Haley from the PDC – Register @  https://www.fixdemocracyfirst.org/won-modules/module-07-campaign-finance

EVENTS:

• Running With My Girls – May 26^th @ 6 pm PT – Screening & Panel Discussion - Register @ https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_bJh0GUlAR3-G8z0WV4NhOw
• Panelists will include:

• Senator T'wina Nobles, 28th LD
• Representative Mia Gregerson, LD 33
• Port of Tacoma Commissioner Kristin Ang

January 6th Commission Hearing Watch Event – June 9^th @ 5 pm PT (time is tentative) – Register @ https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_tUim-Dh8Q_GjUBQvDlaNkQ

Suppressed and Sabotaged: The Fight to Vote – July 7^th @ 6 pm PT – Screening & Panel Discussion – Register @ https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_t-6eJlOiR6Kdw7TqMzIruQ

Panelists will include local and national activists, and Robert Greenwald from Brave New Film’s will introduce the film.

ACTIONS – Voter Registration:

• Festival Sundiata – June 18^th & 19^th – Seattle Center, Armory – Sign up for shifts @ https://www.signupgenius.com/go/60b054babaa2baaf85-festival
• Fremont Fair– June 18^th & 19^th – Fremont Neighborhood in Seattle – Sign up for shifts @ https://www.signupgenius.com/go/60b054babaa2baaf85-fremont

Ranked Choice Voting Local Campaigns: Clark & San Juan Counties Links:

FairVote WA - https://fairvotewa.org/

All the FairVote Washington events are on Mobilize - https://www.mobilize.us/fairvotewa/

Email FairVote WA @ info@fairvotewa.org

Clark County – Yes on Ranked-Choice Voting – Campaign page - https://fairvotewa.org/ClarkCoCampaign/

Clark County Campaign Phone Bank - https://www.mobilize.us/fairvotewa/event/453339/

San Juan County campaign kickoff - https://www.mobilize.us/fairvotewa/event/457512/

"Why Ranked-Choice Voting Works" online sessions - This is the starting place to learn more about RCV and how to get involved in the movement here in Washington. Twice-monthly, on Tuesday and Thursday evenings. - https://www.mobilize.us/fairvotewa/event/434070/

Ranked Choice Voting – How it works - https://campaignlegal.org/democracyu/accountability/ranked-choice-voting

Details about Ranked Choice Voting - https://www.fairvote.org/rcv#where_is_ranked_choice_voting_used

The Alternative Vote Explained – Voting in the Animal Kingdom - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Y3jE3B8HsE

Democracy in the News Links:

Justice Dept. Requests Transcripts From Jan. 6 Committee - https://www.nytimes.com/2022/05/17/us/politics/jan-6-committee-transcripts.html

Jan. 6 Panel Subpoenas 5 Republicans, Including McCarthy - https://www.nytimes.com/2022/05/12/us/politics/house-subpoenas-jan-6.html

January 6 committee finalizing witness list and topics ahead of high-stakes hearings in June - https://www.cnn.com/2022/05/11/politics/jan-6-hearings-witness-list-preparations/index.html

Senior Trump official at State met with election denial activists Jan. 6 - https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2022/05/17/senior-trump-official-state-met-with-election-denial-activists-jan-6/

Surveying Evidence of How Trump’s Actions Activated Jan. 6 Rioters - https://www.justsecurity.org/81468/surveying-evidence-of-how-trumps-actions-activated-jan-6-rioters/

Prosecutors Pursue Inquiry Into Trump’s Handling of Classified Material - https://www.nytimes.com/2022/05/12/us/politics/justice-department-trump-classified.html

More Republicans are working to undermine Trump endorsements - https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2022/05/13/trump-endorsements-undermined/

Trump-endorsed candidates get mixed results in Tuesday’s primaries - https://www.cleveland.com/politics/2022/05/trump-endorsed-candidates-get-mixed-results-in-tuesdays-primaries.html

Trump encourages Oz to declare victory in too-close-to-call Pennsylvania Senate race - https://www.cnn.com/2022/05/18/politics/trump-dr-oz-pa-senate-primary/index.html

Live Primary Results: Tuesday’s Key Races - https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2022/05/17/us/elections/results-pennsylvania-north-carolina-oregon-idaho-kentucky-primaries.html

Election officials in Arizona, other battleground states, stand up against restrictive voting laws - https://www.azmirror.com/2022/05/11/election-officials-make-their-voices-heard-as-battleground-states-debate-voting-laws/

Revealed: election conspiracy theorists work as election officials across Georgia - https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2022/may/13/trump-big-lie-georgia-election-officials

Georgia county under scrutiny after claim of post-election breach - https://www.washingtonpost.com/investigations/2022/05/13/coffee-county-misty-hampton-election/

Judge allows Georgia voting rights trial to continue - https://www.ajc.com/politics/judge-allows-georgia-voting-rights-trial-to-continue/2U6T7OFUG5AD5LNCDXHSV6675Y/

Trump allies, RNC officials set for 'election integrity' summit in Detroit - https://www.detroitnews.com/story/news/politics/2022/05/12/trump-allies-set-election-integrity-summit-detroit/9746669002/

Voting changes win approval in Missouri House, now head to governor - https://www.stltoday.com/news/local/govt-and-politics/voting-changes-win-approval-in-missouri-house-now-head-to-governor/article_d3b70c52-81da-577a-b776-8cf36c91186e.html

MT Supreme Court restores GOP laws adding voter ID restrictions, ending Election Day registration - https://helenair.com/news/state-and-regional/govt-and-politics/mt-supreme-court-restores-gop-laws-adding-voter-id-restrictions-ending-election-day-registration/article_6f2abd91-4806-5d75-9c6e-5f0db2c81cd6.html

New York eyes its own voting rights act after failure at the federal level - https://gothamist.com/news/new-york-eyes-its-own-voting-rights-act-after-failure-at-the-federal-level

Court Must Reconsider Case of Woman Sentenced to 5 Years for Voter Fraud - https://www.nytimes.com/2022/05/11/us/crystal-mason-texas-voting.html

Sham Election Police Forces Are a Front for Voter Intimidation - https://campaignlegal.org/update/sham-election-police-forces-are-front-voter-intimidation

Election officials make their voices heard as battleground states debate voting laws - https://wisconsinexaminer.com/2022/05/12/election-officials-make-their-voices-heard-as-battleground-states-debate-voting-laws/

Civil rights, public interest groups urge social media giants to stop spread of disinformation before Midterm election - https://atlantaciviccircle.org/2022/05/13/civil-rights-public-interest-groups-urge-social-media-giants-to-stop-spread-of-disinformation-before-midterm-election/

Democracy is at stake in the midterms. The media must convey that. - https://www.washingtonpost.com/media/2022/05/15/democracy-midterms-vote-integrity-media-coverage/

Alaska judge orders board to adopt interim redistricting map - https://www.winchesterstar.com/associated_press/washington/alaska-judge-orders-board-to-adopt-interim-redistricting-map/article_21bd2427-b564-5686-bac2-f59c74fc38fe.html

Florida judge blocks DeSantis’ congressional redistricting effort - https://www.politico.com/news/2022/05/11/florida-judge-block-new-congressional-map-00031775

Florida voting rights groups hope to rush redistricting case to state Supreme Court - https://www.orlandoweekly.com/news/florida-voting-rights-groups-hope-to-rush-redistricting-case-to-state-supreme-court-31605336

Supreme Court of Kansas explores constitutionality of revised congressional redistricting map - https://kansasreflector.com/2022/05/16/supreme-court-of-kansas-explores-constitutionality-of-revised-congressional-redistricting-map/

N.H. Supreme Court Rules On Congressional Redistricting Maps - https://indepthnh.org/2022/05/12/n-h-supreme-court-rules-on-congressional-redistricing-maps/

Court expert draws more GOP-friendly New York political maps - https://apnews.com/article/ny-congressional-redistricting-map-97d93f4fe812fa6d7b19faa8882d040f

Redistricting commission again answers for contempt charges - https://ohiocapitaljournal.com/2022/05/13/redistricting-commission-again-answers-for-contempt-charges/

Utah Legislature pushes back on gerrymandering lawsuit as legal battles gear up across U.S. - https://www.deseret.com/utah/2022/5/12/23065540/utah-redistricting-lawsuit-accuses-politicians-gerrymandering-states-alabama-texas-better-boundaries

Neighborhoods like Yesler Terrace could see changes as Seattle reshapes City Council districts - https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/politics/neighborhoods-like-yesler-terrace-could-see-changes-as-seattle-reshapes-city-council-districts/

Primaries spotlight coming battles over state supreme courts - https://apnews.com/article/abortion-2022-midterm-elections-us-supreme-court-raleigh-9233470c6557fff307a24cd97db3453c

The 5th Circuit’s Reinstatement of Texas’ Internet Censorship Law Could Break Social Media - https://slate.com/technology/2022/05/texas-internet-censorship-social-media-first-amendment-fifth-circuit.html

Tech firms ask U.S. Supreme Court to block Texas social media law - https://www.reuters.com/technology/tech-firms-ask-us-supreme-court-block-texas-social-media-law-2022-05-14/

State constitutions loom as the next front in abortion battle - https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2022/05/14/state-constitutions-abortion-rights-kentucky-kansas/

Besides abortion ruling, Supreme Court taking on many high-profile cases - https://www.bostonglobe.com/2022/05/16/metro/besides-abortion-ruling-supreme-court-taking-many-high-profile-cases/

Alito’s draft opinion overturning Roe is still the only one circulated inside Supreme Court - https://www.politico.com/news/2022/05/11/alito-abortion-draft-opinion-roe-00031648

DHS preparing for violence following abortion ruling - https://www.axios.com/2022/05/18/supreme-court-abortion-roe-protests-violence

Supreme Court sides with Sen. Ted Cruz in campaign finance case - https://rollcall.com/2022/05/16/supreme-court-sides-with-sen-ted-cruz-in-campaign-finance-case/

The Supreme Court just made it much easier to bribe a member of Congress - https://www.vox.com/2022/5/16/23074957/supreme-court-ted-cruz-fec-bribery-campaign-finance-first-amendment-john-roberts-elena-kagan

Supreme Court makes latest slice in McCain-Feingold’s ‘death by 1,000 cuts’ - https://thehill.com/news/campaign/3491441-supreme-court-makes-latest-slice-in-mccain-feingolds-death-by-1000-cuts/

House Judiciary Committee approves Supreme Court ethics overhaul - https://rollcall.com/2022/05/11/house-committee-approves-supreme-court-ethics-overhaul/

New law toughens stock disclosure requirements for federal judges; separate ethics bill faces 'steep climb' - https://www.abajournal.com/news/article/new-law-imposes-tougher-stock-disclosure-requirements-on-judges-separate-ethics-bill-faces-steep-climb

Trust In Supreme Court Drops To New Low, Poll Finds As Ethics Bill Moves Forward In House - https://www.forbes.com/sites/alisondurkee/2022/05/12/trust-in-supreme-court-drops-to-new-low-poll-finds-as-ethics-bill-moves-forward-in-house/?sh=618ba20347b7

Crypto industry wields its influence in Washington after pouring over $30 million into campaigns - https://www.cnbc.com/2022/05/17/crypto-industry-wields-its-influence-in-washington-after-pouring-over-30-million-into-campaigns.html

The Trailer: ‘The Empire Strikes Back’: A wave of PAC money buries left-wing Democrats - https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2022/05/12/trailer-empire-strikes-back-wave-pac-money-buries-left-wing-democrats/

Progressive Democratic House candidates are being hammered by outside spenders ahead of primaries - https://www.cnn.com/2022/05/15/politics/progressive-democratic-house-candidates-primaries/index.html

Bernie Sanders calls out DNC after billionaires use super PACs to try to “buy Democratic primaries” - https://www.salon.com/2022/05/17/bernie-sanders-calls-out-dnc-after-billionaires-use-super-pacs-to-try-to-buy-democratic-primaries_partner/

The Little Red Boxes Making a Mockery of Campaign Finance Laws - https://www.nytimes.com/2022/05/16/us/politics/red-boxes-campaign-finance-democrats.html

Example - https://kurtschrader.com/media-center/

New Index Ranks U.S. #1 in Offering Financial Secrecy to the Criminal and Corrupt - https://us.transparency.org/news/new-index-ranks-us-1-in-offering-financial-secrecy-to-the-criminal-and-corrupt/

Ranked-choice voting, open primaries gather enough signatures to make Nevada ballot - https://mynews4.com/news/local/ranked-choice-voting-gathers-enough-signatures-to-make-nevada-ballot-voting-general-election-nevada-ballot-ranked-choice-open-primary-nonpartisan-republican-democrat

It’s time to build a global pro-democracy movement - https://thefulcrum.us/big-picture/Leadership/global-democracy-champions-summit