Democracy Happy Hour – October 11, 2023

Democracy Happy Hour, Oct 11, 2023 - Meeting Recordings:

• Speaker View Recording: https://us02web.zoom.us/rec/play/5UkJhz-97b07SAh1KJDh3dip7SnaVNGZL1ztoI4LB31cHK1JdjwxANpZHMfAJ3aZ97inR0rKnCDj5eo.SZXRWpIYs7WiBoBR

• Gallery View Recording:  https://us02web.zoom.us/rec/play/jQ7acX0nZ0W7SfM6RHV6tmJcLfjkoGaz2mP4qH1YZbszT7NMwI8kDE0D5vR92n8qJ0rxBPpxtauqrP1U._aL-8xeDXFRGumxn

• Chat file (will download to directly to your computer):  https://us02web.zoom.us/rec/sdownload/J9w1K1FY3t7C8Dzvd-TnboEXOmf6_hQh6sSZymtNeTukwiUn1tPrA9BpO2bBC6N-oMbzNIEjUq_O9iPw.qpqpjxLbhrm41cKh

FDF Links:

• Fix Democracy First - https://www.fixdemocracyfirst.org/
• Fix Democracy First - Donate @ https://www.fixdemocracyfirst.org/donate

Democracy Happy Hour Upcoming Topics/Schedule:

• Oct 18 – Protecting Elections & Election Workers with Mary Hall, Thurston County Auditor
• Oct 25 – Can Moving to Even Year Elections to Boost Turnout? with Andrew Villeneuve, Northwest Progressive Institute
• Nov 1 – Redrawing Washington's 15th Legislative District with Andrew Hong, Redistricting Justice for WA
• Nov 8 – Take Action Network with Daniel Weise

ACTIONS & EVENTS:

• The Legislative Path to Supreme Court Reform – October 25^th @ 3 pm PT/6 pm ET - https://www.eventbrite.com/e/the-legislative-path-to-supreme-court-reform-tickets-732330659717?aff=PDF

• Sign the petition to Congress: Do everything you can to protect our freedom to vote - https://actionnetwork.org/forms/sign-the-petition-to-congress-do-everything-you-can-to-protect-our-freedom-to-vote?source=direct_link&referrer=group-fixdemocracyfirst

• Federal Election Commission – Submit your comments on amending regulation to include deliberately deceptive Artificial Intelligence in campaign ads - https://www.fec.gov/updates/comments-sought-on-amending-regulation-to-include-deliberately-deceptive-artificial-intelligence-in-campaign-ads/

• Pending rulemaking matters for comment - https://www.fec.gov/legal-resources/regulations/pending-rulemaking-matters-comment/

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

U.S. Supreme Court: Cases to Watch in 2023-2024 Term Links:

Supreme Court of the United States - https://www.supremecourt.gov/

2023-2024 Term - https://www.oyez.org/cases/2023

Supreme Court cases, October term 2023-2024 - https://ballotpedia.org/Supreme_Court_cases,_October_term_2023-2024

Supreme Court Preview of the 2023-2024 Term - https://constitutioncenter.org/blog/supreme-court-preview-of-the-2023-2024-term

The Justices Return - Business regulation is the big story of the new Supreme Court term. - https://www.nytimes.com/2023/10/03/briefing/supreme-court-cfpb-chevron.html

A Battered Supreme Court Returns to Confront a Challenging Docket - https://www.nytimes.com/2023/10/01/us/supreme-court-docket-guns-free-speech.html

Major Supreme Court cases to watch in the new term - https://www.cnn.com/2023/10/01/politics/supreme-court-cases-to-watch/index.html

The Supreme Court’s new term starts Monday. Here’s what you need to know - https://whyy.org/articles/what-you-need-to-know-ahead-of-new-supreme-courts-new-term-come-monday/

Abortion, guns, voting rights: Once again, 5th Circuit packs SCOTUS docket with culture war issues - https://www.oregonlive.com/reckon/2023/10/abortion-guns-voting-rights-once-again-5th-circuit-packs-scotus-docket-with-culture-war-issues.html

Supreme Court to hear arguments on use of race in South Carolina congressional map - https://rollcall.com/2023/10/10/supreme-court-to-hear-arguments-on-use-of-race-in-south-carolina-congressional-map/

The high stakes in a new Supreme Court showdown over gerrymandering - https://www.vox.com/scotus/2023/10/5/23893286/supreme-court-voting-rights-gerrymandering-race-south-carolina-alexander-naacp

Gerrymandering: Will the Court Permit Discrimination for Partisan Gain? - https://newrepublic.com/article/175872/gerrymandering-racial-discrimination-partisan-gain

Supreme Court weighs curbing disability rights lawsuits - https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/supreme-court/supreme-court-weighs-curbing-disability-rights-lawsuits-rcna118632

The 19th Explains: The Supreme Court case that could gut the Americans with Disabilities Act - https://19thnews.org/2023/10/supreme-court-acheson-laufer-americans-with-disabilities-act/

Even the Supreme Court’s conservative justices seem to be siding with Elizabeth Warren’s baby, the CFPB - https://fortune.com/2023/10/04/supreme-court-consumer-financial-protection-bureau-elizabeth-warren-alito/

The fate of a financial watchdog rests in the Supreme Court's hands - https://www.axios.com/2023/10/02/cfpb-supreme-court-decision-regulation

The Supreme Court Eyes Its Next Big Power Grab - https://newrepublic.com/article/175899/supreme-court-watch-chevron-deference

Expect Narrowing of Chevron Doctrine, High Court Watchers Say - https://news.bloomberglaw.com/ip-law/expect-narrowing-of-chevron-doctrine-high-court-watchers-say

The Supreme Court will hear a case that could overturn a 40-year-old legal doctrine - https://www.npr.org/2023/10/08/1204545852/the-supreme-court-will-hear-a-case-that-could-overturn-a-40-year-old-legal-doctr

Federal regulators are in the Supreme Court's crosshairs - https://www.axios.com/2023/09/30/supreme-court-cfpb-federal-regulations-conservative

Does the Supreme Court’s Cherry-Picking Inject Politics Into Judging? - https://www.nytimes.com/2023/10/09/us/supreme-court-cases.html

Biden administration asks U.S. Supreme Court to uphold ban on felons owning guns - https://www.reuters.com/legal/government/biden-administration-asks-us-supreme-court-uphold-ban-felons-owning-guns-2023-10-10/

The Supreme Court Cases That Could Redefine the Internet - https://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2023/09/scotus-social-media-cases-first-amendment-internet-regulation/675520/

Supreme Court tax case could have sweeping federal policy effects, experts say - https://www.cnbc.com/2023/10/05/supreme-court-tax-case-could-have-sweeping-federal-policy-effects.html

Religion vs. LGBTQ+ rights: Supreme Court weighs 'conversion therapy' bans for minors - https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2023/10/09/supreme-court-conversion-therapy-ban-lgbtq-minors-tingley/71037697007/

Cities are asking the Supreme Court for more power to clear homeless encampments - https://www.vox.com/2023/10/10/23905951/homeless-tent-encampments-grants-pass-martin-boise-unsheltered-housing

Democracy in the News Links

Trump seeks dismissal of D.C. case, saying he’s immune to prosecution - https://www.washingtonpost.com/national-security/2023/10/05/trump-motion-dismiss-jan-6-election

Citing Trump's social posts, special counsel asks for juror protections election interference case - https://abcnews.go.com/US/citing-trumps-social-posts-special-counsel-asks-judge/story?id=103865312

Prosecutors push back on Trump bid to delay documents case until after the election - https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/donald-trump/prosecutors-push-back-trump-bid-delay-documents-case-election-rcna119519

Trump allegedly discussed US nuclear subs with foreign national after leaving White House: Sources - https://abcnews.go.com/US/after-white-house-trump-allegedly-discussed-potentially-sensitive/story?id=103760456

After years of exaggerating his business assets, Trump confronts them in court - https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2023/10/10/trump-fraud-trial-property-value-wealth/

House Republicans pick Rep. Steve Scalise as speaker nominee - https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2023/10/11/house-speaker-vote

Voter rolls are becoming the new battleground over secure elections as amateur sleuths hunt fraud - https://www.newspressnow.com/news/national_news/voter-rolls-are-becoming-the-new-battleground-over-secure-elections-as-amateur-sleuths-hunt-fraud/article_bfa884ac-27b0-5fe3-a06a-71d48672671f.html

States that send a mail ballot to every voter really do increase turnout, scholars find - https://coloradonewsline.com/2023/10/07/mail-ballot-to-every-voter-increase-turnout/

Federal judges pick new Alabama congressional map to boost Black voting power - https://www.cbsnews.com/news/alabama-new-congressional-map-judges-black-voting-power/

Alabama Is Ordered to Use Map With Two Districts That Empower Black Voters - https://www.nytimes.com/2023/10/05/us/politics/alabama-congressional-map-democrat-seat.html

Newsom Signs Three Redistricting Bills, Vetoes Two Others - https://www.democracydocket.com/news-alerts/newsom-signs-three-redistricting-bills-vetoes-two-others/

A decision awaits in Florida’s redistricting trial. Here’s what you need to know. - http://www.thefamuanonline.com/2023/10/09/a-decision-awaits-in-floridas-redistricting-trial-heres-what-you-need-to-know/

Voting bills eliminating use of student ID at Idaho polls are constitutional, judge says - https://idahocapitalsun.com/2023/10/03/voting-bills-eliminating-use-of-student-id-at-idaho-polls-are-constitutional-judge-says/

Illinois Democrats drew new maps. The changes pushed the GOP to the right. - https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2023/10/07/illinois-congressional-map-gerrymandering

'It keeps me up at night': Michigan officials struggle to carry out citizen-led voting changes for 2024 - https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/2024-election/michigan-officials-struggle-implementing-citizen-voting-changes-2024-rcna104107

Automatic voter registration in Pa. draws GOP lawsuit threats, but little action - https://whyy.org/articles/pennsylvania-automatic-voter-registration-josh-shapiro-donald-trump-lawsuits/

New Mexico judge rejects Republican challenge to Democratic-drawn congressional map - https://www.reuters.com/legal/new-mexico-judge-rejects-republican-challenge-democratic-drawn-congressional-map-2023-10-06/

Ohio Redistricting Commission adopts sixth version of Statehouse maps with bipartisan support - https://ohiocapitaljournal.com/2023/09/27/ohio-redistricting-commission-adopts-sixth-version-of-statehouse-maps-with-bipartisan-support/

Ohio’s new legislative redistricting plan is challenged in court: What happens now? - https://www.cleveland.com/news/2023/10/ohios-new-legislative-redistricting-plan-is-challenged-in-court-what-happens-now.html

Using New Veto-Proof Supermajority, North Carolina Republicans Enact Two Laws Drastically Altering Elections - https://www.democracydocket.com/news-alerts/using-new-veto-proof-supermajority-north-carolina-republicans-enact-two-laws-drastically-altering-elections/

Appeals panel won’t revive lawsuit against Tennessee ban on giving out mail voting form - https://apnews.com/article/tennessee-absentee-voting-law-829f10dff71a9e3b812e13539a50d1fa

Virginia election officials scramble to add back voters mistakenly removed from rolls - https://www.npr.org/2023/10/05/1203823521/va-election-officials-scramble-to-add-back-voters-mistakenly-removed-from-rolls

Wisconsin Supreme Court Agrees To Hear Legal Challenge To State Legislative Districts - https://www.democracydocket.com/news-alerts/wisconsin-supreme-court-agrees-to-hear-legal-challenge-to-state-legislative-districts/

As Wisconsin Supreme Court Takes Up Maps Case, Impeachment Threat Looms - https://www.nytimes.com/2023/10/06/us/politics/wisconsin-maps-janet-protasiewicz.html

National Democrats sue to block Wisconsin’s absentee voting witness requirements - https://apnews.com/article/wisconsin-absentee-ballot-witness-signature-lawsuit-215d8ae70ee42e1c828b8528987057ad

One man's spending is dominating Pa. judicial races. Who is he, and why is this election important? - https://www.spotlightpa.org/news/2023/10/pennsylvania-judicial-court-elections-jeff-yass-campaign-finance/

DLCC making six-figure investment in Pennsylvania Supreme Court race - https://www.penncapital-star.com/campaigns-elections/dlcc-making-six-figure-investment-in-pennsylvania-supreme-court-race/

Rep. Santos faces new charges he stole donor IDs, made unauthorized charges to their credit cards - https://www.seattletimes.com/nation-world/nation/rep-santos-faces-new-charges-he-stole-donor-ids-made-unauthorized-charges-to-their-credit-cards

George Santos former campaign treasurer pleads guilty to campaign finance fraud - https://www.cnbc.com/2023/10/05/george-santos-former-campaign-treasurer-to-plead-guilty-in-federal-court.html

2023 sets new high for midyear lobbying - https://www.opensecrets.org/news/2023/10/2023-lobbyists-new-high-for-midyear-lobbying

OpenSecrets Joins Call for Transparency in 2024 Presidential Election - https://www.opensecrets.org/news/2023/10/opensecrets-joins-call-for-transparency-in-2024-presidential-election

Do Democracy Vouchers help democracy? - https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/coep.12625

Book Banning Reaches Historic, Ominous Levels in the US - https://www.truthdig.com/articles/book-banning-reaches-historic-ominous-levels-in-the-us/

HOW RED-STATE POLITICS ARE SHAVING YEARS OFF AMERICAN LIVES - https://www.washingtonpost.com/health/interactive/2023/republican-politics-south-midwest-life-expectancy/?itid=lk_inline_manual_17

How to avoid falling for misinformation, AI images on social media - https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2023/05/22/misinformation-ai-twitter-facebook-guide