Democracy Happy Hour – October 25, 2023

Democracy Happy Hour, Oct 25, 2023 - Meeting Recordings:

• Speaker View Recording:  https://us02web.zoom.us/rec/play/b2TZrFMOJEJK9JSZWlhuKtzYMrDiPs_1fzjTKgwKG4p3TeEBIWQe00rq7ZpoktAkprW-uWFrPNS4FkCi.v17v6Ys2hu3fJCh1

• Gallery View Recording:  https://us02web.zoom.us/rec/play/XqOUjcD0L8gyhbSDE8ZxCptsXogsx8p0w8Ic3cZ_QSeQFMlcKtA3Dxs-BFShzl8CkMRK0oT9kxSiGZMf.Q64sYfuNgVDktgC3

• Chat file (will download to directly to your computer): https://us02web.zoom.us/rec/sdownload/7uLaFG-TX76h_MvS4C24G2ZSC8CJtwOqYUbv_boTVbWhE8lSxcvAlb6mtPRmHsIJbS2BcLsO965NcG5K.TfkI2l0mL7r1QMoW

FDF Links:

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

Democracy Happy Hour Upcoming Topics/Schedule:

• Nov 1 - Redrawing Washington's 15th Legislative District with Andrew Hong, Redistricting Justice for WA
• Nov 8 - How to Get Involved with Local Actions, Daniel Weise, Take Action Network
• Nov 15 - Avoiding Election Misinformation with DeMario Phipps-Smith, News Literacy Project, Senior Manager of Community Learning
• Nov 22 - CANCELED - No Democracy Happy Hour this week - Happy Thanksgiving!
• Nov 29 - Section Two of the 14th Amendment: A Never Enforced Provision of the Constitution with Jared Pettinato & Todd Drezner

ACTIONS & EVENTS:

Sign the petition to President Biden: Act now to protect democracy - https://actionnetwork.org/forms/sign-the-petition-to-president-biden-act-now-to-protect-democracy-2?source=20231018SWBidenDemocracyEO_FDF&referrer=group-fixdemocracyfirst

Braver Angels: A Braver Way Podcast - https://braverangels.org/abraverway/

No Time to Fail Premier – Oct 26^th @ 4 pm PT/7 pm ET – Trailer: https://www.notimetofailfilm.com/

Register @ https://www.mobilize.us/publiccitizeninitiative/event/584263/

CivXNow Educator Advocacy Program Sign Up – Looking for current & retired educators - https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSeOWc_xCfCfCMumfhnIVeDAcgdLahSTFV5fg-4btfUgd9O91A/viewform

$50,000 SUPERPAC VIDEO COMPETITION - VIDEO THAT BEST EXPLAINS HOW SUPERPACS CAN BE REGULATED WINS $50,000 - https://cancelsuperpacs.com

Citizen Connect - https://citizenconnect.us/

Can Moving to Even Year Elections Boost Turnout & Participation? Links:

• Northwest Progressive Institute - https://www.nwprogressive.org/

• Statewide polling on even-year elections: https://www.nwprogressive.org/weblog/2022/01/washington-voters-back-phasing-out-odd-year-elections-by-a-21-margin-with-24-unsure.html

• Coalition for Even-Year Elections (lots of good data about the topic here) - https://www.evenyears.org/

• WASHINGTON SHOULD MOVE ALL ELECTIONS TO EVEN YEARS - from Sightline Institute -  https://www.sightline.org/2022/10/14/washington-should-move-all-elections-to-even-years/

• Even Year Elections Likely to Send Seattle Voter Turnout Skyrocketing -  https://www.theurbanist.org/2023/08/17/even-year-elections-likely-to-send-seattle-voter-turnout-skyrocketing/

• Who Votes: City Election Timing and Voter Composition - https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/american-political-science-review/article/abs/who-votes-city-election-timing-and-voter-composition/39CE6B9F0E906228F695248C874C0C36

Democracy in the News Links

Trump co-defendant Sidney Powell pleads guilty in Georgia election interference case - https://www.washingtonpost.com/national-security/2023/10/19/pro-trump-lawyer-sidney-powell-pleads-guilty-georgia-election-interference-case

Lawyer Kenneth Chesebro pleads guilty over efforts to overturn Trump’s 2020 loss in Georgia - https://apnews.com/article/chesebro-jury-selection-georgia-election-indictment-2e558eefdffd9c1eaa7ec8c31bf76044

Jenna Ellis, Former Trump Lawyer, Pleads Guilty in Georgia Election Case - https://www.nytimes.com/2023/10/24/us/jenna-ellis-guilty-trump-georgia.html

Georgia plea deals spell danger for Trump, co-defendants - https://thehill.com/regulation/court-battles/4267538-powell-chesebro-georgia-plea-deals-danger-trump/

Trump files motions in new bid to dismiss election subversion case - https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2023/oct/24/trump-motion-legal-challenges-election-subversion

Ex-Chief of Staff Mark Meadows granted immunity, tells special counsel he warned Trump about 2020 claims - https://abcnews.go.com/US/chief-staff-mark-meadows-granted-immunity-tells-special/story?id=104231281

Trump Seeks Freeze of Gag Order in Election Case During Appeal - https://www.nytimes.com/2023/10/20/us/politics/trump-gag-order-freeze-election.html

Gag Order on Trump in Election Case Leaves More Hard Questions - https://www.nytimes.com/2023/10/17/us/politics/trump-gag-order.html

In court faceoff, Michael Cohen testifies against Trump in fraud trial. Trump shrugs: ‘Proven liar’ - https://apnews.com/article/donald-trump-letitia-james-michael-cohen-fraud-new-york-8e49619e3f5ebb6931e6947c4dabda87

Trump is fined $10,000 over a comment he made outside court in his New York civil fraud trial - https://apnews.com/article/trump-michael-cohen-fraud-lawsuit-7f6e536e97d77ef1cd441e4d5ec41ee4

U.S. to appeal sentences of five Proud Boys in Jan. 6 Capitol riot case - https://www.washingtonpost.com/dc-md-va/2023/10/16/us-appeals-proud-boys-sentences/

New study looks at attitudes towards political violence - https://health.ucdavis.edu/news/headlines/new-study-looks-at-attitudes-towards-political-violence/2023/09

Nearly one in four Americans believe political violence justified to ‘save’ US - https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2023/oct/25/us-political-violence-justified-survey

Rep. Mike Johnson elected speaker, breaking weeks-long stalemate - https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2023/10/25/house-speaker-vote

Republican states swore off a voting tool. Now they're scrambling to recreate it - https://www.npr.org/2023/10/20/1207142433/eric-investigation-follow-up-voter-data-election-integrity

Voting Laws Roundup: October 2023 - https://www.brennancenter.org/our-work/research-reports/voting-laws-roundup-october-2023

Youth Voting Rights Are on the Docket in These Six States - https://www.democracydocket.com/analysis/youth-voting-rights-are-on-the-docket-in-these-six-states/

Study shows twice as many state legislatures gerrymandered to favor Republicans - https://gazette.com/politics/study-shows-twice-as-many-state-legislatures-gerrymandered-to-favor-republicans-cronin-and-loevy/article_5a604384-6dca-11ee-b21f-c33e3a22c4ca.html

Redistricting fights in these 10 states could determine which party controls the US House - https://www.cnn.com/2023/10/22/politics/redistricting-states-maps-house-control/index.html

Court ordered voting map will be used for 2024 congressional elections even as state continues to fight, AG says - https://www.al.com/news/birmingham/2023/10/court-ordered-voting-map-will-be-used-for-2024-congressional-elections-even-as-state-continues-to-fight-ag-says.html

Entire DC voters’ list may have been breached - https://cybernews.com/news/dcboe-voters-list-breach/

A case of magnitude: DeSantis’ frontal assault on Voting Rights Act and fate of Black district - https://floridaphoenix.com/2023/10/25/a-case-of-magnitude-desantis-frontal-assault-on-voting-rights-act-and-fate-of-black-district/

Voting-rights groups support ruling that DeSantis-backed redistricting is unconstitutional - https://www.tallahassee.com/story/news/politics/elections/2023/10/23/voting-rights-groups-prepare-for-hearing-on-florida-redistricting-plan/71288185007/

Supreme Court Delays Efforts to Redraw Louisiana Voting Map - https://www.nytimes.com/2023/10/19/us/politics/supreme-court-louisiana-voting-map.html

Minnesota leaders to fight court ruling that restoring voting rights for felons was unconstitutional - https://apnews.com/article/felon-voting-rights-minnesota-judge-courts-b5b54f78e08cadf74425b2b09b734bc1

New NC election districts that lock in Republican advantages on their way to approval - https://ncnewsline.com/2023/10/24/new-nc-election-districts-that-lock-in-republican-advantages-on-their-way-to-approval/

North Carolina’s governor sues lawmakers for a measure that eliminates his elections board authority - https://apnews.com/article/north-carolina-elections-registration-lawsuit-2068ad9329c59d091e5e17fb4e880cc2

Federal appeals court stays redistricting ruling against Galveston County - https://www.houstonpublicmedia.org/articles/voting/2023/10/20/467349/federal-appeals-court-stays-redistricting-ruling-against-galveston-county/

Trial date set in voting rights lawsuit against Yakima County over Latino signatures - https://www.yakimaherald.com/news/local/government/elections/trial-date-set-in-voting-rights-lawsuit-against-yakima-county-over-latino-signatures/article_34e3b40c-729c-11ee-8e1a-57c2cd5321cf.html

Lawsuit asks Wisconsin Supreme Court to draw new maps by March - https://wisconsinexaminer.com/brief/lawsuit-asks-wisconsin-supreme-court-to-draw-new-maps-by-march/

Wisconsin Republicans look to pass constitutional amendments on election grants, voting eligibility and voter ID - https://pbswisconsin.org/news-item/wisconsin-republicans-look-to-pass-constitutional-amendments-on-election-grants-voting-eligibility-and-voter-id/

Supreme Court rejects Missouri bid to implement law that limits state role in enforcing federal gun laws - https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/supreme-court/supreme-court-rejects-missouri-bid-implement-novel-gun-law-rcna120192

How a Supreme Court case on gerrymandering could decide control of Congress in 2024 - https://theweek.com/politics/how-a-supreme-court-case-on-gerrymandering-could-decide-control-of-congress-in-2024

Supreme Court to hear court ban on government contact with social media companies - https://www.wrvo.org/2023-10-20/supreme-court-to-hear-court-ban-on-government-contact-with-social-media-companies

Democratic senators introduce bill establishing Supreme Court term limits - https://thehill.com/homenews/senate/4265176-democratic-senators-introduce-bill-establishing-supreme-court-term-limits/

Here’s How Supreme Court Term Limits Bills Would Actually Work - https://ballsandstrikes.org/ethics-accountability/supreme-court-term-limits-bills-explainer/

Justice Barrett Calls for Supreme Court to Adopt an Ethics Code - https://www.nytimes.com/2023/10/16/us/politics/supreme-court-ethics-code-amy-coney-barrett.html

Leonard Leo tied group registers to lobby - https://www.politico.com/news/2023/10/19/leonard-leo-tied-group-registers-to-lobby-00122508

Top groups’ lobbying spending drops in divided Congress - https://rollcall.com/2023/10/23/top-groups-lobbying-spending-drops-in-divided-congress/

Fossil fuel firms spent millions on US lawmakers who sponsored anti-protest bills - https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2023/oct/25/fossil-fuel-company-donate-lawmakers-anti-protest-exxon-koch

7 facts about Americans’ views of money in politics - https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2023/10/23/7-facts-about-americans-views-of-money-in-politics/

Artificial Intelligence and Election Security - https://www.brennancenter.org/our-work/research-reports/artificial-intelligence-and-election-security

Tech Titans Must Step Up to Protect Elections - https://www.brennancenter.org/our-work/analysis-opinion/tech-titans-must-step-protect-elections

41 states sue Meta, claiming Instagram, Facebook are addictive, harm kids - https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2023/10/24/meta-lawsuit-facebook-instagram-children-mental-health

Women across Iceland, including the prime minister, go on strike for equal pay and no more violence - https://apnews.com/article/iceland-women-strike-equal-pay-970669466116a2b1a5673a8737089d46