Democracy Happy Hour – October 4, 2023

Democracy Happy Hour, Oct 4, 2023 - Meeting Recordings:

• Speaker View Recording:  https://us02web.zoom.us/rec/play/VzcctBxos1B04kOQ97ntKvZOj80UlAdGQ0K72_XXbHbs2XRRGjJB51ozs4x2oKW38HkfX18MVKV2Dk0n.9PJriztpxQRqXv34

• Gallery View Recording:  https://us02web.zoom.us/rec/play/YerygB_N7XfVQP25PQkL1ENIAIIyW6bXS39wR1q3Dvje6RU1ANn0OEMNs5OGRI8w0L9u8f2V1tlldnog.tRpBS1BrW-XAqw6n

• Chat file (will download to directly to your computer):  https://us02web.zoom.us/rec/sdownload/CRkNY8hx2_TyD2wzLsahA31TNndOec8uT4ar0-BtJTrjUypC-IsEEcv_T3Qvt6hIrTbx8Pod6dvmD5wK.KjUXhZis8UxndIFW

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 11 - U.S. Supreme Court Cases to Watch in the 2023-2024 Term
• Oct 18 - Protecting Elections & Election Workers with Mary Hall, Thurston County Auditor

ACTIONS & EVENTS:

• 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/

Oregon's Effort for Campaign Finance Reform Links:

Honest Elections Oregon - https://www.honest-elections.com/

Oregon good government groups will try again in 2024 to cap campaign contributions, shed light on ‘dark money’ - https://www.oregonlive.com/politics/2022/07/oregon-good-government-groups-will-try-again-in-2024-to-cap-campaign-contributions-shed-light-on-dark-money.html

Oregon labor group launches end run around effort to curb political donations, shed light on dark money - https://www.oregonlive.com/politics/2023/08/oregon-labor-group-launches-end-run-around-effort-to-curb-political-donations-shed-light-on-dark-money.html

Democracy in the News Links

N.Y. judge finds Trump committed fraud and sanctions his attorneys - https://www.washingtonpost.com/national-security/2023/09/26/ny-judge-finds-trump-committed-fraud-sanctions-his-attorneys

Judge rules Donald Trump defrauded banks, insurers while building real estate empire - https://www.seattletimes.com/business/judge-rules-donald-trump-defrauded-banks-insurers-as-he-built-real-estate-empire

New York’s $250 million fraud trial against Donald Trump gets underway - https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2023/10/02/trump-fraud-trial-new-york-james

Judge issues gag order in fraud case after Trump assails staffer on social media - https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2023/10/03/trump-civil-fraud-trial-ny

Trump’s attack on Milley fuels special counsel’s push for a gag order - https://www.politico.com/news/2023/09/29/trumps-attack-on-milley-fuels-special-counsels-push-for-a-gag-order-00119253

Federal judge declines to recuse herself from Trump election interference case - https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2023/sep/27/judge-no-recusal-trump-election-tanya-chutkan

Trump won’t try to move Georgia case to federal court after judge rejected similar bid by Meadows - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/politics/trump-wont-try-to-move-georgia-case-to-federal-court-after-judge-rejected-similar-bid-by-meadows

First Trump co-defendant pleads guilty in the Georgia election interference case - https://www.npr.org/2023/09/29/1202819213/first-trump-codefendant-pleads-guilty-georgia-election-case

Trump allies offered plea agreements in Georgia election interference case - https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2023/oct/03/trump-allies-plea-agreements-georgia-rico-act-elections-case

Trump Trials Clearinghouse - https://www.justsecurity.org/88175/trump-trials-clearinghouse/

Another suit to disqualify Trump under the Constitution’s ‘insurrection’ clause is filed in Michigan - https://apnews.com/article/trump-14th-amendment-insurrection-jan-6-michigan-b5b5b90fa5a4dc916ff8ba4e727626e3

Trump dodges threat: States resist 14th Amendment ballot ban push - https://www.axios.com/2023/09/25/trump-ban-ballots-state-officials-resist-2024

Former Speaker Paul Ryan says Republicans will lose if Donald Trump is nominee - https://www.seattletimes.com/nation-world/nation/former-speaker-paul-ryan-says-republicans-will-lose-if-donald-trump-is-nominee

Speaker McCarthy ousted in historic House vote, as scramble begins for a Republican leader - https://www.seattletimes.com/nation-world/nation/mccarthy-to-call-vote-tuesday-on-effort-to-oust-him-and-says-he-wont-cut-a-deal-with-democrats

GOP leaders push for early and mail-in voting despite Trump-fueled skepticism within party - https://www.cnn.com/2023/09/29/politics/republicans-early-voting-youngkin-virginia/index.html

Voter ID laws are disenfranchising transgender and nonbinary people as anti-trans legislation reaches record levels - https://www.wataugademocrat.com/news/national/voter-id-laws-are-disenfranchising-transgender-and-nonbinary-people-as-anti-trans-legislation-reaches-record/collection_3f7f8de9-8c26-5050-8545-666281eca590.html#1

The rightwing group swamping US election offices with records requests - https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2023/sep/26/local-labs-election-voting-records-requests

The High Cost of High Turnover - https://issueone.org/articles/the-high-cost-of-high-turnover/

Over Two Million People Stand to Regain the Right to Vote in Five States - https://www.democracydocket.com/analysis/over-two-million-people-stand-to-regain-the-right-to-vote-in-five-states

Which states could get new congressional maps in 2024? - https://abcnews.go.com/538/live-updates/redistricting-updates-2024-maps/?id=103663407

In Three Southern States, a Legal Battle Over Political Maps - https://www.nytimes.com/2023/09/21/us/redistricting-alabama-georgia-louisiana.html

The Supreme Court will let Alabama’s congressional map be redrawn to better represent Black voters - https://apnews.com/article/supreme-court-alabama-black-voters-redistricting-congress-66b1ae2f84a2a1e8352c983e7eb88387

Special master in Alabama redistricting case proposes three House maps in a closely watched voting rights fight - https://www.cnn.com/2023/09/25/politics/alabama-redistricting-special-master-map-proposals/index.html

Federal judge blocks AZ law that 'disenfranchised' Native voters - https://www.publicnewsservice.org/2023-09-26/civic-engagement-and-voting/federal-judge-blocks-az-law-that-disenfranchised-native-voters/a86445-1

Redistricting trial ends with more questions about DeSantis’ intent with Black voters - https://www.miamiherald.com/news/politics-government/article280061019.html

Federal court declines to rehear Florida elections law fight - https://news.wgcu.org/election/2023-09-21/federal-court-declines-to-rehear-florida-elections-law-fight

5th Circuit cancels redrawing of Louisiana’s congressional district map - https://lailluminator.com/2023/09/28/redrawing-of-louisiana-congressional-map-delayed-again-with-5th-circuit-order-favoring-gop-lawmakers/

Republican lawmakers sue over voter-approved election ballot proposals - https://www.michiganradio.org/politics-government/2023-09-28/republican-lawmakers-sue-over-voter-approved-election-ballot-proposals

NC redistricting gets underway with voter feedback, less transparency - https://www.wral.com/story/nc-redistricting-gets-underway-with-voter-feedback-less-transparency/21069636/

Republicans push for bipartisan commission to redraw WA Latino district - https://crosscut.com/politics/2023/10/republicans-push-bipartisan-commission-redraw-wa-latino-district

Embattled WA library wins lawsuit, won’t shut down after book-ban fight - https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/embattled-wa-library-wins-lawsuit-wont-shut-down-after-fight-over-books

Bipartisan group of Wisconsin lawmakers propose ranked-choice voting and top-five primaries - https://spectrumnews1.com/wi/milwaukee/news/2023/09/20/lawmakers-propose-ranked-choice-voting-and-top-five-primaries

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

Clarence Thomas recuses himself as Supreme Court rejects ex-Trump lawyer John Eastman's appeal - https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/supreme-court/clarence-thomas-recuses-supreme-court-rejects-trump-lawyer-eastman-rcna117607

Clarence Thomas Secretly Participated in Koch Network Donor Events - https://www.propublica.org/article/clarence-thomas-secretly-attended-koch-brothers-donor-events-scotus

Not just Clarence Thomas: Lower courts facing scrutiny over ethics, disclosures, too - https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2023/09/25/clarence-thomas-federal-court-ethics-scrutiny-disclosures/70799613007/

Democrats re-introduce bill to set term limits for Supreme Court justices - https://thegrio.com/2023/09/21/democrats-re-introduce-bill-to-set-term-limits-for-supreme-court-justices/

All the salacious details in the Bob Menendez indictment, from gold bars to a Mercedes - https://www.vox.com/politics/2023/9/22/23885517/bob-menendez-indictment-charges-corruption-scandal-bribery-wife

Sen. Bob Menendez faces rapidly growing calls from colleagues to resign - https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2023/09/26/menendez-senate-democrats-resign

Trump's campaign machine is bleeding cash for legal expenses - https://www.reuters.com/world/us/trumps-campaign-machine-is-bleeding-cash-legal-expenses-2023-09-29/

Sam Bankman-Fried’s fraud ran through Washington, prosecutors say - https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2023/10/02/bankman-fried-fraud-ftx-trial/

U.S., 17 states sue Amazon alleging monopolistic practices led to higher prices - https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2023/09/26/amazon-antitrust-lawsuit-ftc

ALEC: 50 Years of Attacking Environmental Protection and Democracy - https://www.greenpeace.org/usa/alec-50-years-of-attacking-environmental-protection-and-democracy/

ALEC Gala to Face Protest From Pro-Democracy Groups - https://readsludge.com/2023/10/03/alec-gala-will-face-protest-from-pro-democracy-groups/

Big money is trashing trust in British politics. ‘Democracy vouchers’ could be the solution - https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2023/aug/29/big-money-british-politics-democracy-vouchers-donors

Social media firms ‘not ready to tackle misinformation’ during global elections - https://www.theguardian.com/media/2023/sep/15/social-media-firms-not-ready-to-tackle-misinformation-during-global-elections

Experts push for AI regulations to combat election malfeasance - https://www.courthousenews.com/experts-urge-ai-regs-to-combat-election-malfeasance/