Democracy Happy Hour – September 14, 2022

Democracy Happy Hour, September 14, 2022 - Meeting Recordings & Chat File:

• Speaker View Recording:  https://us02web.zoom.us/rec/play/ENzsu4k4aKdcq5Zbrn3fLy6Go180dMJreJeea9-yC-al9Cj4lx9W0zCfdhYOll-MbkmJXdDuGzWfSTYr.aEkKu0cHs6DkT3WG

• Gallery View Recording: https://us02web.zoom.us/rec/play/6AQF41oJ4OgUqnP-nvJVviTv2qjcIlIMItqPECwn91XwUI4iAI_vZxeys0RjPjPtO5_oGk-na8BNjcAm.WpjPpR2WhGGncodS

• Chat (Link will download a text file to your computer): https://us02web.zoom.us/rec/sdownload/Z42-gsiQJVfCn-ti9CWfBP9EB2qgOy9j3E5GIGp2eGtG67ljFXW0UH8eXztKELUpgHFBqimYAhCqjIGK.DDsKXUbOqZqnytvv

Actions, Events & Misc. Links:

Fix Democracy First Links

• DONATE to Fix Democracy First or Fix Democracy First Education Fund @ https://www.fixdemocracyfirst.org/donate
• YO VOTE! (Youth Organizers for Voter Outreach, Teaching & Engagement) - https://www.yo-vote.org
• WON (Women in Office Now) – https://www.fixdemocracyfirst.org/won

Upcoming Topics:

• Sept 21 - Benefits & Types of Public Funding for Elections
• Sept 28 - Next U.S. Supreme Court Session: What can we expect?

ACTIONS & EVENTS:

Ranked Choice Voting in Washington State:

• Seattle - https://rcv4seattle.org/
• Clark County – https://fairvotewa.org/ClarkCoCampaign/
• San Juan County – https://fairvotewa.org/SJCOcampaign/
• FVWA - Why Ranked-Choice Voting Works -https://www.mobilize.us/fairvotewa/event/434070/
• Ranked-Choice Voting WA Monday Funday Phone Bank -https://www.mobilize.us/fairvotewa/event/444167/
• Ranked-Choice Voting vs Approval Voting - https://drive.google.com/file/d/1g1cE2au5bG1tfjrlIxxswCC_yBHqz7pb/view

Seattle Supports Democracy Actions:

• Democracy Action Hour with Seattle Supports Democracy - https://www.mobilize.us/swingleft/event/480738/

• Eastside Gladiators – Be the Change 509 - https://www.facebook.com/groups/712510762509752

• Sierra Club – Defend Democracy - https://www.sierraclub.org/defend-our-democracy-volunteer-today

• Election Protection - Stopping Voter Suppression - https://protectthevote.net/?partner=fixdemocracy

DISCLOSE ACT:

• Sign the petition to the U.S. Senate: Sunlight is the best disinfectant. Pass the DISCLOSE Act.- https://actionnetwork.org/forms/sign-the-petition-to-the-us-senate-sunlight-is-the-best-disinfectant-pass-the-disclose-act?source=2022Disclose_FDF&referrer=group-fixdemocracyfirst
• Call Your Senator to Support the DISCLOSE Act - https://act.newmode.net/action/declaration-american-democracy-coalition/call-your-senator-support-disclose-act
• Write a Letter about the DISCLOSE Act! - https://act.newmode.net/action/declaration-american-democracy-coalition/write-letter-about-disclose-act

Minority Rule: How did we get here? Links:

Definition: minority rule - https://www.macmillandictionary.com/us/dictionary/american/minority-rule

Minoritarianism - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Minoritarianism#:~:text=Whenever%20a%20vote%20of%20more,Parliamentary%20Procedure%22%20by%20Alice%20Sturgis

American democracy is under threat. But what is that threat, exactly? - https://www.vox.com/22798975/democracy-threats-peril-trump-voting-rights

Democrats Increasingly Say American Democracy Is Sliding Toward Minority Rule - https://www.npr.org/2021/06/09/1002593823/how-democratic-is-american-democracy-key-pillars-face-stress-tests

American Democracy Is Sliding Toward Minority Rule - https://brewminate.com/american-democracy-is-sliding-toward-minority-rule/

Minority Rules in the United States - https://www.ie.edu/insights/articles/minority-rules-in-the-united-states/

Just how severe will America's minority rule become? - https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2021/mar/26/just-how-severe-will-americas-minority-rule-become

Minority Rule - Given the Republican ferocity in trying to destroy basic rights, the road back to democracy is not civic but political. - https://prospect.org/culture/books/minority-rule-adam-jentleson-kill-switch-review/

BEYOND MINORITY RULE: HOW THE QUEST TO OBTAIN UNCHALLENGED POWER IS KILLING AMERICA - http://www.milwaukeeindependent.com/featured/beyond-minority-rule-quest-obtain-unchallenged-power-killing-america/

Republicans Are Moving Rapidly to Cement Minority Rule. Blame the Constitution. - https://www.politico.com/news/magazine/2022/01/05/democracy-january-6-coup-constitution-526512

The Rising Threat of Minority Rule - https://www.uuworld.org/articles/minority-rule

The Supreme Court shows how 'minority rule' is a problem in the US, and its Roe decision was a 'blow for the rule of law,' experts say - https://www.businessinsider.com/the-supreme-court-shows-how-minority-rule-is-a-problem-in-the-us-experts-2022-7

How to Stop the Minority-Rule Doom Loop - https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2021/04/how-stop-minority-rule-doom-loop/618536/

VIDEO - America Is Living Under Minority Rule - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6RvSUjU6P38

Democracy in the News Links:

Justice Department criminal investigation now touches nearly all efforts to overturn 2020 election for Trump - https://www.cnn.com/2022/09/13/politics/trump-justice-department-election-investigation/index.html

Justice Dept. Issues 40 Subpoenas in a Week, Expanding Its Jan. 6 Inquiry - https://www.nytimes.com/2022/09/12/us/politics/trump-aides-jan-6-doj.html

After a Wave of Subpoenas, Notes of Caution About the Jan. 6 Investigation - https://www.nytimes.com/2022/09/13/us/politics/jan-6-justice-department-subpoenas.html

Jan. 6 Panel to Restart Hearings as House Returns to Work - https://www.wsj.com/articles/jan-6-panel-to-restart-hearings-as-house-returns-to-work-11662814801

Pence, defied subpoenas, and a final report: The Jan. 6 panel's endgame - https://www.politico.com/news/2022/09/12/jan-6-questions-endgame-00055976

GOP senators led by Graham slam Trump Jan. 6 pardon promise - https://thehill.com/homenews/senate/3636537-gop-senators-led-by-graham-slam-trump-jan-6-pardon-promise/

Justice Dept. seeks to regain access to classified Mar-a-Lago documents - https://www.washingtonpost.com/national-security/2022/09/08/justice-appeals-trump-documents-special-master/

Justice Dept. says it would accept Trump’s candidate for special master - https://www.washingtonpost.com/national-security/2022/09/12/trump-classified-special-master/

Trump Told White House Team He Needed to Protect ‘Russiagate’ Documents - https://www.rollingstone.com/politics/politics-news/donald-trump-russia-investigation-maralago-1234588357/

Most Americans see Trump's MAGA as threat to democracy: Reuters/Ipsos poll - https://www.reuters.com/world/us/most-americans-see-trumps-maga-threat-democracy-reutersipsos-2022-09-07/

A Long-Shot Push to Bar Trump in 2024 as an ‘Insurrectionist’ - https://www.nytimes.com/2022/09/07/us/politics/trump-election-insurrection.html

Senate grapples with election reform legislation as time runs short to act - https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/congress/senate-grapples-election-reform-legislation-time-runs-short-act-rcna46738

Election deniers advanced to November ballots in 27 states, report finds - https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/election-deniers-advanced-november-ballots-27-states-report-finds-rcna46409

Trump backers flood election offices with requests as 2022 vote nears - https://www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2022/09/11/trump-election-deniers-voting/

Fighting bogus claims a growing priority in election offices - https://apnews.com/article/2022-midterm-elections-social-media-voting-presidential-279477cae723dd520240f5e35676c880

States pass new laws to protect election workers amid ongoing threats - https://www.cnn.com/2022/09/13/politics/new-laws-protect-election-workers-ctzn/index.html

Georgia’s biggest county can’t find a top elections official - https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2022/09/07/fulton-county-atlanta-elections-official/

Despite High Voter Turnout, Racial Gap Persisted in Georgia Primary - https://www.brennancenter.org/our-work/analysis-opinion/despite-high-voter-turnout-racial-gap-persisted-georgia-primary

Michigan GOP leaders encourage rule breaking at poll worker training session - https://www.cnn.com/2022/09/07/politics/michigan-gop-poll-worker-training-invs/index.html

Michigan high court sends voting rights proposal to November ballot - https://www.clickondetroit.com/news/local/2022/09/08/michigan-high-court-sends-voting-rights-proposal-to-november-ballot/

Michigan abortion ballot measure will be put to voters in November - https://www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2022/09/08/michigan-supreme-court-abortion/

Michigan Judge Rules Abortion Ban Violates Women’s Equal Rights, Bodily Integrity and Dignity - https://msmagazine.com/2022/09/12/michigan-abortion-ban-judge/

After Long Brawl, South Carolina Senate Approves More Abortion Restrictions - https://www.nytimes.com/2022/09/09/us/south-carolina-abortion-ban.html

West Virginia becomes 2nd state to pass strict abortion ban post-Roe - https://www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2022/09/13/west-virginia-abortion-ban/

Another state passed a near-total abortion ban. The fight is all over the map - https://www.cnn.com/2022/09/13/politics/abortion-rights-what-matters/index.html

Graham introduces bill to ban abortions nationwide after 15 weeks - https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2022/09/13/abortion-graham-republicans-nationwide-ban/

The Catholic Church Is Bankrolling a Nationwide Assault on Women’s Rights - https://www.rollingstone.com/politics/politics-news/catholic-church-roe-wade-abortion-kansas-michigan-1234589927/

Obamacare can't require coverage for certain HIV prevention drugs, federal judge rules - https://www.cnn.com/2022/09/07/politics/hiv-drugs-prep-affordable-care-act/index.html

Inside the US Supreme Court’s war on science - https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-022-02920-4

The radical legal theory that could upend the 2024 election - https://popular.info/p/the-radical-legal-theory-that-could

Justice Kagan cautions Supreme Court can forfeit legitimacy - https://apnews.com/article/us-supreme-court-elena-kagan-government-and-politics-55227b14975d1c6266eab8712c0dd482

Bannon charged with fraud, money laundering, conspiracy in ‘We Build the Wall’ - https://www.washingtonpost.com/national-security/2022/09/08/bannon-surrender-ny-prosecutors-border-wall-fund-fraud/

Trump’s Post-Election Fund-Raising Comes Under Scrutiny by Justice Dept. - https://www.nytimes.com/2022/09/08/us/politics/trump-save-america-pac-subpoenas.html

Democrats spend tens of millions amplifying far-right candidates in nine states - https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2022/09/12/democrats-interfere-republican-primaries/

Republicans' stealthy primary play - https://www.axios.com/2022/09/13/republican-super-pacs-primaries-ad-spending

Private equity and hedge fund industries pour nearly $347.7 million into 2022 midterms - https://www.opensecrets.org/news/2022/09/private-equity-and-hedge-fund-industries-pour-nearly-347-7-million-into-2022-midterms/

Leonard Leo’s Dark Money Network Threatens Democracy - https://progressive.org/op-eds/leonard-leos-dark-money-network-threatens-democracy/

Dem donor network works to build the party’s future bench - https://www.politico.com/news/2022/09/08/dem-donor-network-next-50-00055361

Transparency issues haunt digital ads ahead of midterms - https://www.axios.com/2022/09/09/programmatic-ad-political-ads-report-midterms

These 97 Members of Congress Reported Trades in Companies Influenced by Their Committees - https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2022/09/13/us/politics/congress-members-stock-trading-list.html

A dozen wildly different advocacy groups urge Congress to quickly pass a stock-trading ban bill and avoid sliding deeper into a 'downward spiral of declining public trust' - https://www.businessinsider.com/stock-trading-ban-congress-capitol-hill-2022-9

HOW DO AMERICA’S LARGEST CORPORATIONS SCORE ON DEMOCRACY? - https://www.americandemocracyscorecard.org/

Insurers force change on police departments long resistant to it - https://www.washingtonpost.com/investigations/interactive/2022/police-misconduct-insurance-settlements-reform/

HERE’S WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT THE ELECTORAL COUNT ACT — AND WHY IT NEEDS TO BE FIXED - https://act.represent.us/sign/heres-what-you-need-know-about-electoral-count-act-and-why-it-needs-be-fixed

WA State - Electoral College - https://www.sos.wa.gov/elections/civics/electoral-college.aspx#:~:text=The%20Electoral%20College%20is%20a,spring%20of%20the%20presidential%20year.

What’s next for ranked-choice voting after Alaska? - https://www.nbcnews.com/meet-the-press/meetthepressblog/s-ranked-choice-voting-alaska-rcna45929

Biden can broaden pro-democracy crusade by championing journalism bill - https://www.seattletimes.com/opinion/biden-can-broaden-pro-democracy-crusade-by-championing-journalism-bill/

Frontline Documentary - LIES, POLITICS AND DEMOCRACY - https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/frontline/documentary/lies-politics-and-democracy/