Democracy Wire

Maryland’s new and improved paper voting system is finally here, ready to be used for the first time in our 2016 elections. We have a chance with this new system to encourage democracy! Voting is our most powerful tool to have a voice in our democracy – so it is critical that we put forth the effort to informing citizens about how the voting process has changed and what to expect on Election Day. Voter education will strengthen our voices as citizens and encourage more people to vote.

Over the Thanksgiving holiday, Politico reported that Senator McConnell is planning to insert a provision in a must-pass government funding bill that would significantly increase the amount of money that political parties could spend on candidates. The provision, drafted in secret and without any hearings, would eliminate caps on the amount of political money that parties may spend in coordination with candidates.

Former Common Cause president and lifelong advocate for democracy has passed away.

The tax inversion provisions Allergan and Pfizer are about to exploit are well-known and could easily be eliminated. They exist because Pfizer and other large corporations, individually and through groups like the American Legislative Exchange Council and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, have used campaign contributions and an army of lobbyists to persuade a long line of Congresses and Presidents to riddle the federal tax code with loopholes.

Thanksgiving is a time to give thanks, visit loved ones, decompress… and inevitably... talk politics around the dinner table.

A new survey by the Pew Research Center shows that the American people have major concerns with how our government operates and whether or not they can trust the government to solve today’s biggest problems.