Democracy Wire

Last week, the D.C. Circuit Court overturned a SEC rule requiring companies to disclose whether they use conflict minerals, arguing that it infringed on corporations' First Amendment rights. I went on the Big Picture with Thom Hartmann to discuss what this means in the larger fight for a transparent and open government.

This past weekend, I joined hundreds of activists from the NAACP, Common Cause, and other organizations in Georgia for the Journey For Justice, a march from Selma to Washington D.C. to make good on our democracy's fundamental promise of liberty and justice for every American.

Watch Common Cause Policy Counsel Stephen Spaulding discuss the Koch brothers, ALEC, and large corporations’ plan to profit off privatizing our public goods on The Big Picture with Thom Hartmann.

The Supreme Court gave us some good news in the fight against gerrymandering when it upheld Arizona's independent redistricting commission earlier this week. I went on the Thom Hartmann show to talk through what it means.

Last week, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) took a huge step towards closing the digital divide. The agency voted to begin modernizing the Lifeline program to connect low-income households to the Internet. Lifeline, established by the Reagan Administration in 1985, originally helped make landline telephone service affordable for low-income households. In 2008, the FCC reformed Lifeline to allow subsidies for mobile telephones. Currently, qualifying households are eligible for a $9.25 subsidy.

Yesterday the Supreme Court of the United States affirmed the right of the people to find creative policy solutions to end congressional gerrymandering.