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Associated Press: US states split on allowing citizen ballot initiatives
Susan Lerner, executive director of Common Cause New York, previously worked for a good-government advocacy group in California, giving her a clear picture of the states' contrasting policies. "I've worked in the two extreme examples of how much dysfunction there can be," she said. "In California, there's too much direct democracy and in New York there's none. Neither is the right solution. I came out of California feeling its initiatives were out of control — and now I'm nostalgic for them," recalling instances when California lawmakers would tackle difficult issues to defuse a potential initiative campaign.
Found in: Common Cause
Marketplace (AUDIO): As the Midterm Elections Near, Candidates Weaponize Mountains of Cash
The average challenger in a House race in the 2014 midterms had about $60,000 of “cash on hand,” as it’s called. The average Senate challenger had about $750,000, according to the Center for Responsive Politics in Washington. Wait until you see what candidates have in their coffers for this election. Common Cause's Stephen Spaulding talks with Kimberly Adams about where it's all going.
Found in: Common Cause
New York Times: New York Today: Why Don’t We Have Early Voting?
“There is no good reason why New York doesn’t have early voting; our elected officials have decided, at least up until now, that it’s not worth the trouble,” said Susan Lerner, the executive director of Common Cause New York, a nonpartisan group advocating for improvements to the state’s voting system. “The most logical explanation is: It’ll be expensive or complicated for the counties. It’s uniformly popular in every other state that has it, whether it’s a red state or a blue state,” she added. “The public likes it, election administrators like it, so it’s an embarrassment — to be blunt — that New York is not willing to assist voters in providing early voting.”
Found in: Common Cause
We Can Be Better: Americans Must Repudiate Politics of Hate
We call on all Americans to repudiate this political hate in each and every conversation with family, friend, and colleagues. We cannot ignore the racist and intolerant invective we see in politics, repeated by some news commentators, and flourishing online. Our own president needs to repudiate this hate speech and own his own very significant contributions to setting the tone that makes people think it is okay to vilify and attack politicians, judges, reporters and others who they don’t agree with.
Found in: Common Cause
We Can Be Better Than This: Americans Must Repudiate Politics of Hate
We call on all Americans to repudiate this political hate in each and every conversation with family, friend, and colleagues. We cannot ignore the racist and intolerant invective we see in politics, repeated by some news commentators, and flourishing online. Our own president needs to repudiate this hate speech and own his own very significant contributions to setting the tone that makes people think it is okay to vilify and attack politicians, judges, reporters and others who they don’t agree with.
Found in: Common Cause
Associated Press: New Mexico Voters to Decide on Need for Ethics Commission
Heather Ferguson, executive director of New Mexico Common Cause, said an ethics commission will help build trust in government. Aside from investigating possible corruption, she told the Santa Fe New Mexican that a commission would serve as an educational tool for officials seeking to avoid violating laws. She said the panel should be able to provide opinions much faster than the state attorney general's office, which also weighs in on questions from lawmakers and others.
Found in: Common Cause
Associated Press: Sometimes a Ballot Issue Isn't Really About the Issue
"Initiatives are a good thing overall," said Aaron Scherb, director of legislative affairs for the government watchdog group Common Cause. "But nefarious tactics are sometimes used by both parties to try and hijack the process ... to get a certain outcome in certain elections." Scherb said partisan use of the measures is growing. It's a tactic that can be especially potent in midterm elections, where turnout is smaller — typically 40 percent, compared with 60 percent in a general election nationally.
Found in: Common Cause
Associated Press: Dialysis companies spend $111 million to kill ballot measure
When corporate profits are at stake, campaign spending often balloons, said Kati Phillips of California Common Cause, which advocates campaign finance reform. "Health care measures are expensive," she said. "There's a lot of money to be made off of sick people."
Found in: Common Cause
NPR (AUDIO): Pritzker Breaks Campaign Finance Record, Annoys Illinois With $80 Million Of Ads
"It's just distressing where you see these figures and I just feel like it makes people think that their democracy really isn't for them anymore," says Jay Young, who leads Common Cause Illinois — a nonpartisan government watchdog group — has been tracking the Pritzker-Rauner money fight. Young says Illinois seems to be setting up a perpetual cycle in future elections; that it's going to take another independently wealthy candidate to take on incumbents who are already rich. "I'm hoping that it doesn't end up that the only field that we see from now going forward is billionaires, but sadly that's the way we've been trending."
Found in: Common Cause
Associated Press: Murphy shares campaign riches with Connecticut Democrats
It is not uncommon for well-known U.S. senators to build large fundraising bases and transfer some of the money to help their party locally, according to Stephen Spaulding, chief of strategy at the election watchdog group Common Cause in Washington, D.C. "That's a big part of fundraising," he said. "It is to build up power and influence, both within their own elected bodies ... but also within their home states."