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Ohio Capital Journal: GOP plan to advance 60% amendment in August looking wobbly after second hearing cancelled
Speaking after lawmakers canceled Wednesday’s hearing Mia Lewis from Common Cause dismissed the August election measure as “shenanigans.” “Ohioans will not accept this going onto an August special election. It’s not acceptable,” Lewis insisted. “It’s $20 million for no reason. Or for a very bad reason! Which is to try to subvert democracy, and people will not stand for it. I think they’re starting to read the writing on the wall.” Lewis acknowledged they might not muster quite as many demonstrators, but promised she and others would make their voices heard should lawmakers pursue the legislation next week.
Found in: Common Cause
Bloomberg: Why Redistricting Is Still Happening in 2023 — And Where
Lawsuits challenging the state’s legislative and congressional district lines “will most definitely” be filed, Wisconsin Common Cause Executive Director Jay Heck said after progressives won majority control of the state Supreme Court in an election last month. Justice-elect Janet Protasiewicz, who was backed by Democratic groups, will take her seat on the court Aug. 1.
Found in: Common Cause
RawStory+: As First Republic Bank faltered, five members of Congress dumped their personal stock investments
While there’s no evidence that the lawmakers used information they obtained through their public service to inform their First Republic stock trades, such stock sales “can erode the public’s faith and confidence in Congress,” said Aaron Scherb, senior director of legislative affairs for Common Cause, a nonpartisan government watchdog organization. “The perception of corruption can be just as damaging as actual corruption in many cases,” said Scherb, noting that a bipartisan coalition of lawmakers have introduced bills that would ban members of Congress and their immediate family members from trading individual stocks at all.
Found in: Common Cause
Texas Tribune: Texas House advances bill to eliminate Harris County election chief position
“This takes away all of that local power and that democracy involved in the process, and it’s just a takeover of one specific county that would not actually do anything for solutions for election administration,” said Katya Ehresman, voting rights program director for Common Cause Texas. “A lot of those solutions are done through investment of resources, of staff, not abolishing an office and potentially causing staff to leave or have their positions removed,” Ehresman said. “With 30 days left in session, we haven’t had any hearings or public testimony on online voter registration or high school voter registration or investments in our election administration. We have very little time to actually do anything proactive for our elections.”
Found in: Common Cause
Salon: Florida GOP send "egregious" voter suppression bill to Ron DeSantis
"This is the third year in a row Florida's lawmakers have changed our voting rules, attacked community-based groups who support voters, and implemented unnecessary and confusing barriers for Floridians looking to participate in our democracy, while making no investment in voter education at all," Common Cause Florida program director Amy Keith said in a statement. "This makes clear their real aim: to suppress our voting rights and silence the voices of eligible Florida voters who want a more inclusive future for our state," Keith added. "We need a democracy that works for everyone, and our Florida leaders should be targeting the wealthy special interests that dominate our politics, not everyday Floridians who deserve to exercise their right to vote without barriers."
Found in: Common Cause
Our Highest Court Needs the Highest Ethical Standards: Three Proposals to Raise the Bar
Found in: Common Cause
Tribune News Service/Inside Sources/St. Louis Post-Dispatch (Op-Ed): The Supreme Court should not be its own referee
The Supreme Court cannot be its own referee. Justices have tried and failed repeatedly at that. We should expect all public officials to abide by high ethical standards when conducting the people’s business -- with no exceptions.
Found in: Common Cause
Wall Street Journal: How Ron DeSantis Could Unlock $86 Million for a Presidential Run
“The law is very clear,” said Stephen Spaulding, vice president of policy for Common Cause, which advocates for more transparency in government. Mr. Spaulding served as a legal adviser to a Democratic FEC commissioner in 2016. “You are not supposed to transfer state funds to support a federal fund.”
Found in: Common Cause
Reuters: In win for Republicans, North Carolina court allows partisan gerrymandering
"I think it's the worst decision the North Carolina Supreme Court perhaps has ever made," Bob Phillips, executive director of Common Cause North Carolina, told reporters.
Found in: Common Cause
Bloomberg/Miami Herald: Supreme Court election case in doubt with NC’s high court ruling
However, Neal Katyal, who argued against the map on behalf of Common Cause in December, said he believes the high court still has jurisdiction. “It’s a pretty dangerous thing to allow state supreme courts to essentially test drive their opinion and go through oral argument at the U.S. Supreme Court and then pull it back,” Katyal, a partner at Hogan Lovells, said in an interview for Bloomberg’s “Cases and Controversies” podcast.