2126 Search Results Containing ":"
Indianapolis Star: 'Windfall profit': Lawmakers who build homes file bills to help their industry
"It's not technically unethical, but it doesn't technically break the rules that they write for themselves, but it still creates an appearance of impropriety," Julia Vaughn, executive director of Common Cause Indiana, said. "That's damaging to the institution when people think that lawmakers are just out to protect their financial interests."
Found in: Common Cause
Nebraska Examiner: Betsy DeVos, two others spent big on Nebraska legislative races
Gavin Geis of Common Cause Nebraska said he has seen outside spending every year in Nebraska legislative races, “but not like this.” He said the increased spending by such groups drives up the costs for ordinary Nebraskans to run for public office. “I have never seen an organization like this spend this much money and be almost exclusively funded by out-of-state interests,” Geis said. “This is the biggest cash dump I’ve seen in a long time.”
Found in: Common Cause
Associated Press: Some Democratic-led states seek to bolster voter protections
“A lot of our maps here are drawn behind closed doors, and there’s not a lot of input from the public that’s able to be given,” said Morgan Drayton, policy and engagement manager at Common Cause Maryland. “So this would do a lot to make these processes more transparent.”
Found in: Common Cause
Salon: “Model for bad democracy”: Voting rights wins may be reversed after GOP flips North Carolina court
This is the first time in 30 years that the court has decided to rehear two cases, said Bob Phillips, executive director of Common Cause North Carolina. "I do think that North Carolina, unfortunately, is often looked upon as a model for bad democracy and can be the playbook for other states," Phillips said. "And we're almost like the laboratory for some of this, that we think is extremely harmful."
Found in: Common Cause
Broadcasting & Cable: FCC Designates Standard General-Tegna Deal for Hearing
“Now that the FCC has designated the transaction for a hearing, do not expect an Administrative Law Judge to act quickly," said Yosef Getachew, democracy program director, for Common Cause, which opposes the merger. "An administrative proceeding is a long and drawn out process where the companies have the burden of proof to show that the transaction would not result in the potential harms outlined by the FCC. The best path forward now is for the companies to withdraw their deal. This proceeding should serve as a warning to private equity and hedge funds looking to make a quick buck by tearing down one of the key pillars in our democracy."
Found in: Common Cause
Baltimore Sun (Op-Ed): ‘Moore v. Harper’ Supreme Court case could weaken Maryland’s election rules
"Oral arguments were heard in December, and a decision is expected by June, and if the Supreme Court rules in favor of these lawless North Carolina lawmakers, it would have a near-immediate impact on Marylanders. This case could pave the way for dramatic and discriminatory cuts to our popular early voting and mail-in voting options, widespread voter roll purges, discriminatory barriers to voting access, baseless challenges to fair election results, fewer protections against voter intimidation and widespread gerrymandering." - Joanne Antoine, Executive Director of Common Cause Maryland
Found in: Common Cause
Texas Tribune: Texas Senate revives effort to make illegal voting a felony
“SB 2 seems like an acknowledgement by the state that they do a crappy job of educating Texans about voting and a concession that they have no plans to do better,” said Anthony Gutierrez, executive director of Common Cause Texas. For the 2022 election cycle, the Texas Legislature allocated $3.5 million for voter education efforts. Advocates say that’s not enough to reach the more than 16 million registered voters in the state. “The real problem here is, if you’re increasing the penalty for a crime, you would think the state would take some responsibility for telling people what the law is, so [voters] know not to break the law,” Guitierrez said, adding that the increased penalties could also keep some eligible voters away from the polls. “The public will see this, wonder what is going on and wonder if it’s even worth the hassle of going to vote if there’s voting police out there and if they risk getting charged with felonies if they’re not up to speed on all of the new election laws.”
Found in: Common Cause
Houston Chronicle: Hill Country Republican seeks to ban voting sites on college campuses, calling it a safety issue
“Texas has the fastest growing population in the nation, largely led by young voters of color, and some politicians clearly see this as a threat,” said Katya Ehresman, the voting rights program manager at Common Cause Texas. “This bill is an unabashed attempt to manipulate the outcome of elections by suppressing the voices of our increasingly young and diverse electorate.”
Found in: Common Cause
The Thom Hartmann Program (VIDEO): You Used To Have Voting Rights Featuring Kathay Feng
10 years ago, Shelby County v Holder ended important parts of the Voting Rights act. Kathay Feng of Common Cause joins Thom to discuss the dramatic changes after a decade without voting rights.
Found in: Common Cause
CNN: A Wisconsin Supreme Court race holds high stakes for abortion rights and the 2024 election
If a liberal flips the court’s open seat, progressive groups will attempt to relitigate the issue and urge the new majority to strike down the current map, Jay Heck, the executive director of Common Cause in Wisconsin, told CNN. Heck and other voter advocates objected to the court’s conservative majority deciding to use maps drawn by Republicans in 2011 as the foundation for the maps it considered following the 2020 census.