Press Release
House State Gov. Committee Passes Amended AI Disclosure Bill
"Pennsylvanians deserve transparency around AI-generated political communications."
Press
Media Contacts
Katie Scally
Director of communications
kscally@commoncause.org
(408) 205-1257
News Clip
New report about voting in Pennsylvania jails shows each county runs things differently, creating a patchwork of policies across the state
“You have jails with the actual policies in place, and there’s a gap between the policy and actual implementation,” said Khalif Ali, head of Common Cause Pennsylvania. “If you simply say, ‘Oh, yeah, you guys can vote,’ and there’s nothing else, you’re essentially telling them: ‘Figure it out.’”
News Clip
Want to see in real time how Pa. state universities do business? Your window may be closing
“The goal of the Sunshine Act is to encourage and guarantee the public’s right to participate in government decision making, and all agencies should take steps to make it easier for the public to attend public meetings,” she said. “ When virtual technology is used in addition to in-person public meetings, it can result in increased public participation.’’
Khalif Ali, executive director of Pennsylvania Common Cause, offered a similar view.
Khalif Ali, executive director of Pennsylvania Common Cause, offered a similar view.
Press Release
Legislative Reapportionment Commission Votes to Count Incarcerated People in Home Districts
The vote to allocate incarcerated people to their home districts, rather than the districts where they are incarcerated, is an important step toward fully representative legislative districts in Pennsylvania.
News Clip
Pa. ends ‘prison gerrymandering’ with closely divided committee vote
Khalif Ali, who directs Pennsylvania’s chapter of government accountability nonprofit Common Cause, called the change “is an important step toward fully representative legislative districts in Pennsylvania” that has been “a long time coming.”
News Clip
New Census data shows population shifts in PA
“While this process has historically been conducted behind closed doors with little to no public input, 2021 is our year to flip the script and ensure that the voices of our communities, particularly those of Black, Indigenous, Latinx, Asian, Pacific Islander, and other communities of color, are at the center of the conversation,” said Khalif Ali, executive director of Common Cause in Pennsylvania.
News Clip
Census in PA.: What the latest figures mean for legislative and congressional seats
Common Cause Pennsylvania executive director Khalif Ali said in a statement that it is time to “flip the script” and heed the voices Black, Latinx, Asian and other minority communities.
“When redistricting is fair, transparent, and includes everyone, our maps are more likely to be representative and secure, free, fair and responsive elections for the next decade,” Ali said.
“When redistricting is fair, transparent, and includes everyone, our maps are more likely to be representative and secure, free, fair and responsive elections for the next decade,” Ali said.
Press Release
U.S. Census Bureau Releases 2020 Census Demographic Data to Kick Off Pennsylvania Redistricting 2021
When redistricting is fair, transparent, and includes everyone, our maps are more likely to be representative and secure free, fair, and responsive elections for the next decade.
News Clip
Pennsylvania’s lawmaker reimbursement rules are ‘ripe for abuse’
Those expense rules, highlighted in a series of stories by The Caucus and Spotlight PA over the past two years, have created “a culture of zero accountability,” Khalif Ali, executive director of Common Cause Pennsylvania, said during a recent Spotlight PA live event.
News Clip
Theft charges brought down a state lawmaker. But Pa.’s taxpayer-funded system for perks was already ripe for abuse.
Those expense rules, highlighted in a series of stories by The Caucus and Spotlight PA over the last two years, have created “a culture of zero accountability,” Khalif Ali, executive director of Common Cause Pennsylvania, said during a recent Spotlight PA live event.
News Clip
Redistricting reformers want changes to how political maps are drawn
After years of attempting to get lawmakers to change how state legislative and congressional districts are drawn, redistricting reform advocates had to drop attempts to have political maps drawn by an independent commission.
Press Release
Common Cause Pennsylvania Urges Fair, Transparent Redistricting Process Centered on ‘We the People’
Recommendations include ‘A final legislative district map shall not, when considered on a Statewide basis, unduly favor or disfavor any political party, candidate, or incumbent.’
News Clip
Hearings begin this week on Pennsylvania legislative, congressional redistricting
The first of the hearings in Harrisburg will be held at 2 p.m. Tuesday, and feature presentations from advocacy leaders and experts including Common Cause of Pennsylvania Executive Director Khalif Ali, Fair District PA Chair Carol Kuniholm and Temple University’s Lee Hachadoorian.