Press Release
Common Cause Pennsylvania: Election Night is Not Results Night
As voters head to the polls, Common Cause Pennsylvania is reminding voters that it may take days for election officials to finalize results.
Press
Media Contacts
Katie Scally
Director of communications
kscally@commoncause.org
(408) 205-1257
Press Release
TODAY: Common Cause Pennsylvania to Testify in Favor of State Legislative Map Changes to Fairly Represent the Growing Diversity of State’s Population
The Pennsylvania Legislative Reapportionment Commission will meet today to hold a fourth hearing on the proposed maps for the State House and Senate districts. The public is invited to provide testimony, during which Common Cause Pennsylvania will advocate for changes to the proposed maps that provide equal voting power to everyone in the commonwealth, regardless of race, ethnicity, or zip code.
Press Release
Khalif Ali Joins Plaintiffs Calling for Fair Maps
On December 31, 2021, Common Cause PA's Executive Director Khalif Ali joined plaintiffs from across the state in filing an Application to Intervene in the ongoing congressional redistricting litigation currently before the Commonwealth Court.
Press Release
Pennsylvania voters file application to intervene in congressional redistricting case, seeking to ensure a fair map
Today, a group of Pennsylvania voters who have demonstrated a longstanding commitment to free and equal elections have filed an application to intervene in the cases.
News Clip
‘Glaring giant loophole: Philly Council members have to report who pays them, but not their spouses
“Instead of giving favors or gifts directly to a candidate, there’s an opportunity to give those things to a person the elected official cares about,” said Khalif Ali, executive director of the good government group Common Cause PA. “That’s what I call a potential loophole.”
News Clip
Pennsylvania redistricting: New proposed maps for state House, Senate districts released
“We are particularly concerned with ensuring that Pennsylvania communities are protected and that all Pennsylvanians, but especially Black, Latinx, Asian, Pacific Islander, and other voters of color have an equal opportunity to elect a candidate of their choice,” said Khalif Ali, executive director of Common Cause Pennsylvania.
Press Release
Legislative Redistricting Committee Approves Preliminary State Legislative Maps
While we appreciate the thoughtful and careful approach that the LRC has taken to craft Pennsylvania’s maps, the preliminary maps approved today are only the first step in securing a fair, transparent, and participatory redistricting process.
News Clip
City Council will debate limits on outside employment in wake of Bobby Henon’s bribery conviction
Khalif Ali, executive director of Common Cause Pennsylvania — a nonprofit that advocates for government accountability — said at Monday’s news conference that he’s concerned about diminishing confidence in democracy.
“We cannot our legislators to forget about the verdict and what happened in Philadelphia,” he said. “We needed to enact these laws yesterday.”
“We cannot our legislators to forget about the verdict and what happened in Philadelphia,” he said. “We needed to enact these laws yesterday.”
News Clip
3 reforms to prevent another Bobby Henon-Johnny Doc debacle
In the wake of the last massive City Hall scandal in the early 2000s, a wave of reforms followed, including restrictions on pay-to-play contracting, campaign finance limits, lobbying disclosure, and ethics oversight. But as this trial made clear, glaring vulnerabilities remain. To move forward, Philadelphia and Pennsylvania should start with reforms in three key areas.
News Clip
Republican changes TV attack ad in Pa. Supreme Court race after criticism
The controversy over the ad underscores how Pennsylvania’s partisan judicial elections can be just as contentious as campaigns for any other office.
News Clip
How Allegheny County judicial campaigns raised more than $2M in 2021
Khalif Ali, the director of the good government group Common Cause Pennsylvania, said of the self-funded campaigns that “the most glaring problem is the fact that not everyone can do that.”
“The judge that can fund his or her own campaign with $100,000 or more certainly doesn’t understand or can empathize with the story of someone who has lived in poverty their entire life,” he said. “There could be a struggle to represent the interest of someone in poverty.”
“The judge that can fund his or her own campaign with $100,000 or more certainly doesn’t understand or can empathize with the story of someone who has lived in poverty their entire life,” he said. “There could be a struggle to represent the interest of someone in poverty.”
News Clip
Request to join Pa. election lawsuit gets a day in court, Senate GOP lawmakers respond to challenge
If the subpoena is approved, Griffin, Robinson, and Khalif Ali, executive director of Common Cause Pennsylvania, said their respective groups would have to shift resources to educate voters on security and what to do if their information is compromised.
Press Release
Voters Tell State Judge That They Should Be Able to Join AG’s Lawsuit Over Release of Personal Data to PA Senators
Eight voters and three community organizations took their argument to Commonwealth Court today in their effort to join a lawsuit challenging a subpoena issued by a state Senate committee to the Department of State seeking the personally identifying information of the approximately nine million registered voters in Pennsylvania.