The American Democracy Minute Radio Report & Podcast for Nov. 23, 2023

Court Challenges to Trump’s Ballot Eligibility are Pending in 17 States.   Losses in Colorado & Michigan are Being Appealed.
A Colorado circuit court judge ruled that President Donald Trump DID “engage in insurrection,” but that the U.S. Constitution doesn’t specifically disqualify U.S. Presidents from holding office under the “insurrection clause.”   

Our podcasting host recently made changes which stops us from including our entire script as part of the podcast content.  To view the whole script, please go to our website and find today's report.

Today’s Links

Articles & Resources:
Democracy Docket - How the 14th Amendment Could Disqualify Trump and His Allies
Congress.Gov - Text of the Fourteenth Amendment Section 3 
PBS NewsHour/AP  - State courts to consider blocking Trump from 2024 ballot under the ‘insurrection’ clause
Associated Press - Colorado judge finds Trump engaged in insurrection, but rejects constitutional ballot challenge
Democracy Docket/Denver, CO Circuit Court -  Final Order
Colorado Newsline - Colorado Supreme Court schedules hearing in Trump 14th Amendment case
Minnesota Reformer - Minnesota Supreme Court dismisses petition to remove Trump from 2024 primary ballot
Michigan Advance - Group appeals ruling by Michigan judge keeping Trump on the 2024 ballot
ABC News - 14th Amendment challenges to Trump's candidacy are likely Supreme Court bound
Groups Taking Action:
Free Speech for People, Citizens for Responsibility & Ethics in Washington (CREW)

Please follow us on Facebook and Twitter and SHARE!  

Find all of our reports at AmericanDemocracyMinute.org

Want ADM sent to your email?  Sign up here!

#Democracy  #DemocracyNews #14thAmendment #InsurrectionClause #January6thInsurrection

The American Democracy Minute Radio Report & Podcast for Nov. 24, 2023

Brian is out today, and while this is a repeat of Aug. 15, 2023, two weeks ago, the language for Independent Redistricting Commission ballot initiative was greenlighted by the Ohio Ballot Board.

Ohio’s Politician-Led Redistricting Commission Failed.  Citizens Are Proposing a Citizen-Led Commission Instead.

With 70% of the vote in 2018, Ohio voters passed a constitutional amendment prohibiting partisan gerrymandering.  The state’s redistricting commission and legislature ignored it, and gerrymandered the voting district maps anyway.  Citizens are now trying to fix what the politicians won’t.

Our podcasting host recently made changes which stops us from including our entire script as part of the podcast content.  To view the whole script, please go to our website and find today's report.

Today’s Links

Articles & Resources:
Ohio Capital Journal - (2022) Public awaits more redistricting work, but new law gives court little leeway to force it
Ohio Capital Journal - (2022)  Discussions underway to propose new redistricting reform to Ohio voters
WOSU - Groups gathering signatures to get citizen-led statewide redistricting commission on the 2024 ballot
Ohio Redistricting Commission - What the Commission Does
Ohio Redistricting Commission - Public Comments
Michigan Independent Citizens Redistricting Commission - FAQ Page
California Independent Redistricting Commission - FAQ Page
BallotPedia - States with Redistricting Commissions

Groups Taking Action:

Common Cause Ohio, League of Women Voters OH, Fair Districts Ohio, Indivisible Central Ohio
Please follow us on Facebook and Twitter and SHARE!
Find all of our reports at AmericanDemocracyMinute.org
Want ADM sent to your email?  Sign up here!
#Democracy  #DemocracyNews #FairMaps #OhioPolitics

The American Democracy Minute Radio Report & Podcast for Nov. 23, 2023

Oral Arguments Heard by the Wisconsin Supreme Court on Constitutionality of the the State’s Extreme Gerrymandered Maps
After months of campaigning, intrigue, impeachment threats, and partisan hard ball, oral arguments were finally heard November 21st on the constitutionality of extreme gerrymanders in Wisconsin’s state assembly and senate maps.

Our podcasting host recently made changes which stops us from including our entire script as part of the podcast content.  To view the whole script, please go to our website and find today's report.

Today’s Links

Articles & Resources:
Wisconsin Examiner - Wisconsin Supreme Court hears oral arguments in case over political maps
The Guardian -  Wisconsin supreme court appears poised to strike down legislative maps and end Republican dominance
Democracy Docket - What Happened in the Wisconsin Supreme Court Redistricting Oral Argument
The Hill - Wisconsin Supreme Court hearing over redistricting case turns testy
Marquette Law - The balance of power in Wisconsin’s Assembly under alternative maps
ProPublica - Wisconsin’s Legislative Maps Are Bizarre, but Are They Illegal?
Princeton Gerrymandering Project - Wisconsin Assembly, Senate and Congressional Districts 

Groups Taking Action:
Wisconsin Fair Maps Coalition, Common Cause Wisconsin,  Represent.Us WI, Fair Elections Project 

Please follow us on Facebook and Twitter and SHARE!  

Find all of our reports at AmericanDemocracyMinute.org

Want ADM sent to your email?  Sign up here!

#Democracy  #DemocracyNews #FairMaps #WisconsinPolitics #EndGerrymandering

The American Democracy Minute Radio Report & Podcast for Nov. 22, 2023

Radical Federal Court of Appeals Ruling Deals Another Blow to Voters, Democracy Groups and the Voting Rights Act 
A Nov. 20th federal appeals court decision ruled that only the U.S. Attorney General can bring a voting rights lawsuit under the Voting Rights Act. The decision, a radical departure from settled law, erects barriers to minority voters seeking fairness in federal court.

Our podcasting host recently made changes which stops us from including our entire script as part of the podcast content.  To view the whole script, please go to our website and find today's report.

Today’s Links

Articles & Resources:
All About Redistricting -  Background on Arkansas State Conf. NAACP v. Arkansas Board of Apportionment
Democracy Docket - 8th Circuit Rules Private Plaintiffs Cannot Sue Under Section 2 of Voting Rights Act
United States Court of Appeals For the Eighth Circuit  - Arkansas State Conference NAACP v. Arkansas Board of Apportionment
Democracy Docket - Who Can and Cannot Sue To Protect Voters? It Depends on This Legal Concept
Politico -  Federal appeals court ruling threatens enforcement of the Voting Rights Act

Groups Taking Action:
NAACP Arkansas State Conference, NAACP Legal Defense Fund,  ACLU Arkansas, Arkansas Public Policy Panel,  ACLU

Please follow us on Facebook and Twitter and SHARE!  

Find all of our reports at AmericanDemocracyMinute.org

Want ADM sent to your email?  Sign up here!

#Democracy  #DemocracyNews #EndGerrymandering #VotingRightsAct  #SCOTUS #ArkansasPolitics

The American Democracy Minute Radio Report & Podcast for Nov. 21, 2023

Why was California’s Citizens Redistricting Commission Successful, While New York’s Commission Resulted in Gerrymandering & Court Cases?
While New York’s bipartisan redistricting commission struggled, the successful California Citizen Redistricting Commission maps were passed unanimously in 2021 with no litigation.  New York’s commission deadlocked, and was overruled by a Democratic-dominated legislature which drew its own gerrymandered maps. Those were later thrown out by the court, and the Congressional map is STILL being contested.

Our podcasting host recently made changes which stops us from including our entire script as part of the podcast content.  To view the whole script, please go to our website and find today's report.

Today’s Links

Articles & Resources:
New York Independent Redistricting Commission - Background on the Commission
Brennan Center for Justice - What Went Wrong with New York’s Redistricting
California Secretary of State - California Redistricting
California Citizen Redistricting Commission - What is the Commission?
California Citizen Redistricting Commission -  REPORT ON FINAL MAPS
CalMatters - No legal battles for California’s new election maps. But what lessons can be learned?
Princeton Gerrymandering Project - California

Groups Taking Action:
ACLU or Northern California, Common Cause, League of Women Voters CA, #CaliforniaPolitics

Please follow us on Facebook and Twitter and SHARE!  

Find all of our reports at AmericanDemocracyMinute.org

Want ADM sent to your email?  Sign up here!

#Democracy  #DemocracyNews #FairMaps #EndGerrymandering #CitizenRedistricting

The American Democracy Minute Radio Report & Podcast for Nov. 17, 2023

Will an Appeal Give New York’s Bipartisan Redistricting Committee Another Chance to Draw Fair Maps?
In 2014, a New York constitutional amendment created the New York Independent Redistricting Commission.  But the redistricting commission lacked both independence and authority, and the 2021 maps ended up in the legislature and ultimately the courts.  The Congressional map was in court again last week.

Our podcasting host recently made changes which stops us from including our entire script as part of the podcast content.  To view the whole script, please go to our website and find today's report.

Today’s Links

Articles & Resources:
Politico - New York court hears arguments to redraw the state’s congressional maps in 2024
Spectrum News - As New York redistricting maps again head to Court of Appeals, a recap of how we got here
Democracy Docket - Will New York Have A New Congressional Map For 2024?
Princeton Gerrymandering Project - Compare Different Versions Drawn by the Redistricting Commission, State Legislature & Special Master
FiveThirtyEight - Competitiveness of New York's Congressional Map
Brennan Center for Justice - What Went Wrong with New York’s Redistricting

Groups Taking Action:
Common Cause NY, League of Women Voters NY

Please follow us on Facebook and Twitter and SHARE!  

Find all of our reports at AmericanDemocracyMinute.org

Want ADM sent to your email?  Sign up here!

#Democracy  #DemocracyNews #FairMaps #EndGerrymandering #NewYorkPolitics

The American Democracy Minute Radio Report & Podcast for Nov. 17, 2023

Ranked Choice Voting Wins in Michigan Cities Blocked by State Law; Voter Choice Act RCV Bill Reintroduced in U.S. Senate
Voters in three Michigan cities approved ranked choice voting November 7th, but state law doesn’t yet allow it.   November 15th, the Voter Choice Act was reintroduced in the U.S. Senate, proposing matching funds for state and local governments to implement RCV.

Our podcasting host recently made changes which stops us from including our entire script as part of the podcast content.  To view the whole script, please go to our website and find today's report.

Today’s Links

Articles & Resources:
Michigan Advance - Three localities voted to adopt ranked choice voting. But additional roadblocks remain.
Bridge Michigan - Ranked-choice voting passed in three cities, but Michigan law prohibits it
NBC News - Following a big year, more states push ranked-choice voting
FairVote Action - VOTER CHOICE ACT REINTRODUCED IN CONGRESS
Represent.Us - Ranked Choice Voting, Explained
University of California Davis - Ranked-Choice Voting and Political Expression: How Voting Aids Narrow the Gap between Informed and Uninformed Citizens

Groups Taking Action:
Rank the Vote Michigan, FairVote, Represent.US

Please follow us on Facebook and Twitter and SHARE!  

Find all of our reports at AmericanDemocracyMinute.org

Want ADM sent to your email?  Sign up here!

#Democracy  #DemocracyNews #RCV #RankedChoiceVoting #MichiganPolitics #VoterChoiceAct

The American Democracy Minute Radio Report & Podcast for Nov. 16, 2023

While Some States Seek to Close Primaries, Nevada and Arizona Consider Open Primaries to Include Independent Voters and Offer More Choice 

Closed primaries keep independents, the fastest growing block of voters, from voting in a Republican or Democratic primary.  To include unaffiliated voters and offer all voters more choice, states like Nevada and Arizona are considering fully open primaries and “Top 5” races.

Our podcasting host recently made changes which stops us from including our entire script as part of the podcast content.  To view the whole script, please go to our website and find today's report.

Today’s Links

Articles & Resources:
National Conference of State Legislatures - State Primary Election Types
BallotPedia - Voter Registration by Party
League of Women Voters/Bangor Daily News - Maine is about to open party primaries to hundreds of thousands more voters
Axios - Arizonans may vote on three ballot measures on the future of primary elections
Sightline Institute - WHY ALASKA’S TOP-FOUR OPEN PRIMARIES ARE BETTER THAN TOP-TWO
Nevada Current - Alaska offers perspective for Nevadans pondering open primary/ranked choice voting reform
Open Primaries - Primary Rules in Your State

Groups Taking Action:
Open Primaries Maine, Open Primaries, Unite America, Vote Nevada, Yes on 3 NV,  Better Ballot AZ, Voter Choice AZ,  Alaskans for Better Elections

Please follow us on Facebook and Twitter and SHARE!  

Find all of our reports at AmericanDemocracyMinute.org

Want ADM sent to your email?  Sign up here!

#Democracy  #DemocracyNews #OpenPrimaries #FreedomtoVote 

The American Democracy Minute Radio Report & Podcast for Nov. 15, 2023
Fears of Crossover Voting Driving Party Activists to Close Primaries - But at the Expense of Silencing Independent Voters
This past year, party activists in several states proposed CLOSING their primaries to anyone not registered with that party. Why?  A fear of “crossover voting” to derail extreme candidates seems to be the short answer. 

Our podcasting host recently made changes which stops us from including our entire script as part of the podcast content.  To view the whole script, please go to our website and find today's report.

Today’s Links

Articles & Resources:
Politico - Open season on open primaries
NPR - The U.S. has a 'primary problem,' say advocates who call for new election systems
Ohio Capital Journal - Some lawmakers want to close Ohio primaries, claiming without evidence voters are gaming the system
InDepthNH - GOP Resolution Would Block 320,000 Undeclared NH Voters from Voting in Republican Primaries
Colorado Public Radio - Colorado Republicans reject rule change that would have made it easier to close GOP primary, leaving out unaffiliated voters
CBS News - "Crossover voting" in primaries in Wyoming is about to become more difficult
Wyoming Legislature - HB 103 - Political party affiliation declaration and changes
Bipartisan Policy Center - 2018 Primary Election Turnout and Reforms

Groups Taking Action:
Open Primaries, FairVote, Represent.Us, Unite America

Please follow us on Facebook and Twitter and SHARE!  

Find all of our reports at AmericanDemocracyMinute.org

Want ADM sent to your email?  Sign up here!

#Democracy  #DemocracyNews #IndependentVoters #CrossoverVoting

The American Democracy Minute Radio Report & Podcast for Nov. 13, 2023

Appeals Court (Finally) Finds Louisiana Congressional Map was Discriminatory; Orders New Maps to Be Drawn by January 15
After multiple appeals, Louisiana is close to getting fair Congressional maps for the 2024 election, after a November 10th appeals court decision directed the legislature to draw new maps by January 15th.  

Our podcasting host recently made changes which stops us from including our entire script as part of the podcast content.  To view the whole script, please go to our website and find today's report.

Today’s Links

Articles & Resources:
Democracy Docket -  Redistricting Lagniappe: The Fight for a Second Majority-Black District in Louisiana
Democracy Docket - Louisiana Voters Ask U.S. Supreme Court To Pause 5th Circuit Order Delaying Fair Maps
Democracy Docket - US Supreme Court Denies Petitioners in Louisiana Redistricting Case Emergency Relief
Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals Nov. 10, 2023 Decision - Robinson v. Ardoin
Office of the Governor - Statement from Governor Edwards on 5th Circuit Ordering A New Congressional Map
NPR - An appeals court sets a January deadline for a new Louisiana congressional map

NAACP Legal Defense Fund - Federal Court of Appeals Affirms Louisiana’s Congressional Map is Discriminatory

Groups Taking Action:
NAACP Legal Defense Fund, ACLU Louisiana,  Power Coalition for Equity and Justice

Please follow us on Facebook and Twitter and SHARE!  

Find all of our reports at AmericanDemocracyMinute.org

Want ADM sent to your email?  Sign up here!

#Democracy  #DemocracyNews #MajorityMinority #LouisianaPolitics #FairMaps #VotingRightsAct #EndGerrymandering