American Democracy Minute

The American Democracy Minute Radio Report & Podcast for June 27, 2024 The SCOTUS Majority is Bent on Dismantling the Voting Rights Act.  Lacking Federal Protection, Pro-Democracy States are Enacting State VRAs We reported recently on the impact of Shelby County v. Holder, the U.S. Supreme Court majority’s decision invalidating Section 5 of the 1965 Voting Rights Act.  Anticipating even more e...

The American Democracy Minute Radio Report & Podcast for June 25, 2024 Eleven Years After Shelby County v. Holder, Anti-Voter Legislatures are Stripping Voting Rights at an Alarming Rate June 25th is the anniversary of the Supreme Court’s infamous Shelby County v. Holder decision. It stripped federal oversight of states with a history of discrimination from the 1965 Voting Rights Act. Since th...

The American Democracy Minute Radio Report & Podcast for June 25, 2024 Fines Upheld for Alaska Pastor Using His Church Organization to Funnel “Free Speech” Money to Political Groups Trying Repeal Ranked Choice Voting Last year we reported on accusations of a pastor using his Alaskan church to funnel money to an anti-ranked choice voting group.  Most fines levied by the State of Alaska for not...

The American Democracy Minute Radio Report & Podcast for June 24, 2024 State Judge Throws Out Case Against Nevada Fake Electors Over Venue; AG Vows to Appeal A Nevada county judge threw out a case against the state’s six accused 2020 fake electors June 21st, not on the merits, but citing an inappropriate venue for the case.  The state attorney general vows to appeal. To view the whole script o...

The American Democracy Minute Radio Report & Podcast for June 21, 2024 What Voter Harassment & Intimidation Might We Face in 2024?    A New Report Shows Election Officials What to Look For, and How to Combat It A new report outlines the types of harassment and intimidation we might face in the 2024 elections, how to identify it, and legal remedies to address it.  It’s a report you should s...

The American Democracy Minute Radio Report & Podcast for June 20, 2024 Remaining Accused Fake Electors Arraigned in AZ; Preliminary Hearings Conclude for Six More in Michigan Following charges for Wisconsin’s alleged fake elector scheme organizers on June 4th, Arizona arraigned the last of the 18 involved in the scheme there.  Michigan completed preliminary hearings for six more alleged signer...

The American Democracy Minute Radio Report & Podcast for June 19, 2024 Pew Study Finds 85% of Americans Don’t Think Elected Officials Care About What People Like Them Think – Up 30% since 2000 A Pew Research Center report released in late April finds that Americans are frustrated with their federal government, and say that elected officials don’t care about what “people like them” think. Today...

The American Democracy Minute Radio Report & Podcast for June 18, 2024 The Feds Warned States to Harden Election Infrastructure. The U.S. House Appropriations Committee Just Eliminated the Election Security Grant Funding to Help States to Do It Yesterday, we reported on government warnings of foreign election interference by Russia and other actors.   But after years of GOP demands for “electi...

The American Democracy Minute Radio Report & Podcast for June 17, 2024 Brian is taking Father's Day off, but is rebroadcasting this report from April 22.  Tuesday's report will build on this one, as the U.S. House Appropriations committee shockingly and short-sightedly cut funding last week for election cybersecurity state grant funding.    FBI, CISA and ODNI Issue Guidance to Election Officia...

The American Democracy Minute Radio Report & Podcast for June 14, 2024 NH Voter Suppression Bill Eliminates Sworn Affidavits for Voter Registration, Demanding Citizenship Documents for Otherwise Qualified Voters. It Could Disenfranchise Thousands. A voter suppression bill aimed at students and younger voters in New Hampshire has moved forward in the state’s legislature.  It requires proof of c...

The American Democracy Minute Radio Report & Podcast for June 13, 2024 FL Voters Decide Nov. 5th Whether to Keep Their Small Donor Matching Program, or Turn Funding of Campaigns Over to Special Interests Amendment 6, a repeal of Florida’s public funding of elections option, faces voters on November 5th.  Such small donor matching systems help candidates outside the political machine structure...

The American Democracy Minute Radio Report & Podcast for June 12, 2024 More Mixed Messages from Trump and the RNC on Mail-In Voting:  ‘Swamp the Vote” vs. Swamp the Courts While new messaging from the Republican National Committee and former President Donald Trump encourages turnout by early, absentee or mail-in voting,  GOP lawyers in Nevada, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Mississippi,  and Oregon a...

The American Democracy Minute Radio Report & Podcast for June 11, 2024 North Carolina Senate Uses Anti-Masking Bill as Vehicle for Masking Dark-Money Political Donors Without a committee hearing, North Carolina Senate Republicans slipped a dark money amendment into an already controversial anti-mask bill. The amendment allows contributors to wash campaign donations through national political g...

The American Democracy Minute Radio Report & Podcast for June 10, 2024 Colorado Governor Signs Election Administration Bill with Amendment Neutralizing an Open Primary and RCV Initiative; Promises Future Action Colorado’s governor signed a bill June 6th implementing several election administration changes which local election officials supported.  But a late amendment may have neutralized an o...

The American Democracy Minute Radio Report & Podcast for June 6, 2024 Why Was Joe Biden’s Appearance on the Ohio Ballot in Question?  Partisan Politics, and Another Attempt to Derail Citizen Ballot Initiatives. Ohio has an Aug. 7th deadline for November’s candidate registration.  Problem is, Joe Biden wasn’t going to be nominated until the Democratic convention beginning Aug. 19th.   What’s an...

The American Democracy Minute Radio Report & Podcast for June 6, 2024 Wisconsin AG Files Forgery Charges Against Three Trump Alleged Fake Elector Organizers; No Charges Yet Against Signers Wisconsin’s attorney general announced felony forgery charges against three Trump fake elector scheme organizers on June 4th.  Wisconsin is the fifth state to bring criminal charges in the scheme to overturn...

The American Democracy Minute Radio Report & Podcast for June 5, 2024 After Raising the Bar to Prove Racial Gerrymandering in South Carolina Case, the U.S. Supreme Court Reopens a 2022 Arkansas Redistricting Case Is the U.S. Supreme Court aiming to take yet another chop at the 1965 Voting Rights Act?  An Arkansas redistricting case has been sent back to a lower court after last week’s new rule...

The American Democracy Minute Radio Report & Podcast for June 4, 2024 Kansas Supreme Court Rules There is No Natural Right to Vote for Kansas Citizens, Only a Political Right Subject to the Legislature’s Restrictions The Kansas Supreme Court issued a contentious narrow decision Friday, determining that Kansas citizens do not have a “natural right” to vote.  Instead, the majority ruled that cit...

The American Democracy Minute Radio Report & Podcast for June 3, 2024 Analysis of the U.S. Supreme Court’s South Carolina Gerrymandering Decision Finds Disturbing Guidance for Lower Courts We reported last week on U.S. Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito’s opinion in a South Carolina case, finding no racial gerrymandering when 30,000 Black voters were moved to dilute Black voting power in the s...

The American Democracy Minute Radio Report & Podcast for May 31, 2024 Galveston County, TX Racial Gerrymandering Case Could Weaken Voting Rights Act Protections for Mixed Minority Communities The U.S. Federal Court’s Fifth Circuit, known for its conservative and sometimes fringe rulings, recently reheard a case from Galveston County, Texas over whether a community of African Americans and Lati...

The American Democracy Minute Radio Report & Podcast for May 30, 2024 Gallup Polling Finds Americans Think a Major Third Party is Needed A poll by Gallup finds majority support for a major third party option among almost every segment of voters, ticking up to 63%  last fall.  This includes increases among Republicans and independents. To view the whole script of today’s report, please go to ou...

The American Democracy Minute Radio Report & Podcast for May 29, 2024 U.S. Supreme Court Finds South Carolina Gerrymandering Case ‘Bleaching’ Congressional District Not Racially Motivated Back in October 2023, U.S. Supreme Court justices heard oral arguments to determine whether redistricting by the South Carolina legislature was prohibited racial gerrymandering, or political gerrymandering, a...

The American Democracy Minute Radio Report & Podcast for May 27, 2024 On Memorial Day, Words from Legendary Campaign Finance Reformer, Doris “Granny D” Haddock On Memorial Day, an abridged portion of a speech at the U.S. Capitol by legendary campaign finance reformer Doris “Granny D” Haddock, the 90-year-old grandmother who walked across the U.S. to bring attention to campaign finance corrupti...

The American Democracy Minute Radio Report & Podcast for May 24, 2024 Twelve Arizona Fake Electors Arraigned; Trump Remains an Unindicted Co-Conspirator Eleven of 18 Arizona 2020 fake electors and Trump election lawyers were arraigned May 21st on nine felony counts after being indicted by a grand jury on April 26th.  Former President Trump was named an unindicted co-conspirator. To view the wh...

The American Democracy Minute Radio Report & Podcast for May 23, 2024 Minnesota Takes More Big Steps in Expanding and Protecting the Right to Vote, Including Passing the Minnesota Voting Rights Act May 17th, Minnesota Governor Tim Walz signed an omnibus democracy reform bill which included the Minnesota Voting Rights Act, on the heels of 2023’s Democracy for the People Act and restoring voting...