American Democracy Minute

Sweeping Democracy Reform Package Passes Minnesota House Today’s Links Articles & Resources: Democracy Docket - (Some provisions noted in this article did not make the final version) Minnesota Lawmakers Introduce Omnibus Democracy for the People Act KSTP - Minnesota House of Representatives passes the Democracy for the People Act Common Dreams - Minnesota Dems Advance Bill to Ban Election Inte...

Voter ID Changes in Ohio, Indiana & Nebraska Make it More Complicated to Vote Today’s Links Articles & Resources: Spectrum News - New Ohio voter ID law raises discrimination concerns Ohio Capital Journal - New voter ID requirements put out-of-state college students “between a rock and a hard place” Dayton Daily News - With Ohio’s new voter ID law, here’s what you need to know in order to v...

More than a Minute - A Listener's Guide to the American Democracy Minute Today’s Links Articles & Resources: American Democracy Minute -  Our most recent reports American Democracy Minute -  Our Facebook Page - Follow us!  American Democracy Minute -  Twitter Feed - Follow us! American Democracy Minute -  Subscribe to the Podcast! You’re listening to the American Democracy Minute, keeping YOUR...

Conservative Legislatures Rush to Ban Ranked Choice Voting, Despite Its Popularity with Voters Today’s Links Articles & Resources: Alaska Public Media - Why Alaska uses ranked choice voting and what we know about how it affects elections Reason Magazine - Don't Blame Ranked Choice Voting. Sarah Palin Was a Bad Candidate. InForum - North Dakota Gov. Burgum vetoes bill to ban approval voting Ari...

Shasta County CA Votes to Hand Count Ballots for its 111,000 Voters.  Now They Have to Pay for It. Today’s Links Articles & Resources: The Guardian -  Far-right county throws out voting machines – with nothing to replace them Shasta County -  Voter Registration Statistics Reading Record Searchlight - Shasta supervisors elected with Dominion machines opt to hand-count ballots in local races Rea...

Arizona Gov. Katie Hobbs Vetoes Three Anti-Voter Bills  Today’s Links Articles & Resources: KOLD 13 News - Bill requiring all parts of Arizona election machines be made in US passes out of committee KTAR News - Arizona Gov. Katie Hobbs vetoes 3 election bills, including early voting list restriction Arizona Mirror - Hobbs vetoes election, abortion bills Democracy Docket - Arizona Governor Veto...

Despite Protasiewicz Win in Wisconsin, the Fight for Fair Maps Far from Over Today’s Links Articles & Resources: Capital Times - (2022)  Wisconsin Supreme Court adopts GOP-drawn legislative maps Capital Times - Liberal law firm to argue gerrymandering violates Wisconsin Constitution Wisconsin Law Journal - Lawsuit to challenge Wisconsin’s legislative maps to be filed Univ. of Wisconsin Law Sch...

An Interview with Crypto CEO Sam Bankman-Fried Shows How  Reported - And Unreported -- Money Funds Our Candidates This is a rebroadcast of December 15, 2022 Today’s Links Articles & Resources:  Journalist Tiffany Fong - Interview with former FTX CEO Sam Bankman-Fried (Campaign donation discussions at 13 minutes) CNBC - Former FTX CEO Sam Bankman-Fried hit with campaign finance complaint over G...

New Conspiracy Theory-Fueled Election Legislation in Texas Moves Forward Today’s Links Articles & Resources Democracy Docket -  Texas Senate Committee Advances Several Anti-Voting Bills Texas Legislature - SB 990 Texas Tribune - Many Texans’ votes are lost when they go to the wrong polling place. Counties see countywide vote centers as an answer. Texas Legislature - SB 1039 Houston Public Medi...

Historic Wisconsin Supreme Court Election Shifts the State Supreme Court & Could Impact Critical Issues - Including Gerrymandering Today’s Links Articles & Resources: Politico - Liberal judge Janet Protasiewicz won a seat on Wisconsin's state Supreme Court, flipping the body's ideological majority. Wisconsin Public Radio - In the political powder keg of 2011, Wisconsin redistricting passed...

Is the U.S. Supreme Court Where Challenges to Racial Gerrymandering Go to Die?  Today’s Links Articles & Resources: Associated Press - GOP map likely to hinder lone Democrat clears Kansas Senate Campaign Legal Center - CLC and ACLU Kansas Sue State Over Gerrymandered Congressional Map CNN - Supreme Court declines to hear Kansas racial gerrymandering case, leaves congressional map in force U.S....

New Mexico Passes Expansive Voting Rights Bill, Enhancing Voter Registration & Access  Today’s Links Articles & Resources: KOB4 News - New Mexico Voting Rights Act heads to governor’s desk Hobbs News/AP - Gov. Lujan Grisham signs New Mexico Voting Rights Act into law NM Legislature - HB 4 New Mexico Voting Rights Act Bill Language Office of Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham - Gov. Lujan Gris...

Judge Rules that Fox Lied About Dominion Voting Systems Being Linked to Fraud - Sends Case to Jury Trial Today’s Links Articles & Resources: The Hill - Judge sends Dominion’s $1.6 billion lawsuit against Fox News to trial Delaware Journal - Delaware judge rules $1.6 billion Fox News defamation case to head to trial in April Associated Press - Colorado’s Dominion Voting Systems says it’s losing...

Democracy Headlines from Alabama, North Carolina, Virginia, Wisconsin & Michigan Today’s Links Articles & Resources: Alabama Today - State Senate Committee advances election integrity bills Associated Press - N.C. board removes election officials who refused to certify Bolts Magazine - “Back to 1902”: Virginia Governor Revives Lifetime Ban on Voting Daily Telegram - Michigan Proposal 2 vot...

Arkansas Governor Signs More Absentee Ballot Restrictions, Including the Banning of Drop Boxes   Today’s Links Articles & Resources: FiveThirtyEight.com - Has Your State Made It Harder To Vote? Heritage Foundation - Three Cases of Voter Fraud Since 2002 Arkansas Legislature - HB 1411 - Banning the "Pre-emptive" Sending of Absentee Ballots Arkansas Legislature -  HB 258 - Eliminating Drop Boxes...

Shedding Light on Dark Money:  How NY, AZ & MN are Fighting Back Against the Influence of Anonymous Campaign Cash Today’s Links Articles & Resources: BallotPedia - Arizona Proposition 211, Campaign Finance Sources Disclosure Initiative (2022) Stop Dark Money AZ - Voters' Right to Know Initiative New York Assembly - S. 1101/A 776 LLC Disclosure Bill Democracy Docket - Minnesota’s Democracy...

Shedding Light on Dark Money:   How the Rich Use the LLC Loophole to Circumvent Personal Donation Limits Today’s Links Articles & Resources: NH Public Radio - Loophole and Connections Help Gatsas Raise Big Dollars for Governor's Race NH Secretary of State's Office - "Friends of Chris Sununu" 2018  Campaign Finance Report Seattle University School of Law - The (Dunkin') Donut Hole: Fixing the L...

Shedding Light on Dark Money: How LLCs Hide Political Donors, Especially in State Races Today’s Links Articles & Resources: Open Secrets - Dark Money Basics Brennan Center for Justice - Dark Money in the 2020 Election Issue One - What is Dark Money? Issue One - Dark Money & Super PACs National Conference of State Legislatures - Campaign Contribution Limits: Overview National Conference of...

Shedding Light on Dark Money:  How 501c Nonprofits are Exploited to Hide Political Donors Today’s Links Articles & Resources: Open Secrets - Dark Money Basics Brennan Center for Justice - Dark Money in the 2020 Election Issue One - What is Dark Money? Issue One - Dark Money & Super PACs Internal Revenue Service - Can a tax-exempt organization endorse candidates for public office? Internal...

It's Worse Than You Think:  Banks Spent Millions on Contributions & Lobbying to Both Parties, Just in the Last 2 Years  Today’s Links Articles & Resources: Open Secrets - 2021-22  Banking Sector Campaign Contributions Opens Secrets - 2021-22 Banking Sector Lobbying Expenses Open Secrets - Industry Profile: Commercial Banks Open Secrets - Top Recipients of Banking Sector Campaign Contributi...

The Granddaddy of Dark Money Groups - Americans for Prosperity - Goes After Arizona's New Dark Money Disclosure Act Today’s Links Articles & Resources: The New Yorker - A Rare Win in the Fight Against Dark Money Arizona Mirror - Claiming a First Amendment right to anonymity, lawsuit aims to strike down ‘dark money’ prop AZ Central - (Op-ed) Dark money groups now fighting Arizona's new disclosu...

The Stakes - and Campaign Spending - are High in April 4 Wisconsin Supreme Court Race Today’s Links Articles & Resources: Politico - The biggest election of 2023 reaches final sprint Wisconsin Politics - New independent expenditures push Supreme Court spending to nearly $30 million The Guardian - In Wisconsin’s supreme court race, a super-rich beer family calls the shots NBC News - Everytown l...

New Laws in Idaho & Wyoming Target Student Voters, Primary 'Crossover' Voters Today’s Links Articles & Resources: Idaho Statesman - Idaho lawmakers move forward with bills limiting ways to vote. Students push back Idaho Legislature - HB 124 Democracy Docket - Idaho Removes Student IDs from List of Acceptable Voter ID Democracy Docket - March For Our Lives Sues Idaho Over New Voter Suppress...

Apologies for the rerun! We were hit by the nor’easter snowstorm which knocked out our power for a couple days. We successfully got our radio pieces up before the storm, but didn’t get the podcasts up in time. Thanks for your patience! New report Sunday 3/19. ------------- Cities & Counties Also Get Gerrymandered; California Citizens are Fighting Back Today’s Links Articles & Resources: Ca...

The Tuesday & Wednesday nor'easter knocked out our power, so apologies for the late posting! Ranked Choice Voting May Have a Breakout Year in 2023 with Bills Proposed in 9 States  Today’s Links Articles & Resources: Try Out Ranked Choice Voting - Election: Practice Ranked-Choice Voting: Favorite Alaska Wild Animal NBC News - Following a big year, more states push ranked-choice voting  CT M...