Blog
CLC Analysis of Efficiency Gaps in Proposed North Carolina Maps Indicate Large Partisan Bias
Aug 24, 2017Campaign Legal Center (CLC) has conducted an analysis on the likely partisan implications of each plan and summarized that analysis in a memo released today. The goal is to provide a service that is helpful to the committees and the public in understanding the likely effects of the proposed plans.
Icahn’s White House Exit Shows How Business Conflicts Impede Trust in Government
Aug 23, 2017Since public service is a public trust, the effectiveness of government employees depends on the perception that public policy is being formulated in the public interest. When senators demanded an investigation into Icahn’s company biofuels trades in May, concerns were raised about Icahn’s ability to serve as an unbiased arbiter of public policy.
Charlottesville Proves Why Congress Must Urgently Restore the VRA
Aug 18, 2017If Members of Congress want to demonstrate their commitment to equality in the face of hate, they must restore the full protections of the Voting Rights Act. We will only conquer the scourge of hatred and racism when all of our citizens have equal opportunities in this country and that begins at the ballot box.
Participation in Tuesday’s Elections in Alabama a ‘Beautiful Experience’ for First-Time Voter
Aug 18, 2017Willie G., a 37-year resident of Birmingham, Alabama, voted for the first time this Tuesday and called it a beautiful experience and an opportunity to “feel like somebody.” Willie, age 69, works as a roofer and painter, and served a 10-year sentence in the state penitentiary from 1981-1991 on nonviolent drug charges.
Major Policy Reversals by DOJ Sends Chilling Message at a Critical Time for our Democracy
Aug 14, 2017While it is not unprecedented for DOJ to reconsider litigation and policy positions when administrations change, the reversals we are witnessing lately are stark – and send a chilling message to communities that have had to fight hard for equal access to our democracy.
Reporters Should Focus on Ethical Norms, not just Legal Violations
Aug 1, 2017Walt Shaub delivered a speech at the National Press Club which was carried live on C-SPAN about government ethics, imploring reporters to focus on ethical norms and the erosion of ethics practices that have been commonplace over decades, regardless of the party of the administration in power.
Kobach’s “Election Integrity” Commission Is Founded on a Big Lie to the American Public
Jul 7, 2017*This article originally ran on Take Care Blog.
The backlash against Kansas Secretary of State Kris Kobach should have been expected. The so-called “election integrity commission” (dubbed by President Trump as the “very distinguished VOTER FRAUD PANEL”) has been a partisan driven effort to undermine our democracy from the start and is showing its true colors.Last week, Kobach, chair of the commission, sent a request to all 50 states to hand over their voter files within two weeks. While the letter limited the request to “publicly available” data, it asked for sensitive information including the last four digits of social security numbers.
No, Department of Justice: a Law Designed to Discriminate Against Minority Voters Should Not Remain on the Books
Jul 7, 2017This spring, the district court held, for a second time, that Texas’s strict photo ID law (SB 14) was written with the purpose of burdening minority voters. The next step is clear: SB 14 must be struck in its entirety.
Supreme Court to Hear Arguments in CLC’s Landmark Partisan Gerrymandering Case
Jun 19, 2017Today, the U.S. Supreme Court took another step toward safeguarding the fundamental right of all Americans to have their vote count by announcing it would hear oral arguments in Gill v. Whitford, a case challenging Wisconsin’s State Assembly districts as an extreme partisan gerrymander.
A Red Herring on Public Financing
Jun 14, 2017Public financing systems reduce corruption, increase participation in elections and produces higher quality candidates.