GOP ACE Act has provisions to limit voting and encourage dark money

https://www.huffpost.com/entry/house-republican-election-bill-ace-act_n_64aff5a3e4b07bb333965076

This op-ed writer says ACT Act would:

• Ban third party ballot collection
• Impose new voter ID requirements on states
• Ban 501(c)(4) disclosure
• Raise from $5K to $50K the threshold for requiring nonprofits to register
• Increase contribution limits
• Completely rewrite DC's local election laws with no input from residents/voters.

Charlie Cooper

Justices use staff too support lucrative book deals

https://www.nytimes.com/2023/07/27/us/politics/supreme-court-justices-book-deals.html  

Charlie Cooper

PODA Act reintroduced

https://schiff.house.gov/news/press-releases/rep-schiff-introduces-landmark-bill-to-strengthen-and-protect-our-democracy

This bill is worth analyzing and possibly presenting to For the People -- Maryland for endorsement.

Charlie Cooper

Dems introduce Freedom to Vote Act in 118th Congress

https://rollcall.com/2023/07/20/democrats-rally-around-election-proposal-as-counterpoint-to-gop-plan/

Dems held press conference and touted the benefits of the bill to expand voting rights in federal elections, ban gerrymandering, and limit dark money. Dems say that Republican ACE bill, which may pass the House would limit opportunities to vote in order to skew elections toward the GOP.

Charlie Cooper

Judiciary Committee reports Whitehouse SCOTUS ethics bill out to Senate floor

https://www.marylandmatters.org/2023/07/21/ethics-rules-for-supreme-court-justices-approved-on-party-line-vote-by-u-s-senate-panel/?eType=EmailBlastContent&eId=e7df8173-7f38-4fb0-9c97-e15df376addb

Here is an account of the Senate Judiciary Committee markup of the Supreme Court Ethics, Recusal, and Transparency Act authored by Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse (D, RI). Republicans were unanimous in their condemnation of the bill, calling it an attack on the justices because of their conservative views.

[GMOM Board member Tina Coplan and I attended the session. The article does not begin to describe how hyperpartisan and ridiculous some of the senators' statements were. Republicans senators completely ignored the obvious ethical lapses by justices who benefit by association with billionaire donors.]

Charlie Cooper

New survey on opinions about the Supreme Court

https://navigatorresearch.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/Navigator-Update-07.18.2023.pdf?emci=6ac7c570-bb24-ee11-a9bb-00224832eb73&emdi=736558be-4f25-ee11-a9bb-00224832eb73&ceid=1537598

As of July 2023.

Charlie Cooper

Could National Popular Vote Interstate Compact backfire on Dems?

https://www.latimes.com/politics/newsletter/2023-07-14/democrats-despise-the-electoral-college-perhaps-they-should-get-over-that-essential-politics

LA Times editor poses scenarios where Dems lose the national popular vote but win the Electoral College. He also argues that Dems should gerrymander where they have an advantage.

Charlie Cooper