The American Democracy Minute Radio Report & Podcast for Nov. 21, 2024

Today’s Script

(Variations occur with audio due to editing for time. Today’s Links below the script)

You’re listening to the American Democracy Minute, keeping YOUR government by and for the people.

A 2020 Alaska ballot initiative took steps to shine a light on dark money campaign funding. The U.S. Supreme Court just turned down a challenge to that law, and it may be good news for an expected case in Maine.

Alaska voters approved Ballot Measure 2 in 2020, which in addition to implementing open primaries and ranked choice voting, also took steps to disclose dark money funding of campaigns and ballot measures.

It requires candidates and ballot measure organizers to disclose the “true source” of funding for any contribution over $2,000 within 24 hours, limiting the ability of donors using 501c nonprofits and other entities to hide their identities.  For any group whose funding is 50% from out of state, a disclaimer must be added for all communications, including advertising. 

Claiming a violation of First Amendment rights, several groups and contributors sued, but November 18th, the U.S. Supreme Court turned down the case without comment. Great news for voters, and it also could bode well for Maine’s recently passed Question 1, limiting contributions to SuperPACs to $5,000 and requiring disclosure of those donations.  Organizers of that initiative expect it will be challenged, and think the U.S. Supreme Court majority could uphold a state’s power to regulate campaign finance contributions.

We have links to more at AmericanDemocracyMinute.org. I’m Brian Beihl.

Today’s Links

Articles & Resources:
Alaskans for Better Elections – Greater Transparency in Campaign Financing
BallotPedia – Alaska Ballot Measure 2, Top-Four Ranked-Choice Voting and Campaign Finance Laws Initiative (2020)
U.S. Supreme Court – Appeal Request

Alaska Beacon – U.S. Supreme Court may consider Alaska’s ‘dark money’ disclosure rules
Anchorage Daily News – US Supreme Court rejects challenge to Alaska campaign disclosure rules approved by voters in 2020
Associated Press – A voter-approved Maine limit on PAC contributions sets the stage for a legal challenge

Groups Taking Action:

Alaskans for Better Elections, Maine Citizens to End SuperPACs

Register or Check Your Voter Registration:

U.S. Election Assistance Commission – Register And Vote in Your State

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#Democracy  #DemocracyNews #Alaska #Maine #Dark Money #EndCitizensUnited #SCOTUS

The post SCOTUS Turns Down Case Challenging Alaska’s Dark Money Disclosure Law. Great News for Voters and a Possibly a Future Case in Maine. appeared first on American Democracy Minute.

The American Democracy Minute Radio Report & Podcast for June 28, 2023

Today’s Script

(Variations occur with audio due to editing for time) 

Today’s Links now below the script

You’re listening to the American Democracy Minute, keeping YOUR government by and for the people.

New Hampshire’s former Secretary of State once said, “You can’t hack a pencil.”  That 19th century philosophy resulted in the Granite State falling behind most of the country in its voting technology and election law.  Last week, it got worse, not better.

As the end of the 2023 session drew near, a House and Senate Committee worked to hash out differences on Senate Bill 70, a proposed “online portal” for citizens to submit documents and register to vote. Any registrations would be reviewed by local town election officials before approval.  According to the National Conference of State Legislatures, 42 states provide online voter registration. 

The New Hampshire Bulletin reports that the House Election Law committee had earlier amended the portal bill to include replacement of the state’s vintage 1980s ballot tabulation machines using federal grant money, opposed by Senate leaders.  Infighting ensued, and the online portal bill failed – again.

What did pass was nothing to celebrate.  Buried in New Hampshire’s recently-passed budget was an amendment eliminating limits on money which could be donated directly to a candidate by political action committees, limited liability corporations and 501c nonprofits.  Party leaders argue that mandatory reporting of those transactions makes it transparent, but LLCs and nonprofits are not required to disclose donors, keeping citizens in the dark on who is buying influence in THEIR state house.  
We have articles and groups taking action at AmericanDemocracyMinute.org. I’m Brian Beihl.

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Today’s Links

Articles & Resources:
New Hampshire Bulletin – Online voter registration bill fails after lawmaker infighting
NH Union Leader – Election reform ‘marriage’ ends in divorce
National Conference of State Legislatures – Online Voter Registration
New Hampshire Bulletin – The budget removes limits on campaign donations. Not all are thrilled.
NH General Court (Legislature) – SB 70 as Amended by the NH House

Groups Taking Action:
Open Democracy Action,  New Hampshire Campaign for Voting Rights, League of Women Voters NH

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Find all of our reports at AmericanDemocracyMinute.org

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#Democracy  #DemocracyNews #FreedomtoVote #NHPolitics

The post In Another Step Backwards, New Hampshire Legislators Kill Online Voter Registration & Remove Limits on Political Group Donations to Candidates appeared first on American Democracy Minute.

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

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 Revenue Service – A History of the Tax-Exempt Sector: An SOI Perspective
Citizens for Responsibility & Ethics in Washington (CREW) – The IRS is not enforcing the law on political nonprofit disclosure violations 

Groups Taking Action 

End Citizens United, Common Cause, Issue One, Public Citizen, Free Speech for People, People for the American Way

Today’s Script:  (Variations occur with audio due to editing for time)

You’re listening to the American Democracy Minute, keeping YOUR government by and for the people.

We’re starting a series explaining Dark Money, starting with “charitable” & “social welfare” 501c3 groups.  Most of these groups do great work and don’t engage in sketchy political activity.  But the tax code has been exploited by Conservative and Liberal political operatives to keep YOU from seeing who is influencing elections.  

Section 501c of the Internal Revenue Code defines these groups.  It includes 501c(3) religious, charitable, scientific or educational groups, which can’t take positions on candidates.  But while politics can’t be the “PRIMARY activity” for 501c(4) “social welfare” groups, the rules allow up to 49.9% to be political.   That also applies to 501c(5) trade unions, and 501c(6) trade associations.  None of these groups are federally required to disclose who contributes to them, and worse, the IRS has virtually stopped enforcing the rules, so abuse goes largely unchecked.  

In particular, the 501c4s have been exploited to take in and spend huge donations from anonymous politically-motivated donors, often used on negative television ads.  Technically, 501c4 groups CAN back candidates, but lately, more of their Dark Money has been funneled to Political Action Committees and SuperPACs, which only have to disclose a name like“Americans for Sweetness & Light” and keep YOU in the dark.

Next time, we’ll talk about using Limited Liability and shell corporations for hiding Dark Money donors.   We have detailed explainers and resources at AmericanDemocracyMinute.org.  I’m Brian Beihl.

Remember to Follow us on Facebook and Twitter!  

#Democracy  #DemocracyNews

The post Shedding Light on Dark Money:  How 501c Nonprofits are Exploited to Hide Political Donors appeared first on American Democracy Minute.

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

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 disclosure law. Shocker.
Open Secrets – ‘Dark money’ groups aligned with party leadership steer hundreds of millions of dollars into 2022 federal elections
Open Secrets – Reports on Americans for Prosperity
Brennan Center for Justice – Explainer on Dark Money

Groups Taking Action
Voters Right to Know,  Stop Dark Money, Issue One, Campaign Legal Center,

Today’s Script:  (Variations occur with audio due to editing for time)
Remember last fall when Arizona voters approved a citizen ballot initiative requiring disclosure of donors to Dark Money groups?   The granddaddy of Dark Money groups is now suing to overturn it:  Americans for Prosperity.

The Proposition 211 Voters’ Right to Know Act made it to the ballot last November, and 72% of the Arizona voters approved it.  It requires any person or entity spending $50,000 or more on a statewide campaign, or $25,000 on a local campaign, to disclose any original donor source over $5,000 dollars.

The Arizona Mirror reports that groups opposed to the measure, the Arizona Free Enterprise Club and the Center for Arizona Policy, filed a state suit in December, claiming it, quote, “… violates Arizonans’ right to speak freely by chilling donors from supporting causes they believe in and wish to support, lest their charitable giving become public knowledge.”

Last week, the granddaddy of Dark Money, the Koch-backed Americans for Prosperity, filed a lawsuit of its own, this time a federal lawsuit, claiming that Prop 211 violates the First Amendment right to free speech by disclosing contributions made by donors to nonprofits. 

Dark Money entities include 501c nonprofits and Limited Liability Corporations,  and OpenSecrets.org estimates $295 Million dollars was spent by these groups influencing the 2022 midterms – that we know of.

We have articles and groups taking action at AmericanDemocracyMinute.org,   I’m Brian Beihl.

Remember to Follow us on Facebook and Twitter!  

#Democracy #DemocracyNews

The post <strong>The Granddaddy of Dark Money Groups – Americans for Prosperity – Goes After Arizona’s New Dark Money Disclosure Act</strong> appeared first on American Democracy Minute.