The American Democracy Minute Radio Report & Podcast for Jan. 25, 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.

January 21st was the 14th anniversary of the U.S. Supreme Court’s Citizens United decision, which opened the floodgates of money in political campaigns.   In Iowa, New Hampshire and South Carolina, over $300 Million dollars has already been spent in just three early races. 

CNN reports that $77 Million dollars was spent in the New Hampshire Primary by SuperPACs, candidates and other political groups.   New Hampshire’s population is just 1.4 million people, and an estimated $55 dollars in advertising was spent for every man, woman and child, in the Granite State.   An estimated turnout of 410,000 voters calculates to $188.00 spent per Primary vote. 

Democracy group End Citizens United said over $11 Billion dollars has been spent in federal elections since the 2010 court decision.  Most spending in elections now comes not from candidates, but political action committees allied with them.  End Citizens United notes that 96% of outside, non-candidate spending has occurred since the Citizens United decision.  

In the early Republican races alone, NPR reports that Nikki Haley’s campaign spent $9.3 Million dollars.  Her SuperPAC and Koch-backed Americans for Prosperity Action spent $62.8 Million.  The DeSantis’ campaign and PACs spent a combined $60 Million dollars, and Trump a combined $54 million.  

We have more primary spending data and the groups taking action at  AmericanDemocracyMinute.org.  I’m Brian Beihl.

Today’s Links

Articles & Resources:
CNN –  New Hampshire ad spending tops $77 million as Haley and Trump fight to the finish
NPR – $300 million worth of ads have hit voters ahead of the first GOP primary contests
NH Secretary of State – SOS Predicts Presidential Primary Turnout
End Citizens United – End Citizens United Statement on the 14th Anniversary of Citizens United

Brennan Center for Justice – Citizens United Explained
Open Secrets – (2020) More money, less transparency: A decade under Citizens United

Groups Taking Action:
End Citizens United, Issue One, Open Democracy Action, Common Cause, Public Citizen, Equal Citizens

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#Democracy  #DemocracyNews #OverturnCitizensUnited #DarkMoneyOutVotersIn #EndBigMoney

The post By the 14th Anniversary of Citizens United, SuperPACs and Candidates Spent Over $300 Million in IA, NH & SC appeared first on American Democracy Minute.

The American Democracy Minute Radio Report & Podcast for July 20, 2023

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.

Tuesday, Democratic leaders of the U.S. House and Senate re-introduced the Freedom to Vote Act, the sweeping democracy reform bill narrowly defeated in the U.S. Senate in 2022.  

The GOP’s recently introduced American Confidence in Elections Act attempts to nationalize extreme state restrictions on voting.  In contrast, the Freedom to Vote Act dramatically expands and protects access to the polls.  It mandates two weeks of early voting nationwide for federal elections, creates national standards for access to mail-in absentee voting, and outlaws recently-enacted state voter suppression tactics.

Voter ID options would be expanded, and voting accessibility for the disabled required.  Opportunities for voter registration would include automatic voter registration at the DMV, online registration, and same-day registration. New rules would prevent partisan-driven purges of voter lists without adequate notification.

The Freedom to Vote Act also bans partisan gerrymandering, and with the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act, restores sections of the Voting Rights Act struck down by the U.S. Supreme Court.  Dark money organizations and PACs would be required to disclose their donors, and a voluntary small-donor matching campaign finance system for Congress would be established to reduce the hold of special interests.    

While the bill came close to passage in 2022, its prospects are dimmer this time with a divided House and Senate. 

We have many other details on the bill at AmericanDemocracyMinute.org.  I’m Brian Beihl.

Today’s Links

Articles & Resources:
Brennan Center for Justice – Summary: The Freedom to Vote Act

Brennan Center for Justice – Summary: The Many Problems with the GOP-Backed ACE Act Voting Bill
Democracy Docket – House and Senate Democrats Reintroduce the Freedom to Vote Act
U.S. Senate via Democracy Docket – Bill Text for the Freedom to Vote Act 
PBS – Press Conference of Reintroduction of the Freedom to Vote Act
Roll Call – Democrats respond to ‘MAGA extremists’ with rival election bill

Groups Taking Action:
Declaration for American Democracy Coalition*,  Common Cause, ACLU, Public Citizen, People for the American Way, League of Women Voters US *Coalition of 260+ groups

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Find all of our reports at AmericanDemocracyMinute.org

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#Democracy  #DemocracyNews #FreedomtoVote #VotingRights 

The post U.S. House & Senate Democrats Reintroduce the Freedom to Vote Act, But It Faces More Hurdles This Session appeared first on American Democracy Minute.