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June 7 at 8pm ET
ELECTION REFORM
Oregon
Capital Chronicle: Efforts for
ranked-choice voting, STAR voting gaining progress in
Oregon
Efforts to change Oregon’s voting
system are on the move in the state Legislature and among citizen
groups trying to write laws at the ballot box. The House last week
voted mostly along party lines to approve House Bill 2004, Speaker Dan
Rayfield’s proposal to establish ranked-choice voting in statewide
elections beginning in 2028. The bill’s prospects in the Senate are
unclear as Republicans continue a walkout that prevents the Senate
from voting on any bills, but citizen groups have also launched
initiative campaigns for voters to make ranked-choice voting, or
another form that uses stars to rate candidates, the new
standard.
WDBJ:
Arlington County to use ranked choice voting in June
primary
Next month, ranked choice voting
will be used for the first time by a Virginia locality. The General
Assembly approved the method in 2020 for the election of county
supervisors and city council members. Arlington County is the first
locality to use it, for a primary June 20. In ranked choice voting,
voters don’t just choose their favorite. They can rank all the
candidates in a race. If no one receives more than 50% of the vote,
the candidate with the lowest number is eliminated, and their votes
are redistributed according to the voters’ preferences.
WREX:
Illinois lawmakers weigh using ranked choice voting
A new Illinois bill could be passed
that would create a task force to look into the options of a new type
of voting called Ranked Choice Voting. Ranked choice voting allows
those at the polls to vote for their elected leaders in order from
greatest to least. "It will help to prevent voters from 'wasting'
their votes on candidates that have already dropped out of the
election before election day," State Representative Maurice West
said.
Idaho
News: Ballot Initiative could end Idaho's
closed primary elections
A new measure may soon open state
primaries and allow ranked-choice voting in the state. Veterans for
Political Innovation member, Todd Achilles says the initiative will
dissolve a law passed back in 2012 that required Republican voters to
affiliate with the party in order to vote for their candidates. Under
this initiative, voters would be able to vote regardless of
party.
BI-PARTISAN ACCOUNTABILITY
CBS:
Attorney General Ken Paxton impeached in a bi-partisan
vote
According to the Associated Press,
Texas’ GOP-led House of Representatives impeached state Attorney
General Ken Paxton on Saturday on articles including bribery and abuse
of public trust, a sudden, historic rebuke of a fellow Republican who
rose to be a star of the conservative legal movement despite years of
scandal and alleged crimes.
CNN:
What to know about Ken Paxton, the impeached Texas attorney
general
The Texas House’s impeachment of
state Attorney General Ken Paxton on Saturday was the latest in a
string of legal woes that began shortly after the Republican was first
elected in 2014. Paxton is a conservative firebrand who has aligned
himself with former President Donald Trump. From his perch as Texas’
top prosecutor, he has led legal battles against former President
Barack Obama’s Affordable Care Act, the Deferred Action for Childhood
Arrivals program and more. He challenged the 2020 election’s results
in federal court, and in recent months has targeted Texas hospitals
for providing transition-related care for transgender
minors.
BIPARTISANSHIP WORKS
Phys:
New study quantifies the power of bipartisan coalitions
Political scientists from
Northwestern University, University of Virginia and Vanderbilt
University have analyzed more than 40 years of congressional data to
determine whether effective legislators more frequently adopt a
bipartisan or partisan approach to reaching their policy goals. The
researchers found that for both members of the House and Senate,
legislative effectiveness is heightened when members build bipartisan
coalitions around the bills they sponsor. This pattern holds over time
and for both majority and minority legislators.
CIVIC ENGAGEMENT
The Dominion Post:
EDITORIAL: Modeling civic engagement for the next
generation
You may have seen that in addition
to reading and math scores, the Nation's Report Card also noted a
decrease in students' history and civics scores. There's certainly an
argument for suggesting teaching less history (or less accurate
history) directly impacts students' understanding of civics, we would
also argue that the absence of civic engagement in students' real
lives makes it harder for them to understand what civics looks like in
the abstract. For too many people, civics begins and ends at voting
(and not enough people do that, either). Or worse—ranting on social
media. Not that there's anything wrong with voicing one's frustrations
with government—it is a First Amendment protected right, after all—but
metaphorically screaming into the void of the internet accomplishes
little. And yet this is the example we have set for our young people:
We sometimes show up for elections and post our complaints on Facebook
or Twitter.
Inside
Philanthropy: Philanthropy Needs to
Rethink Its Approach to Civic Engagement
What is civic engagement? According
to a dictionary definition, it means participating in one’s community
and connecting with others who share a common interest or space. That
is the definition of the term most nonprofits, academics, journalists,
scientists and government agencies use. In philanthropic circles,
“civic engagement” has become a loaded term, and many foundations
consider it “too political.” Much of the philanthropic sector
considers activities like volunteering, capacity-building and
community engagement to be something different, when they are, in
fact, part of a broad spectrum of civic engagement
activities.
Actions you can take right now to
help make a difference!
WATCH our newest advertisement, #DefaultDon,
calling out Donald Trump on all the ways he’s defaulted in life.
SIGN the petition pledging your support of the
recent removal of Tucker Carlson and reaffirm your commitment to the
truth!
SHOP our merch item of the week, our
limited edition #DefaultDon merch!
BRING a friend to one of our events! Your
unique recruiter link:
https://www.country1st.com/sandlot?recruiter_id=29853
Check out our Volunteer
Working Groups!
As a grassroots coalition, Country
First is dedicated to providing each member with the opportunity to
contribute to the success of the movement. National Volunteer Working
Groups (NVWG) are separated by interest and are aligned with one of
Country First’s key pillars.
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