Renee Good’s killing and its aftermath sends a clear message: Oppose Trump’s policies at your peril.  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  
Donate
Brennan Center for Justice
 
Matt Chase
American government has entered a new and dangerous era of corruption, and this will be a central public issue going forward. A new Brennan Center paper lays out nine solutions to combat corruption. They include amending the Constitution to restore campaign finance limits, banning congressional stock trading, giving teeth to federal ethics rules, and barring big donations from government contractors. It’s the first in a series of policy agendas on issues including voting and representation, executive power, and the federal courts. These changes are essential to rebuilding public trust and strengthening democracy.
After an ICE officer fatally shot Renee Good in her car in Minneapolis, Vice President JD Vance and Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem accused her of “domestic terrorism” in the face of clear video evidence to the contrary. It’s the latest example of the administration’s misuse of the term to justify its actions and silence dissent. Months earlier, President Trump tried to redefine domestic terrorism to include anti-ICE protesters — something he has no legal authority to do. Now, Good’s killing has sent a clear message to Americans: Oppose Trump’s policies at your peril. It’s hard to imagine a greater affront to the First Amendment.
States enacted 31 laws restricting access to the ballot in 2025, one shy of the record set in 2021. They include new limits on mail voting, stricter voter ID rules, and expanded use of faulty data programs that risk removing eligible voters from the rolls. The latest edition of the State Voting Laws Roundup, coproduced by the Brennan Center and UC Berkeley’s Goldman School of Public Policy, examines trends behind last year’s voting legislation and highlights state voting bills to watch in 2026.
The Justice Department has sued more than 20 states and the District of Columbia for refusing to turn over their voter files, which include private information such as partial Social Security numbers. This unprecedented data grab amounts to a federal bid to usurp states’ constitutional power to run elections, and two courts have already blocked the DOJ’s demands. It’s one piece of the Trump administration’s broader campaign to undermine future elections.
The Supreme Court appears poised to deal another blow to fair representation this term. In the redistricting case Louisiana v. Callais, the justices are weighing whether to strike down a Voting Rights Act provision that protects against discriminatory maps. Doing so would extend a yearslong pattern of the Court altering fundamental election rules, often at the expense of voters of color.

 
BRENNAN CENTER ON SOCIAL MEDIA
The Supreme Court heard arguments Wednesday on whether the president can dismiss heads of independent agencies, like the Federal Reserve, despite a law that only allows removal for cause. The decision could have wide-ranging consequences for presidential power and the economy. Learn more on Instagram >>

 
 
Brennan Center for Justice at NYU School of Law
120 Broadway, Suite 1750, New York, NY 10271
646-292-8310
Want to change how you receive these emails or unsubscribe? Click here to update your preferences.
BlueSky Facebook threads Instagram TikTok LinkedIn YouTube Twitter Website