Opponents of the right to vote in Texas are moving quickly to enact voter suppression. Most alarming are the two omnibus bills that the state legislative leadership is pushing through: Senate Bill 7, which would effectively eliminate large voting centers and make it illegal to offer 24-hour and drive-through voting, and House Bill 6, which would limit the ability of election workers to protect voters against harassment and prohibit election officials from sending absentee ballot applications to voters who have not requested them. “Let’s not forget,” writes Myrna Pérez, “These efforts to restrict votes do not arise from a problem based in facts or reality.” // Read More

Last week, the Washington State Senate passed a bill that would restore voting rights to people with felony convictions who are on probation or parole. The bill now heads to Gov. Jay Inslee, who is expected to sign it. It’s a positive step forward toward racial justice in voting, Sean Morales-Doyle told the Fulcrum, as Black people are four times more likely to be incarcerated in Washington than people of other racial and ethnic backgrounds. // Fulcrum

Criminal trials are imperfect tests of evidence and stamina that unfold in an unrealistic world in which the defendant and the public are led to believe that judges and jurors are unbiased, writes Brennan Center Fellow Andrew Cohen. “It’s important to keep these low expectations in mind as you follow the murder trial of former police officer Derek Chauvin,” he writes. “The debate over policing in the wake of Floyd’s death will last beyond Chauvin’s trial and has already been shaped by what happened last May in Minneapolis.” // Read More

From inappropriate contacts with the Justice Department to politically motivated pardons to the president’s refusal to separate himself from his businesses, the Trump administration blatantly disregarded long-established guardrails. Trump-era excesses were unique, but prior administrations also committed serious abuses. It’s important that we shore up safeguards for the rule of law and ethical government, and the Protecting Our Democracy Act can be the first step. // Read More

In the last weeks of Donald Trump’s presidency, anxiety grew over what he might do to try to hold on to the White House. As it turned out, he wielded the power of an angry mob rather than the emergency authorities granted to the chief executive by Congress. But it would be unwise indeed to shudder in relief and move on. Invoking emergency powers would not have enabled all the actions people feared, but many of them give presidents tools that could be used to undermine democracy. The Protecting Our Democracy Act contains two important reforms — the first focusing on the National Emergencies Act, the other involving pre-drafted presidential emergency documents. Congress should move swiftly to enact these changes before the next storm hits. // Fulcrum

• VIRTUAL EVENT: Salon Series: Sisters in Hate with Author Seyward Darby
  Thursday, April 1 | 12:00 p.m.–1:00 p.m. ET
  After the election of Donald Trump, journalist Seyward Darby went looking for the women of the so-called “alt-right” — really just white nationalism with a new label. Join Darby and Brennan Center Liberty & National Security Program Codirector Faiza Patel for a conversation about Darby’s new book, Sisters in Hate. RSVP today.
  This event is produced in partnership with New York University’s John Brademas Center.
• VIRTUAL EVENT: Democracy in an Age of Mistrust: A Conversation with Ethan Zuckerman and Omar Wasow
  Thursday, April 8 | 12:00 p.m.–12:45 p.m. ET
  Americans and citizens of democracies worldwide are losing confidence in their institutions. How should we engage in public life when neither protests nor elections bring about lasting change? In Mistrust: Why Losing Faith in Institutions Provides the Tools to Transform Them, author Ethan Zuckerman explores how Americans can use their skepticism to resurrect, reform, or outright replace the institutions that no longer serve them. In conversation with Princeton political scientist Omar Wasow, he will offer a guide for new ways to participate in civic life. RSVP today.
  This event is produced in partnership with New York University’s John Brademas Center.
• VIRTUAL EVENT: Supreme Injustice: How a Conservative Court Will Reshape America
  Thursday, April 22 | 12:00 p.m.–12:45 p.m. ET
  Donald Trump’s legacy will live on for decades through the three justices he appointed to the Supreme Court. How will these justices use their power? In his new book, The Agenda: How a Republican Supreme Court Is Reshaping America, Ian Millhiser, a lawyer, senior Vox correspondent, and former federal appellate court clerk presents an unflinching view of an increasingly partisan court. In conversation with the New Republic’s Osita Nwanevu, Millhiser will discuss how the Court will shake the nature of American government. RSVP today.
  This event is produced in partnership with New York University’s John Brademas Center.

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• Alicia Bannon on remote court proceedings and the Derek Chauvin trial // USA Today
• Lauren-Brooke Eisen on Biden and police reform // ABA Journal
• Michael German on how law enforcement downplays racial and ethnic bias // Washington Post
• Rachel Levinson-Waldman on the Department of Homeland Security and social media monitoring // NBC News
• Michael Li on what to expect in the next redistricting cycle // Guardian
• Eliza Sweren-Becker on state voter suppression efforts // PBS NEWSHOUR
• Wendy Weiser on restrictive voting laws // Los Angeles Times