Weekly analysis and insight from Brennan Center experts
The Briefing
After threatening to press forward despite a Supreme Court loss, President Trump finally gave up on trying to add a citizenship question to the 2020 census. The administration now plans instead to obtain citizenship information using existing databases from other federal agencies – something already allowed under federal law.
The administration’s high-profile bid ultimately fell short, but it managed to exacerbate fears among immigrant communities about responding to the survey. “That damage will take a lot to undo,” writes Brennan Center Counsel Kelly Percival. “The administration should begin by broadcasting its commitment to following the laws that strictly protect the confidentiality of census data. And states and local governments can step up efforts to ensure their residents get counted, including through aggressive advertising campaigns to make sure that everyone knows the 2020 census will not include a citizenship question.”

 
Democracy
Florida Law Throws Wrench into Voter Rights Restoration
Floridians voted last fall overwhelmingly in favor of Amendment 4, which restored voting rights to up to 1.4 million people with certain past felony convictions who have completed their sentences. But last month, Gov. Ron DeSantis signed a bill that will deny the vote to returning citizens until they pay off all money they owe in connection with their convictions, including court costs, fines, fees, and restitution. However, no statewide database accurately tracks these costs. As a result, many who want to know whether they have outstanding financial obligations may not even know where to start. // Read More

 
The Constitution
Scientific Integrity Is Crumbling Under Trump
Federal scientists often face political pressure that undermines their research and their ability to share it with the public, according to a recent survey by the Union of Concerned Scientists. It found that scientists see political pressure as a major problem for their work, with more than 2,000 scientists pointing to political influence as the biggest barrier to science-based policymaking. “We need strong, serious checks in place to make sure scientists can do their jobs, and all of us can benefit from their work,” writes former New Jersey Gov. Christine Todd Whitman, who also serves as co-chair of the Brennan Center’s National Task Force on Rule of Law and Democracy. // The Hill

 
Coming Up
  • This week, the Brennan Center releases a paper analyzing federal funding needs for state election security.
  • Next week, former Special Counsel Robert Mueller is expected to testify on Capitol Hill about his investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 election.
  • Also next week, the Brennan Center releases a new report analyzing diversity trends in state supreme courts.

 
News
  • Rachel Levinson-Waldman on potential concerns with the NYPD's predictive policing software // Daily Beast
  • Michael Li on the implications of a gerrymandering case in North Carolina that opens this week // NPR
  • Lawrence Norden on the lack of transparency behind funding for voting-machine makers for North Carolina // AP
  • Tom Wolf on how the Trump administration responded to the Supreme Court’s ruling on the census citizenship question // Vice News
The Brennan Center for Justice at NYU School of Law is a nonpartisan law and policy institute that works to reform, revitalize – and when necessary defend – our country’s systems of democracy and justice.

 
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