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John --
Okay, we’re the first to admit it—local and
state politics don’t have the flash of national politics. Want proof?
Look no further than CPAC. The annual conservative conference draws a lot of media
attention every year. But what is it exactly? Speeches, merch, some
straw polls, and…well, that’s about it. Pretty much describes 90% of
our national politics. Lots of hoopla, not much
work.
So while it’s not
the most showy route, Forward is focusing on the state and local
politics that are, quite frankly, where the real action is. Politics
are super personal when you get right down to it. They deal with
issues that directly impact people's lives, beliefs, and values.
Political decisions can affect a person's access to healthcare,
education, and employment opportunities, as well as their civil rights
and freedoms. Heavy stuff.
For example, just this week alone, issues being considered at
the state and local level around the country will determine whether
hundreds of new jobs will come to your community, whether you’ll pay higher taxes on food than on guns, whether you’ll get
access to legal weed, whether your favorite baseball team will stick around, and whether you’ll
secede from the union (ugh…🤦🏻♀️).
Anyway, you get the point. But here’s the
thing: some of these really impactful
public service roles aren’t even contested. Which means
really important decisions are being made by a
handful of people who are barely accountable to voters. At Forward,
we’re working really hard to
change that. We don’t get as much media love as we might like for it,
but that’s okay. The best work almost always gets done behind the
scenes by real people who care more about results than fanfare. Like
these awesome folks on the FWD Texas team…
We see
you. Thank you to ALL the Forwardists out there putting in the
work.
OTHER NEWS &
VIEWS
New bill would bring RCV to
Minnesota
A group of
Minnesota House and Senate Democrats are trying to make Minnesota the
third state in the nation to utilize ranked-choice voting. Sen. Kelly
Morrison, the chief author of the bill, which would require RCV for
all state and federal elections, says, “Ranked choice voting gives
voters great voice, choice, and power.” Authors of the bill also say
RCV can prevent costly and time-consuming runoff elections. Jeanne
Massey, the executive director of FairVote Minnesota, which has been
working for several years to bring RCV to the state, says RCV can
prevent hostility and division among candidates. “It also allows those
independent and minor third-party candidates to run without the
consequence of the 'spoiler dynamic' setting in,” she adds. —KARE
More ranked-choice voting
news:
Going backwards in
Tennessee?
The push toward
open primaries—in which voters don’t have to register with a
particular political party to vote in primaries—is growing across the
country. But in Tennessee, where open primaries currently allow voters
to choose either a Republican or Democratic ballot, Republican
lawmakers are trying to change that. Legislation introduced by Rep.
Clay Doggett would require voters to register with a political party
to vote in that party’s primary. Guy Cammilleri, a voting rights
advocate, says closing primaries in a solidly red state could lead to
more extreme candidates getting elected. The measure has passed its
first House committee. The Senate version hasn’t been scheduled for a
hearing. —WPLN
More open primaries
news:
Why it’s so hard to
run
“Longtime third-party
ballot-access expert and advocate Richard Winger has in the past
argued that only two states have sore-loser laws that explicitly and
definitely apply to presidential candidates: South Dakota and Texas.
Most of the others with potentially applicable laws, he has noted,
have allowed failed major-party candidates to appear elsewhere on the
general election ballot. … What a Harvard study seeks to add to the
debate is laws that would appear, on paper at least, to prevent
[candidates] from running third-party. That’s even if they are not
explicitly sore-loser laws, and even if they haven’t been applied to
presidential candidates in the past. … These realities include filing
deadlines that would be very difficult or impossible to meet.” —Aaron
Blake in The Washington Post
More 2024 candidate
news:
We have to work to keep our
democracy
“When asked
what sort of political system the Founding Fathers had agreed upon
during the Constitutional Convention of 1787, Benjamin Franklin
famously replied: ‘A republic, if you can keep it.’ While
acknowledging that the success of our government isn’t promised,
Franklin’s words serve as a reminder that citizens must work
relentlessly to maintain and protect what the Constitution provides.”
—Ray Block Jr, Andrene Wright & Mia Angelica Powell in The Conversation
State and local politics directly impact the
day-to-day lives of every American. From public safety and education
to transportation and infrastructure, statehouses and city halls
provide essential services, shape community development, and promote
citizen engagement. And that’s exactly where you’ll find
Forward.
All the
best,
The Forward Party Team
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