Category Archives: legislation and legislatures

“For Freshmen in the House, Seats of Plenty”

August 11, 2013, 4:24 pmcampaign finance, conflict of interest laws, legislation and legislatures, lobbyingRick Hasen

NYT: With so many lawmakers clamoring to be on the Financial Services Committee, it has grown to 61 members from 44 since 1980, forcing the installation of four tiered rows of seats in the Rayburn House Office Building — with… Continue reading

“How McConnell’s Woes Could Blow Up Washington”

August 9, 2013, 9:04 amlegislation and legislatures, political parties, political polarizationRick Hasen

Josh Marshall with the key takeaway point from the McConnell controversy and the primary season. I’d only add that in the general election, McConnell could be blamed by voters in the middle for failing to avert a government shutdown (for… Continue reading

House Passes Bill (REINS Act) Requiring Every Significant Piece of Economic Regulation to Be Approved by Congress

August 8, 2013, 12:04 pmlegislation and legislatures, political parties, political polarizationRick Hasen

Commentary here. That’s a way to bring the rest of the government to a screeching halt, no?

Litigation Anticipated on NC Voting Changes

August 5, 2013, 7:26 amlegislation and legislatures, voter id, voter registrationDan Tokaji

The Charlotte Observer has this report on lawsuits anticipated after North Carolina’s Republican Governor Pat McCrory signs a sweeping election bill, as he’s expected to do later this month. Meanwhile, the Triangle Business Journal reports here on Democratic Attorney General… Continue reading

“Congress: Divided, discourteous _ taking a break”

August 3, 2013, 10:43 amlegislation and legislatures, political parties, political polarizationRick Hasen

AP’s David Espo: “The accomplishments are few, the chaos plentiful in the 113th Congress, a discourteous model of divided government now beginning a five-week break.” More: Legislation linking interest rates on student loans to the marketplace passed, and, too,… Continue reading

“Judging the (un)productivity of the 113th Congress”

August 2, 2013, 8:09 pmlegislation and legislatures, political parties, political polarizationRick Hasen

WaPo reports.

“Leahy Eyes ‘Nuclear Option’ Threat to Confirm Judges”

August 2, 2013, 11:13 amlegislation and legislatures, political parties, political polarizationRick Hasen

Roll Call reports.

“The Obligation of Members of Congress to Consider Constitutionality While Deliberating and Voting: The Deficiencies of House Rule XII and a Proposed Rule for the United States Senate”

August 2, 2013, 9:01 amlegislation and legislaturesRick Hasen

Former Senator Russ Feingold has posted this draft on SSRN. Here is the abstract: Most scholarly attention on constitutional interpretation is focused on the judicial branch and the role of the judiciary in our system of separation of powers. Nonetheless… Continue reading

“Saboteurs in the Potato Salad”

August 2, 2013, 8:48 amcampaigns, legislation and legislatures, political parties, political polarizationRick Hasen

Tim Egan: Just now, a cell of several hundred people has been dispatched into the American summer, to picnics, town halls, radio stations, hospitals and Little League playing fields, with a mission to derail the economic recovery and drum up… Continue reading