Monthly Archives: December 2015

The Wisconsin GAB is Dead: RIP

December 16, 2015, 10:20 amelection administration, The Voting WarsRick Hasen

So sad: Today, Governor Walker signed into law Assembly Bill 388, which eliminates the Government Accountability Board on June 30, 2016 and replaces it with two separate commissions to oversee the administration of elections and ethics. Kevin Kennedy, director… Continue reading

“Unorthodox Lawmaking, Unorthodox Rulemaking”

December 16, 2015, 9:19 amlegislation and legislatures, political parties, political polarizationRick Hasen

Gluck, O’Connell, and Po have posted this draft on SSRN (forthcoming, Columbia Law Review). Here is the abstract: The Schoolhouse Rock! cartoon version of the conventional legislative process is dead, if it was ever an accurate description in the first… Continue reading

“Legislative Dysfunction and Political Accountability”

December 16, 2015, 9:17 amlegislation and legislatures, political parties, political polarizationRick Hasen

Edward Stiglitz has posted this draft on SSRN. Here is the abstract: The inability of members of Congress to agree on legislation is arguably generating a slow motion crisis in our separation of powers system. Some legislative disagreements reflect genuine… Continue reading

“Riders on Party Spending Limits & Public Financing Left Out of Omnibus But Other Damaging Campaign Finance Riders Included”

December 16, 2015, 9:15 amcampaign finance, tax law and election lawRick Hasen

Fred Wertheimer statement. See also Fred’s comments in the update to this post.

“The 2000 Election: Lessons Learned and the Road Ahead for Voting in America”

December 16, 2015, 8:48 amBush v. Gore reflections, The Voting WarsRick Hasen

This looks to be a great event on Dec. 17 (RSVP): The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights and The NAACP Voter Fund present The 2000 Election: Lessons Learned and the Road Ahead for Voting in America… Continue reading

BIG: Campaign Finance Disclosure Efforts Dealt Severe Blow in Omnibus

December 16, 2015, 7:58 amcampaign finance, political parties, Supreme CourtRick Hasen

While campaign finance reformers were busy fighting off an attempt by Sen. McConnell to include a rider in the omnibus which would allow for unlimited coordinated party spending with candidates, three other very bad campaign finance provisions slipped into the… Continue reading

Bush v. Gore: 15 Years Later (ACS Video)

December 16, 2015, 7:43 amBush v. Gore reflections, Supreme CourtRick Hasen

Yesterday I participated in a panel sponsored by ACS regarding the 15th anniversary of Bush v. Gore, with Judith Browne Davis, Curt Levey, and Pam Karlan. Joan Biskupic moderated. It was a great substantive panel with a standing room only… Continue reading

“Robert Menendez Case Eligible for Appeal”

December 16, 2015, 7:33 ambribery, legislation and legislatures, Speech or Debate ClauseRick Hasen

AP: Senator Robert Menendez of New Jersey may appeal his indictment on corruption charges, based partly on his argument that some of the charges stem from routine legislative work protected by the Constitution. The United States Court of Appeals… Continue reading

“Stephen Carter: Time doesn’t heal wounds from Bush v. Gore”

December 16, 2015, 7:32 amBush v. Gore reflections, Supreme CourtRick Hasen

Oped.

“Donald Trump says there’s ‘no chance’ he’ll make a third-party bid”

December 16, 2015, 7:20 amballot access, campaignsRick Hasen

Yahoo News reports.

“The New Federal Analogy: Evenwel v. Abbott and the History of Congressional Apportionment”

December 16, 2015, 7:13 amredistricting, Supreme CourtRick Hasen

Thomas Berry has posted this draft on SSRN (forthcoming, NYU Journal of Law and Liberty). Here is the abstract: Since the 1964 case of Reynolds v. Sims, states have been constitutionally required under the Equal Protection Clause to draw their… Continue reading

“2 DAs back away from bid to revive probe into Walker campaign”

December 16, 2015, 7:08 amcampaign finance, chicaneryRick Hasen

Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel: Two of the five district attorneys involved in an investigation of Gov. Scott Walker’s campaign and conservative groups are walking away from an attempt to revive the probe that the state Supreme Court terminated this summer. In… Continue reading

“Analysis: Super PACs dominate airwaves in presidential contest”

December 16, 2015, 7:04 amcampaign finance, campaignsRick Hasen

Fredreka Schouten for USA Today.

Quote of the Day: Native Hawaiian Election Edition

December 16, 2015, 6:58 amvotingRick Hasen

“”I don’t know how anybody is supposed to take any of this seriously at this point….I mean, it has the integrity of a Costco membership.” —Native Hawaiian community advocate Trisha Keahaulani Watson-Sproat, quoted by AP, who has been a… Continue reading