Monthly Archives: December 2023

Lawyers’ Committee files amicus in Murthy v. Missouri

December 23, 2023, 7:47 amUncategorizedcontent moderation, disinformationSpencer Overton

From the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law: Washington, DC – Today, the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law filed an amicus brief in Murthy v. Missouri in support of social media platforms’ ability to censor harmful… Continue reading

“Elon Musk promised an anti-‘woke’ chatbot. It’s not going as planned.”

December 23, 2023, 7:44 amUncategorizedAISpencer Overton

WaPo: Decrying what he saw as the liberal bias of ChatGPT, Elon Musk earlier this year announced plans to create an artificial intelligence chatbot of his own. In contrast to AI tools built by OpenAI, Microsoft and Google, which… Continue reading

“In Connecticut, a rare election do-over could oust a sitting mayor”

December 23, 2023, 7:43 amUncategorizedabsentee ballotsSpencer Overton

NBC News: In January, voters in Bridgeport, Connecticut, will head to the polls for an unusual contest: a court-ordered redo of the city’s Democratic mayoral primary. The Jan. 23 election will determine whether Bridgeport Mayor Joe Ganim fairly won… Continue reading

“Michigan Inmates Will be Allowed to Vote Upon Prison Release”

December 23, 2023, 7:40 amUncategorizedfelon disenfranchisementSpencer Overton

Black Enterprise: Votebeat reports Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer has signed House Bill 4983, on Nov. 30, which will usher in a new era of expanded voting rights for the state’s former inmates. Effective June 2025, the first of its… Continue reading

“Hochul signs legislation shifting more local elections to even-numbered years”

December 23, 2023, 7:39 amUncategorizedlocal electionsSpencer Overton

WGRZ: More town, city, and county elections will be held during even-numbered years, after New York Gov. Kathy Hochul signed new legislation on Friday. The Democratic governor said in a statement that the move will “expand access to the… Continue reading

“Allegheny County Council approves redistricting commission”

December 23, 2023, 7:37 amUncategorizedredistrictingSpencer Overton

WESA (NPR Pittsburgh): Allegheny County Council voted Tuesday in favor of a new process for drawing the boundaries of its own council districts. New boundaries are drawn for legislative districts after each national census. Under county council’s current rules, that… Continue reading

“Supreme Court Won’t Hear Case on Trump’s Immunity Defense for Now”

December 22, 2023, 8:48 pmUncategorized2020 Election CycleSpencer Overton

NYT: The Supreme Court declined on Friday to decide for now whether former President Donald J. Trump is immune from prosecution on charges of plotting to overturn the 2020 election. The decision to defer consideration of a central issue… Continue reading

“Wisconsin Supreme Court orders new legislative maps in redistricting case brought by Democrats”

December 22, 2023, 8:45 pmUncategorizedgerrymanderingSpencer Overton

Star Tribune: MADISON, Wis. — The liberal-controlled Wisconsin Supreme Court overturned Republican-drawn legislative maps on Friday and ordered that new district boundary lines be drawn as Democrats had urged in a redistricting case they hope will weaken GOP majorities.… Continue reading

Rick Pildes on how SCOTUS might approach Trump’s eligibility to serve as president

December 22, 2023, 2:13 pmUncategorizeddisqualification, Section 3Spencer Overton

Rick is interviewed by Isaac Chotiner of the New Yorker: . . . The case is almost certain to end up before the U.S. Supreme Court, which, unlike the Colorado Supreme Court, has a strong conservative majority. . .… Continue reading

“Democrats sue New Hampshire over GOP-backed election law”

December 22, 2023, 7:17 amUncategorizedvoter IDSpencer Overton

From Politico: The Democratic National Committee is suing New Hampshire officials over a Republican-backed election law that it claims will disenfranchise voters and have a chilling effect on key members of the party’s base in 2024. The challenge, which… Continue reading

“Federal judge suspends new Minnesota campaign finance law set to take effect Jan. 1”

December 22, 2023, 7:10 amUncategorizedCampaign financeSpencer Overton

From the Minnesota Reformer: A federal judge halted a campaign finance law that aimed to curtail political contributions from corporations with at least some degree of foreign ownership. U.S. District Court Judge Eric Tostrud issued a preliminary injunction Wednesday,… Continue reading

“NYCCFB Appoints Paul S. Ryan as Agency’s New Executive Director”

December 22, 2023, 7:07 amUncategorizedCampaign financeSpencer Overton

Congrats to Paul Seamus Ryan! From the NYC Campaign Finance Board: December 20, 2023 – The New York City Campaign Finance Board is pleased to announce the appointment of Paul Seamus Ryan as the next Executive Director of the… Continue reading

“Disqualifying Trump may be legally sound but fraught for democracy, scholars say”

December 22, 2023, 6:48 amUncategorizeddisqualification, Section 3Spencer Overton

Washington Post: After warning for years that Donald Trump posed an existential threat to American democracy, two constitutional scholars proposed a possible solution over the summer to keep him from regaining power: Trump, they argued, could be banned from… Continue reading

“Trump recorded pressuring Wayne County canvassers not to certify 2020 vote”

December 21, 2023, 6:39 pmUncategorized2020 Election CycleSpencer Overton

Detroit News: Then-President Donald Trump personally pressured two Republican members of the Wayne County Board of Canvassers not to sign the certification of the 2020 presidential election, according to recordings reviewed by The Detroit News and revealed publicly for… Continue reading