“Trump administration ramps up push as crypto ally”
The WaPo piece’s subhead:
The administration’s full-throated support of crypto is raising concern from ethics experts who say it overlaps with the president’s personal investments.
The Abundance Agenda Comes to the Supreme Court
The Supreme Court issued a major decision today involving NEPA, the National Environmental Policy Act, in Seven County Infrastructure Coalition v. Eagle County Co. Here’s a slightly modified version of a thread I posted on X regarding the significance of… Continue reading
Plaintiffs seek en banc review of decision saying private parties can’t enforce the VRA
Two weeks ago, Rick covered the latest Eighth Circuit disaster, finding that only the DOJ, and not private plaintiffs, had any ability to enforce the Voting Rights Act. (An earlier Eighth Circuit case held that private plaintiffs couldn’t sue… Continue reading
“Santos’s Treasurer Avoids Prison for Her Role in His Schemes”
To be clear, these are just the campaign finance schemes. And the sentence announced today: probation.
“Texas’ proof-of-citizenship bill for voters fizzles at end of legislative session”
Votebeat covers the path of a bill that would have applied requirements for documentary proof of citizenship not only to new registrants but also to the 18.6 million existing registered voters.
“The Disparate and Durable Effects of Mail Voting Restrictions: Evidence from Texas”
More from Texas. This is interesting research on 2021’s SB1, which (among other elements) required voters casting mail ballots to provide either their driver’s license or state ID number or their Social Security digits, both on mail ballot applications… Continue reading
“Wisconsin Elections Commission: Small communities don’t need permission to stop using voting machines”
From Wisconsin Public Radio:
The Wisconsin Elections Commission says small communities don’t need the state’s permission to stop using electronic voting machines, siding with a northwestern Wisconsin town that switched to hand-counted, paper ballots last year.
The WEC decision… Continue reading
“Legal challenge to come against Oklahoma bill capping initiative petition signatures”
The Oklahoman covers (paywall) threats of litigation to a new Oklahoma requirement (with some comparisons to recent measures in other states restricting direct democracy) that restricts the number of signatures for an initiative coming out of any given county to… Continue reading
“Trump administration begins cracking down on federal employees’ use of leave for voting”
From Government Executive:
With some key primary elections at the state level occurring in the coming weeks, the Trump administration has begun notifying employees they can no longer use paid administrative leave to vote.
The reminder, so far sent… Continue reading
“Flawed, but ultimately fair, chief electoral officer says of B.C. election”
From the Vancouver Sun, the most important paragraph in my mind is this one:
Still, Boegman insists that in each case the problems were fixed and the overall outcome of the election was not affected.
As long as humans… Continue reading
Private rights of action and the DOJ’s HAVA complaint against North Carolina
Justin nicely summarizes the heart of the DOJ’s HAVA complaint against North Carolina. I just wanted to highlight one other detail: the private right of action.
Back in October, I noted that a federal court in North Carolina held there… Continue reading
“Donald Trump’s Politics of Plunder”
Evan Osnos, in the latest issue of the New Yorker, reviews the state of American oligarchy and the First Family’s use of the Oval Office as a private moneymaking machine.
One small excerpt:
Even seasoned practitioners of Washington pay-to-play have… Continue reading
DOJ files first voting complaint of new Administration – and it’s a follow-up to the Riggs/Griffin judicial race in NC
The Civil Rights Division is out with its first new voting case of the new Administration, and it comes directly out of the long-contested Riggs/Griffin race for the North Carolina Supreme Court.
In the Riggs/Griffin contest, there were three main … Continue reading
“Trump wants an investigation of Democrats’ fundraising. His own campaign has issues”
The AP’s lede:
When President Donald Trump directed his attorney general last month to investigate online fundraising, he cited concerns that foreigners and fraudsters were using elaborate “schemes“ and “dummy accounts” to funnel illegal contributions to politicians and causes.… Continue reading