Recent Elections & Politics Posts
Latest Civil Rights Posts
The Supreme Court Weakens The Separation of Church and State With High School Football Coach Decision
Brief #190 – Civil Rights
By Rodney A. Maggay
Joseph Kennedy was a football high school coach at a public high school in Bremerton, Washington. During his time as a coach in the Bremerton School District Mr. Kennedy had started a routine where he would pray at the fifty – yard line of the football field at the conclusion of the game.
Supreme Court Permits The Use Of State Taxpayer Funds For Religious Instruction
Brief #189 – Civil Rights
By Rodney A. Maggay
Petitioners David and Amy Carson and Troy and Angela Nelson are two couples that reside in Maine. Both families wanted to apply for Maine’s tuition assistance program in order to send their children to two separate “sectarian” schools. Both families were denied because Maine had previously determined that using state taxpayer funds to fund tuition for students at sectarian schools was a violation of the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment.
Should Religious Organizations Continue To Receive Federal Grants For Social Service Programs?
Brief #188 – Civil Rights
By Rodney A. Maggay
On August 31, 2021 H.R. 5129 was introduced in the House of Representatives. The bill was the Community Services Block Grant (CSBG) Modernization Act of 2022. This bill reauthorized a continued funding of the Community Services Block Grant Program which makes grants to States, territories, Indian tribes and other non – governmental entities for government programs to help reduce poverty, empower residents of low – income communities and encourage businesses and other organizations to expand opportunities for all individuals. Included in organizations that are eligible for these grants are faith – based organizations (FBO).
Gov. De Santis’ Right Wing War Continues With Signing of “Voter Fraud Office” Bill
Brief #187 – Civil Rights
By Rodney A. Maggay
On April 25, 2022 Governor Ron De Santis of Florida signed Senate Bill 524 which, among a number of things, creates a new Office of Election Crimes and Security as a new unit in Florida’s Department of State. The new office will be charged with overseeing elections but more specifically will review fraud allegations and conduct preliminary investigations into those allegations.
How Texas Senate Bill 8 Opened The Door To Vigilante Laws And Why These Laws Pose Such A Danger
Brief #186 – Civil Rights
By Rodney A. Maggay
In 2021 the State of Texas passed an anti – abortion law with a unique enforcement mechanism. Under the law, any private citizen could sue the person who tries to get an abortion, the doctor who performs the procedure or the clinic who provided the abortion procedure to a woman.
Congress Addresses Use Of Controversial Forced Arbitration Clauses In Two Bills
Brief #185 – Civil Rights
By Rodney A. Maggay
On March 17, 2022 the United States House of Representatives passed H.R. 963. The bill is known as the Forced Arbitration Injustice Repeal (FAIR) Act. The bill passed by a 222 – 209 vote. Introduced by Congressman Hank Johnson (D-GA) the bill will ban the enforcement of forced arbitration clauses for consumers, employees and small businesses involved in legal disputes. The bill would apply to all kinds of workplace and consumer disputes that have become routine in consumer and worker contracts.
Supreme Court Gerrymandering Ruling Opens Door To Potential Redistricting Problem
Brief #184 – Civil Rights
By Rodney A. Maggay
On November 4, 2021 in North Carolina the state legislature adopted a congressional map which gave the Republican Party in the state a huge advantage – it seemed likely that Republicans would win ten of the fourteen available congressional seats in the state despite total votes cast in state elections being evenly split between Republicans and Democrats.
West Virginia School District Sued For Forcing Students To Attend Religious Assembly During School Hours
Brief #183 – Civil Rights
By Rod Maggay
On February 2, 2022 two homeroom classrooms at Huntington High School in the Cabell County School District in southwestern West Virginia were brought to a school assembly. The assembly was hosted by Nik Walker of Nik Walker Ministries. Nik Walker is an evangelical preacher and his group had been hosting revival events in the area with the purpose of exposing persons to Jesus Christ and Christianity.
How Race Has Emerged in Recent Redistricting Cases Months Before the 2022 Midterms
Brief #182 – Civil Rights
By Rodney A. Maggay
For the first few months of 2022 reports emerged on the status of redistricting efforts in a number of states. Some of those battles have not been definitively resolved with one case even reaching the U.S. Supreme Court.
Recent Elections & Politics Posts
Abbott Running Scared: Texas Incumbent Limited Voter Access to Polls Ahead of Midterms
Brief #43 – Elections & Politics
By Abigail Hunt
For the disillusioned and jaded non-conservatives of the Lone Star state, seeing Beto O’Rourke within spitting distance of Greg Abbott in a dead heat for governor thrills our withered-but-still-beating Grinchy little hearts. From 1847 to 1979, with the exception of a few years here and there, Texas was Democratic.
Checking in on US Senate Races Before Election Day
Brief #40 – Elections & Politics
By Ian Milden
Election Day is November 8th. This brief will take a look at some of the Senate Races I previewed over the summer and provide some short updates on the state of those races.
The Trump Subpoena
Brief #41 – Elections & Politics
By Maureen Darby-Serson
Last week, the January 6th Committee issued a subpoena to former President Donald Trump in one of its most brazen moves to uncover Trump’s involvement in the insurrection that happened early in 2021. This will likely start a long and arduous court fight over whether Trump will actually appear before the committee.
Analyzing the Impact of Reapportionment in the 2022 Mid-Term Elections
Brief #39 – Elections & Politics
By Ian Milden
Control of the U.S. House is up for grabs in the 2022 mid-term elections. Democrats currently have 220 seats and require 218 seats to retain a majority (there are three vacant seats). This brief will examine the impact of reapportionment on the U.S. House races in 2022. It will also discuss some strategies that Democrats can use to mitigate or work around the challenges created by redistricting.
The Troubling Influence of Corporate Money
Brief #38 – Elections & Politics
By Abigail Hunt
Lobbying is as necessary as it is corruptive. The origin of the word lies in the earliest version of lobbyists – men who stood in the lobby of a legislative building to catch government representatives in order to plea their cause.
Nice Democracy You’ve Got Here. Shame If Something Happened To It.
Brief #36 – Elections & Politics
By David A. Graham
The line between imagination and delusion is thin, as Donald Trump’s initial reaction to an FBI search at Mar-a-Lago in August demonstrated. In the first days afterward, the former president saw the search as a political gift, not a blow: a chance to rally his base, put would-be challengers like Ron DeSantis in their place, and reconsolidate his eroding position as the leader of the Republican Party.
The Controversial Texas Voting Access Bill: Its Effects on the Coming Mid-Terms
Brief #36 – Elections & Politics
By Inijah Quadri
The Republican-dominated Texas Legislature on August 19th passed an election bill that Democrats and advocates say will restrict voting rights for minorities.
Republicans inflicted a crushing defeat on Democrats, who fought for months against what they saw as a brazen attempt to disenfranchise minorities, including African-Americans, and other voters who are more likely to vote Democrat.
Explaining Alaska’s Election Reforms: Ranked Choice Voting
Brief #37 – Elections & Politics
By Ian Milden
In the recent special election to replace the late Congressman Don Young (R-AK), Mary Peltola (D-AK) defeated former Governor Sarah Palin (R-AK) and Nick Begich (R-AK). This brief will examine the recent election reforms in Alaska that led to the upset and how they may affect the U.S. House and Senate races this year. The brief will also briefly discuss the implications of ranked choice voting.
Preview of US Senate Races in Florida and Utah
Brief #34 – Elections & Politics
By Ian Milden
Control of the U.S. Senate will be up for grabs in the 2022 mid-term elections. Competitive races in key states will determine the balance of power. In this brief, I will preview the U.S. Senate races in Florida and Utah.
