This past Thursday, Republicans in the House unveiled their plan to radically alter the tax code, revealing the details of a project long kept in the dark. Major proposed changes include a reduction of the number of tax brackets from seven to five and a slashing of the corporate tax rate from 35 to 20 percent. The measure, entitled the Tax Cuts and … [Read more...]
A Growing Trend of Voter Suppression
In 2013, the US Supreme Court gutted the Voting Rights Act, removing provisions requiring mostly southern states with histories of discriminatory voting practices to submit new election regulations to the federal government for approval. Chief Justice John Roberts wrote the opinion for the 5-4 majority, arguing that “things have changed … [Read more...]
TCPA Under Attack
During the presidential campaign, Donald Trump came under fire for a number of reasons. One reason, missed by top headlines, was his unsolicited dispatch of a mass text saying “Reply YES to subscribe to Donald J. Trump for President. Your subscription will help make America great again! Msg&data rates may apply.” That text, sent to thousands of … [Read more...]
Supreme Court Gutted Voting Rights Act Because of Faulty Data
A recent ProPublica article contends that the Supreme Court – the bastion of judiciary wisdom and purported neutrality – has rendered a number of decisions relying on falsified statistics and facts. In one 2013 decision, Justice Elena Kagan argued, in a unanimous opinion, that a signal from a drug-sniffing dog constitutes probable cause – meaning … [Read more...]
When is Gerrymandering Unconstitutional?
https://youtu.be/ADEflXCXouU?rel=0 From NPR, YouTube - Partisan gerrymandering has been going on for a long time, but now technology has made it easier for the incumbent party to hold its majority for longer. Now the Supreme Court is trying to decide how much is too much when it comes to partisan gerrymandering. NPR’s Nina Totenberg explains why … [Read more...]
Federal Judge Permanently Blocks Texas Voter ID Law
On August 23rd, a Federal Judge blocked a Texas law requiring voters to present some form of identification before voting. In her 27-page court order, Judge Nelva Gonzales Ramos ruled that the law (known as Senate Bill 5) was discriminatory against black people and Latinos. She found SB 5 to be an insufficient revision of the original legislation, … [Read more...]
Supreme Court Will Consider Partisan Gerrymandering in October Session
Proponents and opponents of partisan gerrymandering wait with bated breath for the Supreme Court to commence its October term, as Justices are set to hear arguments regarding the 2010 redistricting map in Wisconsin. The lower court has already deemed the map an unmistakable case of politically motivated gerrymandering that defies the Constitution. … [Read more...]
Supreme Court Will Consider Whether Partisan Gerrymandering Is Constitutional
The Supreme Court decided on June 19th that it would consider whether partisan gerrymandering is unconstitutional, laying the groundwork for a potential overhaul of the electoral system in this country. The Court agreed to be briefed and hear arguments during the October term, adding that it would postpone the question of jurisdiction until the … [Read more...]
Texas Voting Laws Are Racist, Federal Courts Rule
In 2013, Supreme Court Justices struck down a key provision (Section 4) of the Voting Rights Act of 1965 that required states with histories of racial discrimination to “pre-clear” changes to voting law before moving forward. This gave nine (mostly) southern states (and parts of six others) the ability to pass voting laws without having to seek … [Read more...]
Small Victory for Black Voters in Virginia as Supreme Court Returns Racial Gerrymandering Case for Reexamination
According to certain African-American voters, following the 2010 census, Virginia State legislators redistricted the voting map specifically to ensure that each district held 55 percent of the black voting age population (BVAP). In the voters’ eyes, this was an attempt to weaken the power of black voters by spreading them out across district lines, … [Read more...]
