Blog Posts Archive - Page 165 of 286 - People For the American Way

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May 2, 2014 9:19 pm | By Calvin Sloan

PFAW Activists Deliver Petitions Against Money in Elections Nationwide, Witness Immediate Results

p>On April 2, the Supreme Court issued its disastrous decision in McCutcheon v. FEC, knocking down aggregate contribution limits and further opening up the floodgates to big money in our elections. The American people were quick to respond. On the day…
May 1, 2014 4:36 pm | By Paul Gordon

Marco Rubio Fails Florida, Doesn’t Help Florida Judicial Nominees

Last week, we asked if Florida Sen. Marco Rubio would step in to prevent his party from needlessly delaying committee approval of four highly qualified district court nominees, all of whom he recommended to the White House. All four vacancies…
May 1, 2014 3:03 pm | By Calvin Sloan

People For the American Way Lobbies in Albany for a Constitutional Amendment to Reclaim our Democracy

On Monday, People For the American Way joined allied organizations and activists of the NY4Democracy coalition for a rally and lobby day at the Albany state house urging New York lawmakers to call for a constitutional amendment to overturn Citizens…
April 30, 2014 9:21 pm | By Jen Herrick

It’s Been a Pretty Great 36 Hours for Voting Rights Advocates

Hawaii update: HB 2590 still has to be signed by Governor Neil Abercrombie in order for it to become law. Voting rights advocates believe that he will approve the measure but will be working through the next week to ensure…
April 30, 2014 8:30 pm | By Layne Amerikaner

Sen. Reid Cosponsors Amendment to Fix Campaign Finance System, Senate to Hold Vote in 2014

Big news for our democracy: This morning at a Senate Rules Committee hearing on “dark money,” Sen. Chuck Schumer announced that the Senate will vote this year on a constitutional amendment that would put the power of regulating the raising…
April 30, 2014 6:38 pm | By Bernardita

Obstruction 2.0: How Republican Senators Continue to Block Judicial Nominations Post-“Filibuster Reform”

Tuesday afternoon, PFAW hosted a special member telebriefing on the continued GOP obstruction of judicial nominees. The briefing featured PFAW’s Executive Vice President Marge Baker and Senior Legislative Counsel Paul Gordon. They discussed how Republicans’ obstruction has reached staggering levels,…
April 30, 2014 3:30 pm | By Layne Amerikaner

Video: PFAW’s Calvin Sloan Discusses Money in Politics on Capital Tonight

On Monday, People For the American Way joined ally organizations in the New York for Democracy Coalition in Albany to urge state lawmakers to call for a constitutional amendment to overturn decisions like Citizens United v. FEC and McCutcheon v.…
April 30, 2014 4:00 am | By Paul Gordon

Scalia’s Mistake Exposes His Ideological Agenda

Yesterday's 6-2 Supreme Court ruling in EPA v. EME Homer City Generation upholding the EPA's cross-state air pollution rules is in the news, and not just because it reversed a highly criticized DC Circuit opinion that served as an example…
April 29, 2014 9:46 pm | By Bernardita

Over 1,000 Law Professors Condemn Senate Vote on Debo Adegbile’s Nomination

Last month, the US Senate failed to invoke cloture on the nomination of Debo Adegbile to head the Civil Rights Division at the Justice Department after a right-wing smear campaign that attacked Adegbile for helping provide legal representation at the…
April 28, 2014 3:45 pm | By Peter Montgomery

NYT Examines Walton Foundation Backing for School Privatization

This weekend the New York Times published a long story about the Walton Family Foundation’s massive financial support for the charter school movement and for right-wing think tanks that back other efforts to privatize public education like private school vouchers.…
April 25, 2014 6:31 pm | By Paul Gordon

Will Marco Rubio Let His Colleagues Delay Four Florida Judicial Nominees?

Next week will be an opportunity for Senator Marco Rubio to exercise some influence within his party and prevent a needless delay in considering nominees to fill four judicial vacancies in Florida's Southern and Middle Districts that very much need…
April 23, 2014 9:27 pm | By Amanda

All GOP Senate Candidates in North Carolina Deny Existence of Climate Change

Many Americans celebrate Earth Day by planting trees, organizing a citywide trash pickup, or talking about the consequences of climate change and the ongoing threat it creates for our planet. But on Earth Day yesterday, all four Republican candidates for…
April 22, 2014 6:28 pm | By Paul Gordon

Sotomayor’s Schuette Dissent

The Supreme Court today ruled that voters in the state of Michigan could amend their constitution in a way that harmed racial minorities by passing an amendment to ban race-based Affirmative Action. (The Court made clear that this case was…
April 18, 2014 4:46 pm | By Jen Herrick

Need for Safe Schools Advocacy Clear in Nebraska

Earlier this week, Nebraska's Lincoln Journal Star reported about a flier sent home with fifth grade students that offered questionable advice for "turning bullies into buddies." Lincoln officials have apologized, saying that the flier doesn't reflect actual district policy and…
April 17, 2014 1:15 am | By Scott

Scott Walker Re-Election Tour Runs Away From His Record

Governor Scott Walker announced his re-election campaign at a series of appearances Tuesday across Wisconsin, highlighting all the supposedly great things he had done for the average Wisconsinite. The list was pretty thin. From Dane to La Crosse, Chippewa Falls,…
April 16, 2014 3:11 pm | By Bernardita

Video: PFAW’s Drew Courtney Discusses Right Wing Conspiracy Theories on Politics Nation with Al Sharpton

Monday afternoon, Right Wing Watch reported on conspiracy theories by conservative talking heads Bernard Goldberg and Rush Limbaugh who claim that the shoe-throwing incident in Las Vegas was staged by Hillary Clinton so she could seem more presidential. Similarly, Mark…
April 16, 2014 3:01 pm | By Paul Gordon

Senate Should Quickly Confirm Circuit Nominees, Like in 2006 Midterm Year

Because Republicans are now filibustering every judicial nominee and generally requiring hours of needless "post-cloture debate" before an actual confirmation vote can be held, it has been harder than ever to "clear the calendar" (which is Senate lingo for "hold…
April 14, 2014 8:38 pm | By Jen Herrick

Minnesota Safe Schools Bill Becomes Law

Amid last week's activity surrounding the Gay, Lesbian & Straight Education Network's Day of Silence and the PFAW-led safe schools letter campaign came a state success for the idea that all students deserve far better than what they're getting when…
April 14, 2014 6:07 pm | By Jen Herrick

Voting Rights Advocates Rack Up More Wins

Earlier this month, PFAW reported on what has gone right for voting rights at the state level in 2014. While there is much more work to be done to enact needed reforms and to step up and counter threats when…
April 11, 2014 6:46 pm | By Jen Herrick

Safe Schools Letter Campaign Concludes with Nearly 30 Organizations Standing Together to Say Students Deserve Better

The letter-a-day campaign for safe schools that PFAW led concluded today, when we also marked the Day of Silence – an annual event organized by the Gay, Lesbian, and Straight Education Network (GLSEN) that is meant to draw attention to…