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April 18, 2012 9:06 pm | By Justin
Capitol Hill Summit: Overturn Citizens United!
PFAW joined members of Congress, state and local officials, advocacy organizations and concerned citizens for a Capitol Hill summit to amplify the call for a constitutional amendment to overturn Citizens United, the 2010 Supreme Court decision that helped usher in…
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April 18, 2012 5:05 pm | By
The Right’s 2012 Solution: “Just Close Your Eyes”
This post originally appeared in the Huffington Post. Last month, Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Corbett offered a solution for women who were going to be forced by the government to undergo a completely unnecessary ultrasound against their wills: "You can't make…
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April 17, 2012 9:35 pm | By Jen Herrick
Ninth Circuit upholds voter ID, rules against proof of citizenship
Back in 2004, Arizona voters passed Proposition 200. Two years later, PFAW Foundation joined voting rights supporters in filling suit against its voting-related provisions. Because these provisions disenfranchise qualified and eligible Arizona voters by requiring citizens to present documentary proof…
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April 17, 2012 5:50 pm | By Jen Herrick
UPDATE: LWV New Hampshire: We deserve honesty from House leaders
UPDATE: Having passed the Senate, SB 289, which would require voters to present valid photo identification, and SB 318, which would alter residency requirements and make other voter registration changes that could have a profound impact, especially among the student…
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April 16, 2012 9:28 pm | By Justin
List of Companies Dropping ALEC hits 10
In the week since the call went out for the corporations on ALEC’s Private Enterprise Board to disassociate from the organization, a whopping TEN companies have publicly announced that they will no longer bankroll the American Legislative Exchange Council’s extreme…
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April 16, 2012 8:58 pm | By Paul Gordon
Barely Treading Water on Judicial Nominations
The Senate returned today from a two-week recess and is holding a confirmation vote for Fourth Circuit judicial nominee Stephanie Thacker of West Virginia. This is part of the deal the parties made last month to hold votes on 14…
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April 16, 2012 7:15 pm | By Paul Gordon
A Bush Judge on the DC Circuit Defends the Ideology of the Lochner Era
Last Friday, a three-judge panel of the DC Circuit released an unexceptional decision in an unexceptional case about congressional authority to regulate interstate commerce. It involved a constitutional challenge to a 2006 act of Congress that had removed an exemption…
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April 13, 2012 10:24 pm | By Calvin Sloan
PFAW Applauds the Citizens United Resolution Effort of YEO and Newark, Delaware City Councilmember Ezra Temko
Ezra Temko’s last day in office representing the Fifth District of Newark, Delaware as a City Councilmember will be this Tuesday, April 17th. After serving two terms in the position for four years, Ezra decided against filing for…
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April 13, 2012 10:11 pm | By Scott
Wisconsin Recall Round-Up
Greetings from on-the-ground as we count down to the recall elections in Wisconsin! PFAW prepared to re-launch our ground efforts here this week, with PFAW’s Randy Borntrager and Sergio Lopez stopping in to help Scott Foval, who is starting as the…
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April 13, 2012 10:07 pm | By Drew Courtney
Introducing Scott Foval
The People For the American Way political team was in full effect this week as we had the pleasure to go to Wisconsin and meet our new Wisconsin PFAW coordinator, Scott Foval. Wisconsin is ground zero for progressives to push back…
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April 13, 2012 9:30 pm | By Jen Herrick
UPDATE: Former congressman, voting rights coalition, Marine speak out on voting problems in Tennessee
UPDATE: Efforts by the No Barriers to the Ballot Box coalition to repeal Public Chapter Number 23 have unfortunately stalled. Both SB 2139 and HB 2176 died in their respective committees. Former US Representative Lincoln Davis thought that the Tennessee…
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April 13, 2012 8:54 pm | By Jen Herrick
UPDATE: ID and assistance restrictions on tap for voters in Mississippi
UPDATE: HB 921, which passed the House in March, has now passed the Senate and gone into concurrence. It’s unlikely to go into effect before the November elections. HB 1315, which also got through the House, has died in committee…
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April 12, 2012 10:10 pm | By Jen Herrick
DOJ takes step forward with latest hate crime indictment
October 28, 2009 marked a historic step forward in the fight for equality. With the signing of the Matthew Shepard and James Byrd, Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act, President Obama sent loud and clear the message that freedom from violence…
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April 11, 2012 9:28 pm | By Justin
ALEC’s Self-Defense Doesn’t Hold Water
Facing unprecedented public scrutiny and the beginnings of a mass corporate exodus, the American Legislative Exchange Council is on defense. This morning, the organization issued a statement explaining that they are a “pro-growth, pro-jobs” policy organization, and really can’t see…
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April 11, 2012 6:22 pm | By Miranda Blue
Romney’s ‘War on Women’ Gambit
So, Mitt Romney’s campaign has a new idea, which is that they will neutralize the media devastation caused by the GOP’s attacks on women by turning things around and accusing President Obama of waging a “War on Women.” So far,…
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April 10, 2012 7:35 pm | By Justin
PFAW to Corporations: Get out of ALEC!
As the American people become more and more aware of the damage caused by the extreme pro-corporate agenda pushed in state legislatures by the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC), the more evident it becomes that this organization is undermining our…
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April 9, 2012 10:51 pm | By Jen Herrick
The Right to Vote under Attack: Latest News from the States
Voting rights and voter suppression, especially voter ID, continue to make headlines in many states. Below is a sample of the latest. For more information, click here and also check out The Right to Vote under Attack: The Campaign to…
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April 9, 2012 9:36 pm | By Miranda Blue
Wisconsin’s Walker Signs Religious Right Wish-List of Bills
We noted on Friday that Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker, working with a Republican-led state legislature, had taken the extraordinary step of repealing the state’s enforcement mechanism for pay discrimination lawsuits. But it turns out that’s not all. Daily Kos points…
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April 9, 2012 6:14 pm | By Jen Herrick
UPDATE: Standing up for the freedom to marry, access to healthcare, and immigration equality
UPDATE: Frances and Takako and Tim and Edwin are among five plaintiff couples suing the federal government in a new challenge to the federal-recognition component of the Defense of Marriage Act, filed by Immigration Equality and the law firm of…
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April 6, 2012 7:52 pm | By Miranda Blue
Walker Steps Up War on WI Women With Repeal of Equal Pay Provision
In July 2009, Wisconsin passed a law making it easier for victims of pay discrimination to seek justice in court. Today, Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker signed a bill repealing the segment of the law: The 2009 Equal Pay Enforcement Act…