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June 29, 2011 7:08 pm | By Justin
Enough Signatures Obtained to Put Repeal of Ohio SB 5 on the Ballot, Five Times Over
A petition to repeal Ohio SB 5, which severely curtailed collective bargaining rights for public employee unions, was just certified by Ohio’s secretary of state and attorney general.# of valid signatures required: 231,147# of valid signatures obtained: 1,298,301We Are Ohio
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June 29, 2011 5:21 pm | By Justin
Supreme Court’s Legitimacy Rests With the Justices
As noted in a NYT editorial by Jeff Shesol, some of the justices of the Supreme Court are spending a lot of their time off the bench engaging in all sorts of extracurricular activities. Of course, they have always participated…
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June 29, 2011 2:40 pm | By Justin
NH and OH Reject Voter-Disenfranchisement Bills
New Hampshire Gov. John Lynch vetoed a proposed voter-ID law that would have required voters to show a photo ID before casting a ballot. In rejecting the proposal, Gov. Lynch called out the law for what it was – an…
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June 28, 2011 7:18 pm | By Miranda Blue
After Long Delays, Senate Confirms 3 DOJ Nominees
The Senate today confirmed three of President Obama’s nominees to fill long-vacant posts in the Justice Department, including, at long last, a leader for the DOJ’s Office of Legal Counsel.The Senate confirmed attorney Virginia Seitz to head the Office of…
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June 28, 2011 6:09 pm | By Libby
Wisconsin News Round-up: 6/28/11
News from Wisconsin: Rep. John Nygren says he’ll challenge the GAB’s ruling that he fell short of the required adequate signatures. However, the possibility of rehabilitating signatures is over. Don’t worry, John, I believe in you, you got this.Nygren’s disqualification…
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June 28, 2011 6:01 pm | By Miranda Blue
People For’s Drew Courtney Discusses Supreme Court Video Game Decision
Yesterday, the Supreme Court struck down a California law that banned the sale of violent video games to minors, holding in a 7-2 decision that the ban violated the First Amendment. PFAW Foundation Communications Director Drew Courtney visited DC’s Fox…
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June 28, 2011 2:41 pm | By Emily
A Call to Action: Restore Equal Employment Opportunities in America
Saturday was the 70th anniversary of President Roosevelt’s issuance of Executive Order 8802, which prohibited racial discrimination by defense contractors. Last week, Congressman Bobby Scott hosted a press conference and briefing in honor of the anniversary of this event, which…
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June 28, 2011 2:07 pm | By Miranda Blue
Don’t Speak: The Supreme Court’s New Theory of Free Speech in Elections
Last year, the Supreme Court ruled that corporations have a First Amendment right to spend as much as they want to influence elections. Yesterday, the Court ruled that wealthy candidates and campaign donors have the First Amendment right not to…
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June 27, 2011 8:39 pm | By Libby
Wisconsin News Round-up: 6/27/11
News from Wisconsin: Candidates: Challenges against the petitions of four of the six Republican candidates in the Democratic recalls have been filed. The VFW of Wisconsin has awarded Randy Hopper its Senate Legislator of the Year award. Some…
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June 27, 2011 8:29 pm | By Justin
Getting Your Day in Court Not So Simple?
We thought you might be interested in an HBO documentary, which premiers tonight, about the barriers to access that many Americans face when trying to seek justice in a court of law. The film discusses the impact of corporate influences…
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June 27, 2011 8:16 pm | By Justin
Spirit of a Serial Killer
John Wayne: Rugged. Distinctive. An enduring American Icon. It’s no wonder that Michele Bachmann, as she kicks off her presidential campaign, wants to embody these qualities. "Well what I want them to know is just like, John Wayne was from…
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June 27, 2011 7:16 pm | By Omari
Ohio Gov. John Kasich’s Secret Video
In this by-invitation-only video, Ohio’s governor, John Kasich, sings praises to “the fighters of freedom, the grassroots leaders of American for Prosperity (AFP)”. While he was at it, he might have well just given a big thanks to Charles and…
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June 27, 2011 5:05 pm | By
From Fringe Figure to Movement Leader: Michele Bachmann’s Far-Right Roots
Cross posted on The Huffington Post Rep. Michele Bachmann, who today officially announce her candidacy for the presidency, isn't just a Tea Party candidate - in many ways she embodies the evolution of the movement. The Minnesota congresswoman, who built…
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June 24, 2011 7:49 pm | By Nichole
Sen. Ron Johnson’s $10 million Deferred Compensation Raises Ethics Questions
Far-right Senator Ron Johnson (R-WI) spent roughly $9 million of his own money last year to finance his senatorial campaign. Lucky for him, shortly after his campaign ended, he received $10 million in deferred compensation from the plastics company he…
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June 23, 2011 9:28 pm | By Paul Gordon
Court Lets Corporations Off the Hook For Failing to Warn of Their Dangerous Drugs
The second of the two business-friendly decisions issued by the Corporate Court today was PLIVA v. Mensing, a case involving a woman seriously injured by the generic drugs she took. Since the manufacturer knew that the risks were much greater…
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June 23, 2011 9:10 pm | By Justin
Justice Thomas’ Unethical Conduct Highlights Need for Reforms
Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas is generating quite a bit of attention these days. Questions abound – not from him, as he hasn’t asked a question during oral arguments for over five years – but from citizens concerned about the…
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June 23, 2011 7:30 pm | By Paul Gordon
Roberts Court Strikes Down Medical Privacy Law in Gift to Pharmaceutical Companies
A divided Supreme Court issued two business-friendly decisions today that demonstrate why, under Chief Justice Roberts, it is frequently called the Corporate Court. In the first of these, Sorrell v. IMS Health, a 6-3 Court (the five usual suspects joined…
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June 23, 2011 6:21 pm | By Jen Herrick
PFAW asks DC’s residents and supporters to head to the White House this Saturday
The House Appropriations Committee convened this morning at 9:30 am to consider the DC appropriations bill that the DC subcommittee passed last week. We are currently waiting for word on whether any DC riders were added, in addition to those…
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June 23, 2011 2:50 pm | By Omari
Rep. Cummings Continues to Fight Foreclosure Crisis
Rep. Elijah Cummings, ranking member of the House Oversight and Government Reform committee, sent a letter on Tuesday to the panel’s chairman, Darrell Issa, pressing the leader to subpoena six mortgage servicing companies. This is Cummings’s fourth letter to Issa…
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June 23, 2011 2:06 pm | By Omari
NLRB Proposed Rule is a Victory for Middle Class
Workers, labor unions, and the American people celebrated a tremendous victory for middle class values on Tuesday when the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) issued a proposed rule protecting workers’ rights by eliminating excessive delays in workers’ votes on forming…