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Media Contacts
Katie Scally
Communications Director
kscally@commoncause.org
202-736-5713
Ariana Marmolejo
Communications Strategist
amarmolejo@commoncause.org
Kenny Colston
Regional Communications Strategist (Midwest)
kcolston@commoncause.org
Maya Majikas
Communications Strategist
mmajikas@commoncause.org
Common Cause’s network of national and state democracy reform experts are frequent media commentators. To talk with one of our experts, please reach out to any member of the press team above.
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Miami Herald/Orlando Sentinel (Editorial): Lawmakers make it easier for corruption to flourish
Common Cause Florida and eight other groups are urging DeSantis to veto the bill, calling the personal knowledge standard “an unreasonably high evidentiary hurdle that has never existed in the 50-year history of the Commission. Instead, complaints should continue to require the filer to certify that the information is true to the best of their knowledge, which already discourages false and frivolous complaints.”
Press Release
Watchdogs Raise Alarm on Dangerous Anti-Democracy Referral
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Associated Press: North Carolina elections board finalizes results from primary marked by new voter ID rules
Common Cause North Carolina urged the legislature on Tuesday to reinstate the grace period, saying it ensures voters who rely on the mail to vote won’t be disenfranchised by postage delays beyond their control.
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Nebraska Examiner: ‘Partisan balance’ requirements on state commissions ignored, sidestepped
Gavin Geis of Common Cause Nebraska said it was disappointing and concerning that the partisan balance requirement had been ignored and sidestepped.
“It’s put in there for a purpose, so we have some sort of diversity of opinion and perspective on questions of policy,” Geis said. “That diversity of thought leads to better outcomes.”
“Not everyone has the opinion of a registered Republican,” he added. “It certainly should not to be skirted around.”
“It’s put in there for a purpose, so we have some sort of diversity of opinion and perspective on questions of policy,” Geis said. “That diversity of thought leads to better outcomes.”
“Not everyone has the opinion of a registered Republican,” he added. “It certainly should not to be skirted around.”
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Cincinnati Enquirer/Louisville Courier Journal: How conservative Florida groups pushed controversial child labor, SNAP bills in Kentucky
“This is not just some kind of organic, grassroots effort. It's a much more … deliberative, pernicious effort by big business,” said Aaron Scherb, the senior director of legislative affairs at Common Cause, a national watchdog group.
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Associated Press: In the Kansas House, when lobbyists ask for new laws, their names go on the bills
“I’m thrilled to see it,” said Heather Ferguson, a Kansan who is director of operations for the government transparency group Common Cause. “It helps to rebuild some of the trust with the public in their elected officials and in their institutions and in the legislative process in general.”
In some offices and hallways under the Kansas Statehouse’s copper dome, the response to the new practice has been less enthusiastic than Ferguson’s reaction, though lobbyists won’t publicly criticize it. Eric Stafford, who...
In some offices and hallways under the Kansas Statehouse’s copper dome, the response to the new practice has been less enthusiastic than Ferguson’s reaction, though lobbyists won’t publicly criticize it. Eric Stafford, who...
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Georgia Public Broadcasting/Georgia Recorder: Georgia lawmakers could still tinker with election rules in waning days of 2024 legislative session
Anne Gray Herring, a policy analyst for Common Cause Georgia, said requiring eligible voters to go through this burden of proving their residency is not a trivial thing.
“I do appreciate that the bill attempts to clarify what is probable because that was something that is needed through this new mass challenge landscape,” she said.
“I do appreciate that the bill attempts to clarify what is probable because that was something that is needed through this new mass challenge landscape,” she said.
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Atlanta Journal-Constitution: Money, legal threats, power: A lawmaker-led firm’s ascent
Donations such as those from Talitrix and others with ties to the company are a relatively common practice for those who seek to influence public officials, but it’s concerning, said Aunna Dennis, executive director of the Georgia chapter of Common Cause, a government and ethics watchdog group.
The current limit for county politicians is $3,300 for primary and general elections. Donating through related entities and family members helps skirt Georgia’s limits on individual giving, Dennis said.
“It may not be...
The current limit for county politicians is $3,300 for primary and general elections. Donating through related entities and family members helps skirt Georgia’s limits on individual giving, Dennis said.
“It may not be...
Press Release
New Report: Office of Congressional Ethics’ First 15 Years – Successes, Survival & Recommendations
As the Office of Congressional Ethics (OCE) marks its first 15 years, Common Cause is releasing, “The Little Engine that Could,” a short analysis examining the watchdog’s impact in the House of Representative. The report looks at the history behind the creation of the OCE, its successful nonpartisan record, and the most serious attempts by House Members to undermine or do away with the watchdog entirely. The report also suggests reforms, like codifying the OCE into law and giving it subpoena power, to further strengthen the independent...
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Orlando Sentinel: Florida ethics overhaul will leave corruption unchecked, watchdog groups warn
Common Cause Florida and eight other advocacy groups are urging DeSantis to veto the bill, which they say would erect an “unreasonable barrier” and deter people from filing ethics complaints against politicians and public officials. For instance, complaints could not be filed based solely on investigative news articles.
“This isn’t about minimizing frivolous complaints; this is about making complaints almost impossible,” Amy Keith, executive director of Common Cause Florida, said in a prepared statement. “The people...
“This isn’t about minimizing frivolous complaints; this is about making complaints almost impossible,” Amy Keith, executive director of Common Cause Florida, said in a prepared statement. “The people...
Press Release
Common Cause Hire Bolsters Voting & Democracy Program for 2024 Election
With the 2024 primaries underway and the general election fast approaching, Common Cause is pleased to announce Jay Young as its Senior Director of Voting & Democracy. In the newly-created position, he will oversee the organization’s legislative, operational, and legal strategies to advance reforms that allow all Americans to participate in elections and to oppose efforts to restrict voting rights.
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NBC News: Wisconsin is lagging behind other swing states in shoring up election policies following 2020 chaos
Jay Heck, the executive director Common Cause Wisconsin, the state’s branch of the national nonpartisan government watchdog group, added that the consequences could be dire if the right mix of circumstances were to emerge on or following Election Day.
“It could all explode,” he said.
The April 2 primary ballot in Wisconsin will ask voters to decide on two proposed constitutional amendments that critics contend are byproducts of conspiracy theories touted by election deniers.
“[Passage of...
“It could all explode,” he said.
The April 2 primary ballot in Wisconsin will ask voters to decide on two proposed constitutional amendments that critics contend are byproducts of conspiracy theories touted by election deniers.
“[Passage of...
