Press Release
Government Watchdog Supports New Bill to Ban Members of Congress from Trading Stock
Majority of Americans support a stock trading ban
Press
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.
News Clip
Nebraska Examiner: Betsy DeVos, two others spent big on Nebraska legislative races
Gavin Geis of Common Cause Nebraska said he has seen outside spending every year in Nebraska legislative races, “but not like this.” He said the increased spending by such groups drives up the costs for ordinary Nebraskans to run for public office.
“I have never seen an organization like this spend this much money and be almost exclusively funded by out-of-state interests,” Geis said. “This is the biggest cash dump I’ve seen in a long time.”
“I have never seen an organization like this spend this much money and be almost exclusively funded by out-of-state interests,” Geis said. “This is the biggest cash dump I’ve seen in a long time.”
News Clip
Associated Press: Some Democratic-led states seek to bolster voter protections
“A lot of our maps here are drawn behind closed doors, and there’s not a lot of input from the public that’s able to be given,” said Morgan Drayton, policy and engagement manager at Common Cause Maryland. “So this would do a lot to make these processes more transparent.”
News Clip
Salon: “Model for bad democracy”: Voting rights wins may be reversed after GOP flips North Carolina court
This is the first time in 30 years that the court has decided to rehear two cases, said Bob Phillips, executive director of Common Cause North Carolina.
"I do think that North Carolina, unfortunately, is often looked upon as a model for bad democracy and can be the playbook for other states," Phillips said. "And we're almost like the laboratory for some of this, that we think is extremely harmful."
"I do think that North Carolina, unfortunately, is often looked upon as a model for bad democracy and can be the playbook for other states," Phillips said. "And we're almost like the laboratory for some of this, that we think is extremely harmful."
News Clip
Broadcasting & Cable: FCC Designates Standard General-Tegna Deal for Hearing
“Now that the FCC has designated the transaction for a hearing, do not expect an Administrative Law Judge to act quickly," said Yosef Getachew, democracy program director, for Common Cause, which opposes the merger. "An administrative proceeding is a long and drawn out process where the companies have the burden of proof to show that the transaction would not result in the potential harms outlined by the FCC. The best path forward now is for the companies to withdraw their deal. This proceeding should serve as a warning to private equity and...
Press Release
TEGNA-Standard General-Apollo Merger Dealt Blow with Hearing Designation Order
Today, the Federal Communications Commission issued a Hearing Designation Order referring certain questions regarding the TEGNA-Standard General-Apollo Global Management before an Administrative Law Judge. The Order specifically questions how the transaction could artificially raise prices for consumers and result in newsroom job losses. Common Cause has filed a petition to deny and other pleadings opposed to this merger.
News Clip
Baltimore Sun (Op-Ed): ‘Moore v. Harper’ Supreme Court case could weaken Maryland’s election rules
"Oral arguments were heard in December, and a decision is expected by June, and if the Supreme Court rules in favor of these lawless North Carolina lawmakers, it would have a near-immediate impact on Marylanders. This case could pave the way for dramatic and discriminatory cuts to our popular early voting and mail-in voting options, widespread voter roll purges, discriminatory barriers to voting access, baseless challenges to fair election results, fewer protections against voter intimidation and widespread gerrymandering." - Joanne Antoine,...
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Texas Tribune: Texas Senate revives effort to make illegal voting a felony
“SB 2 seems like an acknowledgement by the state that they do a crappy job of educating Texans about voting and a concession that they have no plans to do better,” said Anthony Gutierrez, executive director of Common Cause Texas. For the 2022 election cycle, the Texas Legislature allocated $3.5 million for voter education efforts. Advocates say that’s not enough to reach the more than 16 million registered voters in the state.
“The real problem here is, if you’re increasing the penalty for a crime, you would think the...
“The real problem here is, if you’re increasing the penalty for a crime, you would think the...
News Clip
Houston Chronicle: Hill Country Republican seeks to ban voting sites on college campuses, calling it a safety issue
“Texas has the fastest growing population in the nation, largely led by young voters of color, and some politicians clearly see this as a threat,” said Katya Ehresman, the voting rights program manager at Common Cause Texas. “This bill is an unabashed attempt to manipulate the outcome of elections by suppressing the voices of our increasingly young and diverse electorate.”
News Clip
The Thom Hartmann Program (VIDEO): You Used To Have Voting Rights Featuring Kathay Feng
10 years ago, Shelby County v Holder ended important parts of the Voting Rights act. Kathay Feng of Common Cause joins Thom to discuss the dramatic changes after a decade without voting rights.
News Clip
CNN: A Wisconsin Supreme Court race holds high stakes for abortion rights and the 2024 election
If a liberal flips the court’s open seat, progressive groups will attempt to relitigate the issue and urge the new majority to strike down the current map, Jay Heck, the executive director of Common Cause in Wisconsin, told CNN.
Heck and other voter advocates objected to the court’s conservative majority deciding to use maps drawn by Republicans in 2011 as the foundation for the maps it considered following the 2020 census.
Heck and other voter advocates objected to the court’s conservative majority deciding to use maps drawn by Republicans in 2011 as the foundation for the maps it considered following the 2020 census.
News Clip
Las Vegas Sun/Tribune News Service (Op-Ed): Supreme Court case could undermine the blueprint of our democracy
We know those who penned our Constitution in 1787 were unequivocal about the importance of putting checks and balances into every level of government and vesting power in the people. It was essential to the Founders to guard against any one person, group or political party seizing control in a way that undermines public will.
If our Supreme Court justices ignore 250-plus years of legal precedent, they’ll also be setting the stage for election pandemonium: One set of rules for state and local elections and another for...
If our Supreme Court justices ignore 250-plus years of legal precedent, they’ll also be setting the stage for election pandemonium: One set of rules for state and local elections and another for...
News Clip
VoteBeat: Unequal election policies disenfranchised some Pennsylvania voters in 2022. Explore what each county did.
Ideally, Pennsylvania counties should make it as easy as possible to vote, said Khalif Ali, executive director of Common Cause Pennsylvania, a group that advocates for expanding public participation in the government and protecting voting rights.
“It’s the beauty and the pain that’s associated with the commonwealth,” Ali said. “We have essentially a number of fiefdoms and each of them has their own budgets, their own way of looking at the law, and applying that law on the ground level.” ...
Ali of...
“It’s the beauty and the pain that’s associated with the commonwealth,” Ali said. “We have essentially a number of fiefdoms and each of them has their own budgets, their own way of looking at the law, and applying that law on the ground level.” ...
Ali of...
