Common Cause, joined by the League of Women Voters of North Carolina, filed a brief in Common Cause v. Rucho today concluding that a new congressional map in North Carolina should be implemented after the 2018 elections. With 67 days to go before the 2018 general election and a primary already conducted, Common Cause argued that new districts would generate election administration challenges that would cause confusion and lower voter turnout. The trial court ruled on Monday that North Carolina’s congressional map is an unconstitutional partisan gerrymander and is determining the appropriate remedy. The North Carolina General Assembly is likely to appeal the court’s ruling striking down the map directly to the U.S. Supreme Court, which could hear the case in the next term.

Today, Common Cause urged the United States Senate to exercise its constitutional power to withhold its consent on any presidential nominee for a lifetime appointment to the United States Supreme Court until a complete record of what’s at stake is laid bare, including all of a nominee’s records relevant to the job, and until more is public concerning Department of Justice investigations involving the president and the electoral process.

The Trump Administration has confirmed to the United States District Court for the District of Columbia that it has fulfilled its agreement to delete the state voter data that was unlawfully obtained by Trump’s Pence-Kobach Commission -- the very relief sought in a suit brought by Democracy Forward on behalf of its clients Common Cause and individual voters Jan Cantler, Anthony Gutierrez, Thomas Kennedy and Ellen Nakhnikian. The lawsuit was filed last year against the Presidential Advisory Commission on Election Integrity, its Vice Chair Kris Kobach, and the Department of Homeland Security to prevent them from violating the Privacy Act and engaging in other unlawful conduct.

Yesterday, Common Cause joined The Greenlining Institute, Center for Media Justice, Color of Change, 18 Million Rising, Media Alliance, and Media Mobilizing Project in filing an amicus brief urging the Court of Appeals for the DC Circuit to vacate the Federal Communications Commission’s unlawful repeal of net neutrality. The groups argued that the FCC’s net neutrality rules are critical for civic engagement, civil rights, and democracy, particularly for communities of color.

Yesterday, Common Cause joined Consumer’s Union, New America’s Open Technology Institute, Public Knowledge, and Writer’s Guild of America West, Inc. in filing a petition with the Federal Communications Commission asking the agency to deny the proposed $26 billion merger of T-Mobile US Inc. and Sprint Corporation. If approved, the number of national wireless carriers would be reduced from four to three, leading to less competition and higher prices for consumers. Low-income and marginalized communities who disproportionately rely on T-Mobile and Sprint for more affordable services may also find themselves displaced from wireless access.

Common Cause joins the nation in wishing peace and comfort to the family, friends, and colleagues of Senator John McCain.