Reflective Democracy

Title II protects the digital rights everyone expects when going online. The largest ISPs in this country hold tremendous control over who can access the internet and what that access looks like. This unfettered control gives ISPs the ability and incentive to engage in discriminatory practices that undermine our digital rights.

In a letter to U.S. Senators Jeanne Shaheen and Maggie Hassan, the state legislators urge their federal counterparts to “do everything in your power to pass” the Freedom to Vote Act and the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act.

When the capitol is closed, "the public loses touch with our government, we lose confidence in our government," said Sandy Ma, executive director of Common Cause Hawaii. "We really lose a sense that the government is acting for us."

“I think it’s really easy to think, ‘We’ve had this experience. This means this doesn’t work,’” said Catherine Turcer, who works for the good government group Common Cause. But “it could be that the courts step in”. Or “it could be the reform works well in stopping bad actors who act badly”.

Senate Republicans used a loophole in the Senate’s rules—the filibuster —to block even holding a debate on the Freedom to Vote Act. It’s the third time they’ve stopped their colleagues from debating voting rights legislation this year. Senators now face a choice: protect the freedom to vote and find a way to send this bill to President Biden’s desk, or let it die due to Republican obstruction and abuse of internal Senate rules.