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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 of Florida deserve accountability and transparency and the right to demand it of officials.”

Voting & Elections 03.18.2024

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 these amendments] is likely to leave election clerks all over the state of Wisconsin without the resources to run elections smoothly,” Heck said.

Money & Influence 03.1.2024

Honolulu Star Advertiser: 5 Questions: Camron Hurt, of Common Cause Hawaii

What aspect of “good government” does Hawaii do well, and where does it need the most improvement? Hawaii is truly a dynamic state. Areas of good governance that Hawaii does well include human rights as well as establishing safe avenues for citizen participation in democracy. However, this is simply not enough as we continue to struggle with participation in democracy, transparency and strategic vision. Perhaps the aspect of good governance that is most missing from our state would be strong and pragmatic anti-corruption safeguards and laws.

Voting & Elections 02.28.2024

Colorado Politics: Colorado lawmakers seek to penalize 'fake electors' under perjury laws

"There must be consequences for overturning the will of the voters, both to prevent these schemes from being attempted in the future and to ensure accountability to those responsible for future attempts," added Aly Belknap of Colorado Common Cause.

Voting & Elections 02.27.2024

Colorado Politics: 'Deepfakes' and AI content: Colorado lawmakers dive into new tech ahead of November elections

Aly Belknap with Colorado Common Cause echoed Holman’s concerns, highlighting the pervasiveness of deepfakes and other avenues for spreading “disinformation,” such as fake social media profiles. These issues, she said, combined with declining trust in the media among Americans, pose a threat to the future of fair elections. “The availability of generative AI tools makes it easier than ever to spread false information and propaganda with little resources and at a large scale, leaving voters confused and further questioning what they see or hear,” she said. “We can’t let generative AI go unchecked in political campaigns. In this increasingly complex information ecosystem, it’s critical that citizens have the tools to determine whether an image, video, or audio representation made by a candidate campaign is authentic and truthful.”

Voting & Elections 02.24.2024

San Francisco Chronicle/CalMatters: Why Does California Elect Local Judges?

That's concerning to Jonathan Mehta Stein, executive director of Common Cause California, an advocacy group that focuses on fair elections and representation: "Our judges are supposed to be above the fray of politics and totally unbiased in their decision-making," he wrote in an email. "Whether or not that's actually true, it certainly does not help public perception of the judiciary to force our judges to raise special interest dollars, make campaign promises, and so forth." He added that even very engaged voters struggle to find information on these contests.

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