Study Presents NYS Senate with First Reform Test
Jan. 5 – In an update to reports released in 2004 and 2006, the Brennan Center's Still Broken: New York State Legislative Reform 2008 Update finds that the legislative process in Albany remains broken, and offers concrete recommendations for reform. "While there isn't much to cheer about looking back in either chamber, there is the promise of substantial reform from the likely new incoming Senate majority. We hope at least one chamber will reform the rules needed to remake the legislature," says Andrew Stengel, report co-author and Director of National Election Advocacy at the Brennan Center. Click here for more.Federal Court Upholds Conn. Pay-to-Play Ban
Dec. 19 – Today, defenders of Connecticut's ban on political contributions from lobbyists and contractors celebrated a key victory as a federal court upheld the law following a constitutional challenge. "This is a clear victory for good government," says Laura MacCleery,Deputy Director of the Democracy Program at the Brennan Center for Justice. "The current shameful situation in Illinois—and the earlier corruption scandals in Connecticut that prompted enactment of this law—show that too often politicians are willing to trade away their offices for private gain." To read more about Green Party of Connecticut v. Jeffrey Garfield, et al., click here.“Midnight” Regulation Weakens Protection
Dec. 19 – Today, the Bush Administration, in one of its final acts of rulemaking, published a regulation undercutting key protections for working people, despite the harsh economic climate. Together with the Northwest Workers' Justice Project, the Brennan Center is calling for action against the move. "To protect U.S. and visiting workers, Congress must enact comprehensive immigration reform. In the short term, it must allow H-2B workers to leave abusive employers and provide H-2B workers with access to attorneys to protect themselves from exploitation," says Laura Abel, a Deputy Director at the Brennan Center. Read more here.
- Guantánamo May Close, But in Afghanistan Another Gitmo Grows
(Time, Mark Thompson, 01/05/09) - Defiantly bad: New York’s Legislature stubbornly maintains position as the nation’s worst
(NY Daily News, Editorial, 01/05/09) - In Senate Recount, Minnesota Is No Florida
(National Journal, Eliza Newlin Carney, 01/05/09) - ‘Patriot dollars’ to reform politics
(LA Times, Pamela Finmark and William D. Chalmers, 01/05/09) - Discrimination not yet defeated
(Baltimore Sun, Dennis D. Parker and Susan Goering , 12/26/08) - Dismantling the Imperial Presidency
(The Nation, Aziz Huq, 12/23/08) - A big pill for healthcare to swallow
(Boston Globe, Laura MacCleery and Zachary Proulx, 12/22/08) - Judge Upholds Restrictions on Lobbyists, Contractors
(The Hartford Courant, Mark Pazniokas, 12/19/08)
On Wednesday, professor and visionary Lawrence Lessig discussed his non-partisan reform initiative “Change Congress” at a Netroots Nation event....
Art? Bad Design? A Vote for Senate?
Unfortunately, those frenetic abstract gestures were made by a Minnesota voter on a ballot rather than a canvas....
Counting Heads, Not Dollars: A New Campaign Finance Context
Ever since the Campaign Finance Institute (CFI) first published an analysis of the Obama small donor numbers several weeks ago, the ink has been flowing....
Illustrations by Risko
Before Congress
Newsweek reported top advisers to President-Elect Obama are considering a 9/11-style commission to investigate counterterrorism policies. Frederick A.O. Schwarz, Jr., Senior Counsel at the Brennan Center, made a similar suggestion in testimony before both the House and the Senate earlier this year. Click the video to view his testimony.
I’ve just finished reading Jon Meacham’s new book on Andrew Jackson, American Lion. I’ve always thought that Jackson’s life and presidency were under-appreciated as sources of drama and historic resonance.
Meacham does a good job of showing how Jackson created the strong presidency. He was the first chief executive to veto bills because he thought they were bad policy, not just because he thought they were unconstitutional. He was also the first chief executive to fire a cabinet secretary....