[EL] more news 2/21/14

Fri Feb 21 11:38:23 PST 2014

    "How 'the next Citizens United' could bring more corruption --- but
    less gridlock" <http://electionlawblog.org/?p=58936>

Posted on February 21, 2014 11:18 am 
<http://electionlawblog.org/?p=58936>by Rick Hasen 
<http://electionlawblog.org/?author=3>

I have written this piece 
<http://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/how-the-next-citizens-united-could-bring-more-corruption--but-less-gridlock/2014/02/21/a190d1c6-95ab-11e3-afce-3e7c922ef31e_story.html> 
for the Sunday Outlook section of the Washington Post. It begins:

    An opinion could come as early as this coming week in the Supreme
    Court case being called "the next /Citizens United/," and groups
    concerned about the influence of money in American politics are
    bracing themselves for the result. Public Citizen has planned more
    than 100 events
    <http://www.citizen.org/pressroom/pressroomredirect.cfm?ID=4082>
    across the country in anticipation of a McCutcheon v. Federal
    Election Commission
    <http://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/supreme-court-case-could-give-wealthy-donors-more-latitude-in-elections/2013/10/03/26a66d82-2ad4-11e3-b139-029811dbb57f_story.html>
    ruling that further dismantles our campaign finance laws and strikes
    down a key federal campaign contribution limit.

    I, too, am troubled by the prospect of an awful decision that would
    clear the way for more corruption. But I find some solace in the
    thought that such a ruling could have a surprising positive side
    effect: reducing gridlock in Washington.

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Posted in Uncategorized <http://electionlawblog.org/?cat=1>

    "Next up: 'Citizens United v. IRS'?"
    <http://electionlawblog.org/?p=58934>

Posted on February 21, 2014 11:10 am 
<http://electionlawblog.org/?p=58934>by Rick Hasen 
<http://electionlawblog.org/?author=3>

CPI reports 
<http://www.publicintegrity.org/2014/02/21/14284/next-citizens-united-v-irs>.

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Posted in campaign finance <http://electionlawblog.org/?cat=10>, tax law 
and election law <http://electionlawblog.org/?cat=22>

    "CQ Researcher Voting Controversies v.24-8?
    <http://electionlawblog.org/?p=58931>

Posted on February 21, 2014 11:04 am 
<http://electionlawblog.org/?p=58931>by Rick Hasen 
<http://electionlawblog.org/?author=3>

Ken Jost has produceda marvelous primer 
<http://www.cqpress.com/product/Researcher-Voting-Controversies-v24.html> for 
CQ Researcher on voting controversies.  You can purchase it as a 
stand-alone (or if you are part of a university or organization you may 
have a subscription).  Here's the abstract:

    Election laws and voting procedures have been a major source of
    controversy in the United States ever since the stunted recount in
    Florida that determined the outcome of the 2000 presidential
    contest. Republicans and Democrats have clashed fiercely in state
    after state over GOP-backed proposals to require government-approved
    photo IDs for voters to cast ballots. Republicans say the laws
    prevent fraud; Democrats say the laws are aimed at vote suppression.
    Court rulings on the laws are mixed. The Supreme Court added to the
    controversies with a decision in June to disable a major provision
    of the federal Voting Rights Act that required some states and
    localities with a history of discrimination to obtain permission
    from the government before instituting any change in voting
    procedures. A bill to restore the provision has been introduced in
    Congress, but no hearings have been scheduled yet. Election
    officials are also looking at recommendations from a presidential
    commission for online registration, more early voting and costly
    replacement of technologically obsolescent voting machinery.

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Posted in election administration <http://electionlawblog.org/?cat=18>, 
The Voting Wars <http://electionlawblog.org/?cat=60>, Voting Rights Act 
<http://electionlawblog.org/?cat=15>

    "Chief Justice Roberts Was Right: How To Fix The Voting Rights Act"
    <http://electionlawblog.org/?p=58929>

Posted on February 21, 2014 10:09 am 
<http://electionlawblog.org/?p=58929>by Rick Hasen 
<http://electionlawblog.org/?author=3>

Amel Ahmed writes 
<http://talkingpointsmemo.com/cafe/chief-justice-roberts-was-right-how-to-fix-the-voting-rights-act> 
for TPM Cafe.

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Posted in Supreme Court <http://electionlawblog.org/?cat=29>, Voting 
Rights Act <http://electionlawblog.org/?cat=15>, VRAA 
<http://electionlawblog.org/?cat=81>

    "Toss-Up Senate Races Are Key Targets for Dark Money"
    <http://electionlawblog.org/?p=58927>

Posted on February 21, 2014 9:42 am 
<http://electionlawblog.org/?p=58927>by Rick Hasen 
<http://electionlawblog.org/?author=3>

Release <http://maplight.org/content/73409>:

    MapLight has produced a series of reports and visualizations on how
    the growth of "dark money" has impacted the nature of spending in
    elections. Our first report, "Social Welfare" Groups Dominate Dark
    Money Spending on Congressional Elections
    <http://maplight.org/Social-welfare-dominates-dark-money-spending>,
    examined the dramatic increase in spending by 501(c)(4) social
    welfare organizations in congressional elections from January 1,
    1999 -- December 31, 2012.

    Our second report, Toss-Up Senate Races Are Key Targets for Dark
    Money <http://maplight.org/Dark-money-in-competitive-Senate-races>,
    examines targeted spending of dark money groups on the Senate's most
    competitive races.

    During the 2012 elections, "dark money" groups --- organizations
    that spend money on elections but do not have to disclose the
    sources of their contributions --- focused their spending on races
    that gave them the best opportunity to change the outcome in favor
    of their preferred candidate.

  *

        Dark money groups spent, on average, $9.1 million on 2012 Senate
        races that were rated "toss-ups" by the New York Times.

  *

        Dark money groups spent, on average, $1.4 million on 2012 Senate
        races that the New York Times rated "solid" or "leaning" in
        favor of one of the candidates by the New York Times.

  *

        In total, dark money groups spent $108.8 million on 2012 Senate
        elections.

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Posted in campaign finance <http://electionlawblog.org/?cat=10>, tax law 
and election law <http://electionlawblog.org/?cat=22>

    "Super PACs and the Confusion of Regulatory Objectives"
    <http://electionlawblog.org/?p=58925>

Posted on February 21, 2014 9:40 am 
<http://electionlawblog.org/?p=58925>by Rick Hasen 
<http://electionlawblog.org/?author=3>

Bob Bauer blogs 
<http://www.moresoftmoneyhardlaw.com/2014/02/super-pacs-confusion-regulatory-objectives/>.

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Posted in campaign finance <http://electionlawblog.org/?cat=10>

    "ACLU of Nevada and Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights File
    Challenge to Voter ID Initiative" <http://electionlawblog.org/?p=58923>

Posted on February 21, 2014 9:36 am 
<http://electionlawblog.org/?p=58923>by Rick Hasen 
<http://electionlawblog.org/?author=3>

See this press release 
<http://www.lawyerscommittee.org/newsroom/press_releases?id=0413>.

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Posted in direct democracy <http://electionlawblog.org/?cat=62>, 
election administration <http://electionlawblog.org/?cat=18>, The Voting 
Wars <http://electionlawblog.org/?cat=60>

    "Once-Obscure State Job Is Now Attracting Millions Of Campaign
    Dollars" <http://electionlawblog.org/?p=58921>

Posted on February 21, 2014 9:30 am 
<http://electionlawblog.org/?p=58921>by Rick Hasen 
<http://electionlawblog.org/?author=3>

NPR reports 
<http://www.npr.org/blogs/itsallpolitics/2014/02/21/279659009/once-obscure-state-job-is-now-attracting-millions-of-campaign-dollars>on 
money in Secretary of State races. 
<http://www.npr.org/blogs/itsallpolitics/2014/02/21/279659009/once-obscure-state-job-is-now-attracting-millions-of-campaign-dollars>

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Posted in campaign finance <http://electionlawblog.org/?cat=10>, 
election administration <http://electionlawblog.org/?cat=18>

-- 
Rick Hasen
Chancellor's Professor of Law and Political Science
UC Irvine School of Law
401 E. Peltason Dr., Suite 1000
Irvine, CA 92697-8000
949.824.3072 - office
949.824.0495 - fax
rhasen at law.uci.edu
http://www.law.uci.edu/faculty/full-time/hasen/
http://electionlawblog.org

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