Search query: montana

The latest headlines on nonpartisan voting rights from across the nation. Enjoy. Who Controls Primary Elections, And Who Gets To Vote? Source: Jonathan Stahl, Constitution Daily My Take: A good piece on its surface, but even better if you get into the weeds of the various links and additional stories/information on our primary systems. Group Tries To Replicate Nonpartisan Nebraska Elections In Arizona Source: Mark Brodie, KJZZ 91.5 My Take: Relax your eyes and let your ears takeover for

The latest headlines on nonpartisan voting rights from across the nation. Enjoy. Young, Independent Voters Denied Full Access to Elections in Pa. Source: John Finnerty, The Herald My Take: From a state calling out more and more for an open primary, a bit of in-depth reporting about the effect on young voters who are more than likely to register as independents. Insight Kansas: More Voters, Better Representation Source: Burdett Loomis, Hays Post Loomis, a political science professor at th

The California State Assembly approved legislation Wednesday that would allow terminally ill patients to legally end their lives. Lawmakers voted 42-33 after listening to various emotional, religious, or first-hand experience debates about whether or not California would be the next state to allow doctors to prescribe life-ending medication to terminally ill patients. Assemblywoman Susan Talamantes Eggman (D-Stockton) introduced the latest version of the bill during the special legislative sessi

California's existing election system for Congress and state office could be improved with the following ideas. The problem with the status quo is that ever since it went into effect in 2011, there has been very limited choice on the November ballot. So far, no independent or minor party candidate has appeared on the November ballot for statewide office. Each statewide office in November has been between one Democrat and one Republican, with no write-in space. In November 2014, California vote

CALIFORNIA -- In an interview for IVN, Assemblywoman Cheryl Brown of California's 47th district explained that the nonpartisan, top-two open primary system "requires candidates to build broad local coalitions." Brown is among the confirmed panelists who will speak at a series of discussions on voting rights, nonpartisan primaries, and the future of elections, hosted by the Independent Voter Project and California Forward on August 19 in Sacramento. Assemblywoman Brown was first elected to the C

The Senate Appropriations Committee took a 16-14 vote Thursday to approve a measure that would make it easier for marijuana businesses to obtain basic banking services with financial institutions. The amendment, proposed for the Marijuana Businesses Access to Banking Act of 2015, was authored by U.S. Senators Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.) and Patty Murray (D-Wash.). The amendment would prevent federal funds from being used to prohibit or penalize financial institutions that provide services to marijuan

In 1636, my 11th-great-grandfather, the Rev. Thomas Hooker, founded the colony of Connecticut and contributed greatly to the ideas of constitutional government and universal Christian suffrage in colonial America. Among his brilliant contributions was the -- at that time -- novel idea that the foundation of authority came from the free consent of the governed --an idea that stuck throughout American colonial history. One year later, in 1637, his government carried out the first colonial war ag

Kentucky U.S. Senator Rand Paul announced on his Facebook page and Twitter account that he has taken the Senate floor to begin his filibuster of renewing the PATRIOT Act, specifically provisions in Section 215 that are set to expire at the end of the month. Check out the live footage of Paul's filibuster here. https://twitter.com/RandPaul/status/601079082676318208 1:15 pm ET - Rand Paul takes the floor by saying, "There comes a time in the history of nations when fear and complacency allow pow

On Wednesday, the Supreme Court upheld the constitutionality of state laws barring elected judges from directly asking for campaign donations. “Judges are not politicians, even when they come to the bench by way of the ballot,” Chief Justice Roberts wrote in the decision, joining the court’s four liberal justices in a 5-4 decision. The LA Times reports: The decision marks one of the few times the high court has rejected a free-speech claim involving politics and campaigning. Roberts split fro

Controversy over Indiana's " Religious Freedom Restoration Act" is being heralded as a bellwether for national opinion by some LGBT advocates. The bill gave businesses the right to deny service to someone if providing that service conflicted with the owner's religious beliefs. After national backlash, Indiana Governor Mike Pence signed a revision to the law specifying that private business owners cannot use it to justify discrimination based on sexual orientation. "I think everyone on both si