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Welcome to our weekly post, Independent Action, where we let you know the important moves independent candidates and organizations made over the past week. Terry Hayes qualified for the ballot in Maine’s gubernatorial race by turning in signatures two months early — she’s the only Independent on the ticket. “I’m proud to give Maine voters the choice to vote for an experienced, independent, and courageous woman to lead as Maine’s next Governor. I am grateful to the thousands of Mainers who’ve ci

A lot of independents like Rand Paul because he's so different from a lot of U.S. Senators who go to Washington to lie low, not make any waves, bring back something for the constituents, and enjoy the smooth sailing of a cush job in a prestigious career pinnacle position. Maybe despite (or because of) a completely undistinguished career in the Senate chamber with no controversial stands or anything important, they'll get tapped to be Vice President. But the Kentucky ophthalmologist was swept in

Americans have to admit that our democracy -- the great experiment -- is dead. Our government does not look or function as our Founding Fathers intended. In fact, it has failed in the fundamental purpose it was founded for -- to respond to the will of the people. As a nation, we have found ways to subvert the will of the people by reversing how the voting process works. The use of gerrymandering has allowed those that run for office to select who will vote for them. Partisan gerrymandering has

Across the country on any given night, thousands of the nation’s veterans are homeless. While the VA touts successes in permanently housing these men and women, many more suffer. Veteran homelessness, however, is difficult to break down into numbers. According to the Department of Housing and Urban Development, there are just over 39,000 homeless veterans nationwide. However, actual numbers are very difficult to compile due to the transient nature of homelessness. Many cities estimate their ho

“Yes” or “No”? Should it be the patient's right (by law) to have their surgery recorded by audio and video? https://youtu.be/xkFy8VJWP4I Do doctors found guilty of medical malpractice need to be held criminally responsible if someone is injured or killed in their care? Do hospitals and doctors need to be held more accountable for medical malpractice? A new Wisconsin bill, which allows patients the option to have their surgery recorded by audio and/or video (also referred to as the "Surgical

An unprecedented gathering of the brightest minds from the right and left with one common purpose: fix American politics. Leaders in advocacy, policy, politics, legal, movement-building, and popular culture share their knowledge and experience to build lasting solutions that inspire change. The Unrig the System Summit will be fast-paced and fun, with time to mingle with top advocacy leaders, academics, comedians, musicians, celebrities, activists, philanthropists and journalists, as well as ple

In an order issued on Monday, the Pennsylvania Supreme Court ruled that the district lines “clearly, plainly and palpably” violate the state Constitution and gave the Republican legislature until February 9 to draw new ones. It is the second ruling in less than two weeks where a court has struck down an entire state congressional map as unconstitutional and demanded that the state legislature oversee a redraw in time for the November 2018 elections. However, the U.S. Supreme Court quickly issu

All eyes in political reform circles are on the Wisconsin gerrymandering case (Gill v. Whitford) argued before the U.S. Supreme Court on October 3, 2017. The case was brought by a group of Democrats challenging the redistricting plan adopted by the state legislature’s Republican majority and signed into law by its Republican governor. The plaintiffs claimed that their constitutional rights to equal protection and freedom of association were violated because of the disparity between the vote to

News broke Tuesday that a panel of federal judges struck down North Carolina's congressional map, ruling that it constituted an illegal gerrymander. But unlike gerrymandering rulings in the past, the decision had nothing to do with racial or class discrimination, but partisan discrimination. It is the first time a federal court has struck down congressional maps on the grounds of partisan gerrymandering. The court ordered the General Assembly to redraw the map. “On its most fundamental level,

As with many issues today, the debate on immigration is mired in partisan opposition instead of pragmatism. At one time, nearly everyone agreed that illegal immigration was a problem, but now one side acts as if it's a "human right" to live anywhere you want while the other suggests anyone here illegally is up to something nefarious. Even where people understand the space between, we have no real solutions that address the disease rather than the symptoms. During the Obama administration, the