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The Unrig The System Summit in New Orleans was a historic event that brought together people from across the political spectrum who could all agree on at least one thing: Our political process is corrupt, rigged, and need of broad systemic reform. Republicans, Democrats, conservatives, progressives, independents, and more shared the spotlight together not to talk about the political issues that divide them, but the reform initiatives that can unite them. "Good things, developmental things are

Three lessons for independent and third-party candidates and activists will determine the future of our nation and our shared planet. My position is simple: We are the answer. Our nation and our democracy are in trouble. We need more than enthusiasm from the independent movement. Candidates and activists must sit at the same physical or digital table, debate specific problems, agree on a framework for specific solution sets, then move on to the next problem. Examples of such dialog began early

Welcome to one of our weekly posts, Independent Action, where we let you know the important moves independent candidates and organizations made over the past week. This week we will be discussing Greg Orman, State Senator Bob Krist, and the Unrig the System Summit hosted by Represent.Us. Greg Orman was not quiet this week, but the light around him did dim slightly. However, Orman still managed to make some headlines during a somewhat slow week for his campaign. Governor Brownback’s resignation

Vermont is the first state to legalize adults’ possession and limited cultivation of marijuana legislatively Marijuana will be legal in nine states and the nation’s capital when Vermont law takes effect MONTPELIER, Vt. — On Monday, Gov. Phil Scott officially signed a bill into law that makes marijuana legal for adults in Vermont. H. 511 eliminates Vermont’s civil penalty for possessing one ounce or less of marijuana and removes penalties for possession of up to two mature marijuana plants and

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

Vermont is poised to become the 30th U.S. state to legalize marijuana for medical or recreational consumption, and the first state to legalize adults’ possession and limited cultivation of marijuana through an act of the legislature, rather than by popular ballot proposition. A bill that would make marijuana legal for adults in Vermont received final approval Wednesday from the Vermont Senate and will soon make its way to the desk of Gov. Phil Scott, who vetoed a similar bill in 2017. In Decem

Nothing is less American than political parties. As a country, we fancy ourselves a meritocracy staffed by conscientious and well-informed voters. But that can’t possibly be true so long as we continue harnessing ourselves to the wheel called partisanship, which turns and turns but goes precisely nowhere. It’s a tragedy when progressive voters must align themselves with the tone-deaf, good-enough Democratic Party. While the Dems busy themselves figuring out how to appease voters without pissin

A largely ignored development at year-end 2017 was the story that the Green Party presidential candidate Dr. Jill Stein’s campaign is under senate investigation for collusion with Russia.   Dr. Stein was the Green Party’s presidential nominee in 2016 and was on the general election ballot in 47 states.  She received more votes than Donald Trump’s margin of victory in Michigan, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin.  Those states accounted for a combined 46 electoral votes and together would have swung t

Read our centrist recap for the week below. We shine a light on the spin and useless stories from the Left and Right and detail what you should focus on, before people can pull wool over your eyes. What the partisans will focus on and you should avoid: * This week, just like last, and for a few weeks to come, both sides are going to be finger pointing and attempting to prove the other side is worse than they are. After all the sexual misconduct in Congress and politics, the parties will attem

Republican leadership under House Speaker Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) has set a record for the most closed rules in a session by not allowing members to add amendments to a bill for the 49th time. That record makes this the most closed Congress in U.S. history for members to debate and amend bills. In 2015, Ryan promised an open process during his first press conference as Speaker: "Bills will come up that may not pass. We're not going to bottle up the process so much and predetermine the outcome of ev