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As another government shutdown loomed over the border wall, many people wondered if the newfound calls for unity in President Trump's State of the Union message had the potential for any bipartisan cooperation. Though Congress managed to pass a bill to avoid the shutdown, short-term results look distinctly unsatisfying. Trump signed a border compromise bill that fell far short of his goals for funding and then declared a controversial national emergency to continue what Congress wouldn't suppor

As another government shutdown loomed over the border wall, many people wondered if the newfound calls for unity in President Trump's State of the Union message had the potential for any bipartisan cooperation. Though Congress managed to pass a bill to avoid the shutdown, short-term results look distinctly unsatisfying. Trump signed a border compromise bill that fell far short of his goals for funding and then declared a controversial national emergency to continue what Congress wouldn't suppor

This column was supposed to be a victory lap of sorts. The NH House Election Law Committee met on February 13, to deliberate about and vote on HB 728, a bill to implement ranked choice voting (“RCV”) in New Hampshire. It offers staggered implementation, starting in 2020 with the first-in-the-nation NH presidential primary. We thought we had the votes for it to pass favorably out-of-committee to the House floor (though we knew it would be close), and we were anxious to move to the next step! The

A new bill was introduced in the New Hampshire legislature that would implement ranked choice voting in the state's first-in-the-nation presidential primaries. However, the New Hampshire House Election Law Committee voted Wednesday to hold off on a vote for a year, giving policymakers more time to study the proposal. The bill, HB 728, is not dead. However, the committee's decision does mean that ranked choice voting will likely not be used in the 2020 New Hampshire primaries. “Unfortunately, t

The 2020 Democratic field is already larger than it was in 2008. So far, 11 Democrats have launched or formally announced their intentions to launch a presidential bid, and more are expected in the coming weeks and months. One of the biggest names many are still waiting on, however, is US Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) Is Bernie 2020 going to happen? The answer could come very soon. Here are some things to look at: 1. Sanders and Biden Lead in the Polls Interesting enough, the two candidates w

As a business owner and lifelong resident of Michigan, I am proud to have stood with so many of my fellow citizens soliciting signatures for days and weeks on end to get the “Nonpartisan Redistricting” and “Promote the Vote” initiatives on the ballot and successfully passed in the 2018 midterm election. They were a big win for Michigan democracy and important steps on a journey to a more representative government. Yet, there remains a large obstruction in our path to achieving a healthy, functi

As the new year begins, state legislatures around the country are convening to tackle the issues of the day. After seeing pro-democracy measures surge on the ballot in the 2018 midterms, it’s no surprise that efforts to address our broken elections continue to dominate discussion among the public and in the halls of power. Coming off of its historic first statewide implementation in Maine, ranked choice voting (RCV) has been a key part of this conversation in state legislatures from Massachuset

SAN DIEGO, CALIF. - Another State of the Union address, and an inevitably contradictive response has come and gone. Within days, no one beyond political aficionados will remember the content of either speech, or the reactions that were witnessed, beyond what talking points the parties and media outlets choose to use to manipulate beliefs. As has become the practice, one party offers hope while the other pleads for change. From a non-partisan perspective, the SOTU speech was generally well writt

There’s been a great deal of speculation in recent news cycles about independent presidential candidates for 2020 thanks to Starbucks former CEO Howard Schultz. The common wisdom about his prospective presidential run is clear: it would be a political windfall for President Trump and a cataclysmic blow to any Democrat seeking the White House. The problem with this kind of common wisdom is that it ensures that the competition American voters clearly want in our politics will be delayed, and effe

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m1LLPXfB3YM "I want to be an active mayor that focuses on solving real problems. That would be a marked change from recent years." ~ Assemblyman Todd Gloria, 2020 Mayoral Candidate San Diego, Calif.- Assemblyman Todd Gloria has a plan. A plan to get the city moving again. A champion for housing solutions, Gloria is ready to curb the crisis. He has a plan for homelessness, the convention center expansion, and ending the much publicized feud between the fire and