#TalkRadio – June 25: Democracy At The Cliff: Runaway State Legislatures, Supreme Court Injustice & Reform, and the Perils of Project 2025

SPEAKERS:

Prof. Maureen Edobor, Esq.: 12:00 PM – 12:57 PM ET
TJC Fellow; Author of various law reviews and legal periodicals regarding voting rights and the U.S. Constitution; Assistant Professor of Law, Washington & Lee University; Delaney Center Fellow; Teaches and writes in constitutional law, focusing on voting and elections; Former, Policy Director and Counsel for the Congressional Black Caucus; Counsel for Congressman Jamie Raskin’s Subcommittee on Civil Rights and Civil Liberties Visiting Assistant Professor of Law at Penn State Law; Former Staff Attorney, League of Women Voters

Alex Aronson, Esq.: 12:30 PM – 12:57 PM ET
Author & Political Commentator; Executive Director of Court Accountability; Former, Chief Counsel for US Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI); Former, Staff for the Senate Judiciary Committee, Federal Courts, Oversight, Agency Action and Federal Rights Subcommittee; Attorney, US Department of Justice  and Associate, Covington & Burling, LLP.  

INTRODUCTION:

The Igniting Change Radio Show on Tuesday, June 25th, 2024, from 12:00 PM – 1:00 PM Eastern Time, entitled, “Democracy At The Cliff: Runaway State Legislatures, Supreme Court Injustice & Reform, and the Perils of Project 2025”, will be live with Radio Show Co-Hosts and Transformative Justice Coalition (TJC) Co-Leaders Attorneys Barbara Arnwine, Esq. and Daryl Jones, Esq. and will feature special guests Prof. Maureen Edobor, Esq. and Alex Aronson, Esq. 

This show will reprise Monday night’s Virtual Town Hall Event “Democracy At The Cliff: Runaway State Legislatures, Supreme Court Injustice & Reform, and the Perils of Project 2025” which featured an all-star panel of voting rights and civil rights experts, including two TJC Fellows. This Town Hall was streamed LIVE on YouTube and Facebook. Watch on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TJC.DC/videos/1250758865887549 and Watch on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/live/eM-LtnW9kfM?si=QjuZuxA2YWjutTAG. 

The Panel was moderated by Daryl D. Jones, Esq., Chair, Board of Directors for TJC. Opening Statements were made by Barbara R. Arnwine, Esq., President & Founder of TJC. Esteemed panelists included:

• DR. JULIANNE MALVEAUX, World renowned Economist, Political Commentator, Author, Former President, Bennett College, Former Dean, College of Ethnic Studies, California State University, and Reparations Expert, 
• WENDY R. WEISER, Esq., Prominent voting rights expert, Author, Political Commentator and VP and Director of the Democracy Program at the  Brennan Center for Justice at NYU School of Law. Previously was a Senior Attorney at NOW Legal Defense and Education Fund, a litigation associate at Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison, and a law clerk to Judge Eugene H. Nickerson in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of New York.  
• ALEX ARONSON, Esq., Author & Political Commentator; Executive Director of Court Accountability; Former, Chief Counsel for US Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI); Former, Staff for the Senate Judiciary Committee, Federal Courts, Oversight, Agency Action and Federal Rights Subcommittee; Attorney, US Department of Justice  and Associate, Covington & Burling, LLP.  
• JOHN CUSICK, Esq., Assistant Counsel at the NAACP Legal Defense Fund; Worked on the litigation team in the Alexander v. South Carolina Conference of the NAACP; Worked on Pres Robinson v. Phillip Callais, a Louisiana racial gerrymandering case
• MAUREEN EDOBOR, Esq., Author, various law reviews and legal periodicals regarding voting rights and the U.S. Constitution; Assistant Professor of Law,, Washington & Lee University; Delaney Center Fellow; Teaches and writes in constitutional law , focusing on voting and elections; Former, Policy Director and Counsel for the Congressional Black Caucus; Counsel for Congressman Jamie Raskin’s Subcommittee on Civil Rights and Civil Liberties Visiting Assistant Professor of Law at Penn State Law; Former Staff Attorney, League of Women Voters; TJC Fellow
• DEVAN M. VILFRARDl CEO & Co-Founder, Cash In Grad Out Foundation, Inc.; Graduate, Florida A&M University; Former, State President, NAACP State Conference of Branches Youth & College Division and TJC Fellow    

The purpose of the Town Hall was to examine the current threats to democracy and voting equality for voters of color. The panel fielded questions that showed the interrelationship of voter suppression by state legislatures and harmful decisions by the federal judiciary. A special focus was on today’s 11th Anniversary of the Shelby v. Holder decision which effectively gutted the preclearance provisions of Section 5 of the Voting Rights Act. The panel discussed the needed Supreme Court of the United States reform. And the panel looked at the horrors of the Project 2025 and Project 47 which proposes an anti-voting rights, anti-civil rights framework for a new, if elected, Trump Administration. 

The audience was treated to an active and highly informative discussion. Watch and Share on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TJC.DC/videos/1250758865887549 and Watch and Share YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/live/eM-LtnW9kfM?si=QjuZuxA2YWjutTAG.

Besides examining SCOTUS reform, the panel also discussed other remedial actions that can be undertaken to prevent voter suppression, including the upcoming July 17th John Lewis National Day of Action and Candlelight Vigils and the need for passage of the Freedom to Vote Act, the John R. Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act, the Native American Voting Rights Act, and the Washington, D.C. Admissions Act.

QUESTIONS:

12:00 PM – 12:30 PM Eastern Time

• Happy PRIDE Month!
• Maureen, Today is the 11th Anniversary of the Shelby v. Holder Case, which has almost eliminated the utility of Section 5 of the Voting Rights Act, the preclearance provision, as a tool for preventing and fighting voter suppression in states and jurisdictions with a history of discrimination in voting, Please explain to our audience the Shelby v. Holder opinion.
• Maureen, Since the last Presidential Election in 2020, How have State Legislatures made it harder for voters to participate in Elections?
• Maureen, What other measures have state legislatures undertaken to undermine our democracy?
• Maureen, What is the state constitutional convention movement?
• Maureen, Describe the Federal Court’s 8th Circuit attack on the private right of action under Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act of 1965? Why is this significant?
• Maureen, What has been the impact of State Voting Rights Acts and other positive voting measures like Automatic Voter Registration?

12:30 PM – 12:57 PM Eastern Time

• Alex, The Court Accountability Project has been educating the public about Supreme Court ethical failures and corruption, please tell our audience what have been the top line issues with the Justice John Roberts Court?
• Alex, What are some of the types of options to consider for Supreme Court Reform?
• Alex, How do we get the Senate to address Supreme Court Reform and ethics?
• Alex, The US Supreme Court is at its lowest public trust rating ever.  The Supreme Court has shown a resistance to ethics laws and financial disclosure, if not through reform, how does the court rebuild and regain the trust and respect of the American people?
• Policy Mandate Project 2025 speaks to measures to embolden the powers of the next “conservative president.”  Does the delayed ruling by the U.S. Supreme Court in the immunity case, play into the theory of emboldening the power of the President presented in the strategy playbook, Project 2025?
• Project 2025 proposes to dismantle the Department of Education, Department of Homeland Security, Federal Elections Commission and the Federal Communications Commission, thus impacting how elections are held, how television (Sinclair Broadcasting) covers elected officials and how (DHS) conducts federal investigations. What is the practical impact of these policy decisions?
• What are some strategies for individual voters to overcome the voting hurdles that have been erected to suppress their vote?
• July 17, 2024 marks the 4th anniversary of the death of the Late Congressman John Lewis! On that day, we will come together in events across the country to commemorate his death and more importantly his life work to secure voting rights for all people. With the ongoing attack on democracy, the events will highlight the urgency of this moment in our history. We intend to educate, motivate and activate our community to work towards the passage of the Freedom to Vote Act, the John R. Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act, the Native American Voting Rights Act, and the Washington D.C. Admissions Act
• As the epidemic of voter suppression continues to expand in our nation, the urgency of passage of curative and proactive federal legislation has become more evident. On July 17th, TJC, Declaration for American Democracy (DFAD Coalition), Black Voters Matter, Public Citizen, The Leadership Conference, and the League of Women Voters are inviting individuals, activists, advocates, clergy, union members, teachers, students, community organizations, religious institutions, associations, fraternities, sororities- EVERYONE- to host local activities marking the fourth anniversary of the passing of our Voting Rights Champion, the late Congressman John Lewis. As the late Congressman John Lewis wrote the first 300 pages of the Freedom to Vote Act and the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act is named in his honor, it is most fitting that we commemorate his legacy by reaffirming our commitment to passing these most important bills. It is anticipated that there will be hundreds of events held throughout the nation in cities, townships, and parishes, including marches, votercades, celebration villages, teach-ins, and much more culminating that evening in candlelight vigils.
• How can people throughout the nation become part of this critical day of action and vigils? (They can sign up at  TinyURL.com/2024JohnLewis to become a host for a John Lewis Day of Action event.)
• Tell us about some of the events that are already registered.
• Today, June 25th, there is going to be a meeting for everyone interested in being part of this July 17th Movement. Please tell people how to register.
• What are your one-minute final thoughts to our listeners?
• Thank you for all of your hard work. How do our listeners get in contact with you?