Last month, New York became the second state to institute a system of public campaign financing. It follows an eight-month development process by an independent Public Campaign Finance Commission. While the new system might serve as a model for other states wishing to combat the role of big money in politics and amplify the voices… Read more
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THE DEMOCRACY REBELLION: Coming to PBS in January
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Americans may be divided over impeachment and the next election but they are united on one thing – strong majorities of Democrats, Independents and Republicans want political reforms that will restore a government that works for average Americans and not wealthy special interests. Polls confirm that, but what many Americans don’t know is that citizen… Read more
Danny Goldberg Reps the Stampede!
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Legendary Stamper Danny Goldberg recently sent us this selfie with the Stamp Stampede sweatshirt! Goldberg, who serves on the boards of People Power Initiatives (the Stampede’s parent non-profit) and Public Citizen, is the former manager of the band Nirvana and the former president of Atlantic Records. His latest book, Serving The Servant: Remembering Kurt Cobain, is available now wherever you… Read more
Berkeley’s Fair Elections Act is a Success!
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In 2016, Berkeley residents chose to establish a system of public campaign financing by passing the Fair Elections Act. The city’s 2018 elections served as the system’s first test, and it appears to have worked exceedingly well. Under the city’s new public financing system, candidates for city council and mayor who opt into the program… Read more
Dark Money Fuels State Supreme Court Races
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Are state Supreme Courts really nonpartisan? With dark money in the mix, it’s questionable. A study conducted by the Brennan Center for Justice and the National Institute on Money in Politics found that special interest spending accounted for 27 percent of all Supreme Court election spending last year, down from 40 percent in 2016. In… Read more
A Voting Rights Victory in the House
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Back in June, we reflected on how the Supreme Court’s 2013 ruling in Shelby County v. Holder rolled back key parts of the 1965 Voting Rights Act and led to rampant voter suppression. Now the House of Representatives has taken a major step towards restoring voting rights protections. On Friday, the House of Representatives voted 228-187 to… Read more
Doug Hughes Flies Again!
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On April 15, 2015, U.S. postal worker Doug Hughes landed a gyrocopter on the U.S. Capitol’s West Lawn, whereafter Capitol Police shortly arrested him. His bizarre but courageous flight made headlines across the country. More importantly, Doug took flight for a reason: to bring attention to the movement for campaign finance reform. Doug carried with… Read more
Democracy Reforms Won in 2019 Elections
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The 2019 elections took place this past Tuesday, and while many of the results were surprising, the biggest winner across the country was democracy reform. Here are a few victories that should be on your radar: NYC passes ranked-choice voting New Yorkers voted for the ability to rank their top five choices for Mayor, Comptroller,… Read more
This November: Join the Florida Rights Restoration Coalition Bus Tour!
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The Stamp Stampede invites you to join us in our support for the Florida Rights Restoration Coalition, starting with their statewide bus tour that kicks off on Saturday, Nov. 2 and runs until Sunday, Nov. 24. Together we have an opportunity to have a profound impact on the future of Florida, this country and the… Read more
A Voting Rights Victory in Florida!
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Big news out of Florida! A federal judge has ruled that Florida cannot prevent the state’s 1.4 million returning citizens from voting, even if they have unpaid fines and fees. Florida voters overwhelmingly passed an amendment during the November 2018 election to restore voting rights to most citizens with felony convictions who have served their… Read more