Increasing Democracy

Overview

Nov 09 2008

Progressive States is committed to a society where all are equal under the law and where government and economic institutions are accountable to the public, including:

Clean and Fair Elections where states Reduce the Influence of Money in Politics through policies like lobbying reforms and public financing of elections, Grow the Electorate through election reform, Make Every Vote Count through fixing election administration procedures, enact National Popular Vote to guarantee full democracy in Presidential elections and increase turnout, Resist Vote Suppression by Right-Wing to protect the integrity of the vote, and promote Electoral Alternatives to open the process to a greater diversity of views.

Tax and Budget Reform should both provide the funds needed to fund critical social programs, even as state leaders Make Tax Systems More Progressive to promote greater economic equality, Fix Failed Tax Subsidies to improve economic development, and Reform Government Contracts and Restrict Privatization to assure that public services and assets serve both broad social goals and taxpayer interests.

Accountable Government should include Whisteblower Protection to expose government and corporate wrongdoing undermining public policy, Improving Government Data Collection to increase the effectiveness of government programs,promote Freedom of Information to keep government leaders accountable, and strenghtening Public Right to Know laws to inform workers and the public of potential violations of public policy by corporate wrongdoers.

Progressive Federalism is the establishments of a new compact for federal-state relations, including greater Federal Funding for State Innovation for shared needs among the states, a commitment to Minimize Federal Preemption only to situations where Congress clearly called for blocking state laws and only where state law clearly conflicts with federal policy, and the promotion of Equal Rights for State Employees under federal civil rights laws.

Media Reform should expand the diversity of voices involved in our public debatein place of the corporate control of much of current media.

From the Dispatch

California Progressives Score Key Transparency Victory

Sep 02 2010

In August, California lawmakers approved AB 2666, a bill sponsored by Asm. Nancy Skinner that requires the state's Franchise Tax Board to compile information on corporate tax expenditures and publish the information on California's Reporting Transparency in Government website. In 2009 alone, the state spent $14.5 billion on corporate tax expenditures with no oversight or accountability mechanisms.

Private Tax Filing Firm Lobbying to Scrap Successful State Tax Preparation Services

Aug 26 2010

Intuit, a private firm that manufactures TurboTax, has pushed California lawmakers to eliminate the popular, successful, and cost-effective public tax filing services, ReadyReturn and CalFile. These two programs offer millions of low- and middle-income Californians a free and reliable method to calculate and file taxes.

Georgia's Draconian Voter Verification System Passes Federal Muster

Aug 26 2010

Two years of courtroom battles ended on Monday as Georgia received a green light from the US Department of Justice (DOJ) to go ahead with its controversial voter verification system, a major step backward for the state.

CAFTA Trade Lawsuit Highlights Threat To State Regulations From Bad Trade Agreements

Aug 26 2010

We've detailed in the past the way new international trade deals empower corporations to undermine local regulations. A recent case highlights just how byzantine and dangerous the process is getting: A Canadian mining company is using a recently established Nevada subsidiary to use the federal Central America Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA) to try and overturn mining regulations in El Salvador. Earlier this month, a tribunal under CAFTA ruled against the US government’s objections to the mining company's lawsuit and allowed the case to proceed.

Right-wing Budget Hypocrisy: Taking Recovery Funds, Denouncing Deficits and Promoting Costly Tax Cuts

Aug 19 2010

Right-wing officials have consistently expressed opposition to the federal recovery effort, even as they take credit for the American Recovery and Reinvestment ACT's (ARRA) impcat on economic growth. The combination with promoting budget-busting tax cuts while bemoaning the deficit just adds to the hypocrisy of rhetoric on the right.

Connecticut Defends Clean Elections Financing Program

Aug 19 2010

Overriding a veto by their Governor, the Conneticut Legislature has strengthened its Citizen's Election system of public financing of elections that was first instituted in 2005. Responding to a bad decision by a federal appeals court, the Legislature has fixed the system and increased the public financing available to candidates.

All-Mail Voting Is One Winner of Colorado's Primary

Aug 12 2010

As pundits attempt to digest what Colorado's primary on Tuesday night means for incumbents and insurgents alike, there is one thing everyone can agree on: voting by mail saved counties much-needed money while boosting turnout.

New York: One Signature Away from Ending Prison-Based Gerrymandering

Aug 12 2010

Legislation to end the practice of prison-based gerrymandering in New York, included within the 2011 state budget, passed both the Senate and Assembly last week. Once Gov. Patterson approves the budget package, the bill will go into effect in time for next year's redistricting efforts.

Tax Limitation Rules Costing States Big Bucks in Downgraded Bond Ratings

Aug 05 2010

When state governments make it nearly impossible to raise taxes to pay their bills, their creditors apparently get very nervous and increase their costs to borrow money. Both Arizona and California have seen their bond ratings downgraded -- and their borrowing costs likely increasing -- with analysts citing both states' tax limitation rules that require a two-thirds vote of their legislatures to raise taxes as one reason.

Senate Approves FMAP and Schools Funding -- But At the Cost of Food Stamp Cuts

Aug 05 2010

This week, the U.S. Senate finally overcame a filibuster by conservative Senators to move emergency Medicaid funding through the first half of 2011 and provide key funding for education jobs. This action is critical for state budgets and will protect both medical services and education programs in states across the country. Unforuntately, due to over-hyped deficit concerns, the total cost of the package is offset by spending cuts, including an $11 billion cut in Food Stamps, along with closing a tax loophole for multinational corporations.

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