Let’s Improve Access to the Polls
June 10th, 2009 jmarion As the General Assembly session enters the final weeks, it’s not too late for the legislature to put the interest of the people first. In recent weeks the House has voted to impose a photo identification requirement on voters, and both chambers have supported closing the polls earlier Election Day. Now is the time to tell the General Assembly that the nearly half-million Rhode Islanders who voted last year deserve more, and not less, access to the polls.The first order of business is passing the bill that gives 16 and 17 year-olds the ability to preregister. After being vetoed numerous times, this bill deserves to be passed again in time so that any veto can be overridden. Likewise the bill to provide a direct election in cases of U.S. Senate vacancies should be passed. Voters, not politicians, should decide who represents us.
It is not for lack of ideas that the Assembly is not making it easier for people to cast their ballots. The Assembly has before it two bills that would make it easier for citizens to vote. The first allows citizens who cannot be bound by the historical anachronism of the first Tuesday after the first Monday in November, to vote during business hours at town halls the week prior to the election. The second bill would make it easier for voters to receive a mail ballot if they cannot vote on Election Day. Where are these bills in the legislative process? They are stuck in committee, with the early voting bill not even receiving a hearing as the final weeks of the session
For Removing the Straight Party Lever
May 26th, 2009 jmarion The straight party lever is broken. The 19th century anachronism that allows voters to cast votes for all candidates of a single party is incompatible with our current optical scan machines. When voters pull the straight party lever in 16 cities and towns, they are not voting for some local races. This is a flaw in the ballot, and the only solution is to eliminate the straight party lever.The Providence Journal has recently endorsed our position, and 16 cities and towns have already supported removing the lever. Join the movement today. Contact your legislators, and ask them to support removing the straight party lever.
Supreme Court Hears Irons Case
May 13th, 2009 jmarion On May 13th, 2009, the Rhode Island Supreme Court heard arguments in William V. Irons vs. Rhode Island Ethics Commission. Common Cause weighed in with briefs in support of the Ethics Commission’s position that legislators are subject to the code of ethics, despite the “speech in debate” clause of the Rhode Island Constitution. Likewise Common Cause supported the position that Irons does not have a right to a jury trial. Read about the oral arguments here.Common Cause Briefs in Ethics Comm.’s Appeal
April 29th, 2009 jmarion Common Cause Rhode Island has issued friend of the court briefs in Irons vs. Rhode Island Ethics Commission. Click below to read what we have to say on these important issues to all Rhode Islanders.BOE Supports Removing the Master Lever
April 24th, 2009 jmarion The body charged with “the governance and conduct of elections” in Rhode Island has voted to support efforts to remove the straight party master lever from the ballot. On Wednesday, April 22nd, the Rhode Island Board of Elections voted 3 to 1 to support the bi-partisan movement to eliminate the master lever.“The Board of Elections vote does not mean the straight party master lever is removed from the ballot,” says John Marion of the government reform group Common Cause, a member of the Make Every Vote Count coalition, “but their custodial role over elections in Rhode Island means their approval carries great weight.” Only the General Assembly can remove the straight party lever and currently there are two bills to do so, H 5318 and S 80, stalled in committees at the Statehouse.
“The straight party master lever is problematic for many reasons,” says activist Margaret Kane, “it does not work well with our current optical scan system.” This especially affects elections at the local level. In local non-partisan elections (16 RI Communities), a large undervote is due to straight party votes that ignore these races. And in instances in local partisan elections, the straight party vote in any local race with more than one position, is deleted without the voters’ knowledge, when voters make additional marks on the ballot in that local race.
Common Cause Urges Governor to Choose Judges
April 23rd, 2009 jmarion Wednesday, April 22nd marks the 22nd day since the Judicial Nominating Commission (JNC) sent a list of finalists to Governor Carcieri for the position of Chief Justice of the Rhode Island Supreme Court. The law creating the JNC (§ 8-16.1-5) clearly states “(b) The governor shall fill any such vacancy within twenty-one (21) days of the public submission by the commission.” Common Cause Rhode Island asks; where is our new Chief Justice?“The proper administration of justice relies on a fully staffed judiciary,” says John Marion, executive director of Common Cause Rhode Island, “and by ignoring the law concerning judicial vacancies, the Governor is preventing that from happening.” Besides the current vacancy for the Chief Justice slot, there are two other vacancies for which the JNC provided lists to the Governor, in 2008, and that are still unfilled. Common Cause Rhode Island urges Governor Carcieri to fill all judicial vacancies in a timely manner and in accordance with the law.
Promoting Transparency in Tax Expenditures
April 15th, 2009 jmarion April 15th is Tax Day, and Common Cause Rhode Island wants to bring transparency to the tax breaks granted by our state. That’s why we’re supporting H 5718 and S 526 which propose changes to the State’s Tax Expenditure Report. The Tax Expenditure Report is supposed to be the single source of information for how tax breaks are accounted for in Rhode Island. A recently released report demonstrates the deficiencies in the Rhode Island document. Read the letter we sent to Rhode Island leaders asking for greater transparency.Common Cause Weighs in on Merit Selection
April 13th, 2009 jmarion On Saturday, April 12th, the Providence Journal published an Op-Ed by John Marion, executive director of Common Cause Rhode Island, on renewing merit selection of judicial officers in Rhode Island. As the Assembly sessions moves into high gear, now is the time for action. Join us in supporting S 607 and H 5433 to bring magistrates under the merit selection system. Help us oppose H 5567 and S 760 extending the 5 year look-back for the Governor. Contact your representatives today and demand they restore the merit selection process.Click here to get a link on how to contact members of the General Assembly.
Common Cause Files Brief in Irons Case
March 19th, 2009 jmarion On Tuesday March 17th, Common Cause Rhode Island filed an amicus curiae brief with the Rhode Island Supreme Court in support of the Rhode Island Ethics Commission. The Commission seeks to overturn a 2008 Superior Court decision that ruled the “Speech in Debate” clause of the Rhode Island Constitution prevents the Ethics Commission from investigating members of the General Assembly. Common Cause, along with the League of Women Voters of Rhode Island, argue that the Ethics Commission does indeed have jurisdiction over members of the General Assembly based on the changes enacted as part of the 1986 Constitutional Convention. The Supreme Court is set to hear arguments in the appeal on May 13th.