Today, the Supreme Court hears arguments in a pivotal case on union rights inFriedrichs v. California Teachers Association. If they decide on behalf of the plaintiffs, the justices would overturn a 1977 Supreme Court decision allowing public sector unions to collect fair share fees from all employees to help pay for the costs associated with collective bargaining.
Demos Vice President of Policy and Legal Strategies Brenda Wright released the following statement:
"Tonight, in his last State of the Union, President Obama lifted up the importance of fixing our politics so that all voices can be heard in our democracy.
"He noted how too many people feel that 'the system is rigged in favor of the rich or the powerful or some narrow interest.' To live up to our democratic tenets, President Obama called for reducing the influence of money in politics and modernizing our elect
Demos Vice President of Policy & Research Tamara Draut released the following statement:
"Tonight, President Obama delivered his last State of the Union and laid out his hopes not just for his final year of presidency but also his vision for the future of America.
Demos applauds the Governor’s leadership in calling for 12 weeks of paid family leave in New York and urges the State Senate to enact this legislation quickly.”
The 12 W. K. Kellogg Foundation (WKKF) "Anchor Institutions," applaud the Foundation's launch of the Truth, Racial Healing & Transformation (TRHT) commission. The WKKF “America Healing Racial Equity Anchor Collaborative" is a unique partnership of 12 leading national organizations all dedicated to racial equity and racial healing. As coalition members in the TRHT process, we express our individual and collective support of moving to action and creating comprehensive initiatives on racial healing. Each Anchor institution responds to the launch, below.
Nearly 9 out of 10 working New Yorkers do not receive paid leave from their employers.
The call for paid family leave in New York is steadily growing. Just this morning, Governor Cuomo amended his paid family leave proposal to increase the payment for some of the state's lowest paid workers, and at this very moment, New Yorkers are gathering in Albany to call for a family leave insurance system that covers working people statewide.
Upon the death of Supreme Court Justic Antonin Scalia, Demos Counsel and Senior Advisor for Policy & Outreach Adam Lioz released the following statement:
"Antonin Scalia was a dedicated public servant, a sharp mind, and a talented writer. Demos extends its deepest condolences to his family, friends and colleagues.
"As our country mourns Justice Scalia’s passing, we must also turn to focus on the process of nominating a successor to fill the vacancy on the Supreme Court.
LAS VEGAS and NEW YORK (March 7, 2016) – Voting rights advocates have sent a pre-litigation notice letter to Nevada officials, warning that the Nevada Department of Motor Vehicles is failing to meet its federally-mandated voter registration obligations and threatening litigation if the state does not comply with the law.
In response to President Obama's nomination of Judge Merrick Garland today, Demos President Heather McGhee has issued the following response.
Failure by Senate leadership, including Judiciary Chairman Chuck Grassley, to do their jobs is not just partisan obstructionism—it’s also a dereliction of constitutional duty.
Recent movements like the Fight for $15 have made it clear that today’s working class—who are more female and racially diverse than ever before—will not stay on the margins of the political stage, where they have long been relegated. Instead, these workers are fearlessly fighting to reclaim the moral authority, respect and economic opportunities past generations enjoyed.
(Raleigh, NC) – Yesterday, a coalition of voting rights advocates and North Carolina citizens asked a federal judge in Winston-Salem to issue an interim order to prevent widespread disenfranchisement in the November 2016 general election before the lawsuit they filed is resolved.
Action NC, Democracy North Carolina, the A.
The organizations are demanding that Ohio stop illegally removing voters from its voter registration rolls in violation of the National Voter Registration Act of 1993 (NVRA).
Demos, the Center for Popular Democracy, Maryland Working Families, Casa de Maryland and Maryland Communities United encourage broad and inclusive access to voting
April 12, 2016 (Annapolis, MD) – A voting rights coalition recognized the Maryland General Assembly for passing the Freedom to Vote Act, legislation that will ease the path to voting while cutting red tape for Maryland citizens. The coalition includes partners such as Demos, the Center for Popular Democracy, Maryland Working Families, Casa de Maryland and Maryland Communities United.
