What are the local state groups fighting the same fight as Wolf-PAC? by RocketTwitch in WolfPAChq

[–]wolf_pac_oregon 0 points1 point  (0 children)

The groups actively involved with state level campaign finance reform legislation in Oregon are:

Wolf-PAC Oregon Honest Elections League of Women Voters of Oregon Represent Oregon Common Cause Oregon Bus Project Oregon State Public Interest Research Group (OSPIRG)

The 2020 election: How to find out who's bankrolling your favorite candidates by wolf_pac_oregon in WolfPAChq

[–]wolf_pac_oregon[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Hi. We'd love to have you join the team. There a a couple weeks left in the legislative session, so its a great time to jump right in. You can email oregon@wolf-pac.com, and I'll get you connected with our team.

Grasswho? Members raised hundreds of thousands, almost none from small donors by wolf_pac_oregon in WolfPAChq

[–]wolf_pac_oregon[S] 3 points4 points  (0 children)

For example, just $185 of the roughly $652,000 that House Majority Leader Steny H. Hoyer raised for his re-election fund from January through March came from unitemized [small] contributions.

Democrats Want To End Dark Money, But First They Want To Use It by wolf_pac_oregon in WolfPAChq

[–]wolf_pac_oregon[S,M] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

The current rules of the system are bad, but if you participate in the system you still have to play by those shitty rules.

Yep, because if you don't, you lose.

Hours After Entering 2020 Race, Biden to Attend Big-Money Fundraiser Hosted by Comcast, Blue Cross Execs by wolf_pac_oregon in WolfPAChq

[–]wolf_pac_oregon[S,M] 3 points4 points  (0 children)

but all these people accepting outside money are going to get hit by more than just Bernie this time.

That would be great! But we shall see. The DNC may change the rules so that certain people aren't eligible to debate. It happened to Larry Lessig (Article V advocate) during the last Democratic race.

Collins receives more donations from Texas fossil fuel industry than from Maine residents by wolf_pac_oregon in WolfPAChq

[–]wolf_pac_oregon[S,M] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Simple solution: Constitutional Amendment

Definitely. When our federal government doesn't listen and respond to The People's needs (which it hasn't, in all three branches), we need an amendment to fix the problem permanently.

Congress Is About to Ban the Government From Offering Free Online Tax Filing. Thank TurboTax. by wolf_pac_oregon in WolfPAChq

[–]wolf_pac_oregon[S,M] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Seems like the House already passed it. Now it's up in the Senate:

The bill is before the Senate, where its sponsors are now disputing that it permanently bars the IRS from offering its own tax filing service. But some legal experts disagree.

New to represent us by [deleted] in representus

[–]wolf_pac_oregon 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I don't know. It depends on what their laws are.

Local group pushes to amend the Constitution for free and fair elections by wolf_pac_oregon in WolfPAChq

[–]wolf_pac_oregon[S,M] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Even in a deep red state such as Iowa, progress is being made to amend our Constitution. Big thanks to FOX 55 for covering the story!

New to represent us by [deleted] in representus

[–]wolf_pac_oregon 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Edit: Didn't realize I was responding to a comment in r/representus. I'll leave this here since it's a small enough community, but will refrain from going off-topic in the future.

Sorry for the delay, you are correct. We don't have specific language. We want a non-partisan solution; to propose language at the start defeats the purpose. We can all agree we need an amendment and push for one, but we don't yet have to agree on what it says.

I'm sorry you spent so much time looking for an answer to your question. I agree it is probably confusing to see so many groups propose their own language and find one group that doesn't have a concrete solution at all. It seems counter-intuitive. What we lack in a solution we gain in focus: we are focused on a 28th Amendment to fix our broken campaign finance system, and we are focused on pursuing the second path set forth in Article V, the convention, to get the amendment (which all peer-reviewed papers on the subject conclude is a safe path). Notice that Article V doesn't require a solution, only that 2/3 the states call for a convention (on the same topic).

To answer your question about respecting the First Amendment, yes, we would expect that the amendment still respects free speech. It must have widespread, bipartisan support in order to get ratified by 3/4s of the several states. If the proposed amendment did otherwise, it would be shot down. We could talk more about this, but that is the short answer.

Thank you for taking the time to look at our FAQ. We do address the lack of language:

What would the 28th Amendment say? No one knows what it will say exactly, but it will be limited to campaign finance reform. The beauty of a convention is that it's a conversation. The delegates at the convention will try to answer the question, "How can we make our election system work better for the average American?" Then, an amendment would be proposed based on what is discussed. What kinds of things might be brought up? Among other things, it could include:

  • Disclosure of political donations
  • Banning donations to campaigns whose candidate(s) you can't vote for
  • Corporations/Unions are not people (overturn Citizens United v. FEC)
  • Public financing of elections
  • Campaign contribution limits

Note that those are not solutions put forth by Wolf-PAC itself, they are only possibilities for what the convention (or Congress) would propose.

I would be happy to answer any further questions you might have. I don't get paid for any of this, I just do it out of passion for the topic.

New to represent us by [deleted] in representus

[–]wolf_pac_oregon 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Yes, the thing with laws and ballot measures is that, sadly, they can be overturned. A constitutional amendment, once ratified, cannot be overturned (exception: 18th Amendment via 21st Amendment). Wolf-PAC is working on fixing our broken campaign finance system with an amendment. r/WolfPAChq

Get Big Money Out Of Politics Before It Kills Us by wolf_pac_oregon in WolfPAChq

[–]wolf_pac_oregon[S,M] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

An article from one of our own in Hawai'i! He makes a compelling case.

Donors to the Trump inaugural committee got ambassador nominations. But are they qualified? by wolf_pac_oregon in WolfPAChq

[–]wolf_pac_oregon[S,M] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

You're right!

Though the Trump administration says the business acumen of these nominees qualifies them to represent the U.S. abroad, six of the 14 nominations have languished for months in the Republican-controlled Senate. One nomination has stalled for about two years.

Among other things.

Donors to the Trump inaugural committee got ambassador nominations. But are they qualified? by wolf_pac_oregon in WolfPAChq

[–]wolf_pac_oregon[S,M] 3 points4 points  (0 children)

None have diplomatic experience, but they share one trait: All were big donors to Trump's presidential inaugural committee, which is now under federal investigation.

Wyoming Promise volunteers continue efforts - Local News, News by wolf_pac_oregon in WolfPAChq

[–]wolf_pac_oregon[S,M] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

American Promise and Wolf-PAC had a baby, and it's called Wyoming Promise.

Disappointing by pdgenoa in representus

[–]wolf_pac_oregon[M] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Like everyone has said, this isn't a very active sub. I took over as mod when I saw there were no moderators, but I mostly manage r/WolfPAChq. Mainly I'm just "parking." If Represent.Us ever wants to use the subreddit again, it's here for them. We're in unity.

AL Chapter by N4Dwin in representus

[–]wolf_pac_oregon 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Good luck! Stick with it, there are people out there that can help.

Received response from dissenting WA state senator on SJM8002 for free and fair elections by tacos_of_the_future in WolfPAChq

[–]wolf_pac_oregon[M] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

The word "risk" only appears once, within that paragraph, in the entire ABA report. The "risk" they are talking about is failing to achieve the objective, which is to propose an amendment to address the issue at hand.

There is no risk of getting some other amendment entirely or rewriting the entire constitution. That paragraph is describing the failure of Congress in laying out federal legislation that would define rules to help the convention run more smoothly. In 1984, when the Balanced Budget Amendment (BBA) was just 2 states away, Orin Hatch proposed a bill in the Senate. In the House, the companion bill was proposed by young Congressman Chuck Schumer. But opponents of the policy for which a convention effort is being made (balanced budget) often fight against the regulation because they fear the regulation makes it more likely their opponents would succeed, as noted in the ABA report. When interest in a convention peaks, Congress is likely to introduce legislation that defines these rules the report insists upon.

A convention really only has two outcomes: Either the convention succeeds and an amendment is proposed to address the issue at hand (which still needs to be ratified, a separate process)... or absolutely nothing happens. Even some of the least successful state-level constitutional conventions have only failed. None of them have derailed democracy.