Common Blog

Nothing shines a light on problems quite like a scandal. If we’re lucky, it means that we take a closer look at not only the issue that makes the headlines, but the issue ecosystem. The recent back and forth about IRS incompetence regarding screening 501 (c)4 groups has prompted a secondary discussion about the very [...]

The Montana Senate has become the first Republican-led chamber in the country to pass a resolution in support of a constitutional amendment that would reverse the Citizens United ruling.  The resolution, passed on February 27, is in response to Initiative I-166, passed by 75% of Montana voters last November.   I-166 instructed Montana’s elected officials [...]

This morning, California took a historic step towards putting voters first over big money special interests. California Assembly Member Bob Wieckowski (D-Fremont), chair of the Assembly Judiciary Committee, introduced Assembly Bill 644, legislation that will place a question on the 2014 General Election ballot to give California voters the opportunity to directly express their opinion on Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission, and direct the state’s congressional delegation to support a constitutional amendment to allow limits on political contributions and spending.

If you’ve got plenty of money – and I mean PLENTY – and you want to spend gobs and gobs of it electing political candidates and helping political parties, you may be pleased about today’s news from the Supreme Court. But if you’re worried about government corruption and you’d like our elected officials to pay [...]

In a statement yesterday, Republican State Representative and U.S. Senate candidate Dan Winslow made clear that he “supports reforming the way we finance campaigns in this country.” The only problem is that his actions reflect a different reality. Representative Winslow will not sign on to a “People’s Pledge” barring outside advertising in the Massachusetts U.S. [...]