National Conference of State Legislatures: announcement – “Legislative interest in policing and police accountability is currently at an unprecedented high. Deaths and other confrontations involving law enforcement continue to drive national conversations about policy and promote review of current state and local laws. From May 25, 2020 through the end of 2020, 36 states and Washington… Continue Reading
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Category Archives: Legislation
Capitol Unrest, Legislative Response, and the Bill of Attainder Clause
CRS Legal Sidebar – Capitol Unrest, Legislative Response, and the Bill of Attainder Clause, January 22, 2021: “On January 6, 2021, a crowd gathered on the U.S. Capitol grounds, breached police barriers, entered and occupied portions of the Capitol building, and clashed with law enforcement.The incident resulted in at least five deaths, dozens of injuries,… Continue Reading
National Archives Launches Trump Presidential Library Website
On January 20, 2021 – “The National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) …launched the Donald J. Trump Presidential Library website, which provides information on archived White House websites and social media accounts, as well as information on access to the records of the Trump Administration. Under the Presidential Records Act, the National Archives receives all… Continue Reading
Institute breaks record in 2020, making laws easy to access
Cornell Chronicle – “As Congress prepared to certify the results of the November presidential election on Jan. 6, the law governing the counting of electoral votes was a trending topic on Cornell Law School’s Legal Information Institute (LII), a pioneer in providing open access to U.S. legal information online. Those topics changed abruptly when a… Continue Reading
How to Hold Social Media Accountable for Undermining Democracy
Harvard Business Review: “The problem with social media isn’t just what users post — it’s what the platforms decide to do with that content. Far from being neutral, social media companies are constantly making decisions about which content to amplify, elevate, and suggest to other users. Given their business model, which promotes scale above all,… Continue Reading
House introduces article of impeachment against President for ‘Incitement of Insurrection’
“U.S. Congressmen David N. Cicilline (RI-01), Ted Lieu (CA-33), and Jamie Raskin (MD-08) introduced an article of impeachment against President Donald Trump this morning. The impeachment resolution is sponsored by Cicilline, with Lieu and Raskin serving as the two lead co-sponsors. It is also co-sponsored by another 211 members of the U.S. House. The article… Continue Reading
The Capitol riot and its aftermath makes the case for tech regulation more urgent, but no simpler
TechCrunch: “Last week and throughout the weekend, technology companies took the historic step of deplatforming the president of the United States in the wake of a riot in which the US Capitol was stormed by a collection of white nationalists, QAnon supporters, and right wing activists. The decision to remove Donald Trump, his fundraising and… Continue Reading
The Social Security Administration’s Death Data: In Brief
CRS report via LC – The Social Security Administration’s Death Data: In Brief, Updated January 11, 2021: “The Social Security Administration (SSA) acquires and maintains death data to administer the Social Security and Supplemental Security Income (SSI) programs, including preventing the improper payment of benefits to deceased individuals and identifying individuals who are potentially eligible… Continue Reading
A Civilian’s Guide to Insurrection Legalese
The Marshall Project – Everyone’s talking about sedition, treason and conspiracy. Here’s what these terms actually mean and how they’ve been enforced. “In the 24 hours since a mob incited by the president of the United States stormed the Capitol attempting to halt the functioning of American democracy, the news media and everyone else have… Continue Reading
Post-Riot, the Capitol Hill IT Staff Faces a Security Mess
Wired – Wednesday’s insurrection could have exposed congressional data and devices in ways that have yet to be appreciated. “…the mob Wednesday had ample opportunities to steal information or gain device access if they wanted to. And while the Senate and House each build off of their own shared IT framework, ultimately each of the… Continue Reading
Right-Wing Political Violence – Historical Background
Researcher Ernie Lazar: “Despite the current attempt to portray some of our major cities in the grip of lawlessness and disorder which is incited or conducted by ANTIFA or Black Lives Matter or other “radical left” individuals and organizations, it should be noted that, historically, most of the politically-inspired violence in the United States during the past 50… Continue Reading
There’s No Single Domestic Terrorism Statute
TIME – But Those Involved in the Riot at the Capitol May Still Be Prosecuted Under These Laws – “The FBI defines domestic terrorism as “Violent, criminal acts committed by individuals and/or groups to further ideological goals stemming from domestic influences, such as those of a political, religious, social, racial, or environmental nature.” Its leadership… Continue Reading
