Tag: gerrymandering

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OA188: Three Cases About Voting Rights

Today’s episode takes a look at three recent decisions from this Supreme Court and how each one will affect voting in the midterm elections:  Husted v. Randolph Institute, Abbott v. Perez, and (surprisingly) Janus v. AFSCME.

First, though, we begin by addressing a conspiracy theory that’s making the rounds suggesting some nefarious relationship between Anthony Kennedy’s son, Justin, and Donald Trump.  Does this story hold water?  Listen and find out!

Then, we break down each of the three cases:  Husted, involving Ohio’s efforts to purge voters from its rolls; Abbott, involving Texas’s efforts to racially gerrymander Congressional districts; and Janus, which will result in drastically weaker public sector unions.  What does this mean for the midterms?  (Hint: it’s not good.)

Finally, we end the answer to Thomas Takes The Bar Exam #82 regarding the search and seizure of heroin from plain sight.  Remember to follow our Twitter feed (@Openargs) and like our Facebook Page so that you too can play along with #TTTBE!

Recent Appearances

Thomas was just a guest on Episode 421 of the Cognitive Dissonance Podcast.  If you’d like to have either of us as a guest on your show, drop us an email at openarguments@gmail.com.

Show Notes & Links

  1. If you missed last year’s Fourth of July Spectacular, that was Episode 83.
  2. You can read the Liptak & Haberman New York Times article about Trump and Kennedy by clicking here.
  3. The Ohio case is Husted v. Randolph Institute, and the Texas cdase is Abbott v. Perez.
  4. Before you read Janus v. AFSCME, you may want to check out our extensive coverage of the case back in Episode 150.
  5. The statute the 5-4 majority blatantly ignores in Abbott is 28 U.S.C. § 1253.
  6. Finally, this is the research Andrew mentioned regarding the correlation between right-to-work states and lower voter turnout and lower Democratic share of the vote.

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OA185: Gerrymandering & Other Good (?) News

Today’s episode tries to put a positive spin on some recent developments, including the Supreme Court’s gerrymandering decisions, the Department of Justice OIG report on the 2016 election, and the triumphant return of Everyone’s Favorite Segment (TM):  “Are You A Cop?”

We begin with the Office of the Inspector General’s 2016 Election Final Report, which we modestly point out validates literally everything we said in one of our favorite Episodes, OA 13, “Hillary Clinton’s Damned Emails.”  There’s so much more to learn, so you’ll want to listen up!

After that, we tackle the main segment, looking for some good news out of the Supreme Court’s recent “decisions” on gerrymandering in Gill v. Whitford (Wisconsin) and Benisek v. Lamone (Maryland).  These 9-0 decisions are widely viewed as having punted on gerrymandering; is that right, and if so, what does the future hold?

After that, we tackle a trope that “everyone knows” in fan-favorite segment “Are You A Cop?”  This week, it’s that “everyone knows” cops can’t have sex with people in their custody, right?  RIGHT?  Well, thanks to one Democratic legislator in a deep red state, it’s now true in Kansas, at least.

Finally, we end the answer to Thomas Takes The Bar Exam #81 regarding a law designed to target two college professors who crafted campus hate speech codes.  Remember to follow our Twitter feed (@Openargs) and like our Facebook Page so that you too can play along with #TTTBE!

Recent Appearances

None!  If you’d like to have either of us as a guest on your show, drop us an email at openarguments@gmail.com.

Show Notes & Links

  1. We first discussed Hillary Clinton’s emails and the Comey investigation way back in Episode 13, and if you haven’t listened, you should check it out!  Then, compare what we said then to the just-released Office of the Inspector General’s 2016 Election Final Report.
  2. Our explainer on Gerrymandering is Episode 54; we then talk about the Wisconsin case in Episode 80 and the Maryland case in Episode 148.
  3. Of course, you can (and should!) read the Supreme Court’s recent decisions on gerrymandering in Gill v. Whitford (Wisconsin) and Benisek v. Lamone (Maryland).
  4. Here is the text of Kansas HB2621, which amends KSA Supp. 21-5512(a), defining “unlawful sexual relations.”  A “Severity Level 5 Person felony” is subject to 50-55 months in prison as per the Kansas Sentencing Guidelines.

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OA161: Gun Control & the Constitution

Today’s episode takes an in-depth look at gun control.  First, we answer two listener questions about originalism and the Second Amendment, including a provocative one about whether DC v. Heller deserves stare decisis respect under Andrew’s model of jurisprudence.  The answer may surprise you!

In the main segment, we examine HR 5087, the most recent gun control bill to be introduced in Congress.  What’s in it?  What kinds of laws are Democrats looking to pass in light of the Parkland massacre?

After that, we check in on the state of Pennsylvania’s efforts to combat gerrymandering.  Could there actually be good news in this episode?  Listen and find out.

Finally, we end with the answer to Thomas Takes the Bar Exam Question #69 about the firefighter’s rule.  Don’t forget to follow our Twitter feed (@Openargs) and like our Facebook Page so that you too can play along with #TTTBE!

Recent Appearances

Andrew was recently a guest on Episode 255 of the Phil Ferguson Show and Episode 96 of the Naked Mormonism Podcast.  If you’d like to have either of us as a guest on your show, drop us an email at openarguments@gmail.com.

Show Notes & Links

  1. This episode builds on our two-part masterclass in the Second Amendment:  Episode 21 (Part 1) and Episode 2 (Part 2).
  2. The two primary cases discussed are DC v. Heller and McDonald v. City of Chicago.
  3. This is the text of HR 5087, the proposed gun control legislation, which amends 18 U.S.C. § 921 and 922.
  4. We discussed the Parkland massacre in Episode 148.  You can read Chief Justice Thomas Saylor’s statement here.

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OA148: The Parkland Massacre

In this emotional episode, Thomas and Andrew begin by discussing the recent school shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas HS in Parkland, Florida.

After that, the guys break down the recent settlement between Waymo (the Google-backed automotive company) and Uber regarding allegations of stolen trade secrets in the nascent self-driving car industry.

Then, Andrew updates us on the state of gerrymandering litigation in Pennsylvania and before the Supreme Court.

Finally, we end with an all-new Thomas Takes the Bar Exam #63 about hearsay.  Remember that you can play along with #TTTBE by retweeting our episode on Twitter or sharing it on Facebook along with your guess.  We’ll release the answer on next Tuesday’s episode along with our favorite entry!

Recent Appearances

Andrew was just a guest on Episode 6 of the Wayward Willis Podcast — give it a listen!

Show Notes & Links

  1. We discussed a modest proposal for gun control in Episode 110., and the 1994 Omnibus Crime Bill in Episode 95.
  2. Andrew quoted from this CNN article when referencing teacher Melissa Falkowski; from this Washington Post article about Colt’s decision to suspend sales of the AR-15 in 1989, and from this blog post on “The Firearm Blog” by the AR-15’s designer, Jim Sullivan.
  3. California’s Roberti-Roos Assault Weapons Control Act of 1989 can be found at California Penal Code § 30150 et seq.
  4. This is the Waymo v. Uber lawsuit, and here is the link where you can view the Powerpoint used during the REAL OPENING STATEMENTS by Waymo’s attorneys.
  5. Finally, we last discussed gerrymandering in Pennsylvania and elsewhere way back in Episode 146.  If you’re curious, this is what MD-6 looks like today, and this is what it looked like before the 2011 redistricting.

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Follow us on Twitter:  @Openargs

Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/openargs/

Don’t forget the OA Facebook Community!

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