DENVER, CO – On behalf of the League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC) and its Colorado affiliate, Campaign Legal Center (CLC) filed comments today urging The Colorado Independent Redistricting Commission to redraw its proposed voting maps, raising concerns that the proposed maps would weaken minority voting power in violation of the state Constitution.

The staff-proposed congressional redistricting plan would splinter Latino voters across three safe Republican congressional districts, increasing the likelihood that their preferred candidate would be defeated, according to an analysis by CLC’s predictive map measuring tool, PlanScore.org. The district with the largest Latino population in the staff-proposed plan also has the strongest white bloc of voting in opposition to the Latino-preferred candidate of any area of the state. The Latino-preferred candidate is predicted to have less than a 1% chance of winning that district. Similarly, the proposed maps for the state legislature would also make it harder for Latino voters to elect the candidates of their choice if they are adopted. These maps violate the state Constitution’s prohibition on districts that dilute Latino voters’ electoral influence.

“Redistricting is a major issue for our Latino community and all communities of color because the 2020 census has shown that our numbers have increased significantly during the last decade,” said Sonny Subia, Colorado State Director at LULAC. “It is vital that our communities be in a position where we are fairly represented in shaping our future from politics to voting rights, economic equality, health care, education and climate change. LULAC will make sure that our voice is heard.”

“The Latino community in Colorado has been growing quickly, and the new maps this year need to reflect that,” said Mark Gaber, director, redistricting at CLC. “The Colorado Constitution provides strong protections for minority voters in redistricting—stronger than under the federal Voting Rights Act. Communities require equity in government representation so that their voices are heard and needs are met. We call on the Commission to address the lack of representation for the state’s large Latino population.”

In 2018, Colorado lawmakers gave up the power to redraw district lines, voting unanimously to put measures on the ballot that would hand over the process to independent, politically balanced commissions. Voters agreed overwhelmingly. The commissions they set up each have four Democrats, four Republicans and four Unaffiliated voters.

In the comments submitted by CLC on LULAC’s behalf today, a new congressional plan is proposed. That map (below) would protect Latino voting rights by including a new District 8 in which Latino voters would have an ability to influence electoral outcomes.

LULAC Proposed Plan

TUCSON, AZ – Today, the Pascua Yaqui Tribe, Campaign Legal Center (CLC), and Pima County Recorder’s Office announced a settlement agreement has been reached in Pascua Yaqui Tribe v. Rodriguez. This settlement represents a significant victory for the reservation’s 4,000 residents, ending a long-running dispute stemming from a controversial decision in 2018 by former Pima County Recorder F. Ann Rodriguez to remove an early voting location on the reservation. The Tribe is represented by Campaign Legal Center, Osborn Maledon, and the Indian Legal Clinic at Arizona State University, who sued Rodriguez on Oct. 11, 2020 in federal court in Tucson.

The parties signed an agreement Friday that will establish an early voting site on the Pascua Yaqui reservation before the 2022 midterm election for every statewide primary and general election. The agreement sets a deadline of February 2022 for the Tribe and Pima County Recorder to identify an acceptable early voting location. It also establishes that the County will fully staff a drop box location during the early voting period.

Statement of Peter S. Yucupicio, Chairman of the Pascua Yaqui Tribe:
“The right to vote is the cornerstone of our democracy, and it is just as important in Arizona Indian Country and the Pascua Yaqui Reservation as it is in the rest of Pima County. We thank the Pima County Recorder for agreeing to settle this matter, with the aim to work cooperatively with the Tribe and ensure that Tribal members have an equal opportunity to vote.”

Statement of Herminia Frias, Councilwoman of the Pascua Yaqu Tribe:
“The agreement demonstrates once and for all that every vote matters. We did not accept no for an answer, we challenged the Recorder’s Office to protect our right to vote for everyone voting on the Pascua Yaqui reservation. Pima County Recorder Cázares-Kelly has brought a fresh and inclusive perspective, she respects Tribal Sovereignty, and we are ecstatic to have the opportunity to work with her.”

Statement of Jonathan Diaz, Legal Counsel for Voting Rights at Campaign Legal Center (CLC):
“We’re pleased that Pascua Yaqui Tribe members will no longer have to travel 2-3 hours roundtrip just to vote at the nearest early voting site. The stories from Tribal Council representatives and Tribe members, who described the hardships they faced, made it clear that the Tribe did not have equal access to voting that their Pima County neighbors enjoyed. Ultimately, this case is a success story because the new Pima County Recorder, Gabriella Cázares-Kelly, heard these stories and agreed with the Tribe and its lawyers that something had to be done to ensure equal access to early voting.”

Statement of Gabriella Cázares-Kelly, Pima County Recorder:
“The closure of the Pascua Yaqui early voting site is a clear, modern-day example of how Native American voting rights continue to remain under threat. It reminds us that we do not all start from the same starting line and some communities have to work harder to exercise our most basic and fundamental right. It is an honor to reinstate the early voting site to provide equitable access for Tribal community. We look forward to many years of working with the Pascua Yaqui Tribe and Tohono O’odham Nation, the first inhabitants of what is now considered Pima County, to ensure everyone is able to participate in our democracy.”

Arizona’s history with discrimination against Native Americans is well-documented. The Arizona Constitution barred Native Americans from voting in state elections until 1948 – and literacy tests and other barriers existed for decades afterwards. The Pascua Yaqui Tribe has advocated for the reinstatement of the early voting location in every election since Rodriguez removed the site weeks before the 2018 election. Before filing suit, the Pascua Yaqui Tribe won support for an early voting site from the Mayor of Tucson, the Pima County Board of Supervisors, and the Arizona Secretary of State’s office, as well as voting rights advocates.

At Campaign Legal Center, we are advancing democracy through law. Learn more about our work.

Under the Stop Trading on Congressional Knowledge (STOCK) Act, members of Congress must disclose a stock trade within 45 days of the trade with no exceptions.

Washington D.C. – Today, Campaign Legal Center (CLC) filed a complaint with the Senate Ethics Committee against Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY) for failure to comply with the Stop Trading on Congressional Knowledge (STOCK) Act.

In a filing that was well over a year late, Sen. Paul revealed that his wife purchased between $1,000 and $15,000 worth of stock in Gilead Sciences, the maker of the antiviral drug remdesivir, in February 2020. Remdesivir would go on to become the first drug to be approved for treating COVID-19.

“The STOCK Act was enacted in order to give voters real time transparency regarding the financial holdings and interests of their elected officials—shining a light on any possible conflicts of interest,” said Kedric Payne, general counsel and senior director of ethics at Campaign Legal Center. “This filing, coming over a year late and detailing the financial interest a senator held in a company producing an antiviral drug from the onset of a global pandemic, is a clear example of why greater STOCK Act enforcement is needed.”

According to the filings, these trades occurred at roughly the same time as the trades that earned Paul’s fellow senators Richard Burr (R-NC) and Kelly Loeffler (R-GA) widespread criticism. In the wake of this criticism, Burr would go on to announce he is not running for reelection in 2022, and Loeffler subsequently failed to win reelection.

According to a spokesperson, the disclosure was almost a year and a half late because the initial filing wasn't properly transmitted. All members of Congress and their staff receive mandatory STOCK Act training—an improper transmission is not an exception under the law.

Sen. Paul is not unique in this regard, and his actions follow a troubling, bipartisan trend. Recent examples of other members of Congress failing to disclose stock trades include Sen. Tommy Tuberville (R-AL), Rep. Pat Fallon (R-TX), Rep. Blake Moore (R-UT) and Rep. Tom Malinowski (D-NJ), all of whom CLC has filed complaints against with congressional ethics offices in 2021.

If elected officials are not held accountable for failing to promptly and properly disclose stock trades, this trend may continue and worsen, with members delaying disclosure and only facing a nominal fee as a consequence. Such a lack of accountability allows members to essentially circumvent the STOCK Act.

When elected officials prioritize their own financial self-interest, they are not only hurting their own accountability, but they are diminishing public trust in government. As members of Congress craft laws that directly impact the lives of all Americans, the public must be able to trust that representatives are acting in the public’s interest. 

At Campaign Legal Center, we are advancing democracy through law. Learn more about our work.