September 7, 2017 (Washington, D.C.) – Today, Algernon Austin, an economist at the public policy organization Demos, will join fellow policy experts on the Congressional Black Caucus (CBC) Budget Taskforce’s panel on the Trump Administration and House Republican Budgets. On the panel, Austin will praise the proposed CBC amendment to the House Republican Budget and call for additional investments in priority infrastructure areas, from lead removal to public transit.
New York, NY – In response to Donald Trump’s reported decision to repeal Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) with a 6-month delay, Demos Senior Counsel, Katherine Culliton-González, released the following statement:
On August 31, Federal District Judge Amos Mazzant of Texas issued a ruling striking down the U.S. Department of Labor’s update to federal rules on overtime pay. Demos Associate Director of Policy and Research Amy Traub released the following statement:
A point that climate change reports often fail to note is climate change will disproportionately harm people of color. People of color are overrepresented in the southern states, in the poorest counties, and among outdoor workers.
Illinois becomes 10th State to enact Automatic Voter Registration
New York – Demos applauds Governor Rauner and the Illinois Legislature on approving Senate Bill 1933, automatic voter registration (AVR) legislation. After a veto last year, the Illinois legislature unanimously approved SB 1933, which was signed into law by Governor Rauner. This bipartisan legislation will provide opt-in voter registration at DMV offices, as well as other government agencies.
In our recent research exploring the impacts of Oregon’s new Automatic Voter Registration (AVR) system in the 2016 election, we find that new voters who registered using AVR were more diverse than non-AVR voters. We also find that the individuals who were registered with AVR (including both individuals who voted in 2016 and those who did not) were more diverse than the non-AVR electorate.
New York, NY – In response to Donald Trump’s pardon of former Sheriff Joe Arpaio, Demos Vice President of External Affairs Tori O'Neal-McElrath released the following statement:
"Tonight Donald Trump has doubled down on his bigoted and hateful rhetoric with his pardon of Sheriff Joe Arpaio, who has been found guilty of racial profiling of Latinos. Trump has again sided with white supremacists who seek to divide our nation with racism.
Trump has again sided with white supremacists who seek to divide our nation with racism.
New York, NY – Today, in response to Donald Trump’s visit to Phoenix, Arizona, Demos Vice President of External Affairs Tori O'Neal-McElrath released the following statement:
“At Donald Trump’s disastrous rally in Phoenix tonight, we saw more of the same bigoted, hateful rhetoric from President Trump that continues to tear our nation apart. With every speech, and every action, we see more of who Donald Trump truly is: our divider-in-chief.
New York (August 12, 2017) — In response to today’s violence in Charlottesville, Virginia, Tamara Draut, Vice President of Policy and Research at the public policy organization Demos, released the following statement.
“The hate that roiled Charlottesville last night and today is not only shameful, but utterly clear. When crowds of white men bearing torches storm the streets, screaming “White lives matter” and “Jews will not replace us,” what we are seeing is white supremacy on proud, despicable display.
The Department of Justice abandoned a principled position that it has held for decades through three presidencies. By reversing course and choosing to stand with Ohio Secretary of State Jon Husted and his practice of purging countless eligible Ohioans from the rosters, the DOJ has confirmed many peoples’ worst fears that it will no longer work to protect and expand the right to vote, but instead undermine it.
August 2, 2017 (New York, NY) – In response to reports today that the U.S. Department of Justice plans to investigate higher education institutions’ affirmative action policies, Heather McGhee, President of Demos and Demos Action, issued the following statement.
Ohio Secretary of State Jon Husted filed his opening brief in Husted v. Ohio A. Philip Randolph Institute (APRI)—a case that will be argued before the U.S. Supreme Court in its upcoming term. The case addresses Ohio’s Supplemental Process, a practice that targets voters who fail to vote in a two-year period for eventual cancellation of their registrations – even if they have not moved and are still fully eligible to vote.
The top three economic issues for young people are debt-free public college, paid family and medical leave and a higher minimum wage (followed closely by affordable childcare).