As a business owner and lifelong resident of Michigan, I am proud to have stood with so many of my fellow citizens soliciting signatures for days and weeks on end to get the “Nonpartisan Redistricting” and “Promote the Vote” initiatives on the ballot and successfully passed in the 2018 midterm election. They were a big win for Michigan democracy and important steps on a journey to a more representative government.

Yet, there remains a large obstruction in our path to achieving a healthy, functioning government in Michigan.

San Diego, Calif.- IVN has learned communities will likely be seeing a budget squeeze due to historically high overtime increases for the San Diego Fire-Rescue Department, according to the mid-year budget report by the city's independent budget analyst.

The presidential field is quickly emerging for the 2020 election. Ten Democrats have already officially launched their campaigns  Meanwhile, President Trump is still waiting to see if he will face a primary challenge at all.

Regardless of political party, the partisan presidential primary process determines not only which candidates are willing to run, but the issues, tone, and target audience for their message.

As the new year begins, state legislatures around the country are convening to tackle the issues of the day. After seeing pro-democracy measures surge on the ballot in the 2018 midterms, it’s no surprise that efforts to address our broken elections continue to dominate discussion among the public and in the halls of power.

SAN DIEGO, CALIF. - Another State of the Union address, and an inevitably contradictive response has come and gone. Within days, no one beyond political aficionados will remember the content of either speech, or the reactions that were witnessed, beyond what talking points the parties and media outlets choose to use to manipulate beliefs. As has become the practice, one party offers hope while the other pleads for change.

Dr. Elisabeth Rosenthal is a journalist, author, and former medical practitioner. She was kind enough to join Independent Voting’s Vice President for National Development, Cathy Stewart, for her Politics for the People Book Club in December to discuss her book, An American Sickness: How Healthcare Became Big Business and How You Can Take It Back.

Dr. Elisabeth Rosenthal is a journalist, author, and former medical practitioner. She was kind enough to join Independent Voting’s Vice President for National Development, Cathy Stewart, for her Politics for the People Book Club in December to discuss her book, An American Sickness: How Healthcare Became Big Business and How You Can Take It Back.

President Donald Trump addressed a joint session of Congress Tuesday for the 2019 State of the Union. The event was pushed back one week in response to the latest government shutdown -- which could happen again in 10 days.

The president reflected on the positive news in the economy, including better-than-expected job growth, low unemployment across the board, veterans bills, and the bipartisan criminal justice bill that passed in the 115th Congress.

There’s been a great deal of speculation in recent news cycles about independent presidential candidates for 2020 thanks to Starbucks former CEO Howard Schultz. The common wisdom about his prospective presidential run is clear: it would be a political windfall for President Trump and a cataclysmic blow to any Democrat seeking the White House.

Former New Jersey Governor Christine Todd-Whitman and former Nebraska US Senator Bob Kerrey wrote an essay for CNN.com titled, What Howard Schultz -- Or Any Independent -- Needs to Have a Real Shot.