As another government shutdown loomed over the border wall, many people wondered if the newfound calls for unity in President Trump's State of the Union message had the potential for any bipartisan cooperation. Though Congress managed to pass a bill to avoid the shutdown, short-term results look distinctly unsatisfying.

America's two major political parties may dominate nearly every elected office in the country, but they remain eager to further restrict any competition in several states.

What's taking place in Arkansas right now is a prime example. State Senator Trent Garner has introduced a bill to give his state what would arguably be the toughest ballot access laws in the country. In the last two cycles only the Libertarian Party has managed the current petitioning requirements for statewide ballot access: 10,000 signatures in 90 days.

In what’s quickly becoming a crowded field for president in 2020, the partisan media has already begun to dismiss all but a few presidential hopefuls both explicitly and implicitly.

According to multiple reports, Bernie Sanders has recorded his 2020 announcement, all but confirming broad speculation that he is going to make another attempt at the presidency.

"Bernie Sanders, inching closer to a second bid for the White House, has recorded a campaign video in which he says he is running for president in 2020, according to two people familiar with the spot," reports Politico.

Spoiler alert!

As we get closer to 2020, a number of Democrats are going to preach about how they will bring national unity, while beating their chests to be the King or Queen of everything that is not “right.”

Trump will do the same from his soapbox against everything that is “left.”

The state of our Union is both hopeful and broken, strong and fragile. By our very nature, Americans lean toward optimism. Our pioneering history drives us toward problem solving; our go-to strategies aim for forward progress.

Our fierce independence feeds our demands for individual rights and liberties. We derive strength from our Constitutional intentions and protections. These values and qualities inspire the world and shape our expectations for fairness and justice.

The state of our Union is both hopeful and broken, strong and fragile. By our very nature, Americans lean toward optimism. Our pioneering history drives us toward problem solving; our go-to strategies aim for forward progress.

Our fierce independence feeds our demands for individual rights and liberties. We derive strength from our Constitutional intentions and protections. These values and qualities inspire the world and shape our expectations for fairness and justice.

This column was supposed to be a victory lap of sorts. The NH House Election Law Committee met on February 13, to deliberate about and vote on HB 728, a bill to implement ranked choice voting (“RCV”) in New Hampshire. It offers staggered implementation, starting in 2020 with the first-in-the-nation NH presidential primary.

A federal court could soon rule on a lawsuit against the Commission on Presidential Debates (CPD), the nonprofit organization that sets the rules for debate entry and is controlled by the Republican and Democratic Parties.

Level The Playing Field chair and co-plaintiff Peter Ackerman filed a motion in federal court asking District Court Judge Tanya Chutkan to issue a summary judgment on plaintiffs' second complaint in the case.

A new bill was introduced in the New Hampshire legislature that would imp