© 2017 by reclaimtheamericandream.org. The article was written by Hedrick Smith, executive editor of reclaimtheamericandream.org.

Where does your state rank for integrity?

South Dakota Senate is currently considering a repeal to the Government Accountability and Anti-Corruption Act (Measure 22, IM-22), approved by voters in 2016. HB 1069, already passed by the state House, would completely kill IM-22 without any further say from voters.

Expected to vote on the measure Thursday, the South Dakota Senate delayed the vote until Wednesday.

https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/824227824903090176

San Diego, CALIF.- In a ruling that is not yet final, Superior Court Judge Joel Wohlfeil, stated the Coastal Commission’s approval of a Convention Center expansion along the waterfront was IN compliance with the California Coastal Act and state environmental laws.

Wohlfeil rejected a legal challenge that sought to block such a development on the waterfront.

At issue, whether the California Coastal Commission violated state law when it approved a $520 million bayfront expansion several years ago.

Unaffiliated voters and candidates alike have historically been overlooked by Illinois' election code. But this year, elections in Illinois may get a makeover. Legislators have introduced several bills in January, all aimed at reforming the Prairie State’s exclusionary elections.

As the new year gets underway, state legislatures around the country are convening to tackle the issues of the day. In at least nine states, electoral reform is on the agenda. Building on the momentum of historic wins for ranked choice voting in Maine and Benton County, Oregon, lawmakers from Massachusetts to Hawaii have introduced bills that would expand its use in their states.

The United States has been Israel’s primary benefactor since the early Cold War days, so President Donald Trump’s support of Israel is certainly reinforced by an abundance of precedent. However, his one-sided policy proposals undermine attempts to create an environment conducive to peace-building, which would disrupt Israel’s fraught relationship with Palestine and threaten to damage the peace process.

While everyone was busy discussing the TPP and NAFTA renegotiation during the presidential election, very few noticed that another trade agreement, possibly the biggest and with a stronger potential impact to the economy, was being negotiated behind the scenes.

South Dakota lawmakers have taken the first steps to overturn a voter-approved initiative called the South Dakota Government Accountability and Anti-Corruption Act (Measure 22, IM-22). Legislators plan to use a tactic that would allow them to overturn the measure immediately, and deny voters any additional say.

Here is a brief overview of what IM-22 does:

San Diego, CALIF.- A stunning new poll is out on the “sanctuary cities” debate, and it shows a huge divide between what the people of California want from their lawmakers, and what state lawmakers are actually doing in Sacramento.