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Supreme Court Denies Montana Challenge to Citizens United
UPDATE, 2:50 p.m.: Rabbi David Saperstein, Director of the Religious Action Center of Reform Judaism, issued a statement that “the Court has sent a clear message today that it is blind to the...
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Transparency Comes at No Cost
Jonathan Backer, a former RAC Eisendrath Legislative Assistant now working at the Brennan Center for Justice, recently wrote in the Huffington Post about the DISCLOSE Act, federal legislation that...
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Voices United
The Census released its data showing the persistence of poverty in our country last week, and now faith leaders have released exclusive videos from President Barack Obama and Governor Mitt Romney...
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Evaluate By Policy, Not Party
With control of the New York state Senate still unsettled, Governor Cuomo took the time to outline his “litmus test” of issues the legislature should tackle and pointed out opportunities squandered by...
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Cuomo Takes His Turn
Governor Andrew Cuomo of New York indulged in the annual right of passage afforded a state executive and delivered his “State of the State” address this afternoon to a crowd of legislators,...
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Guest Speakers for NY Advocacy Day Announced
Stand up for Reform Jewish values and discover the intersection of public policy, New York State politics and the Reform Jewish Movement at Reform Jewish Voice of New York State’s annual Advocacy Day!...
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An Empowering Day in Albany
Earlier this month, RJV hosted its annual Advocacy Day in Albany and with our voices raised as one, we spoke on behalf of New York State’s vibrant Reform Jewish community urging state legislators to...
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My Annual Trip to Albany
A few weeks ago, I made my annual trip to Albany as part of Reform Jewish Voice for New York State’s Lobby Day. It may seem unlikely that one voice can make a difference, but I know it can. After...
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Leveling the Playing Field: Campaign Finance Reform and Exodus 30
In Exodus 30, we read that the Israelites must take a census by contributing one half shekel to the Mishkan, or tabernacle. The text tells us explicitly that the rich are not to contribute more, nor...
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NY Legislative Session Fizzles to a Close
It was an anti-climactic ending for this session in the New York State legislature; the Assembly passed an omnibus Women’s Equality Act (which, among other items, would have protected women’s access...
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Goodbye from the LAs
Today the five Eisendrath Legislative Assistants say goodbye after an amazing year representing the Union for Reform Judaism in Washington, D.C. We have worked on nearly 70 different legislative...
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Supreme Court Roundup: What Have the Nine Been Up to?
We’re nearly halfway through a busy Supreme Court term in which many important cases ranging from affirmative action to recess appointments and from campaign finance to buffer zones at abortion...
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Money Makes Elections Go Round
Yesterday, in one of the most far-reaching and activist Supreme Court decisions in years, five Justices unraveled campaign finance law, giving corporations and unions more power to influence...
View ArticleThe Future of Our Influence on Politics
Last week’s Supreme Court decision in Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission declared that corporations are guaranteed the right to free speech endowed to individuals by the First Amendment....
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Passover in November – Four Questions for New York State Politicians
Rabbi Marc Gruber and Honey Heller are the co-chairs of Reform Jewish Voice of New York State. Rabbi Gruber serves as the Senior Rabbi of Central Synagogue of Nassau County and Honey Heller serves on...
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More Campaign Finance Hocus-Pocus from SCOTUS
By now, I’m sure most of you have heard of Citizens United v. FEC, the landmark Supreme Court case decided last term, in which a 5-4 majority ruled that corporations can spend an unlimited amount of...
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Henry Hudson Circumnavigates Judicial Ethics Obligations?
It has been a banner year for concerns about the judicial branch of government. In June of 2009, the Supreme Court in Caperton v. Massey ruled that West Virginia Supreme Court Justice Brent Benjamin...
View ArticleCampaign Finance Reform in the State of the Union
During last year’s State of the Union Address, President Obama’s observation that the Supreme Court’s ruling one year ago in Citizens United v. FEC would “open the floodgates for special...
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Yom Huledet Sameach, Citizens United
Last Friday marked the one-year anniversary of the Supreme Court’s landmark decision in Citizens United v. FEC, which overturned 63 years of precedent, allowing corporations and labor unions to spend...
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Wisconsin Caught in the Crosswinds of Money and Politics
It is often said that campaign finance reform is the reform that makes all other reform possible. While some may dismiss the connection between political spending and policy outcomes as merely...
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