Judd Legum Profile picture
22 Apr, 10 tweets, 6 min read
UPDATE: Members of the Texas legislature are seeking retribution against companies like @Dell and @AmericanAir that spoke out against voter suppression legislation.

They are attempting to punish these companies for political speech.

Follow along if interested.
@Dell @AmericanAir 2. GOP TX Rep @TomOliverson has proposed an amendment to the budget requiring corporations to "certify that the business has not publicly opposed any legislation filed in this or another state in 2020 or 2021 related to election integrity" as a condition of receiving grants
3. What's remarkable about this is that under @TomOliverson's amendment corporations SUPPORTING voter suppression laws remain eligible for grants. Under this amendment, only opposing legislation in Texas or any other state disqualifies a company.

(Via @DWStrategic)
@TomOliverson @DWStrategic 4. Texas Rep @briscoecain, the chair of the Elections Committee, has proposed an amendment withholding certain funds from any corporations that "publicly threatened any adverse action against this state based on any legislative or executive action related to election integrity."
5. These are the same kind of tactics that @SenRickScott is using at the federal level. Scott warned corporations speaking out against voter suppression would face a "day of reckoning" when/if Republicans retook control of the Senate

popular.info/p/mob-tactics
6. We don't know if these Texas amendments will pass or if Scott will make good on his threats. But it's a blatant effort to attach financial penalties to disfavored political speech

For updates and accountability journalism, sign up for the newsletter.

popular.info/subscribe
7. UPDATE: A third amendment proposed in Texas, by @rogersfortexas, would cut off certain funding for corporations unless they "certify that the business entity has not publicly opposed any legislation filed in this or another state in 2020 or 2021
related to gender modification"
UPDATE: @BriscoeCain withdrew his amendment.
@BriscoeCain UPDATE: Last night, all three amendments listed above failed.

The TX legislature did pass an amendment from @ColeHefnerTX which prohibits companies that "publicly threaten any adverse action... based on any legislative action proposed or taken" from receiving certain funds
This is obviously very broad but could theoretically be used against companies that speak out against voter suppression legislation, anti-trans legislation, or any other issue.

Could likely be challenged on 1st Amendment grounds

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More from @JuddLegum

23 Apr
1. In January, The Rule of Law Defense Fund, the policy arm of the @RepublicanAGs, sent robocalls urging people to "March to Congress" on 1/6 and "stop the steal"

Now the @RepublicanAGs have PROMOTED the head of The Rule of Law Defense Fund to lead their entire organization
@RepublicanAGs 2. The decision to promote Peter Bisbee to exec director of @RepublicanAGs is controversial even w/i the organization.

The chairman of @RepublicanAGs, @ChrisCarr_Ga, abruptly resigned, citing "vastly opposite views of the significance of the events of January 6"
3. “I felt we needed to go in a new direction. Some in the organization did not believe this was necessary." Georgia Attorney General @ChrisCarr_Ga said

ajc.com/politics/polit…
Read 6 tweets
22 Apr
8 OF THE TOP 10 stories on Facebook yesterday were by the Daily Wire, the far-right site founded by Ben Shapiro

This is a site that does no original reporting and just aggregates other outlets with an emphasis on white grievance Image
Facebook says engagement on the site just reflects what people are interested in. But this is the only context in which people are interested in The Daily Wire and nothing else.
As a reminder, popular.info uncovered evidence that the Daily Wire was breaking Facebook's rules, Facebook admitted the Daily Wire was breaking Facebook's rules, and then Facebook declined to impose any penalty on Daily Wire for doing so

popular.info/p/facebook-adm…
Read 4 tweets
21 Apr
1. @SenRickScott is openly using mob-style tactics to pressure corporations to fund Republicans who voted to overturn the election and are now pushing voter suppression legislation

Scott promised "a day of reckoning" when/if Republicans take the Senate

popular.info/p/mob-tactics
@SenRickScott 2. This is what Scott is saying IN PUBLIC. But his tactics are working with a handful of corporations who have resumed funding the @NRSC, which is chaired by Scott.

popular.info/p/mob-tactics
3. @Merck CEO Ken Fraiser has been leading the effort to convince companies to speak out in support of voting rights.

But Merck just gave 15K to the @NRSC, backing a GOP caucus that is obstructing federal legislation to protect voting rights nationwide

popular.info/p/mob-tactics
Read 5 tweets
20 Apr
UPDATE: In a company obtained by popular.info, @ATT CEO John Stankey says AT&T should not be held accountable for the policy views of the politicians it backs

"It's likely our employee PACs have contributed to policymakers in support of and opposed to any given issue"
@ATT .@ATT has donated 574K to the sponsors of Texas' voter suppression bill but refused to speak out against it.

Stankey says "election laws differ from state to state, are varying and complex, not our company’s expertise and ultimately the responsibility of elected officials"
@ATT .@ATT's Stankey says he's reluctant to get involved with politics but he now recognizes it's in "AT&T’s long-term interests" for him to advocate centrism.
Read 4 tweets
20 Apr
UPDATE: On 1/12, @PNCBank said it "suspended contributions to those members of Congress who voted against the certification of the nation’s valid Electoral College votes."

On 3/24 PNC donated 15K to the @NRSC, which is chaired by @SenRickScott, who voted against certification
@PNCBank @NRSC @SenRickScott UPDATE: After 1/6, @Intel said it "will not contribute to members of Congress who voted against certification of the Electoral College results."

On 3/2 Intel donated 15K to the @NRSC, which is chaired by @SenRickScott, who voted against certification
@PNCBank @NRSC @SenRickScott @intel On 1/17, @Oracle said that it would "pause contributions to anyone who voted against certifying the November 2020 election results."

On 3/25 Oracle donated $3750 to the @NRSC, which is chaired by @SenRickScott, who voted against certification
Read 8 tweets
20 Apr
I wrote about why there are more consumer safety regulations for Teddy Bears - AND TOY GUNS - than for actual guns.

It has nothing to do with the 2nd Amendment

It was a carve out created in the 1970s by a Congressman who was also on the board of the NRA

popular.info/p/why-the-body…
2. In 1972, Congress passed a law specifically prohibiting the CPSC from evaluating the safety of guns

As a result, there "is not a single federally mandated safety standard or child-proofing requirement for firearms made in the United States."

popular.info/p/why-the-body…
3. Firearm safety is regulated by the firearm industry, through a group called the Sporting Arms and Ammunition Manufacturers’ Institute (SAAMI).

SAAMI "does not solicit feedback from the public."

popular.info/p/why-the-body…
Read 9 tweets

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