Michael O'Neil, U.S. Communications Manager for the Green Party, joins T.J. O’Hara, host of Deconstructed, to discuss the Party’s past, present, and future. Mr. O’Neil has over 15 years of political communications experience and has served the Green Party in a variety of capacities for the past 12 years, including roles as Assistant to the Campaign Manager for Dr. Jill Stein’s 2016 presidential campaign and co-manager of that campaign's Brooklyn, NY Office. He also performed significant roles for the Party in its 2014 and 2018 gubernatorial campaigns in New York as Downstate Coordinator and Campaign Manager, respectively. Continue reading

On May 13, U.S. District Court Judge John Koeltl, a Clinton appointee, refused to enjoin the New York ballot access changes made in 2020. Libertarian Party of NY v New York State Board of Elections, s.d., 1:20cv-5820. The opinion says the 2% vote test for president/governor, and the new number of signatures for a statewide office (45,000), are not severe. The decision cites only precedents that upheld state ballot access laws, and doesn’t mention any precedents that struck them down. It does not mention the March 29, 2021 decision of the Sixth Circuit that struck down Michigan’s 30,000-signature requirement for statewide independent candidates. Continue reading

With S1 going to markup before the U.S. Senate Rules Committee on Tuesday, May 11, the inherent hypocrisy behind HR1/S1 - the ‘For the People Act’ must be called out. But it won't happen as part of the public hearing process, because there won’t be any one present that will raise it. From the Democratic Party side, the Rules Committee hearing is expected to focus on responding to concerns from election officials about requirements and timelines related to HR1/S1’s mandates for early voting, voting by mail, automatic voter registration and voting system standards. From the Republican side, it will be to propose amendments to weaken the voting protection rights contained in the bill. Continue reading

In a stunning betrayal of Californians, lawmakers in Sacramento delayed until 2022 the California Guaranteed Health Care for All Act, Assembly Bill 1400. The Green Party of California aligns with a growing majority of Californians and many coalition partners in condemning this decision by the lawmakers.  “Universal single-payer healthcare lies at the heart of the Green Party of California healthcare platform,” said Barry Hermanson, long-time single-payer advocate and member of the GPCA Coordinating Committee. See “Big Pharma” and “Universal health care: California tries again.” Continue reading

Left, the items being sold at the Redwood County Flea Market in Wallingford, CT. Right, the guy selling them During the 2020 Presidential election, there was no shortage of lawn signs and banners in Wallingford, Connecticut showing support for Donald Trump. I rolled my eyes at each one that we passed and said to myself, “Rural Connecticut”. I live an hour south, in an urban area, where there was seemingly far less support for the 45th President of the United States. I have friends in Wallingford, and visit frequently, but it wasn’t until Saturday, April 17, that I checked out Redwood County Flea Market at 170 South Turnpike Road. Continue reading

GALESBURG, IL -- Peter Schwartzman (G) was elected Galesburg's mayor, defeating incumbent John Pritchard and fellow challenger Kristine Crow. According to unofficial election results, Schwartzman won 47% of the vote to Pritchard's 41% and Crow's 12%. Standing on the corner of Prairie and Main streets, Schwartzman's supporters erupted into cheers, with his daughters jumping up and down when they heard the news. "It’s pretty surreal. It’s been a hard-fought race," Schwartzman said. Continue reading

On Feb. 15, Gallup released a poll saying support for a “third party” is at an all-time high. On March 22, state Sen. Roberta Lange, D-Las Vegas, introduced SB 292, which would make it harder for new or previously unqualified political parties to appear on the ballot in Nevada. Supported by Democrats in the Legislature, SB 292 would double the number of signatures required to get on the ballot, from 1 percent to 2 percent of the last U.S. House statewide vote. It also would require the signatures to be spread equally over all four Nevada U.S. House districts. Continue reading

A Conversation With Ajamu Baraka On February 26th, I interviewed Ajamu Baraka for my podcast. Baraka is a veteran grassroots organizer whose roots are in the Black Liberation Movement and anti-apartheid and Central American solidarity struggles. He is an internationally recognized leader of the emerging human rights movement in the U.S. and has been at the forefront of efforts to apply the international human rights framework to social justice advocacy in the U.S. for more than 25 years. He is a National Organizer for the Black Alliance for Peace, whose activities we discussed. Continue reading

Delaware law says a party that has registration membership of at least one-tenth of 1% of the state total is ballot-qualified. The Delaware Green Party registration has increased from 716 members in November 2020, to 749 in March 2021. This increase substantially re-qualifies the party. The requirement is always changing, but currently it is 750 members. Continue reading