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Slaying the Gerrymander: Ensuring Fair Representation
December 5, 2016 @ 7:00 pm - 8:30 pm
FreeBarry Kauffman of Common Cause returns to take on the issue of gerrymandering. Pennsylvania has some of the most gerrymandered districts in the country. In 2020, the legislature will redraw the legislative and congressional districts based on newly acquired census data. How will the lines be drawn?
About the Speaker:
Barry Kauffman is the former long-time Executive Director of Common Cause/Pennsylvania, the Keystone State’s leading government integrity advocacy organization. Currently he serves as Senior Advisor to the organization.
As Executive Director, he served as the state organization’s chief executive officer and is its principal lobbyist in Harrisburg.
Kauffman is a regular commentator on issues related to campaign finance and election reform, voter registration and government transparency. Prior to joining Common Cause, Kauffman was a citizens’ advocate in the Governor’s Office working out of the Governor’s Action Center. He also served the State Advisory Council on Vocational Education as a Regional Coordinator, and the Hospital Association of PA as a Program Consultant.Kauffman served on Governor Rendell’s Pennsylvania Elections Reform Task Force, and founded the Pennsylvania Voters Coalition. He is the founder of the Sierra Club Pennsylvania Environmental Lobby (SPEL), and started the publication SPELbinder (now PA Environmental Spotlight), Pennsylvania’s first legislative newsletter focussing on environmental issues. He is a past state chair of the Sierra Club.Kauffman received a B.A. in Political Science from Indiana University of PA, an M.S. in Communications from Shippensburg State University, and has numerous post-graduate certifications. He is a native of Conestoga, Pennsylvania.
About Common Cause:
Common Cause is a citizen lobbying organization with 10,000 members and affiliates in Pennsylvania. It has been credited with creating the momentum necessary for passing numerous important government reform measures. Some of these include: The Public Officials Ethics Act, Lobbyist Disclosure and Regulation Act, Campaign Finance Disclosure Act; Sunset Act; Sunshine Act; Open Records Reforms; Whistleblower Act,; Judicial Discipline Constitutional Amendment; Tax Expenditures Act; Motor Voter Act; Independent Counsel Act; Internet Disclosure of Campaign Contributions; Internet Availability of Bills, Laws and Legislative Calendars; Statewide Uniform Voter Registration Act; and Help America Vote Act Implementation. CC/PA helped pass campaign contribution limits for Philadelphia political campaigns, and County Website disclosure of political contributions for Allegheny County elections. CC/PA also filed and won lawsuits to defend the constitutionally mandated process for passing state budgets, and defended the state pension system from attempted raids by retired lawmakers. CC/PA advises local citizen groups on organizing, legal rights and good government issues. It also is considered the “go to” source for comments on government integrity issues.Common Cause/PA currently is working to restore the integrity of the legislative process, and modernize the state’s election laws. It is aggressively pursing campaign contribution limits and a redistricting system that advances voters’ interests in competitive elections.
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