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Pascal Sabino @pascalsabino.bsky.social · 19d

Missourians have repeatedly used ballot initiatives to adopt policies that lawmakers in the GOP supermajority refuse to move on: abortion rights, paid sick leave, Medicaid expansion. In response, Missouri Republicans are attempting to make direct democracy impossible:

boltsmag.org/missouri-ame...

Under this GOP Measure, All of Missouri’s Recent Popular Initiatives Would Have Failed - Bolts

Republicans have dominated Missouri’s legislature for over two decades, but they haven’t entirely controlled state lawmaking, in large part because Missouri empowers citizens to petition for ballot re...

boltsmag.org

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Reposted by Pascal Sabino

The TRiiBE @thetriibe.com · Aug 28

NEW — Black organizers and elected leaders gathered today to denounce Trump’s threats to send military forces to Chicago.

They are developing a 30-day emergency response plan, which includes establishing mutual aid hubs and Know Your Rights training sessions.

thetriibe.com/2025/08/blac...

Black organizers, elected leaders are preparing for Trump’s possible military deployment to Chicago • The TRiiBE

Although details are scarce, Black organizers are coming up with a response plan to protect Chicagoans if Trump sends in the military.

thetriibe.com

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Reposted by Pascal Sabino

The TRiiBE @thetriibe.com · Aug 29

NEW — As President Donald Trump tries to punish jurisdictions with bail reform, Cook County Public Defender Sharone Mitchell explains why Illinois ended cash bail—and what he hopes to see next.

“What is scary is that this is tyranny 101.”

thetriibe.com/2025/08/chic...

Chicago’s public defender explains why Illinois should fight Trump’s threats on cashless bail • The TRiiBE

As the president tries to punish jurisdictions with bail reform, Cook County Public Defender Sharone Mitchell explains why Illinois ended cash bail—and what he hopes to see next.

thetriibe.com

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Pascal Sabino @pascalsabino.bsky.social · Aug 29

I talked to Cook County Public Defender Sharone Mitchell about Trump's order to defund governments that have moved away from cash bail. IL abolished cash bail so people wouldn't be jailed just because they are poor — Mitchell told me Trump's intervention is "Tyranny 101"
boltsmag.org/chicago-publ...

Chicago’s Public Defender on Why Illinois Should Fight Trump's Threats on Cashless Bail - Bolts

President Trump on Monday issued an executive order that purports to block federal funds from state and local governments that have moved away from cash bail in an effort to... Read More

boltsmag.org

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Reposted by Pascal Sabino

Pascal Sabino @pascalsabino.bsky.social · Aug 25

Tucson enacted a series of camping bans in response to a state law that pushes cities to criminalize homelessness & punishes those that don't. That pressure also came to the fore South Tucson: leaders were targeted in a failed recall attempt for their work with a local soup kitchen

Facing Arizona’s Crackdown on Homelessness, Two Cities Offer Different Responses

State intervention has led Tucson to ramp up sweeps and pass harsh new policies. Officials in the small town of South Tucson have emphasized support and services, even as they face blowback.

boltsmag.org

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Pascal Sabino @pascalsabino.bsky.social · Aug 25

Tucson enacted a series of camping bans in response to a state law that pushes cities to criminalize homelessness & punishes those that don't. That pressure also came to the fore South Tucson: leaders were targeted in a failed recall attempt for their work with a local soup kitchen

Facing Arizona’s Crackdown on Homelessness, Two Cities Offer Different Responses

State intervention has led Tucson to ramp up sweeps and pass harsh new policies. Officials in the small town of South Tucson have emphasized support and services, even as they face blowback.

boltsmag.org

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Reposted by Pascal Sabino

Taniel @taniel.bsky.social · Aug 22

NEW: Leaders of a small Arizona city ramped up affordable housing & services like soup kitchens for homeless people. In response, a former mayor got angry & tried to recall them. But they survived the recalls this month.

Bolts reports on what's happening—& the warring responses to homelessness:

Facing Arizona’s Crackdown on Homelessness, Two Cities Offer Different Responses - Bolts

Fewer than 250 voters cast a ballot in a South Tucson recall election this month targeting the mayor and two allies in city council. The three officials, Mayor Roxy Valenzuela... Read More

boltsmag.org

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Reposted by Pascal Sabino

Pascal Sabino @pascalsabino.bsky.social · Jul 10

A federal judge struck down part of Florida's new crackdown on ballot initiatives. The ruling allows noncitizens to collect signatures for measures like weed legalization & medicaid expansion. But the law still criminalizes other typical petition activity:
boltsmag.org/florida-new-...

A New Crackdown on Ballot Initiatives Unnerves Florida Organizers - Bolts

The new Republican law threatens volunteers with more investigations and criminal punishment, even as Ron DeSantis faces allegations of illegally meddling in ballot measures.

boltsmag.org

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Reposted by Pascal Sabino

Taniel @taniel.bsky.social · Jul 9

The U.S. Supreme Court just said Florida's new immigration law will remain BLOCKED while litigation on the law continues. www.nytimes.com/2025/07/09/u...

How aggressive is the law? @pascalsabino.bsky.social broke it down in February: boltsmag.org/florida-repu...

In Florida GOP’s New Immigration Crackdown, a Familiar Play of Overriding Local Democracy - Bolts

Florida Republicans spent weeks squabbling over rival immigration bills. Their conflict wasn’t over significant policy differences: They agreed on diverting hundreds of millions in state funds toward ...

boltsmag.org

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Pascal Sabino @pascalsabino.bsky.social · Jul 10

More details on the ruling here:
www.lwv.org/newsroom/pre...

League of Women Voters of Florida and LULAC Secure Narrow Preliminary Injunction in Ballot Initiative Case | League of Women Voters

The US District Court for the Northern District of Florida issued a limited ruling striking down the application of specific provisions of Florida’s House Bill 1205.

www.lwv.org

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Pascal Sabino @pascalsabino.bsky.social · Jul 10

A federal judge struck down part of Florida's new crackdown on ballot initiatives. The ruling allows noncitizens to collect signatures for measures like weed legalization & medicaid expansion. But the law still criminalizes other typical petition activity:
boltsmag.org/florida-new-...

A New Crackdown on Ballot Initiatives Unnerves Florida Organizers - Bolts

The new Republican law threatens volunteers with more investigations and criminal punishment, even as Ron DeSantis faces allegations of illegally meddling in ballot measures.

boltsmag.org

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Reposted by Pascal Sabino

Jonah Newman @jonahshai.bsky.social · Jul 3

This "discrepancy" was first uncovered by @boltsmag.org and @injusticewatch.org last August. At the time, CPD officials refused to discuss @pascalsabino.bsky.social's findings and a spokesperson stood by their publicly reported figures. Nearly 11 months later, they now say they're working to fix it.

WTTW - Chicago PBS @wttw.bsky.social · Jul 2

Chicago Police Department officials are working to “fix” the “discrepancy” that led to 210,622 undocumented traffic stops in 2024, a high-ranking Chicago Police Department official told a key city panel.

to.wttw.com/3Tl6pHa

CPD Working to ‘Fix’ Problem That Led to 211K Undocumented Traffic Stops, Police Official Tells City Panel

CPD reported to state officials that officers made 295,846 traffic stops in 2024. But police dispatchers recorded that officers made an additional 210,622 stops in 2024 that were not documented, raisi...

to.wttw.com

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Pascal Sabino @pascalsabino.bsky.social · Jul 3

Federal court in North Dakota declined to review a ruling against two tribal nations that declared only the DOJ can sue for voter discrimination. That means ND voters are stuck with an election map that illegally marginalizes Natives, because the DOJ will not intervene

Taniel @taniel.bsky.social · Jul 3

Big defeat for voting rights: the full 8th circuit refused to* reconsider a panel ruling that said individuals & groups cannot sue over VRA violations, only the DOJ can. www.npr.org/2025/05/14/n...

Bolts reported the case is huge loss for tribes in North Dakota, leaving them unable to seek justice:

“A Law Without a Way to Enforce It” - Bolts

In North Dakota as elsewhere, Native voters face a triple threat: judges targeting the VRA, Trump officials hostile to discrimination laws, and a funding crunch depleting their work.

boltsmag.org

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Reposted by Pascal Sabino

Marc Elias @marcelias.bsky.social · Jun 20

A must read.👇

“From the federal level, they don’t want to deal with us. They are continuously trying to get out of the things they agreed to in these treaties,” he said. “They pass it along to the states, but the states don’t want to deal with us either.” boltsmag.org/voting-right...

“A Law Without a Way to Enforce It” - Bolts

In North Dakota as elsewhere, Native voters face a triple threat: judges targeting the VRA, Trump officials hostile to discrimination laws, and a funding crunch depleting their work.

boltsmag.org

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Reposted by Pascal Sabino

Taniel @taniel.bsky.social · Jun 24

NEW: This Virginia city has seen years of heated debate over criminal justice reform. Progressive officials moved to stop adult charges for kids, weed cases, mandatory minimums; it's all run into fierce opposition from other leaders.

Then, the reform prosecutor won last week. I wrote about it:

Norfolk Reelects its Reform Prosecutor, Capping Years of Heated Debate - Bolts

It’s a staple in political campaigns: Candidates bring up a criminal case that occurred on their opponent’s watch, and use it to attack them for being too lenient. Still, Michelle... Read More

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Pascal Sabino @pascalsabino.bsky.social · Jun 24

boltsmag.org/norfolk-virg...

Norfolk Reelects its Reform Prosecutor, Capping Years of Heated Debate - Bolts

It’s a staple in political campaigns: Candidates bring up a criminal case that occurred on their opponent’s watch, and use it to attack them for being too lenient. Still, Michelle... Read More

boltsmag.org

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Reposted by Pascal Sabino

Bolts @boltsmag.org · Jun 23

Missouri adopted a law that ends St. Louis’ ability to run its own police, transferring control to the GOP-run state government. The law also requires St. Louis to commit 25% of its budget to policing. boltsmag.org/missour...

Missouri Officials Seize Control of St. Louis Police, in Latest Bid to Shutter Local Reforms

The takeover returns St. Louis to a Civil War-era arrangement of state control. A local official calls the move "a clear gesture of white men wanting to control urban areas."

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Reposted by Pascal Sabino

Pascal Sabino @pascalsabino.bsky.social · Jun 18

In North Dakota, multiple voting rights threats collide that may unravel decades of hard-fought victories in the struggle by tribal nations for fair representation:

boltsmag.org/voting-right...

“A Law Without a Way to Enforce It” - Bolts

In North Dakota as elsewhere, Native voters face a triple threat: judges targeting the VRA, Trump officials hostile to discrimination laws, and a funding crunch depleting their work.

boltsmag.org

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Pascal Sabino @pascalsabino.bsky.social · Jun 18

The last line of defense for Native voting rights is grassroots orgs-- but they too are under attack by the right's onslaught against "DEI" & the DOJ's threat to prosecute orgs that help vulnerable populations. Native civic groups nationwide have been forced to downsize & make layoffs and cut hours

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Pascal Sabino @pascalsabino.bsky.social · Jun 18

Federal courts have eliminated the right for tribal nations in North Dakota to fight discriminatory election laws, declaring only the Attorney General can sue under the VRA. Meanwhile, Trump's DOJ has abandoned enforcement of voter protections for marginalized groups: boltsmag.org/voting-right...

“A Law Without a Way to Enforce It” - Bolts

In North Dakota as elsewhere, Native voters face a triple threat: judges targeting the VRA, Trump officials hostile to discrimination laws, and a funding crunch depleting their work.

boltsmag.org

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Pascal Sabino @pascalsabino.bsky.social · Jun 18

In North Dakota, multiple voting rights threats collide that may unravel decades of hard-fought victories in the struggle by tribal nations for fair representation:

boltsmag.org/voting-right...

“A Law Without a Way to Enforce It” - Bolts

In North Dakota as elsewhere, Native voters face a triple threat: judges targeting the VRA, Trump officials hostile to discrimination laws, and a funding crunch depleting their work.

boltsmag.org

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Reposted by Pascal Sabino

Pascal Sabino @pascalsabino.bsky.social · Jun 2

San Francisco pulled out of SCAAP a decade ago to end the data exchange w ICE. Immigrant rights organizers closed in on the program after sheriffs lobbied against sanctuary protections out of fear they would lose SCAAP funds if the state blocked them from working w ICE: boltsmag.org/alameda-coun...

This Bay Area County Says It Cut Ties with ICE. This Program Says Otherwise. - Bolts

A widespread data-sharing program highlights financial ties between local police and immigration enforcement—and how even sanctuary jurisdictions still feed “the deportation machine.”

boltsmag.org

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Reposted by Pascal Sabino

Philip Bump @pbump.com · Jun 4

Great reporting from @boltsmag.org is a reminder that there is more than one at for a county to work with ICE. Free to read: s2.washingtonpost.com/camp-rw/?tra...

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Reposted by Pascal Sabino

Philip Bump @pbump.com · Jun 4

Great reporting from @boltsmag.org is a reminder that there is more than one way for a county to work with ICE. Free to read: s2.washingtonpost.com/camp-rw/?tra...

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Reposted by Pascal Sabino

Taniel @taniel.bsky.social · Jun 4

I really appreciate WaPo jumping off of reporting we did at Bolts in May to spotlight an ICE data-sharing program that many blue counties are part of.

Our story was focused on Oakland: boltsmag.org/alameda-coun...

@pbump.com graphs just how widespread this is: s2.washingtonpost.com/camp-rw/?tra...

But that’s just one way in which local officials can assist immigration efforts. The (terrific; worth subscribing) local-government news magazine Bolts recently reported on the State Criminal Alien Assistance Program (SCAAP), in which local and state governments are reimbursed with federal funding for the costs of jailing undocumented immigrants.

Even a lot of blue-counties have received federal funding as part of an ICE-linked program

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