Dear Friends,
I wanted to share two important new Brennan Center reports.
Filibuster Abuse comes at a time of new interest in reforming the rules of the often-gridlocked U.S. Senate. Several lawmakers are expected to press to modernize Senate rules in the first week of the new Congress. Now -- when the partisan implication of filibuster reform is unclear -- is the ideal time to act. For whichever party wields the gavel, our democracy is ill served by a Senate tangled in obsolete and easily-abused rules of its own making.
We are also delighted to release the 2010 edition of our Citizen's Guide to Redistricting . Fifty state governments will soon begin redrawing legislative lines -- and political insiders will invariably seek to tilt the process to partisan ends. Rich with tables, illustrations, and colorful maps, the Citizen's Guide presents critical information in accessible form. It will help citizens and journalists as we try to hold accountable this otherwise murky process. If you would like us to mail you a copy of this book, please contact Bonnie Ernst at bonnie.ernst@nyu.edu .
We wish you a happy and healthy holiday season!
Warm wishes,
Michael Waldman
Executive Director