Bryan L. Sells

Husband. Father. Episcopalian. Voting-rights litigator. Adjunct professor of law. Bassist. Gardener. Work in progress.

[Bryan L. Sells @SellsBryan]

Happy Easter, friends.

[Bryan L. Sells @SellsBryan]

Voting is a fundamental right because it is preservative of all other rights.

[Denise Forte @Denise_EdTrust]

Louisiana v. Callais is more than a voting rights case, it is about the access of Black students to an excellent public education. When Black communities lose representation, they also lose power over the systems and schools serving their children.

https://t.co/JPY5Wo3tJU

[Holly Kesler @HollyKesler]

🚨RECOUNT ORDERED:
Important Election Update for Georgia Voters & County Officials 🚨

The Georgia Secretary of State’s Office has officially ordered a recount in the Republican PSC District 3 General Primary.
Candidate Brandon Martin requested the recount, and because the margin of victory was less than one-half of one percent, it is being conducted pursuant to O.C.G.A. 21-2-495(c)(1).

With advance voting already underway for the June 16th General Primary and Nonpartisan General Election runoffs, counties are strongly encouraged to begin the recount as soon as possible after certifying the runoffs. All counties must complete the recount no later than 5:00 PM on Friday, June 26th.

Full official announcement from State Elections Director Blake Evans attached. Stay informed!

[Marilyn Marks @MarilynRMarks1]

There is a GA statewide recount in the PSC narrow margin race.
I hope that candidates will demand that GA recount law be obeyed and recount is manual, not machine count.
Counties don't like to do manual recounts, but that is right way to do it, and what GA law requires. 1/

[Bryan L. Sells @SellsBryan]

@JudgeDillard @dcfc I'm really enjoying the new album. First listen, but thumbs up so far.

[Bryan L. Sells @SellsBryan]

Have a good weekend, friends. If this crazy world has got you down, remember that you are loved.

[Society for the Rule of Law @chkbal]

The Society for the Rule of Law has filed an amicus brief in United States v. Southern Poverty Law Center.

Many of our members have strongly disagreed with the SPLC’s rhetoric, tactics, and ideological positions. But the rule of law does not depend on whether we agree with a defendant.

If prosecutorial power is being used for political retaliation rather than legitimate law enforcement purposes, courts have an obligation to examine those concerns. Our brief urges the court to permit discovery or an evidentiary hearing to determine whether these charges are grounded in law and evidence.

Constitutional protections belong to everyone—not just those with whom we agree.

Read more: https://t.co/l0aitAMyDg

[Rick Hasen @rickhasen]

#ELB: Must-read Pam Karlan: “Bang, Bang, Bang: Callais Kills Off the Voting Rights Act” https://t.co/pM8iTMarNz

[Bipartisan Policy Center @BPC_Bipartisan]

It's harder to disparage a colleague when you've shared experiences and broken bread together.

BPC's American Congressional Exchange brings members of Congress across the aisle—literally. In 7 years: 54 trips, 64 members, and 5 bills signed into law.

Research backs it up: travel builds the relationships that make bipartisan legislating possible.
⤵️

[David Wickert @dwickert]

Georgia political leaders from both parties used a questionable state law to raise $6.7 million this year to position themselves and their allies to win statewide races.
https://t.co/GTLv0dYuj2

[Bryan L. Sells @SellsBryan]

I'm remembering this morning that it took 50 years to go from Giles v. Harris to the Voting Rights Act of 1965.

[Nathaniel Rakich @baseballot]

Quite a graph from the creators of the Cost of Voting Index, which quantifies how permissive/restrictive voting laws are by state. You can see how election laws have become partisan.

[Michael Li 李之樸 @mcpli]

Tonight, thinking of this brutal - but accurate - opening to David Cole’s essay about Callais in the New York Review of Books.

[Bryan L. Sells @SellsBryan]

@KareemCrayton Unfortunately, yes.

[Rick Hasen @rickhasen]

#ELB: Supreme Court Will Not Hear Georgia Case over Whether Its At-Large System for Electing Public Service Commissioners Violates Section of the Voting Rights Act https://t.co/cZZYBAX1EZ

[Bryan L. Sells @SellsBryan]

@KareemCrayton Callais entirely undid Section 2. SCOTUS will stay the injunction because a majority of the Court views what Alabama did (intentionally dilute votes) as political, not racial.

[Bryan L. Sells @SellsBryan]

@cemjcemj No.

[Bryan L. Sells @SellsBryan]

Prediction: SCOTUS will stay the three-judge court's injunction in Milligan. Why? A majority of the Court does not believe that the Alabama legislature intended to discriminate on the basis of race. It's all politics now.

[Bryan L. Sells @SellsBryan]

@cemjcemj They will stay it next week. Probably Wednesday. Maybe Friday.

[Bryan L. Sells @SellsBryan]

This is great news. We need a national, bipartisan solution.

[The Redistrict Network @RedistrictNet]

NEW: The @ProbSolveCaucus has announced the formation of a bipartisan working group focused on addressing extreme partisan gerrymandering across the country.

[Bryan L. Sells @SellsBryan]

@frazerrice In what universe do conservatives want churches to pay income taxes?