The Good Life, If You Can Keep It

Restoring Power to the Voters: Shea Siegert of Alaskans for Better Elections

Wes and Erica had the honor of sitting down with Shea Siegert, Campaign Manager for the successful Alaskans for Better Elections movement whose victory in November brought Alaska citizens ranked-choice voting, open primaries, and greater campaign finance transparency. Shea has plenty of thoughts on why voters' powers have become so diminished under the two-party system, how voters can act to take this power back, and what we can do in the Cornhusker State to make a more civil campaign experience a reality. And, as always, Petals and Pricks! Show notes: Alaskans for Better Elections: https://alaskansforbetterelections.com/about/ [https://alaskansforbetterelections.com/about/] Rank The Vote Nebraska: http://rankthevotenebraska.com/ [http://rankthevotenebraska.com/] Also find us on the socials: Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, Reddit, LinkedIn How RCV works: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q6pC5IJirrY [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q6pC5IJirrY] Where RCV is uesd: https://www.fairvote.org/where_is_ranked_choice_voting_used [https://www.fairvote.org/where_is_ranked_choice_voting_used] Where pro-RCV legislation is under way (HINT! Nebraska is on the map!): https://www.fairvote.org/2021_state_legislation_advancing_ranked_choice_voting [https://www.fairvote.org/2021_state_legislation_advancing_ranked_choice_voting]

BONUS: Jack Gould and Redistricting in Nebraska, 1985 to today

In today's bonus episode, Wes and Erica dig deeper into past redistricting cycles in the Nebraska Unicameral. Jack Gould, longtime Nebraska redistricting aficionado and staff member with Common Cause Nebraska, tells us all about his experiences with redistricting in the 80s, 90s, 00s and the last go-round in 2010. And, as per tradition, Wes and Erica discuss their Petals and Pricks--highlighting Americans who have either acted to strengthen or weaken our democracy. Show notes: Common Cause Nebraska: https://www.commoncause.org/nebraska/ [https://www.commoncause.org/nebraska/] Rank The Vote Nebraska: https://rankthevotenebraska.org/ [https://rankthevotenebraska.org/] Represent US https://represent.us/ [https://represent.us/] RedistrictR https://districtr.org/ [https://districtr.org/] Dave's Redistricting https://davesredistricting.org/maps#home [https://davesredistricting.org/maps#home]

Gavin Geis, Executive Director at Common Cause Nebraska

On this episode, Wes and Erica sit down with Gavin Geis, Executive Director at Common Cause Nebraska to get the skinny on redistricting, gerrymandering, and what we can do to ensure that our future electoral maps are drawn as fairly and transparently as possible. Gavin tells us about the history of his organization, how the redistricting process went down in 2010 (hint: it was, in a word, toxic), and about his efforts to engage the public in drawing out maps of their own communities. Common Cause Nebraska: https://www.commoncause.org/nebraska/ [https://www.commoncause.org/nebraska/] Gavin Geis contact: ggeis@commoncause.org [ggeis@commoncause.org] Rank The Vote Nebraska: https://rankthevotenebraska.org/ [https://rankthevotenebraska.org/] Represent US https://represent.us/ [https://represent.us/]

Nathan Leach, Executive Director of Nonpartisan Nebraska

In this episode, Wes and Erica have a conversation with Nathan Leach regarding Non-partisan Nebraska, an organization that attempts to take the party toxicity out of the state legislature.   Nathan Erica and Wes also discuss the general dysfunction of the legislature and how we can attempt to change it. You can find Nonpartisan Nebraska at https://www.facebook.com/NonPartisanNebraska/ [https://www.facebook.com/NonPartisanNebraska/]

Everything in moderation, to stop the excess

Erica and Wes talk with a podcaster Hillari Lombard from Sacramento who hosts the Moderate Party Podcast. She discusses the state of politics and how many of the answers may lie, no pun intended, with the moderates. Of course, we end the show with Petals and Pricks.