Protecting the Ballot with the League of Women Voters

Protecting the Ballot with the League of Women Voters

More Americans say they don't trust elections, but for very different reasons. Debunked claims of voter fraud continue to circulate. Gerrymandering is rampant. New laws make it harder to cast a ballot. How can we restore faith in the nation's electoral system? For answers, Donovan and Gary speak with Stephanie Schlanger and Kelly Davis of the Santa Fe chapter of the League of Women Voters, a non-partisan but activist organization dedicated to protecting the Constitutionally mandated right to vote.

Christian Nationalism: A New Idolatry?

Did you know that Barry Goldwater's wife was chair of Arizona's Planned Parenthood for many years? (The Republcan Senator and 1964 Presidential candidate was himself a lifelong member of the NAACP.) Times have changed and not always for the better. Christian Nationalism is a white nativist evangelical crusade that makes yesteryear's Moral Majority seem tame, identifying the Kingdom of God with the United States (especially the red states) and idolizing Donald Trump as God's enjoy on earth. Today, Donovan and Gary speak with the Reverend Talitha Arnold, senior minister at the United Church of Santa Fe and a graduate of Yale Divinity School, about the threats this perversion of faith represents to our democratic freedoms and to the foundations of authentic Christianity.

Justice for Epstein's Victims in New Mexico?

For decades, notorious sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein operated a vast hideaway called Zorro Ranch just south of Santa Fe. Until now, no full investigation of the property ever took place. Donovan and Gary talk with Representative Andrea Romero, who chairs the newly formed NM Survivors Truth Commission, empowered to search out whatever crimes may have occurred there. Recently the Commission began issuing subpoenas and hearing testimony from Epstein's victims, including Rachel Benavidez and family members of Virginia Guiffre. Representive Romero is determined to honor their stories of abuse, hold the perpetrators accountable, and make sure such atrocities never happen again.

Up From Last Place: Improving Education in our State with Fred Nathan, Jr. of Think New Mexico

New Mexico spends more on education per pupil than most other states, but ranks near the bottom on student outcomes for math and reading proficiency. Why is that, and what can be done? The answers may surprise. Donovan and Gary talk with Fred Nathan, Jr., the founder and Executive Director of Think New Mexico [https://www.thinknewmexico.org], which has has been instrumental in reforming state government: successfully pushing to implement all day kindergarten, remove the sales tax on groceries, end predatory lending and most recently pushing legislation to address the acute shortage of doctors and other health care providers in our state. Fred talks about additional steps needed to bring more psychologists, EMTS, and PTs to practice here. But his analysis of our lopsided educational system--heavy on highly paid administrators while short-changing classrooms--is eye opening.

Voting Rights and Wrongs: A Conversation with Gene Grant

Earlier this month the U.S. Supreme Court destroyed what was left of the landmark 1965 Voting Rights Act that for the first time in Amerrican history gave blacks access to the ballot box and a voice in their own government. Already states across old Dixie are redrawing lines to dilute minority representation in Congress. Donovan and Gary discuss the decision and its implications with Gene Grant, Executive Director of the New Mexico Office of African American Affairs, who despite the setback sees glimmers of hope on the horizon.