States United Democracy Center

Today is International Day of Women Judges. The ABA salutes the women of the judiciary in the United States and across the world who work to uphold the rule of law.

#InternationalWomensDay is the perfect opportunity to remind everyone that the work of protecting our democracy is the work of supporting the women who make it possible. Today, and every day, we’re grateful for all that they do. Find a woman leader near you and join us in showing her your support and appreciation! ??

The Trump administration has cut thousands of federal employees with no clear plan to keep essential services running. But state officials and the courts are fighting back. This week, the attorneys general of Arizona, Minnesota, New Mexico, and Oregon held a town hall to hear directly from people affected by the cuts. Gov. Kathy Hochul also met with federal workers in New York, and Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly called out the administration’s reckless approach to “efficiency” that’s leaving key services in limbo. The courts have also blocked some of the administration’s layoffs. This week, a judge ordered the reinstatement of more than 5,000 employees at the USDA, and another ruled that the chair of the National Labor Relations Board must be reinstated. “An American President is not a king,” she wrote. A group of 20 state attorneys general is also suing the administration over some of the layoffs. Also in this week’s newsletter: Takeaways from Wisconsin’s post-election audit, and an update on convicted election conspiracist Tina Peters, and more.

The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) plays a crucial role in providing nonpartisan cybersecurity support to election officials, ensuring that every American’s vote is counted and protected in a free and fair election. Attempts to weaken CISA will make the critical work of election security harder. https://lnkd.in/eWFb65F8

This definitely isn’t how we thank our veterans or honor them for their service. Harmful cuts to essential VA services will burden our country’s heroes. Those who served to protect our democracy deserve our support. https://lnkd.in/e8riphet

Over the past year, we've learned a lot about democracy: how precious it is, how vulnerable it can be, and how much it depends on our collective power. LWVUS CEO Celina W. Stewart shares some ways to defend our rights in the coming days. https://lnkd.in/eFvjUM_B

"We are nonpartisan. We stand for the rule of law. We stand for the vital role of our courts and the essential job that lawyers do every day throughout our country," writes the American Bar Association. "We reject efforts to undermine the courts and the profession. We will not stay silent in the face of efforts to remake the legal profession into something that rewards those who agree with the government and punishes those who do not."?

We're beginning the process to hire a new Director of Election Administration for Philadelphia. If you're interested in election administration, or have experience in government management, please consider applying.

It’s the start of #WomensHistoryMonth! We’re excited to pay tribute to the unsung heroes of our democracy – election workers. 80% of them are women. ??

Nearly 70% of Americans — including majorities of Democrats, Republicans, and independents — agree that President Trump must respect court rulings, even when they don’t go his way. The Trump administration keeps testing the balance of power anyway, but it's been stopped over and over again by the courts. From trying to stop federal money from going to states, ignore the Constitution, or fire federal employees en masse, judges from across the country have ruled that the administration's actions either overstep its authority or are outright illegal. Our survey shows that Americans want to leave that decision-making power to the judiciary, and not give the administration the power to ignore court orders. Also in this week’s newsletter: Celebrating Black History Month and more.