Alex Lasry calls for expanding voting rights, banning gerrymandering to 'strengthen American democracy'
In his first major policy proposal, Democratic U.S. Senate candidate Alex Lasry released a plan Wednesday to "strengthen American democracy."
On the eve of the anniversary of the Jan. 6 insurrection at the U.S. Capitol, Lasry called for reforms that include ending the filibuster in the U.S. Senate, enacting automatic voter registration and banning political gerrymandering.
Other top Democratic contenders in the race have weighed in on similar reforms, including Lt. Gov. Mandela Barnes, who issued his list of proposals last month. State Treasurer Sarah Godlewski and Outagamie County Executive Tom Nelson have also backed ending the filibuster and other reforms.
A large field of Democrats is vying for the seat now held by Republican U.S. Sen. Ron Johnson, who is expected to announce soon if he's going to run for reelection.
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Lasry slammed Johnson, claiming that he "isn't just a bad senator, he is a threat to our democracy."
While most of Lasry's plan is likely to be fiercely opposed by Republicans, one plank could win bipartisan support.
Lasry urged Congress to update the Electoral Count Act of 1887 before the 2024 presidential election. The Washington Examiner and Wall Street Journal have called for fixes of the more than century-old statute that governs the certification of the presidential vote.
Former President Donald Trump and his allies sought to use the law's ambiguities to try to overturn the results of the 2020 election, won by President Joe Biden.
"One year ago, our country witnessed something that has never been seen in the United States — a sitting President and his followers attempted to disrupt and stop the peaceful transfer of power," Lasry said in a statement. "Insurrectionists did not like the outcome of the election and they tried to discard the voice of the people."
Lasry urged passage of the John Lewis Voting Rights Act and the Freedom to Vote Act, two bills bottled up in Congress. He also called for automatic voter registration.
He backed granting statehood for the District of Columbia and said citizens of Puerto Rico should have "self-determination" on whether to become a state.
He called for curtailing the influence of special interests by enhancing reporting requirements for campaign funding.
Lasry said Congress should invest in infrastructure and manpower to combat cyber-attacks on elections.
Labeling misinformation online as a threat to democracy, Lasry said, "we need to work with and pressure online platforms to do more to push back against dangerous rhetoric when their sites are being used to manipulate Americans and sow distrust in our elections and our government."
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This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Alex Lasry calls for expanding voting rights, banning gerrymandering
