Anita Alem is a student at Harvard Law School.
On Wednesday, after a lengthy fight, Senate Democrats conceded that they did not have the votes necessary to pass the Freedom to Vote Act or the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act, or the political leverage necessary to weaken the Senate filibuster rules.
The legislation, which was aimed to address historic efforts by the GOP to limit voting rights following the 2020 elections, would have cemented access to early voting and voting by mail, granted automatic voter registration, and established election day as a national holiday. The legislation was also targeted toward racial justice and included provisions to restore provisions of the Voting Rights Act that have been nullified by the Supreme Court.
As the New York Times reported, voting on the legislation was split among partisan lines, with no Republicans in support. Because breaking the filibuster would require 60 votes, and Democrats had only 50, the party instead attempted to change Senate rules regarding the filibuster. However, the attempt to change the rules failed as it was opposed by not only every Republican but also Democratic Senators Joe Manchin (D-WV) and Kristen Synema (D-AZ).
The Democrats’ loss was reminiscent of the death of the Build Back Better bill, which similarly lacked the votes necessary to pass due in part to Senators Manchin and Sinema. Senator Manchin notably has significant ties to the fossil fuel industry, including high-profile donors as well as his own coal company.
Also on Wednesday, the Department of Labor announced the creation of the Hiring Initiative to Reimagine Equity, or HIRE, an initiative aimed to assist with both pandemic recovery and prioritize access to employment for underrepresented communities. The DOL stated in a press release that “HIRE will identify strategies to remove hiring barriers that limit opportunity along the lines of race, color, ethnicity, gender, LGBTQ+ status, religion, disability, age and veteran status.” The HIRE initiative is intended to be a multi-year program and incorporates the Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs and the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. The AFL-CIO voiced its support for the program, noting the importance of labor rights as civil rights critical to racial justice.
Finally, the Boston Globe reported that the fight over gig worker classification in Massachusetts continued Wednesday, as a labor coalition filed a complaint against Attorney General Maura Healey and Secretary of State William F. Galvin. The complaint argued that the attorney general’s office wrongfully certified a tech-backed petition that would create a ballot measure to ensure Uber, Lyft, Instacart, and Doordash can continue classifying workers as contractors. The complaint follows yesterday’s news that Lyft made the largest one-time political contribution in Massachusetts history to support this ballot measure.
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July 4
The DOL scraps a Biden-era proposed rule to end subminimum wages for disabled workers; millions will lose access to Medicaid and SNAP due to new proof of work requirements; and states step up in the noncompete policy space.
July 3
California compromises with unions on housing; 11th Circuit rules against transgender teacher; Harvard removes hundreds from grad student union.
July 2
Block, Nanda, and Nayak argue that the NLRA is under attack, harming democracy; the EEOC files a motion to dismiss a lawsuit brought by former EEOC Commissioner Jocelyn Samuels; and SEIU Local 1000 strikes an agreement with the State of California to delay the state's return-to-office executive order for state workers.
July 1
In today’s news and commentary, the Department of Labor proposes to roll back minimum wage and overtime protections for home care workers, a federal judge dismissed a lawsuit by public defenders over a union’s Gaza statements, and Philadelphia’s largest municipal union is on strike for first time in nearly 40 years. On Monday, the U.S. […]
June 30
Antidiscrimination scholars question McDonnell Douglas, George Washington University Hospital bargained in bad faith, and NY regulators defend LPA dispensary law.
June 29
In today’s news and commentary, Trump v. CASA restricts nationwide injunctions, a preliminary injunction continues to stop DOL from shutting down Job Corps, and the minimum wage is set to rise in multiple cities and states. On Friday, the Supreme Court held in Trump v. CASA that universal injunctions “likely exceed the equitable authority that […]