Vikrant Reddy on CSPAN’s Washington Journal

When Government Lobbies Itself: Why Texas Should Ban Taxpayer-Funded Lobbying

Texas local governments use taxpayer dollars to hire lobbyists to influence state legislation—creating conflicts of interest, distorting democratic accountability, and undermining the interests of Texas taxpayers. Key points: Taxpayer-funded lobbying expenditures more than doubled from the 85th to the 89th Legislature, now reaching as high as $111.5 million. Taxpayer-funded lobbyists consistently opposed legislation involving property...

Remembering the ‘why’ behind Raise the Age in North Carolina

At what age should juvenile offenders be tried and treated as adults in North Carolina? What constitutes a juvenile’s actions so irredeemable that they bypass the juvenile system and go straight into adult corrections? As times change and public safety evolves, it is important to reflect on the principles that guide our justice system. One...

Ban Foreign Funding in Ballot Propositions

Despite federal laws prohibiting foreign funding of candidate elections, foreign individuals and entities are still able to fund campaigns related to state and local ballot initiatives in multiple jurisdictions, creating a loophole that hostile foreign actors can exploit to influence American elections. Key points: Federal law prohibits foreign nationals from contributing to candidate campaigns or...