PLI Bulletin

Stop Intimidation, Omicron Variant, Vaccine Debates and More

Posted on December 1, 2021

Stop Intimidation of Public Officials Act: There has been a steep increase in the number and severity of threats against public officials. The Stop Intimidation of Public Officials Act makes it a felony to intimidate any public official in an attempt to influence that official’s vote, decision or other official action.

Are we toast in 2022? Pundits across the nation say that progressives and Democrats will likely lose in 2022. But the election is still a long way off. For five reasons why circumstances could be quite different eleven months from now, read the latest IdeaLog, our blog intended to raise eyebrows and engage minds.

What we know about the omicron variant: Omicron is COVID with several mutations. Of the many podcasts about omicron, this NPR All Things Considered clip seems shortest and most to the point.

Banning Hair Discrimination Emerges as Racial Justice Issue: Over the past two years, 13 states have passed versions of the CROWN Act (CA, CO, CT, DE, IL, MD, NE, NJ, NM, NY, OR, VA, WA) according to Pew Stateline. About three dozen cities and counties have also passed such laws. (See PLI’s model CROWN Act here.)

How Facebook Gives State Legislators a Pass to Spread COVID Misinformation: A review of Facebook pages by Decode Democracy finds that certain state lawmakers are major sources of misinformation about COVID vaccines and masks.

How to talk to vaccine skeptics: Because it is still very timely, our August 2021 column “How to talk to vaccine skeptics” has been expanded and updated for your use.