WASHINGTON - Common Cause Pennsylvania and Executive Director Micah Sims are pleased to announce a two-day DEMOCRACY WORKS SUMMIT in Philadelphia, May 21 – 22, 2018 focusing on the upcoming census and efforts to end “gerrymandering” - the undemocratic practice of drawing legislative districts for political advantage. Panel discussions will feature leaders of national and state advocacy campaigns to reform our broken redistricting system. We will discuss the critical upcoming 2020 census, its administration, outreach and the impact undercounting could have for Pennsylvania and America.

The conference is targeted towards advocacy leaders who are looking to share ideas, develop relationships and broaden coalitions as well as activists and advocates who are looking for the right tools and information to empower their groups, organizations and targeted communities.

“Democracy reform activists in Pennsylvania have rallied around the fight to end gerrymandering and citizens across the state are energized and activated on the issue as we approach the critical 2020 Census,” said Micah Sims, Executive Director of Common Cause Pennsylvania. “Through the Democracy Works conference and our coalition’s ongoing efforts we are working to empower Pennsylvanians with the tools to make their voices even louder and more effective in Harrisburg and Washington. And our work does not end at the state line as we will be welcoming activists and residents from throughout the mid-Atlantic to Philadelphia later this month to forge the relationships and skills to take back our government from special interests and blindly partisan politicians.”

Confirmed speakers and panelists for the Democracy Works conference include:

- Josh Shapiro, PA Attorney General

-Karen Hobert Flynn, President Common Cause

-Mayor James Kenney, City of Philadelphia

-Councilwoman Maria Quinones Sanchez, City of Philadelphia

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-Thomas Brunell, Professor at Texas University and proposed Deputy Director Census Bureau

-Tiffany Cross, Managing Editor THE BEAT DC

….and more

The event will be held at the Sheraton Downtown Hotel in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

A welcome reception will be held on Monday evening which will include presenting the Democracy Defender Awards to League of Women Voters Pennsylvania, Public Interest Law Center of Philadelphia and 18 Plaintiffs of the successful PA Supreme Court regarding gerrymandered congressional maps.

Registration, sponsorships and hotel accommodations for DEMOCRACY WORKS SUMMIT 2018 may be secured at www.DemocracyWorksSummit.com or through the Common Cause Pennsylvania website https://actionnetwork.org/ticketed_events/democracy-works-summit-2018 or by calling Common Cause in Harrisburg at 717-232-9951.

To view this release online, click here.

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