How senators plan to prevent another January 6

Senators push changes to protect future US elections; Italy’s prime minister resigns, triggering elections.

Tonight's Sentences was written by Jariel Arvin.

Bipartisan legislation to protect future elections

 Drew Angerer/Getty Images

• A bipartisan group of senators have proposed legislation updating the 1887 Electoral Count Act. President Donald Trump’s allies tried to use ambiguities in the law to overturn the 2020 election. [New York Times / Carl Hulse]
• The law outlines the congressional process for certifying electoral votes, and defines the vice president's role as a ceremonial one. [NPR / Barbara Sprunt]
• Battleground states sent fake electors to challenge the results following the 2020 election. And Trump and his supporters pressured then-Vice President Mike Pence to overturn Joe Biden’s victory. [CNN / Manu Raju and Clare Foran]
• The new proposal would make a state's governor responsible for submitting state electors to Congress. It also clarifies that the vice president tallies the votes and can’t change the results. [Associated Press / Lisa Mascaro]
• The new bill would require 20 percent of the House and the Senate (instead of just one senator and one representative) to challenge the election results. It includes a judicial process for presidential candidates to address concerns. [Washington Post / Leigh Ann Caldwell]
• A second proposal would increase federal penalties for threatening or intimidating election workers, voters, and candidates. It also recommends guidance for states and the US Postal Service on improving mail-in ballot processes. [Roll Call / Chris Cioffi]
• After months of negotiations, the group of senators — led by Sens. Susan Collins (R-ME) and Joe Manchin (D-WV) — could bring the legislation to a full vote this fall. [NBC News / Sahil Kapur]

Italy will get a new prime minister

• Thursday, Italy’s President Sergio Mattarella dissolved the country's parliament following the resignation of Prime Minister Mario Draghi. [CNN / Kara Fox, Barbie Latza Nadeau, Nicola Ruotolo, Sharon Braithwaite, and Livia Borghese]
• In early 2021, Mattarella appointed Draghi prime minister to lead Italy’s economic recovery amid the Covid-19 pandemic. But Draghi’s coalition government collapsed this week after several parties refused to back him. [AP / Nicole Winfield and Frances D’Emilio]
• The resignation comes despite support for Draghi from world leaders who see him as a source of stability in Europe and a key ally in supporting Ukraine. [Guardian / Angela Giuffrida]
• Draghi will remain in a caretaker role until after the next parliamentary elections, scheduled for September 25. [Wall Street Journal / Eric Sylvers]

Conservationists listed monarch butterflies as endangered, following population declines of at least 20 percent over 10 years. [AP / Christina Larson]

• President Joe Biden tested positive for Covid-19 on Thursday. He’s reportedly experiencing mild symptoms, receiving antiviral treatment, and working in isolation. [Newsweek / Katherine Fung]
• The House passed legislation establishing the right for people to get and use contraceptives on Thursday. [NBC News / Sahil Kapur]
• Thursday, the European Central Bank announced it would hike interest rates by 0.5 percent to fight inflation — the first hike in more than a decade. [CNN / Julia Horowitz]

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“Every step that is taken to try to minimize those risks going forward is a positive thing. But nobody should be under the illusion that if this thing passes, we’re somehow out of the woods.”

[Rick Hasen, UCLA law professor and director of the Safeguarding Democracy Project / Roll Call]

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