John Marion
@johnmarion.bsky.social
Husband. Father. Cyclist. Luge aficionado. Election audit proselytizer. Coffee consumer. ED of Common Cause Rhode Island.
The Erika Niedowski Memorial Scholarship has been awarded to Ashley Jean-Louis. Ashley is a 2026 graduate of Cranston East and will attend Rhode Island College pursuing a degree in nursing. Ashley is the seventh recipient of the scholarship named in Erika's honor. erikaniedowski.org/our-recipien...
Our Recipients
erikaniedowski.org
Gonna start a new series titled, "Public bodies behaving badly"
"This vote must be re-noticed and re-voted upon. Within ten (10) business days of the date of this finding, the Council should provide evidence to this Office demonstrating that it has re-noticed and re-voted on the aforementioned appointment."
RI Governmentbot@rigovernmentbot.bsky.social · 3w agoRI AG OMA Decision: 26-23: Cooke v. Westerly Town Council - https://clerkshq.com/Content/RIAG-ri/decisions/2026/OM26_23.htm
"As discussed in this finding, in light of the District’s history of a similar, recent violation, there are sufficient grounds in the record to find the violations discussed herein to be “willful or knowing.”"
RI Governmentbot@rigovernmentbot.bsky.social · 3w agoRI AG OMA Decision: 26-25: Puchalski v. Charlestown Fire District - https://clerkshq.com/Content/RIAG-ri/decisions/2026/OM26_25.htm
"We express serious concern that the City has once again failed to respond to an APRA request in the time required by law."
RI Governmentbot@rigovernmentbot.bsky.social · 3w agoRI AG APRA Decision: 26-27: Ward v. City of Woonsocket - https://clerkshq.com/Content/RIAG-ri/decisions/2026/PR26_27.htm
#ELB: BREAKING: “Trump fires all Election Assistance Commission members, leaving agency unable to act” (This is going to be a BFD if Trump Tries to Assert the EAC’s Powers over the Federal Voter Registration Form) https://electionlawblog.org/?p=157199
Word is spreading that the White House has relieved all three remaining EAC commissioners as of 4pm today.
Happy first day of the Tour de France to all who celebrate!
NEW: Delaware and New Jersey lawmakers have passed state-level voting rights acts that are now waiting for governors’ signatures, two months after the U.S. Supreme Court further weakened the federal Voting Rights Act DE: legis.delaware.gov/BillDetail?L... NJ: www.njleg.state.nj.us/bill-search/...
A lot warmer than Cortina. It’s New England Winter Olympians night at Fenway
Tragic news today: the eminent historian Gordon S. Wood was struck and killed while walking in the Shaw's plaza in East Providence, his family confirms to me. No comment from Brown yet Wood was just featured in Ken Burns' American Revolution documentary www.wpri.com/news/local-n...
Famed historian Gordon S. Wood struck, killed in East Providence
Wood has taught at Brown University in 1969 and was recently featured in the Ken Burns documentary on the American Revolution.
wpri.com
Really disappointed only one person reached out about my obituary this week www.nytimes.com/2026/05/23/a...
John Marion, the ‘God of Auctioneers in America,’ Dies at 92
nytimes.com
"the weight of his collection was so substantial that engineers were brought in to reinforce the flooring beneath it."
Marin K. Levy@marinklevy.bsky.social · 3mo agoThis is a drop everything moment . . .
Hot take: Skip The Real Housewives of RI—your local council meeting is where the real drama is.
Attorney General Neronha, coalition sue Trump Administration over unlawful executive order attempting to exert federal control over elections: www.riag.ri.gov/press-releases/attorney-general-neronha-coalition-sue-trump-administration-over-unlawful-executive
50 years ago today, Schoolhouse Rock’s “I’m Just a Bill” came out. www.youtube.com/watch?v=SZ8p...
I'm Just a Bill - Schoolhouse Rock
YouTube video by Schoolhouse Rock
youtube.com
I can't even count how many libraries in Rhode Island I've gone to talks in, held events at, and even taken out books from. @jdinri.bsky.social and @jesscigna.bsky.social with a great idea for how to say thanks to the people who keep these important small "d" democratic institutions going
Jessica David@jdinri.bsky.social · 4mo agoWe now have 9 libraries covered for National Library Appreciation Week. (Cumberland is way in the lead, BTW.) 61 to go!
Attended a hearing in federal court this morning and you have to leave your phone at security unless you're a lawyer or journalist. Those three hours have taught me that I have a problem.
Okay, this is a little embarrassing, but it’s worth a bit of self promotion to thank the many people (too numerous to name here, but they know who they are) who helped make Rhode Island a leader in risk-limiting audits. Thanks, @verifiedvoting.org for your continued work assisting us with our audits
Verified Voting@verifiedvoting.org · 5mo ago@johnmarion.bsky.social from @commoncauseri.bsky.social received the John Gideon Memorial Award at #EVN26 for his leadership advancing verifiable elections, including RLAs in Rhode Island: “We can use building blocks like RLAs to build the foundation of trust over time.” Congrats!
Love me a nice mail ballot drop box. This is going to be a fun event. Hope you can come if you’re interested.
Common Cause Rhode Island@commoncauseri.bsky.social · 5mo agoCurious about how elections actually work in RI? We're teaming up with the League of Women Voters for our next Demystifying Democracy event on April 18th. Attendees will hear from election experts AND receive an exclusive tour of the RI Board of Elections’ facility. 🔗RSVP: tinyurl.com/ddrielections
Long-awaited hearing on ethics charges against former DOA director Jim Thorsen has arrived. Ethics panel has already decided not to make a decision today, granting request by Thorsen's attys for post-trial memos and closing arguments later rhodeislandcurrent.com/2026/03/02/e...
Ethics panel sets hearing date as supervisor during infamous Philly trip fights to clear his name • Rhode Island Current
The Rhode Island Ethics Commission will hold a rare adjudication hearing on March 17 to publicly litigate findings of probable ethics violations by Jim Thorsen, the state's former director of administ...
rhodeislandcurrent.com
NEW: The Census Bureau has released updated neighborhood-level predictions of the percentage of households likely to not self-respond to the #2030Census. You can find each census tract's "Low Response Score" on this map mtgis-portal.geo.census.gov/arcgis/apps/...
Experience
mtgis-portal.geo.census.gov
Here's a throwback to 2008, when we filed an access to public records request for a police report, and it was sent to us with redactions. When the full report was obtained in a lawsuit, we found that the police had literally redacted someone yelling "free speech." Happy Sunshine Week!
The New York Times published an extraordinary study of the role of billionaires in politics earlier this week, that naturally got lost in everything that is going on, including in Iran. Here is a gift link to the article, and a few select quotes: www.nytimes.com/2026/03/09/u...
The Scale of Billionaires’ Campaign Donations is Overwhelming U.S. Politics
nytimes.com
61 years ago this weekend the Selma-Montgomery March and the “Bloody Sunday” Attack on the Edmund Pettis Bridge happened. Being here is a humbling reminder of how many people sacrificed so much to bring democracy to all Americans. We must continue that work.
