Bolts
@boltsmag.org
A publication that covers the nuts and bolts of political change: Boltsmag.org
Sonya Massey’s cousin says he almost quit the Massey Commission over concerns about the group’s efficacy. “Is this going to be a big group talking session, or is there actually going to be some things involved that’s going to make some substantive change?”
A Police Killing Drew National Protests. At Home, a Commission Struggles with How to Make a Difference.
More than a year after Sonya Massey was killed by police in Illinois, a namesake commission has wrestled over changes that would prevent future tragedies.
boltsmag.org
February 9, 2026 at 11:06 PM
Sonya Massey’s cousin says he almost quit the Massey Commission over concerns about the group’s efficacy. “Is this going to be a big group talking session, or is there actually going to be some things involved that’s going to make some substantive change?”
Reposted by Bolts
Massachusetts is the only state run by Democrats that still partners with ICE. I dug into this and found that it’s had profound and very troubling consequences: at least 164 people funneled straight from state prisons to ICE since 2023 alone.
New in @boltsmag.org: boltsmag.org/massachusett...
New in @boltsmag.org: boltsmag.org/massachusett...
Inside ICE’s Only Contract with a Blue State - Bolts
Luis Perez waited 53 and a half years to be freed from prison. When his day finally came, on Jan. 16, 2025, he could practically feel the warmth and quiet... Read More
boltsmag.org
February 9, 2026 at 6:21 PM
Massachusetts is the only state run by Democrats that still partners with ICE. I dug into this and found that it’s had profound and very troubling consequences: at least 164 people funneled straight from state prisons to ICE since 2023 alone.
New in @boltsmag.org: boltsmag.org/massachusett...
New in @boltsmag.org: boltsmag.org/massachusett...
The felony charges facing Bay Area student protesters could have a chilling effect on protest generally, says a local criminal defense attorney. “These cases restrict people from getting involved in activism—and that was the intention.”
In Bay Area, Felony Charges Against Student Protesters Prompt Free Speech Concerns
Local prosecutors are seeking felony-level charges against pro-Palestine demonstrators. Even if they don’t stick, critics say the response is harsh and could chill protests.
boltsmag.org
February 9, 2026 at 9:25 PM
The felony charges facing Bay Area student protesters could have a chilling effect on protest generally, says a local criminal defense attorney. “These cases restrict people from getting involved in activism—and that was the intention.”
For years, private parties—citizens and organizations alike—have been able to sue government officials for violating the VRA. But a federal appeals court has said they cannot, and the U.S. Supreme Court will soon consider the issue.
Seven Legal Questions That Will Shape Democracy in 2026
Courts are set to decide a host of cases that will determine the fate of the VRA, confront the latest restrictions on direct democracy, and affect ballot access and redistricting.
boltsmag.org
February 9, 2026 at 8:05 PM
For years, private parties—citizens and organizations alike—have been able to sue government officials for violating the VRA. But a federal appeals court has said they cannot, and the U.S. Supreme Court will soon consider the issue.
NEW in Bolts: As part of a 287(g) contract between state officials and ICE, Massachusetts continues to release prisoners into deportation—even as state lawmakers look to ban other forms of ICE collaboration.
Inside ICE’s Only Contract with a Blue State
As part of a 287(g) contract between state officials and ICE, Massachusetts continues to release prisoners into deportation—even as state lawmakers look to ban other forms of ICE collaboration.
boltsmag.org
February 9, 2026 at 6:28 PM
NEW in Bolts: As part of a 287(g) contract between state officials and ICE, Massachusetts continues to release prisoners into deportation—even as state lawmakers look to ban other forms of ICE collaboration.
“The stigma behind individuals with a criminal background—that’s a stigma that has always prevailed in America,” says a New Jersey criminal justice reform advocate. An executive order opening jury service to people with records aims to lessen this stigma.
In a Final Act, New Jersey Governor Opens Jury Service to Thousands with Convictions
New Jersey has been one of the harshest states in banning people with records from juries. Murphy’s order restores eligibility to over 300,000, but stops short of permanent change.
boltsmag.org
February 9, 2026 at 5:00 PM
“The stigma behind individuals with a criminal background—that’s a stigma that has always prevailed in America,” says a New Jersey criminal justice reform advocate. An executive order opening jury service to people with records aims to lessen this stigma.
Virginia Governor Abigail Spanberger this month left the 287(g) program, which empowered state police to collaborate with ICE. Immigrant rights advocates hope the state legislature will do the same for local law enforcement.
Virginia’s New Governor Ends ICE Program. Local Contracts Remain, For Now.
Abigail Spanberger left the 287(g) program, which empowered state law enforcement to detain immigrants. Will Democrats also bar local police and sheriffs from the program?
boltsmag.org
February 9, 2026 at 3:34 PM
Virginia Governor Abigail Spanberger this month left the 287(g) program, which empowered state police to collaborate with ICE. Immigrant rights advocates hope the state legislature will do the same for local law enforcement.
Oklahoma City is one of the largest cities with a mayoral election this year, with voters deciding between Mayor David Holt and opponent Matthew Pallares. It’s one of the 20 elections we’re watching in February.
The 20 Elections to Watch This February - Bolts
Democrats hold the narrowest of majorities in Maine and Pennsylvania’s state Houses. They now need to defend vacant seats to retain their edge in each through the end of the... Read More
boltsmag.org
February 9, 2026 at 2:01 PM
Oklahoma City is one of the largest cities with a mayoral election this year, with voters deciding between Mayor David Holt and opponent Matthew Pallares. It’s one of the 20 elections we’re watching in February.
Reposted by Bolts
Today is a cool day: it’s our fourth birthday at Bolts!
🎂🎂🎂🎂
That’s right, @boltsmag.org launched exactly four years ago: it was just me & @michaelbarajas.bsky.social that day.
We’ve grown so much, and done so much, since! Thanks to everyone who has supported, read, & sustained us since: ❤️!
🎂🎂🎂🎂
That’s right, @boltsmag.org launched exactly four years ago: it was just me & @michaelbarajas.bsky.social that day.
We’ve grown so much, and done so much, since! Thanks to everyone who has supported, read, & sustained us since: ❤️!
February 8, 2026 at 5:39 PM
Today is a cool day: it’s our fourth birthday at Bolts!
🎂🎂🎂🎂
That’s right, @boltsmag.org launched exactly four years ago: it was just me & @michaelbarajas.bsky.social that day.
We’ve grown so much, and done so much, since! Thanks to everyone who has supported, read, & sustained us since: ❤️!
🎂🎂🎂🎂
That’s right, @boltsmag.org launched exactly four years ago: it was just me & @michaelbarajas.bsky.social that day.
We’ve grown so much, and done so much, since! Thanks to everyone who has supported, read, & sustained us since: ❤️!
South Tucson Mayor Roxy Valenzuela rejects calls to increase policing as a response to rising homelessness.
“Sometimes the best people to offer those resources are not the cops — it can be a community member or a clinician,” she says.
“Sometimes the best people to offer those resources are not the cops — it can be a community member or a clinician,” she says.
Facing Arizona’s Crackdown on Homelessness, Two Cities Offer Different Responses
State intervention has led Tucson to ramp up sweeps and pass harsh new policies. Officials in the small town of South Tucson have emphasized support and services, even as they face blowback.
boltsmag.org
February 8, 2026 at 11:02 PM
South Tucson Mayor Roxy Valenzuela rejects calls to increase policing as a response to rising homelessness.
“Sometimes the best people to offer those resources are not the cops — it can be a community member or a clinician,” she says.
“Sometimes the best people to offer those resources are not the cops — it can be a community member or a clinician,” she says.
From Maryland to Colorado, many of the sheriff’s offices on the ballot this year have been hit with lawsuits for gruesome jail conditions or violence committed by their deputies.
In Criminal Justice Elections This Year, ICE Contracts Are on the Hot Seat
With roughly 2,400 elections for prosecutor and sheriff in 2026, Bolts reviews the map and early hotspots that will shape criminal punishment and law enforcement practices.
boltsmag.org
February 8, 2026 at 9:33 PM
From Maryland to Colorado, many of the sheriff’s offices on the ballot this year have been hit with lawsuits for gruesome jail conditions or violence committed by their deputies.
In Washington state, voters on Tuesday will decide dozens of school bonds or tax measures, with billions of dollars at stake to fund their school systems.
The 20 Elections to Watch This February - Bolts
Democrats hold the narrowest of majorities in Maine and Pennsylvania’s state Houses. They now need to defend vacant seats to retain their edge in each through the end of the... Read More
boltsmag.org
February 8, 2026 at 8:00 PM
In Washington state, voters on Tuesday will decide dozens of school bonds or tax measures, with billions of dollars at stake to fund their school systems.
Under 287(g) agreements with ICE, local police can make immigration arrests. “Every single civilian interaction with police can turn into an opportunity to try to enforce federal civil immigration law,” says the ACLU of Virginia.
Virginia’s New Governor Ends ICE Program. Local Contracts Remain, For Now.
Abigail Spanberger left the 287(g) program, which empowered state law enforcement to detain immigrants. Will Democrats also bar local police and sheriffs from the program?
boltsmag.org
February 8, 2026 at 6:33 PM
Under 287(g) agreements with ICE, local police can make immigration arrests. “Every single civilian interaction with police can turn into an opportunity to try to enforce federal civil immigration law,” says the ACLU of Virginia.
In a special election yesterday, Democrats easily defended a state House seat in Louisiana despite Donald Trump's double-digit victory in the district in 2024.
And in Leander, Texas, the candidate endorsed by Democrats won the election for mayor.
And in Leander, Texas, the candidate endorsed by Democrats won the election for mayor.
February 8, 2026 at 5:33 PM
In a special election yesterday, Democrats easily defended a state House seat in Louisiana despite Donald Trump's double-digit victory in the district in 2024.
And in Leander, Texas, the candidate endorsed by Democrats won the election for mayor.
And in Leander, Texas, the candidate endorsed by Democrats won the election for mayor.
Today is Bolts’ 4th birthday! We’re proud to continue sharing our independent journalism on criminal justice, voting rights, and local politics with you all.
Want to send us a birthday present? Our nonprofit newsroom is powered by donations from readers:
Want to send us a birthday present? Our nonprofit newsroom is powered by donations from readers:
Support Bolts
We are a nonprofit publication that covers the nuts and bolts of political change, from the local up, and we need reader support to build our journalism.
boltsmag.org
February 8, 2026 at 5:00 PM
Today is Bolts’ 4th birthday! We’re proud to continue sharing our independent journalism on criminal justice, voting rights, and local politics with you all.
Want to send us a birthday present? Our nonprofit newsroom is powered by donations from readers:
Want to send us a birthday present? Our nonprofit newsroom is powered by donations from readers:
Felony conspiracy charges are increasingly being used to quash protest, says a legal scholar. They are “now really effective at going after social movements and coordinated action amongst activists.”
In Bay Area, Felony Charges Against Student Protesters Prompt Free Speech Concerns
Local prosecutors are seeking felony-level charges against pro-Palestine demonstrators. Even if they don’t stick, critics say the response is harsh and could chill protests.
boltsmag.org
February 8, 2026 at 3:33 PM
Felony conspiracy charges are increasingly being used to quash protest, says a legal scholar. They are “now really effective at going after social movements and coordinated action amongst activists.”
Key legislative elections are happening in Maine and Pennsylvania later this month. In both states, Democrats hold razor-thin majorities in the state Houses, and GOP upsets would affect the balance of power. Learn more:
The 20 Elections to Watch This February - Bolts
Democrats hold the narrowest of majorities in Maine and Pennsylvania’s state Houses. They now need to defend vacant seats to retain their edge in each through the end of the... Read More
boltsmag.org
February 8, 2026 at 2:00 PM
Key legislative elections are happening in Maine and Pennsylvania later this month. In both states, Democrats hold razor-thin majorities in the state Houses, and GOP upsets would affect the balance of power. Learn more:
Louisiana’s justices of the peace oversee evictions, but they aren’t sworn judges and they typically hold hearings in informal venues. One attorney has attended hearings at a kitchen table or at a cell phone shop—it can be “like the Wild West,” she said.
In Louisiana, Some Court Officials Get Paid to Evict
Justices of the peace can line their pockets by granting evictions. A new lawsuit argues that’s unconstitutional.
boltsmag.org
February 8, 2026 at 1:01 AM
Louisiana’s justices of the peace oversee evictions, but they aren’t sworn judges and they typically hold hearings in informal venues. One attorney has attended hearings at a kitchen table or at a cell phone shop—it can be “like the Wild West,” she said.
Video of a police interrogation of an American Samoan man arrested in Alaska for voter misconduct shows that police were also confused about non-citizen nationals. “I thought people of American Samoa were U.S. citizens,” one state trooper said.
Americans by Name, Punished for Believing It
In a small Alaska town, American Samoans face prosecution for voting in the only country they’ve ever known. They live in a limbo, created by colonial expansion, that now confuses even public officials—and has made them a new target for policing voter fraud.
boltsmag.org
February 7, 2026 at 11:03 PM
Video of a police interrogation of an American Samoan man arrested in Alaska for voter misconduct shows that police were also confused about non-citizen nationals. “I thought people of American Samoa were U.S. citizens,” one state trooper said.
Reposted by Bolts
Massachusetts is considering a bill that could shorten prison terms for domestic violence survivors whose convictions stem from their abuse.
Other states -- OK, NY, GA -- have recently enacted similar reforms. boltsmag.org/massachusett...
Other states -- OK, NY, GA -- have recently enacted similar reforms. boltsmag.org/massachusett...
Massachusetts Could Be the Next State to Give Abuse Survivors a Pathway Out of Prison - Bolts
The Massachusetts Survivors Act emulates recent resentencing reforms across the country that allow for reduced sentences for people with convictions related to their abuse.
boltsmag.org
February 7, 2026 at 8:40 PM
Massachusetts is considering a bill that could shorten prison terms for domestic violence survivors whose convictions stem from their abuse.
Other states -- OK, NY, GA -- have recently enacted similar reforms. boltsmag.org/massachusett...
Other states -- OK, NY, GA -- have recently enacted similar reforms. boltsmag.org/massachusett...
Immigrant rights advocates hope Virginia will ban local collaboration agreements with ICE during the current legislative session. “The question for our leaders and for Virginians right now is simply, do we want to be a party to this voluntarily?”
Virginia’s New Governor Ends ICE Program. Local Contracts Remain, For Now.
Abigail Spanberger left the 287(g) program, which empowered state law enforcement to detain immigrants. Will Democrats also bar local police and sheriffs from the program?
boltsmag.org
February 7, 2026 at 9:24 PM
Immigrant rights advocates hope Virginia will ban local collaboration agreements with ICE during the current legislative session. “The question for our leaders and for Virginians right now is simply, do we want to be a party to this voluntarily?”
Reposted by Bolts
Bay Area prosecutors are continuing to pursue felony charges against pro-Palestine activists who staged sit-ins in 2024
@psfrench.bsky.social reports how the cases represent a notable escalation in punishment against nonviolent demonstrators boltsmag.org/stanford-san...
@psfrench.bsky.social reports how the cases represent a notable escalation in punishment against nonviolent demonstrators boltsmag.org/stanford-san...
In Bay Area, Felony Charges Against Student Protesters Prompt Free Speech Concerns - Bolts
German Gonzalez grew up about an hour south of Stanford University, in a dusty California farming town where the apples for Martinelli’s sparkling cider are juiced and packaged. In high... Read More
boltsmag.org
February 5, 2026 at 3:25 PM
Bay Area prosecutors are continuing to pursue felony charges against pro-Palestine activists who staged sit-ins in 2024
@psfrench.bsky.social reports how the cases represent a notable escalation in punishment against nonviolent demonstrators boltsmag.org/stanford-san...
@psfrench.bsky.social reports how the cases represent a notable escalation in punishment against nonviolent demonstrators boltsmag.org/stanford-san...
Prosecutors pursuing felony charges against pro-Palestine student protesters from Stanford have sought to keep politics out of the courtroom. They filed several motions to exclude the word “genocide” from being used at trial.
In Bay Area, Felony Charges Against Student Protesters Prompt Free Speech Concerns
Local prosecutors are seeking felony-level charges against pro-Palestine demonstrators. Even if they don’t stick, critics say the response is harsh and could chill protests.
boltsmag.org
February 7, 2026 at 8:01 PM
Prosecutors pursuing felony charges against pro-Palestine student protesters from Stanford have sought to keep politics out of the courtroom. They filed several motions to exclude the word “genocide” from being used at trial.
Reposted by Bolts
happy Election Day to those who celebrate
2 elections on my radar tomorrow:
—A legislative special in Louisiana; the GOP is aiming for first seat flip since 2024.
—A mayoral election in Leander, Texas, where a Dem-endorsed candidate faces two candidates with GOP affiliations.
Details in my guide: boltsmag.org/whats-on-the...
—A legislative special in Louisiana; the GOP is aiming for first seat flip since 2024.
—A mayoral election in Leander, Texas, where a Dem-endorsed candidate faces two candidates with GOP affiliations.
Details in my guide: boltsmag.org/whats-on-the...
February 7, 2026 at 3:20 PM
happy Election Day to those who celebrate
Reposted by Bolts
Incredible resource 👇🏽 from @boltsmag.org detailing the 2,400 (not a typo) #prosecutor and #sheriff elections *this year*.
Critical information for voters and advocates working toward #reform & looking for opportunities to help shape their criminal legal system. #vote
boltsmag.org/whats-on-the...
Critical information for voters and advocates working toward #reform & looking for opportunities to help shape their criminal legal system. #vote
boltsmag.org/whats-on-the...
Which Counties Elect Their Prosecutors and Sheriffs in 2026? - Bolts
There are roughly 2,400 elections for prosecutor and sheriff in 2026. Below is our Bolts database of those local elections. Also: read our preliminary overview of these elections, published in January...
boltsmag.org
February 7, 2026 at 7:11 PM
Incredible resource 👇🏽 from @boltsmag.org detailing the 2,400 (not a typo) #prosecutor and #sheriff elections *this year*.
Critical information for voters and advocates working toward #reform & looking for opportunities to help shape their criminal legal system. #vote
boltsmag.org/whats-on-the...
Critical information for voters and advocates working toward #reform & looking for opportunities to help shape their criminal legal system. #vote
boltsmag.org/whats-on-the...