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A new study by the brennan center for justice says 2021 was a big year for threats to american democracy. the study finds state lawmakers across the country considered more than 150 bills that would either politicize or diminish the independence of state courts, particularly when it comes to the fairness and security of elections. joining us now, michael walidman, president of the brennan center. good to have you here this mor morning. give us an example if you could. these state laws would diminish a court's ability to protect elections. walk us through how some of that would work. >> well, y...

Push by martin luther king iii to make mlk day this year more of a day of action. do you think efforts like that, and specifically to deal with the erosion of voting rights and to push, right, lawmakers to act in washington, do you think those kind of efforts will have an impact? >> i hope so. and i think so. i think it is a terrific thing. there has been so much going on, so much activity, there are hunger strikers right now or have been in recent weeks demanding action. there is a real democracy movement, all across the country, recognizing that if you care about racial justice, if you care ...

To make ur i ssure i say this b there is so much of an effort to promote ignorance about voter -- alleged voter fraud and as michael pointed out, it is a pernicious myth. there is no large scale voter fraud in this country. you have a better chance of being struck by lightning than in person voter fraud. let's be clear what the law is. the law protects every citizen's right to vote. which means that right cannot be a bridge based on race or skin color. the voting rights act specifically protects against voter intimidation and voter harassment. people need to know that disabled people, those wh...

The election protection hot line which so many groups are part of. i think cherilyn ifill is right. a lot of what trump is saying may turn out to be just talk. in fact, the millions of people who have fought for and won that right to vote will be able to vote without obstruction and we need to not let anybody scare us away from the polls. >> that's why i wanted to open up sunday morning with it, the determination of miss hardson, 100 years old and won't be turned around and neither should you. cherilyn ifill and michael walidman, thank you for your time. still ahead, we'll dive into the late...

Authorized new funding for background checks, a small step, but still a step forward in the eyes of gun control advocates. they're arguing for tougher reforms. some argue the status quo is what the founding fathers wanted. but was it? that's in a fascinating new book "the second amendment" a biography by michael walidman, the bredden center for justice. the founders considered expanding gun rights. the federalists completely and totally dominated the congress in 1789. they were not interested in creating or protecting the right to kill game, to hint in seasonal times to fish in all waters or t...