GOP-Controlled State Legislatures Are Taking A Sharp Right Turn

[Nevilledog]

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Ronald Brownstein
@RonBrownstein
“what's happening in the red states on voting is not just about preventing Democrats from electing a governor in TX GA or AZ; it's about flipping the rules or tilting the table in a way that makes it easier for Rs to control Senate/ House & presidency”

GOP-Controlled State Legislatures Are Taking A Sharp Right Turn, Journalist Says
Atlantic writer Ron Brownstein says Republican-led states are passing voting rights restrictions and other conservative bills as a backlash against Democratic control of Congress and the White House.
npr.org
7:01 AM · Jul 23, 2021

https://www.npr.org/2021/07/22/1019289255/gop-controlled-state-legislatures-are-taking-a-sharp-right-turn-journalist-says

*snip*

GROSS: So what are some of the conservative bills passed by Republican state legislatures?

BROWNSTEIN: I mean, we are seeing, as I wrote, just a torrent of bills. I mean, let's start with guns. Half a dozen states, at the point that I had written, had passed legislation allowing gun owners to carry their weapons without a permit. We've had roughly half a dozen states pass severe abortion restrictions that are, essentially, designed to prompt the Supreme Court to overturn Roe v. Wade. Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas are among the states that have passed, virtually, complete bans on abortion. We have seen the most aggressive year on legislation in red states to target transgender individuals. Many states are passing laws that bar transgender athletes from competing in school sports. You mentioned that we are seeing the - you know, in some ways, the most visible evidence of this is the proliferation of laws, restrictive laws, making it more difficult to vote, which is obviously now kind of in the center of things in Texas. We've seen several of these states - Florida, Oklahoma, Texas, others - have passed laws stiffening penalties against demonstrators after last summer's Black Lives Matter protests. And a new kind of - right, in a similar vein, Tennessee, Oklahoma, Texas, Florida, through executive action, trying to bar critical race theory from being taught. So you've had states - Florida, Georgia and Texas, for example, have passed laws that make it more difficult or penalize cities that try to reduce their police budgets, right? In Texas, they passed a law that's saying any county that wants to reduce its police budget has to go through a public referendum. But it only applies to counties with a population of a million or more.

GROSS: And that's because those are likely to be Democratic?

BROWNSTEIN: Those are Democratic counties. And if you look at it all in totality, it is just a remarkable statement of defiance and rejection not only of the direction that Biden is setting at the national level, but also of many of the underlying demographic and cultural changes that are remaking American life.

*snip*



You can listen to the interview or read the transcript at the link

[at140]

1. I wonder what is the catalyst for this sudden lurch to right

by red state legislatures, 8 months past election.

[Dustlawyer]

6. In Texas it is because Democrats are finally making headway towards becoming the majority party

in the state. Beto almost beat Cruz and has been registering voters like crazy. Republicans see the end of their reign here and know investigations into their long abuse and corruption would follow. They have controlled all statewide offices for decades. Just imagine how much dirt is under their rug!

[uponit7771]

10. Because of mail in balloting, they're overshooting all other laws to end up like Texas where

... Pax admitted to limiting mail in to help Putin's Whore win.

The GQP knows mail in is dangerous and I'm a little miffed at dems for not pushing mail in more before 2020 election. I don't know any family members of mine who want to go to the ballot any longer just mail their votes in but the GQP is making that harder and harder where ever they can.

They're so anti democracy and doing it in our faces because they have the messaging infrastructure we don't have

[leftyladyfrommo]

2. KCMO. I think ours has always been that way. But

what is diffetent here is that major cities are blue and thst gives us some balance.

[Midnight Writer]

3. I know, I know, call me a "conspiracy nut", but I think this is part of a long term coordinated plan

[Walleye]

4. It might be, but everything they do is reactionary. You don't need a plan for that.

[SheltieLover]

5. No doubt!

This is why they ram rodded qpukes judges through!

[SheltieLover]

7. Obama saw this coming.this is why he & Eric Holder

have worked diligenty to head off gerrymandering.

The writing hass been on the wall for years.

[zipplewrath]

11. It's no conspiracy

There have been books written about how the GOP figured out in the early 2000's that they'd never be a majority party, but they could control the Senate, and heavily influence the EC through gerrymandering and voter suppression. They raised about 30 million to help reconfigure states. They got caught, in court, having paid for studies of voting patterns of minorities and democrats and passing legislation to outlaw some of those patterns. They're still doing it.

[Midnight Writer]

15. I recall the Kochs hired a pro to hit local elections, like school boards and county commissions.

In a rural area, the advice of a savvy pro and a few thousand dollars on the ground will tilt a lot of elections.

They flooded offices at the local level, then moved up the chain.

Right now, in Illinois, there is a RW nut job named Darren Bailey gearing up to challenge Pritzker for Governor.

He is campaigning with Mary Miller, a Trumpy US Rep.

My area is already covered with his yard signs. He seems to be backed by some substantial money, even though his resume is thin.

40 years ago, this area was Democrat dominated. Now it is solid red. 75% Trump vote in 2020.

[rickyhall]

8. Are Taking A Sharp Right Turn? Been happening for quite some me thinks.

[SharonClark]

13. This year was worse than ever with so

much of the right wing legislation being similar across states.

[walkingman]

9. According to the podcast/transcript the simple answer is

something like 35 -40% of the country is so alienated from the way America is changing that it is willing to undermine the basic pillars of our democracy if that's what it takes to keep power. A Republican delivering this message is going to win three-quarters or four-fifths of white evangelicals and is going to win 62 to 67% of noncollege whites.

Bottom line - the demographics of this nation are changing and the GOP knows that so they are rapidly building a backstop to maintain power and any cost. The Insurrection is a good example of their narrative -a majority of Republicans and Trump voters describe the attack on the Capitol as defending freedom, and only 20% describe it as an insurrection.

This truly reminds me of the post 60's backlash of the cultural changes that were happening as a result of the Civil Rights movement, the Anti-Vietnam movement, and the Sex, Drugs, and Rock n Roll era. Conservative White America freaked out and we ended up with Reagan and 50 years of horseshit.

[Baked Potato]

12. They are trying to trigger overreaction from Democrats.

They are trying to cause Democrats to consume valuable time. Time that could be spent repairing T***p damage and pushing President Biden’s agenda.

[walkingman]

16. I think they honestly feel threatened by the fact that our nation is changing

by the demographics. It is wrong. And IMO, does not reflect the attitudes of most Americans. We have to do what ever it takes to defeat these types of people and attitudes. The Jan 6 event of smearing shit on the walls do not represent our nation. Enough.

[Baked Potato]

17. Agreed!

[SharonClark]

14. It was an excellent interview on NPR

and Brownstein did not hold back.