A battle, not the war
Abortion rights are likely more secure in Wisconsin this morning after Milwaukee County Judge Janet Protasiewicz won a seat on the state’s Supreme Court on Tuesday by over 10 points. The victory tips the balance on the court from conservative to liberal for the first time in over a decade. Her election could mean a reversal of the state’s abortion ban and an end to Republicans’ heavily gerrymandered election districts favored by her opponent Dan Kelly.
Heather Cox Richardson writes:
This court will likely take up cases relating to the state’s abortion ban, its extreme gerrymandering, and its voting rules for the 2024 presidential election. Far-right activist Ali Alexander, who was deeply involved in the attempt to overturn the 2020 presidential election, tweeted: “We just lost the Wisconsin Supreme Court. I do not see a path to 270 in 2024.”
Wisconsin Democratic chair Ben Wikler tweeted: “This isn’t a prediction. It isn’t a hint. It’s just a note. And my note is, this election was a release valve for twelve years of Democratic rage in Wisconsin about Republicans rigging our state and smashing our democracy—and then using that power to rip away our rights.”
Across the state, Republican numbers slumped. Political commentator Brian Tyler Cohen noted: “Republicans are losing across the country, even in historically red areas—Georgia, Arizona, Michigan, Wisconsin. The abortion bans, climate denial, gun idolatry, anti-democratic behavior and extremism has lost them entire generations of Americans.”
One can hope.
There will be commentary saying, yet again, that Wisconsin’s results signal that the MAGA fever has broken. But Kelly’s “concession” speech after the results were clear was defiant. Being good sports and gracious losers are not character traits the GOP hopes to conserve, and not ones they dream of being judged by. That is, one battle is not the war.
Thousands of students marched on Tennessee’s state capitol Monday to call for stronger gun laws after the Covenant School shooting in Nashville last week killed six. In retaliation for three Democrats’ support for protesters inside the state House chamber on Thursday, Tennessee House Republicans began efforts to expel the three from the body for “disorderly behavior“:
On Thursday, the three House Democrats approached the podium between bills without being recognized to speak, a breach of chamber rules. With a bullhorn, Reps. Gloria Johnson of Knoxville, Justin Jones of Nashville and Justin Pearson of Memphis led protestors in the galleries in several chants calling for gun reform.
The expulsion resolutions allege the elected Democrats “did knowingly and intentionally bring disorder and dishonor to the House of Representatives through their individual and collective actions.“
Florida Democrats’ state chair, Nikki Fried, and senate minority leader, Lauren Book, were arrested Monday near the state capitol in Tallahassee and charged with trespassing for their participation in a protest against the state’s restrictive abortion ban:
The demonstration came hours after the Republican-controlled Florida senate approved a proposal to ban abortions after six weeks. Florida currently prohibits abortions after 15 weeks.
The bill, which has the backing of the Republican governor, Ron DeSantis, is expected to become law.
A six-week ban would align Florida with abortion restrictions in other Republican-controlled states and give DeSantis a political win on an issue important with Republican primary voters ahead of his expected run for the presidential nomination next year.
On Monday night, videos on social media showed people chanting “shame” as officers led protesters away in handcuffs.
Things may be looking up for Democrats in Wisconsin, but expect them to get nastier elsewhere.
Axios first reported on Tuesday that Charlotte Democrat Rep. Tricia Cotham will announce Wednesday that she is switching parties:
Driving the news: Republicans, who are currently just one seat short of a supermajority in the legislature, have been hoping that state Rep. Tricia Cotham, a Democrat from Charlotte, might switch parties at some point this session, but the prospect began to seem more realistic last week, a Republican House member said.
The defection would hand Republicans the supermajority they need in the House to override Gov. Roy Cooper’s (D) veto. Aides cleared out her desk and moved her belongings to the GOP side of the chamber on Tuesday.
A GOP-sponsored abortion ban is working its way through the legislature. Cotham’s switch means Cooper and Democrats in the legislature will be unable to stop it.
Cotham was one of three Democrats not present for an override vote last week that would have prevented Republicans from repealing the handgun purchasing permit law in place for decades. All caught grief for it. Cotham claimed she was absent owing to the effects of long Covid.
Cotham resented the attacks, she told one reporter. “People don’t care about the facts … They will say whatever they want, they will be cruel, they are now attacking my family and children.”
That’s plausible. But not an adequate explanation for abandoning dearly held principles.
Cotham in her 2007-2017 tenure in the state House had a very liberal voting record. Her mother is a former DNC member and current Democratic member of the Mecklenburg Board of County Commissioners. The younger Cotham was once married to a former Democratic state chair. Rumors are flying and heads scratching over her switch.
Very likely there are backroom deals in play. Some speculate the GOP plans to run Cotham for Congress against Rep. Jeff Jackson (D) in 2024 once they have re-gerrymandered the state’s court-mandated 7-7 congressional districts used in 2022.
So congratulations to Protasiewicz, Wikler, and Wisconsin Democrats on their victory. But it ain’t the war.
Update: Added a couple of late links.