examples of progressive victories or holding the line in swing states
August 5, 2019 11:30 PM Subscribe
When thinking about swing states, progressives often tend to focus on legislative losses or threats. I'm looking for good examples of progressive victories (including preventing losses), like the repeal of the NC "bathroom bill".
I wrote something about progressive victories in swing states that included a reference to NC's repeal of the "bathroom bill" and was asked for a revision that includes other examples.
So far I've found Florida's Amendment 9 against [at least some forms of] oil drilling - but I don't know that much about it.
The states I'm thinking about are: Arizona, Florida, Maine, Michigan, Minnesota,
Nebraska (2nd congressional district), New Hampshire, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin.
I did try searching online but ran into difficulty. Searching for "progressive victories" leads to election results, mainly, which are valid - but I'm hoping for legislative examples. Really anything that people in other states can connect with easily would be helpful.
The "bathroom bill" is a good example because a lot of people have heard of it (even here in Illinois) and it doesn't need a lot of description to connect with people. Florida's amendment 9 is trickier, but one can say "prevents oil drilling" or something to get the point across. An election result would be less resonant, I think.
I wrote something about progressive victories in swing states that included a reference to NC's repeal of the "bathroom bill" and was asked for a revision that includes other examples.
So far I've found Florida's Amendment 9 against [at least some forms of] oil drilling - but I don't know that much about it.
The states I'm thinking about are: Arizona, Florida, Maine, Michigan, Minnesota,
Nebraska (2nd congressional district), New Hampshire, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin.
I did try searching online but ran into difficulty. Searching for "progressive victories" leads to election results, mainly, which are valid - but I'm hoping for legislative examples. Really anything that people in other states can connect with easily would be helpful.
The "bathroom bill" is a good example because a lot of people have heard of it (even here in Illinois) and it doesn't need a lot of description to connect with people. Florida's amendment 9 is trickier, but one can say "prevents oil drilling" or something to get the point across. An election result would be less resonant, I think.
The archives of the Small Victories newsletter should have some good examples! It’s a weekly summary of victories against the current US administration’s agenda.
posted by centrifugal at 12:16 AM on August 6, 2019 [2 favorites]
posted by centrifugal at 12:16 AM on August 6, 2019 [2 favorites]
Iowa legalized same-sex marriage in 2009. We swung all of our congressional districts except 1 to blue in the midterms (Steve King NARROWLY won by 3 points, he is being challenged in the primary and in the general again. I hope he wins primary so he can lose the general perhaps.)
I volunteered for an Iowa house candidate in my little district that had never to my knowledge been D. She won! She's awesome!
On the legislation side, I think when Indiana wanted to impose that draconian shit bill that discriminated that so many boycotts happened that it went away. You'd have to look it up I'm hazy on it, sorry.
posted by OnTheLastCastle at 7:06 AM on August 6, 2019 [1 favorite]
I volunteered for an Iowa house candidate in my little district that had never to my knowledge been D. She won! She's awesome!
On the legislation side, I think when Indiana wanted to impose that draconian shit bill that discriminated that so many boycotts happened that it went away. You'd have to look it up I'm hazy on it, sorry.
posted by OnTheLastCastle at 7:06 AM on August 6, 2019 [1 favorite]
Best answer: The Arizona Independent Redistricting Commission, although imperfect, is a lot better than what we've got in most states for preventing gerrymandering. It was created by a ballot proposition in 2000.
posted by YoloMortemPeccatoris at 8:56 AM on August 6, 2019 [1 favorite]
posted by YoloMortemPeccatoris at 8:56 AM on August 6, 2019 [1 favorite]
Also with regards to voting rights: Maine adopted Instant Runoff Voting for governor, U.S. Senate, U.S. House and state legislature, starting in 2018.
posted by YoloMortemPeccatoris at 9:01 AM on August 6, 2019 [1 favorite]
posted by YoloMortemPeccatoris at 9:01 AM on August 6, 2019 [1 favorite]
Best answer: Michigan Republicans recently tried to pass an anti-union bill during a lame duck session. At the time it was scary - my union thought there was a good chance it would pass, but union members (both our union and others) threw their efforts into some strategic phone banking and it paid off. It didn't pass.
https://www.prwatch.org/news/2018/12/13433/alec-union-busting-proposal-defeated-michigan-lame-duck
In 2018 Michigan passed three popular progressive ballot measures: raising the minimum wage, legalizing marijuana, and creating an independent redistricting commission (an anti-gerrymandering measure). Michigan Republicans did their damned best to reverse or undermine these. They had mixed success. They gutted the minimum wage ballot measure, but couldn't gut the others.
Unfortunately, they also did succeed at making ballot measures harder to get on the ballot in the future, by gerrymandering the process itself (limiting how many signatures can come from certain districts). That might get struck down, hopefully.
Personally, I am still mad at how nakedly contemptuous they are of the popular vote.
posted by Kutsuwamushi at 10:31 AM on August 6, 2019 [2 favorites]
https://www.prwatch.org/news/2018/12/13433/alec-union-busting-proposal-defeated-michigan-lame-duck
In 2018 Michigan passed three popular progressive ballot measures: raising the minimum wage, legalizing marijuana, and creating an independent redistricting commission (an anti-gerrymandering measure). Michigan Republicans did their damned best to reverse or undermine these. They had mixed success. They gutted the minimum wage ballot measure, but couldn't gut the others.
Unfortunately, they also did succeed at making ballot measures harder to get on the ballot in the future, by gerrymandering the process itself (limiting how many signatures can come from certain districts). That might get struck down, hopefully.
Personally, I am still mad at how nakedly contemptuous they are of the popular vote.
posted by Kutsuwamushi at 10:31 AM on August 6, 2019 [2 favorites]
Best answer: While reading about the Nebraska state senator that called out the GOP's acquiescence to racism, I was shocked to learn that in the 2015 and 2016 sessions their legislature passed a number of progressive laws over the Republican governor's veto, which requires a 3/5ths supermajority. No idea what internal state politics drove those standoffs, but the laws passed include the repeal of the death penalty, granting commercial/professional/driver's licenses to DACA recipients, and a gas tax increase to fund infrastructure.
posted by Rhaomi at 1:18 AM on August 7, 2019
posted by Rhaomi at 1:18 AM on August 7, 2019
This thread is closed to new comments.
Link
Wikipedia, I know, but it's a decent synopsis. A4 restored voting rights to felons (with some exceptions) who have successfully navigated the legal and penal systems. It's not an unalloyed victory - the GOP state government is doing its damnedest to hobble it by interpreting the amendment to mean felons may vote after all fees and fines are paid in full. As I understand it, there are legal challenges to this interpretation in the works, equating the fines and fees limitation to a poll tax.
The bright side is that A4 passed handily, and some of the bluer counties are creatively defining fines and fees as minimally as they can, to uphold the spirit of the amendment (and let people vote) while the wrangling goes on.
(I dunno if I did the link right. Sorry!)
posted by Vigilant at 11:54 PM on August 5, 2019