WEEKEND SNIPPETS PROVING “WHY STATES MATTER”

AUGUST 11, 2023

To interrupt your holiday travels, this week proved again “why states matter.”

The rumbling you hear in the distance comes not from summer thunderstorms, but instead from Ohio, where prodemocracy forces dealt a crushing blow to MAGA Republicans who control the state legislature, and who sought to change the state constitution to make amending it more difficult.  

In the Buckeye state, citizens can place constitutional amendments directly on the ballot and only need a majority vote to get them enacted into law.  After Roe was overturned,  Ohioans began a petition drive to place the right to an abortion on the ballot.  Republicans were worried that this might pass, so they attempted to change the rules; if last week’s initiative had passed, future amendments would require a 60% majority to win approval, and would thereby reduce the chances that an abortion rights amendment could gain enough support to pass. Turnout was large, unusual for an August special election.  A bipartisan group of  former Governors, including  John Kasich, opposed the amendment.  Passage of the abortion rights initiative will remain difficult in this red state, but this vote provides tremendous energy to proponents of choice and advocates of direct democracy.

FLORIDA, FLORIDA, FLORIDA

DeSantis has done it again.   Last year, he fired Tampa Bay district attorney Andrew Warren for statements he made about not prosecuting doctors for performing abortions. In another swipe this week at publicly elected prosecutors in blue jurisdictions, DeSantis suspended State Attorney Monique Worrell, a Black Democrat previously elected to her post by a 67% majority, for allegedly failing to prosecute enough serious offenses.   

Attacks on local prosecutors by conservative legislatures and governors are occurring all over the country and Florida’s laws make the practice much easier than in other states.  Expect more state legislation in red states designed the local prosecutors with whom these conservatives disagree.

WHY OBEY COURT ORDERS? ALABAMA RESISTS FAIR REDISTRICTING

Redistricting wars continue in Alabama. After the U.S. Supreme Court held the congressional map drawn by the legislature violated the 1965 Voting Rights Act, a  lower court ruled that a new map be prepared. The lawmakers balked.  Check out   compilation of the statements of Alabama Republicans in response complied by Heather Cox Richardson. These only confirm the partisan strategy to control the Congress by controlling the state process by which lines are drawn.

After that, read coverage on the “fake electors” scheme to overturn the 2020 Presidential election to understand what these democracy deniers know–that what happens in the states has a huge impact on our democracy.

WHEN IT COMES TO HEALTH CARE, WHERE YOU LIVE MAKES A DIFFERENCE

During COVID pandemic, federal regulations prohibited states from removing people from Medicaid. This allowed many access to medical care after the pandemic forced them out of jobs.   With the pandemic in the rearview mirror, many states are removing people from the medicaid rolls.  In some instances, this has occurred simply because of the failure of recipients to file the paperwork to retain coverage. Not surprisingly, Texas is one of the “leaders” of this purge effort. The state never embraced medicaid expansion and it is estimated that 500,000 Texans have been bumped from the program in the last several months.  

AND THEN THERE IS VIRGINIA

Finally, a tidbit on Virginia.  When Democrats held the governorship and both Houses several years ago, they passed a “reinsurance plan” designed to help small business owners, independent contractors, and others with inadequate access to reasonably-priced health insurance.   State data indicates that the program,  which works by using federal and some state money to cover certain expensive claims, has reduced risks for insurers so that they could lower premiums in the “Obamacare” individual marketplace.  But, as Sarah Rankin of the AP reports, it is headed toward suspension in 2024– unless the Governor and the legislature can include it in any agreement on budget amendments. Though talks continue, an agreement remains unclear.

Coming next week: Education Funding Debates Continue–In Virginia and in the States.