THREAD:

The Texas law is an abomination.

Not only because it bans abortions outright, which is a violation of the Constitution, but because it attempts to deprive citizens of their right to protect themselves from this attack through its vigilante/bounty hunter tactic.

1/
In that way, the law is also an attack on the basic construct of the rule of law in our nation. It’s a double whammy: violating established constitutional rights, while attempting to deprive those whose rights are violated from being able to protect their rights in court.

2/
We can only hope the court sees through this monstrous tactic.

But here’s the problem.

Even if it’s struck down, another statehouse will try something new. And another will try another tactic. And so on and so on.

As I write in my book, these state houses have become..

3/
laboratories against democracy and the rule of law.

And because they are undemocratic institutions themselves, they face no accountability for these relentless attacks.

So they keep going, and going, learning as they go.

4/
We’ve seen it on voting rights, attacks on other officials, attacks on unions, etc.

They keep pushing, and they ultimately find the sweet spot of something that works, that is held up in court.

Bottom line: they are always on offense, and we are always on defense.

5/
And if that basic dynamic doesn’t change, they will ultimately prevail.

We now take it as a given that statehouse will simply act this way, no matter what.

And as I explained to @paulwaldman1 , once we do that, we are guaranteed to lose.

6/

washingtonpost.com/opinions/2021/…
So after this round of insanity, don’t just hope the court rules in our favor and move on, America.

Dig into what’s happening in state houses and…FIGHT BACK.

7/

amazon.com/Laboratories-A…
First, fight back through federal legislation that shores up democracy in ALL states by protecting voter rights and ending gerrymandering. Congress MUST step up.

Second, fight back through reframing all we do politically to be about fighting for democracy in all 50 states

8/
I lay out numerous steps on how do to this in Laboratories of Autocracy.

All the ways everyone can make a difference…and can go on offense.

9/

amazon.com/Laboratories-A…
If all we do is repeat the current pattern—a statehouse engages in some outrageous attack, we sue or boycott, then (whether successful or not) we move on and don’t do anything about the root cause of the attack (undemocratic statehouses), we will fail in the long run.

END

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More from @DavidPepper

25 Oct
THREAD/VIDEO

Day 6: Laboratories of Autocracy

A candidate mused about Ohio nullifying it’s membership in the nation.

Then runs for office only miles from where Ulysses Grant was born and raised.

And?

Watch to find out what happens:

1/
He’s not the only one

All around Ohio, extremists are getting “elected” to statehouse seats through a system of rigged, gerrymandered districts

Then they occupy important positions of power in the General assembly where they can do damage

Examples?

2/

amazon.com/Laboratories-A…
Ohio has a state Senator who believes public education is “socialism”…he chairs the Senate education committee

We have a Senator who asked at a hearing if the “colored population” was more susceptible to COVID because they “do not wash their hands as well as other groups”

3/
Read 15 tweets
23 Oct
VIDEO/THREAD

Day 4 of Laboratories of Autocracy

A few weeks after the first districting hearing, I spoke at a second meeting. At this meeting, you’ll see I spoke directly to the three statewide officials on the committee—the Gov, Sec of State and Auditor

1/
I told them they had a unique role on the committee—as statewide officials, to not simply do what the statehouse majority told them to do…ie. rig their districts for another decade.

That they had a higher duty. That’s why they’re on the committee in the 1st place. WATCH:

2/
I did that because these statewide officials, as happens in other states, have a tendency to get “rolled” by the gerrymandered statehouse

Even though they’re far better known than the rigged statehouse hacks who largely don’t face elections, they always cave to them

Well…

3/
Read 12 tweets
22 Oct
THREAD/VIDEO

Day 3

Two months ago, I appeared before the Ohio Districting Committee and called on them to end their secret gerrymandering meetings. I got gavelled out of order and my mic cut…but I kept going.

You can watch some of what I said here:

1/
Sadly, everything I said was happening at that time was happening. Secret meetings. Plans to violate the OH Constitution and rig elections for another decade

It’s played out as terribly as I thought it would….they’re now just openly flouting the law. cleveland.com/opinion/2021/1…

2/
The same thing is happening right now elsewhere.

Texas.

Wisconsin.

You name it.

Cynical, brutal election-rigging.

3/

motherjones.com/politics/2021/…
Read 14 tweets
21 Oct
THREAD/VIDEO

Day 2: just over a year ago, I took footage of this absurd line voters had to wait in to drop their ballots at the one location per county where OH’s Sec of State would allow drop boxes.

Well, the story got even more complicated since

1/

amazon.com/gp/aw/d/166291…
You may recall that back then, when we first began advocating for more drop boxes due to delayed mail and the pandemic, the Sec of State (LaRose) assured people privately and publicly he wanted more drop boxes but was not legally allowed to add them:

2/

talkingpointsmemo.com/news/why-has-o…
There was absolutely no legal backing for his assertion on the law. He hadn’t even gotten an opinion.

So we sued, and every judge said we were right: that he had ample authority to add drop boxes.

3/

nbcnews.com/news/amp/ncna1…
Read 18 tweets
20 Oct
THREAD 🚨 🚨

VIDEO: Concerned that their small Ohio town was falling apart, citizens asked for a meeting with their state Senator to see how he could help.

His answer?

It might be time to move?!

amazon.com/Laboratories-A…

1/
That’s right.

They didn’t get to tell him it was time for HIM to go. He told them THEY should consider leaving.

That’s not how democratic politics is supposed to work. It’s the opposite of how it’s supposed to work:

amazon.com/Laboratories-A…

2/
But in states like Ohio, statehouses no longer meet the definition of healthy democracies: most elections are pre-determined; corruption rampant; there’s no accountability back to the people; and attacks on democratic principles are a near daily occurrence, w no consequences

3/
Read 19 tweets
10 Sep
THREAD

I gave my law class a pop quiz today.

10 questions.

Go ahead and take it.

1. Which of the following is a right guaranteed by the Bill of Rights?                              
_____Public Education   _____  Employment   ____   Trial by Jury  _____Voting
 
1/
2. When the Constitution was approved by the original colonies, how many states had to ratify it in order for it to be in effect?  

3. If a person flees from justice into another state, who has authority to ask for his return?
 
2/
4. Money is coined by order of:  __U.S. Congress   ___The President’s Cabinet ___State Legislatures                            

5. A U.S. senator elected at the general election in November takes office the following year on what date?  
 
6. Name the man who runs the FBI

3/
Read 6 tweets

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