Judges & Voting Really Do Matter

There has been another blow to voting rights, as you have read with the recent 6-3 decision by the Supreme Court.

According to our favorite historian Heather Cox Richardson: “The Supreme Court’s decision in Louisiana v. Callais threw open the door for Republicans in southern states to redraw their maps to shift between 10 and 15 seats from Democrats to Republicans. In the decision, the six Republican-appointed justices on the court declared that plaintiffs charging that district lines discriminate on the basis of race must prove that the lawmakers who drew those lines were intentionally making decisions based on race rather than partisanship, which the court has declared is beyond reach of the federal courts. The decision means that states are now free to redraw district lines to undercut the power of minority voters, a demographic that tends to vote for Democrats.”
 
So the fight to gerrymander rages on. But nothing lasts forever. Supreme Court decisions get overturned. Remember how Republican U.S. Sen. Susan Collins of Maine said, “That the law for Roe v. Wade was settled when interviewing potential Supreme Court justices?” Bam, overturned.
 
In Wisconsin, I remember when our State Supreme Court was 5-2 conservative members to liberal members. In Ozaukee County, in the 2011 State Supreme Court race, conservative David Prosser won 72% of the vote. On April 7 of this year, Judge Chris Taylor WON Ozaukee County with 52.1% of the vote. Our State Supreme Court is now 5 liberal members to 2 conservative members. That is quite the shift. Things never stay the same.
 
We have the steam; we are on the right side of history because we have to be. I was watching a podcast with Steve Schmidt and Bishop William Barber. If you don’t have time to watch it, I would like to reference one very powerful comment Bishop Barber made: ”I am wrestling with why moments of challenge and struggle require us not to back up, not to say what we can’t do, but to move in with greater strength and greater spirituality. We cannot allow this nation to be so broken and disabled, we need to be the fixers.” I loved that, because that is what Ozaukee Democrats are doing.
 
Another reminder to attend the 6th CD Convention on May 17 and sign up for the DPW State Convention on June 13-14. You must be a member to attend these conventions. Please check your membership status and join us.