The federal government shutdown slogs on, but never fear! Statehouse action is here to fill the void (if not the bank accounts of federal employees who aren’t getting paid because of Donald Trump, sadly).
And while Republican members of Congress in Washington, D.C., seem to have decided that the concept of “governing” is optional in their line of work, lawmakers in state capitols across the country are getting to it big time this week.
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In fact, in the past five days, no fewer than 25 states’ legislatures convened for their annual sessions.
One of these states, by the by, was Virginia.
(Ahem, commonwealth.)
Whole Lotta Laws: Virginia’s House (née of Burgesses, now of Delegates) convened for the 400th year in a row on Wednesday, giving the longest continuous lawmaking body in the country a nice round number to celebrate.
- One of the exciting items on this session’s agenda? Ratifying the Equal Rights Amendment.
- If Virginia successfully does so this year, the ERA officially hits the three-fourths of states threshold needed to make it part of the U.S. Constitution.
BUT.
- When Congress passed the ERA in 1972, it allowed just seven years for that amendment to be adopted by at least 38 states.
- Obviously 1979 (and then 1982, after Congress extended the deadline) came and went a long time ago, but Congress could extend that deadline further via statute.
… which means that Virginia’s adoption of the ERA could be a whole lot more than symbolic.
No Quarter: Something else important happened in Virginia this week.
- Specifically, a special election was held on Tuesday to replace newly minted Rep. Jennifer Wexton, who resigned her state Senate seat after winning election to the U.S. House last fall.
- Del. Jennifer Boysko handily won the contest to replace Wexton, trouncing former GOP Del. Joe May 70-30 percent to keep Senate District 33 in the hands of Democrats.
We held a blue seat, you say. Why should I care?
So glad you asked!
- Boysko’s win keeps Democrats within just one seat of winning effective control of the Senate (Lt. Gov. Justin Fairfax will break ties)—and within a mere two seats overall of ending Republicans’ majorities in both chambers of the General Assembly.
- It also represents a nifty overperformance from recent presidential results in the district: Hillary Clinton won here 63-31, so Boysko bested that margin by a very healthy 8 points. Barack Obama, meanwhile, carried the district 59-39, so Boysko did a whopping 20 points better.
Fun fact! According to a VCU poll from last month, a plurality of voters (42 percent) want Democrats in charge of Virginia’s legislature.
- Just 33 percent want the GOP in charge.
Since I’ve Been Gerrymandering You: Oh, and this week the U.S. Supreme Court rejected Virginia Republicans’ request to stay a lower court’s ruling ordering lawmakers to redraw 11 state House districts found to be unconstitutionally racially gerrymandered (though up to 26 could have new district lines as a result).
- This keeps a process on track that includes the lower court reviewing an expert’s proposed maps this week and the implementation of a new House map in the coming months—in time for this year's elections.
- Meanwhile, though, SCOTUS is still set to hear the Virginia GOP’s appeal of the lower court’s decision ruling the maps unconstitutional.
- That hearing will take place sometime this spring, and the court has indicated it’s mostly interested in whether state House Republicans have standing to sue—a criteria the court has used before to punt on redistricting decisions.
Communication Breakdown: This one probably belongs in the Can’t Make It Up file.
- Last March, Tennessee GOP state Rep. David Byrd was revealed to have allegedly sexually assaulted three teenagers when he was their 28-year-old high school basketball coach.
- One of those instances should really have the “allegedly” removed, though, since there’s an audio recording of Byrd calling one of the women and apologizing for his conduct.
- Multiple members of his own party called for his resignation when accounts of his misconduct came to light, but Byrd ignored them and went on to win re-election last fall.
- Fast-forward to this week, when newly elected Republican House Speaker Glen Casada named Byrd head of a key education subcommittee (after reappointing him to the Education Committee, which in and of itself is super gross).
I guess we know what the Tennessee House speaker thinks of women who speak out against sexual assault.
Busted Elevator To Heaven: Since their unicameral legislature is ostensibly nonpartisan, I usually dgaf don’t write about Nebraska in this space.
Gotta make an exception this week, though.
That Establishment Clause. So pesky.
- Another state senator plans to introduce an amendment to the state constitution that would abolish slavery.
- Yes, under specific circumstances, the Nebraska constitution still allows slavery.
- Since 1875, it’s been technically allowed as punishment for a crime.
So lovely they’re finally getting around to fixing that.
Welp, that’s all for this week. You should bundle up, hit the bricks, knock off early for the weekend.
Maybe you need to, like, stock up on alcohol groceries in advance of snow.
Just print this out and show it to your boss, I’m sure she won’t mind.