in my view, NY analysis vastly underestimates the poison of the Cuomo years + corruption and games in Albany (consider Cuomo's alliance with a breakaway Dem faction e.g.)
NYers who might lean Dem on issues or are ancestral Dems like me are not enamored of the party
Michigan passed a referendum in 2018 to establish a nonpartisan redistricting commission, which established reasonable districts for state elections. This explains why Democrats did so well this week in Michigan, but so poorly statewide in NC because of gerrymandering. But in NC, court-ordered new Congressional districts resulted in Democrats picking up seats, so that 7 Republicans and 7 Democrats will be in the new Congress. We need a nonpartisan redistricting commission in NC.
In 1917, the GA passed legislation to permit voter initiative and referenda in 9 NC cities. I haven't yet determined all 9, but I know that Charlotte is one of them. Local governments can create local ballot initiatives, but only the GA can initiate statewide referenda. So statewide voter-initiated referenda are not permitted in NC. 24 states have such.
I have already written to the 2 NC House members who represent Chapel Hill recommending that it is time to try to change the NC statues to allow for voter-initiated referenda, like other states have. I mentioned Michigan as a good model. It may take a change to the NC Constitution, but I have not yet researched this. The GOP is a minority party with virtually full control of the GA, so I can’t think of any way to change this without nonpartisan redistricting. The NC courts are now packed with Republicans, who will probably “fix” the Congressional districts for 2024, and the Congress cannot pass sufficiently strong voter protection bills to outlaw gerrymandering in federal and state elections. Maybe a better pre-election ground game by Democrats can increase their numbers in the GA next time, but I doubt it.
I just want to note that the NYT Daily Podcast looked at Michigan as a test case, and the results there bode well. It would seem wise for the Democrats to get an abortion referendum on the ballot in every state possible in 2024. The Michigan experience would suggest it could tip the balance in places like Wisconsin, Ohio and perhaps even NC. Worth a shot, no?
in my view, NY analysis vastly underestimates the poison of the Cuomo years + corruption and games in Albany (consider Cuomo's alliance with a breakaway Dem faction e.g.)
NYers who might lean Dem on issues or are ancestral Dems like me are not enamored of the party
Michigan passed a referendum in 2018 to establish a nonpartisan redistricting commission, which established reasonable districts for state elections. This explains why Democrats did so well this week in Michigan, but so poorly statewide in NC because of gerrymandering. But in NC, court-ordered new Congressional districts resulted in Democrats picking up seats, so that 7 Republicans and 7 Democrats will be in the new Congress. We need a nonpartisan redistricting commission in NC.
See my discussion with Tom H. The question is whether the legislature can block ballot referenda. It would certainly seem to be worth a shot.
In 1917, the GA passed legislation to permit voter initiative and referenda in 9 NC cities. I haven't yet determined all 9, but I know that Charlotte is one of them. Local governments can create local ballot initiatives, but only the GA can initiate statewide referenda. So statewide voter-initiated referenda are not permitted in NC. 24 states have such.
Good stuff. This is also really good.
https://www.thebulwark.com/the-data-have-spoken-abortion-was-a-decisive-issue-in-the-2022-midterms/
I have already written to the 2 NC House members who represent Chapel Hill recommending that it is time to try to change the NC statues to allow for voter-initiated referenda, like other states have. I mentioned Michigan as a good model. It may take a change to the NC Constitution, but I have not yet researched this. The GOP is a minority party with virtually full control of the GA, so I can’t think of any way to change this without nonpartisan redistricting. The NC courts are now packed with Republicans, who will probably “fix” the Congressional districts for 2024, and the Congress cannot pass sufficiently strong voter protection bills to outlaw gerrymandering in federal and state elections. Maybe a better pre-election ground game by Democrats can increase their numbers in the GA next time, but I doubt it.
I just want to note that the NYT Daily Podcast looked at Michigan as a test case, and the results there bode well. It would seem wise for the Democrats to get an abortion referendum on the ballot in every state possible in 2024. The Michigan experience would suggest it could tip the balance in places like Wisconsin, Ohio and perhaps even NC. Worth a shot, no?