Melissa Walker  🇺🇸Verified account

First, the main takeaway is this: A large-scale, under-the-radar attempt to overthrow democracy is happening. And it's happening via state legislatures (and yet we continue to stare at DC, focusing resources, energy, and attention THERE instead of looking at state capitols).

This attempt has been long-seeded, decades ago, by right-wingers & given new life in 2000's Bush v. Gore when 3 Supreme Court Justices argued that "state legislatures have the plenary power to run elections & can even pass laws giving themselves the right to appoint electors."

That constitutional interpretation (by Thomas, Scalia & Rehnquist) means that STATE LEGISLATORS, the people whose names most of us don't know, the ones who go to state capitols—not DC—for us, have the power to intervene in a presidential election by arguing irregularities/fraud.

From the @NewYorker: "Trump tried to persuade Vice-President Mike Pence to halt the certification of the Electoral College vote, instead throwing the election to the state legislatures." (!!)

One state rep in AZ has already proposed a bill that would "enable a majority of the Arizona legislature to override the popular vote if it found fault with the outcome, and dictate the state’s Electoral College votes itself." It didn't pass (yet), but it was formally introduced.

So why have these right-wing special interests been building power in state legislatures, focusing on winning "downballot," mostly part-time political seats without the glamour or spotlight of DC? BECAUSE THAT IS WHERE THESE HUGE POWER LEVERS ARE.

When you have the majority in a state legislature, you can pass laws on healthcare, environmental policy, education, civil rights +++++. AND, you dictate voting laws. Oh and also you may be able to decide who wins the presidency in 2024 despite the popular vote of your state.

This is dark. This is scary. This effort is funded by billionaires with unlimited resources. And YET! We can fight back by focusing on state legislative elections and gaining power in state capitols.

AZ, a central part of @janemayer's reporting b/c of the extreme takeover the radical right is attempting there, is just 2 seats away from flipping the State Senate & 1 seat away from flipping the State House. Control of the State House was decided by 1,044 votes in 2020!!