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Folks,

What happened Thursday at the Tennessee State Legislature was an assault on our democracy, the likes of which we haven’t seen since January 6th.

Two Black members of the Tennessee House of Representativeswere expelled from the chamber for the simple act of protesting for gun control legislation in the wake of the Covenant School shooting in Nashville. They were joined by a white Democratic colleague as well, but the GOP supermajority in the legislature chose not to expel her.

Friend, read that again: two Black legislators were specifically targeted and expelled for protesting government inaction to a recent mass shooting at an elementary school. The House Speaker even had the gall to compare them to January 6th insurrectionists.

Were these legislators protesting with false accusations that a Manhattan District Attorney was overreaching in a criminal investigation into Donald Trump? No, some of their GOP colleagues did that. Were they attempting to overturn a democratic election and making false claims of voter fraud? No, some of their GOP colleagues did that.

You get the point. The hypocrisy of Tennessee Republicans – let’s call them what they are: ultra-MAGA Republicans, because they are who is in control now – is appalling and their blatant disregard for democracy should outrage us all.

This isn’t the first time an extreme GOP legislative supermajority has engaged in anti-democratic and racially motivated behavior. Just a week or so ago the GOP supermajority in the Mississippi legislature carved out a special court for white neighborhoods with the state legislature, not the people, appointing judges. Why? Because their neighbors in Hinds County elect Black judges.

This is what happens when ultra-MAGA Republicans gain a supermajority in their state legislature. There are examples of this sort of behavior happening in states all across the country. They cater to the most extreme sect of their party, gerrymander their districts to sustain their power and silence anyone who stands up to them. The days of moderate folks reaching across the aisle to get things done are long past. Now they reach across the aisle to expel opponents based on little more than racism and a lust for power.

But this behavior shouldn’t just outrage you, it must motivate you.

There is hope for our cause. Democrats still get around 40% of the vote in the South, and they still break through from time to time to win statewide elections. I am living proof that when we come together, organize, and get out the vote, Democrats can win. And if anything, the contrast that ultra-MAGA Republicans are providing us is a winner everywhere – look at the recent Supreme Court election in Wisconsin where a Democrat overperformed President Biden by 10+ points, including in rural areas, because her opponent turned so many people off – and she wasn’t afraid to run right at him for his extreme views.

This November, my friend Brandon Presley will be another example of that too. That is a race we can win!

And that’s just the statewide races. We're still seeing courageous Democrats - like these legislators in Tennessee - stand up to these GOP supermajorities, and call them out for their authoritarian tactics.

We can make a difference in the South. I know it. There are whole swaths of voters who are disengaged in politics because they’ve been failed by the same GOP politicians for too long. But we can change that.

Our message matters. And with your help our work can make a difference in our fight for the Right Side of History. Stay vigilant and keep working to make that difference. [[link removed]]

-Doug
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