North Carolina Republicans-- Anti-Democracy Authoritarians At Work

A few days ago we looked at some of the craziest things Republicans are doing in their national crackup. And we started with North Carolina's attempt to set up some kind of official religion. The next day, after an incredible uproar from outraged citizens, the Speaker of the state House, Thom Tillis, killed the nonsense, despite 14 Republicans having had already signed on as cosponsors. Although the bill wasn't going to pick between Christian sects-- just make "Christianity" the state religion-- North Carolina has a considerable number of non-Christians including around 25,000 Jews, 25,000 Muslims and 40,000 Mormons. Oh... and over half the people in the state don't consider themselves religious at all. That's a lot... of voters to offend. And, according to North Carolina-based PPP last month, voters in the state are already having some real buyers' remorse over having handed the General Assembly and governor's mansion over to the GOP.

North Carolina voters disapprove of the way Republicans are running state government in general and of several of their specific policy proposals. Just 38% of voters say they approve of the job Republicans as a whole are running state government, while 52% disapprove. The General Assembly as a whole fares particularly badly, with just 23% job approval and 49% disapproval. 50% say they have an unfavorable opinion of Republicans in the North Carolina Legislature compared to 36% who hold a favorable opinion. Democrats in the Legislature fare only slightly better, with a 38%-44% favorability rating. Only Governor Pat McCrory himself sees a net positive job approval rating, with 49% approving and 35% disapproving.

No sooner had that outburst of fevered right-wing psychosis subside-- one of the principal sponsors, extremist nutbag Harry Warren running around his district apologizing for embarrassing his constituents-- that the GOP found something just as crazy-- and just as unconstitutional-- to get behind: a poll tax meant to keep students from voting. Rachel explained it well in the clip above from her Thursday show but basically what the bill filed this week does is remove the state income tax deduction for dependents who register at an address other than their parents, like where they live while they're in college. Parents of college kids-- particularly working class parents of college kinds-- would be punished with a new tax if their kids registered to vote at school. What a great way to get hard-pressed parents to pressure their children not to register to vote. Yes, finally a tax the GOP likes... an unconstitutional poll tax, meant not to raise revenue as much as keep college students from voting.

The history of America has been a long, hard-fought battle between progressives trying to expand the franchise and conservatives trying to restrict it. Conservatives, for the most part, opposed the Declaration of Independence and fought on the side of the British during the Revolution. After they lost many of them left for Britain, Canada and the West Indies. The trash that stayed behind worked to make the governing documents as unfriendly to democracy as possible. In terms of the franchise, conservatives were adamant that only older white males with property should be allowed to vote at all.

And every push towards universal suffrage-- in terms of women, blacks, immigrants, young people, working people, etc-- has been strenuously contested by conservatives. And that, of course hasn't stopped. Dozens of bill have been proposed in Republican-controlled legislatures to restrict voting rights or to discourage non-white, wealthy, older property owners from voting. With the complete takeover of North Carolina by the GOP last year, that state is one of the worst, but just one of the worst. And every state with a Republican legislature and Republican governor is trying something or other to disenfranchise someone. Rachel got into it Friday evening: