Oregon Department of Justice’s Post

I’m excited to share that the second post in the series I’m writing on the intersection of reproductive justice and labor justice is out today! 🚨 In collaboration with the National Women's Law Center, this series explores how reproductive and labor rights are deeply connected, and why advancing both is crucial for justice and equity. 💪🏽 https://lnkd.in/gc_P-6Re

A good book is the one that sparks a conversation. Like Marjan Horst Ehsassi's new book, 'Activated Citizenship'! It introduces the concept of "voice insecurity"—the growing feeling that citizens' voices are not being heard or valued in today's democratic systems. She argues that this disconnect weakens trust between the public and their representatives, pointing to key issues like unaddressed popular demands for gun control and reproductive rights. In this book review, Joe Mathews highlights the vision for a "new political ecosystem" where deliberative processes give citizens not only a voice but also real influence. Rather than focusing solely on achieving policy change, Ehsassi stresses that people want their input to be respected and heard, even if it’s consultative. ✒ Read the full review here: https://lnkd.in/dbpHEEGB 📘 Buy the book: https://lnkd.in/d9TZqh8U #DeliberativeDemocracy #CitizensAssemblies

Voice insecurity in the public policy process. Examine the important construct conceptualized by what Dr .Marjan Ehsassi has to say on this topic and citizens assemblies. I have my copy and am reading it now!

'Fragments of Victory' published by Pluto Press will be launched early next month. I was delighted to write a chapter on republicanism along with Damian Lawlor and Dan Finn. From the blurb: "There is much to learn from modern left-wing activism in Ireland. A rich tapestry of movements, including republicans, social democrats, trade unions, Trotskyists and anarchists, they have been battling neoliberalism and austerity with vigour, frustration, success and failure. 'Fragments of Victory' charts these political currents, from the difficult early years of anti-austerity campaigning, to the successful mass campaign to end water charges and prevent water privatisation, and the seismic victory that was 'Repeal' - the campaign for women's reproductive rights. Looking to the present, the campaign around the brutal housing crisis is also addressed." https://lnkd.in/etH4Wn52

Excited to share that my Comment, "Reproductive Rights and Felony Disenfranchisement: The New Frontier of an Old Voter Suppression Tactic", has been published by Northwestern Journal of Law and Social Policy. Special thank you to JLSP's executive team for all their hard work and time. This Comment explores the connected histories of voting rights and reproductive rights. Restrictions on reproductive rights, like a nationwide abortion ban and a federal fetal-personhood law, could significantly increase the number of women charged with abortion and pregnancy-related crimes, forcing them into the criminal justice system. As a result, more women could face felony convictions, leading to a surge in felony disenfranchisement. I argue that recent reproductive rights restrictions and the Dobbs decision suggest a concerted effort by politicians to suppress women's, specifically Black women's, voting power. Give it a read! (Or lets be real, a skim) #votingrights #abortion #fetalpersonhood #reproductiverights #felonydisenfranchisment #Northwestern #Law

Dr. Ben-Ghiat, possibly the foremost expert on authoritarianism, explains the republican attack on women and women's reproductive rights. Interesting side note: 9 of the worst 10 ten states for child welfare are all controlled by republicans...imagine that! We can take a page out of the "gun enthusiasts" or religious pro-life zealots playbook and turn this election into a single issue vote...whether that's defending women's bodily autonomy or voting for individuals that would pass legislation to curb gun violence, the choice is ours-pun intended...VOTE BLUE to escape from the fascist republicans dream of some sort of dystopian society where women are considered second class citizens and guns continue to proliferate killing our children. It's ironic that these pro-life people (I prefer calling that group the forced birth coalition) are pro death penalty and crazed gun rights advocates-it's incongruous with "pro-life"...VOTE BLUE to return to a society where individual freedoms are protected, the rule of law means something and the government acts on behalf of the greater good, opposed to the morbidly wealthy.

The Filibuster Is A Double Edged Sword by Ruth Marcus Senate Democrats made a mistake when they eliminated the filibuster for lower court judges in 2013. They’re making the same mistake again — except this time with a far less certain payoff. Vice President Kamala Harris said Tuesday that she favors lowering the existing 60-vote threshold to a bare majority to enact legislation to protect abortion rights nationwide. “I think we should eliminate the filibuster for Roe and get us to the point where 51 votes would be what we need to actually put back in law the protections for reproductive freedom,” she told Wisconsin Public Radio. I would love to see a federal law that gives women nationwide the ability to decide for themselves whether to continue an unwanted or dangerous pregnancy. Harris’s solution is, unfortunately, the wrong way to do it. Readers, if you disagree and are bristling with indignation at this statement, let me say: This is not an easy call. The filibuster is an infuriating, undemocratic impediment to progress — except, that is, when it is a welcome guardrail against extremism. How partisans feel about the filibuster on any given day tends to have a lot to do with whether their political party holds the Senate majority. Democrats and Republicans who lament the existence of the filibuster are thankful for it when they find themselves in the minority. But it takes self-restraint, and an ability to see around corners, not to junk the filibuster when your party is in power — especially because partisans are convinced the other side will make that move if given the chance. Yet the ping-pong nature of Senate control means that neither Republicans nor Democrats can be confident that doing away with the filibuster won’t end up hurting them in the end, even if they profit in the short run. Not just that: The notion that the rules can be tweaked for some limited purpose — Harris has previously said she would do so to pass voting rights and climate change legislation — is delusional. The filibuster slope isn’t merely slippery — it’s encrusted with ice. One exception will be followed by another. We don’t need to predict this; we need only to look at recent history. In 2013, Senate Democrats, under the leadership of Harry M. Reid (Nev.), moved to end the filibuster for lower court judges. The reasons for employing this “nuclear option” were understandable; Republicans had engaged in unprecedented obstruction of President Barack Obama’s judicial nominees, refusing to allow him to fill any of three vacant seats on the critically important federal appeals court in the District of Columbia. And the move allowed the confirmation of three of the circuit’s finest judges. It also had predictable consequences. So, here we are. The filibuster for legislation has been on life support for years now, in Republican and Democratic Senates alike, but there hasn’t been the will, at least not majority will, to pull the plug. ©️Washington Post 2024

Thank you, Jessie R. For your thoughtful paper. May I suggest a short version to expand the audience for this important analysis?

📅 Two years since Dobbs v. Jackson, the landscape of abortion rights in America has shifted: 🗳️Seven states have voted on abortion-related ballot measures, with significant wins favoring abortion rights in Michigan, California, Ohio, and Vermont. 💸 Advocacy groups poured $219.1M into ballot fights, with pro-abortion rights groups spending $150.2M. 🏛️ Looking ahead to 2024, 14 states will decide on abortion rights, including key votes in Maryland and New York. 💰 Lobbying spending reached $3.7M in 2023, highlighting the ongoing battle over reproductive rights. Read more: https://lnkd.in/g7Bq-YwE