Republicans hold governorships and legislative majorities in 22 states, compared to 17 for Democrats and 11 states in which government is divided. Yet, GOP-run states often do not implement policies aligned with their party as Democrat-led states often do. The following is the first in a four-part series on Republican-dominated state legislatures and how they govern.
In January, some members of the House Freedom Caucus refused to vote for Kevin McCarthy as House speaker unless he promised concessions. They won. Now, the staunchly conservative group is expanding into an area where they could make a far larger difference: Red states where laws can be passed without support from Democrats.
The State Freedom Caucus Network has rapidly taken root in 11 states, promising to make sure that states where Republicans have a mandate legislate like it. While their House counterparts have been criticized as obstructionist — failing to understand the need for compromise in a closely matched body — that criticism doesn’t apply in deep-red states, where the question becomes why are Republicans compromising with Democrats.
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis has attracted national attention with bold policies, but Florida is not a…
