Mapping an advantage
Indiana is not alone in having single-party control of its legislature.
Stateline.org, the news site for the Pew Center on the States, reports that 37 states will see single-party control of their legislatures – the most since 1952. Tennessee and Missouri Republicans joined Indiana in securing super-majority status, although Missouri has a Democratic governor, Jay Nixon.
“These supermajority advantages have substantive significance,” writes Stateline’s Josh Goodman. “In the last two years, the Missouri legislature has failed to override Nixon’s vetoes on bills to require photo identification to vote, to change the state’s workers compensation system and to require a higher standard for employees to claim workplace discrimination in court.
“Now, if they can stay united, the Republican legislature will have a chance to pass those bills or any others without worrying about Nixon.”
Gerald Wright, professor of political science at Indiana University-Bloomington, explains the lopsided results:
“The large number of states with (one-party) control is a function of a kind of perfect political storm that stems from the confluence factors,” he said in an email. “(1) the increased party polarization on the country with its ever greater ideological distance between the parties, (2) the very strong Republican tides of the 2010 elections which set up the opportunity for strong partisan gerrymanders.
“The result will be what we have seen in Indiana, a lot of conservative legislation.”
When lawmakers gather Jan. 7 for the 118th session of the Indiana General Assembly, Democratic legislators could just as well stay home.
For the first time in more than 40 years, the GOP will hold the governor’s office and supermajorities in the House and Senate. House Republicans picked up nine seats on Election Day, giving their caucus a 69-31 advantage. Senate Republicans maintained their lopsided 37-13 edge, giving both chambers the two-thirds majority needed to reach a quorum, meaning Democrats can no longer halt action by walking out.
While it might sound like a refreshing change from Washington gridlock or political stall tactics, the supermajority session isn’t likely to be good for anyone, even Republicans.
The checks and balances that serve to temper overreaching legislation, to avoid unanticipated consequences and to weed out poorly conceived legislation were mostly stripped by the last election. And while GOP lawmakers might be delighted to pass laws unencumbered by partisan roadblocks, they are likely to find as much disagreement over principles and priorities within their own party as they ever found on the Democratic side of the aisle.
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