Dear John,
After weeks of total chaos, Republicans finally rallied this past Wednesday to elect a new Speaker of the House to fill the void left by Kevin McCarthy’s ouster. You might not have heard of Rep. Mike Johnson, their unanimous pick—but believe me, there’s a lot you should know about the Louisiana Republican.
Prior to his tenure in the House, Johnson worked as an attorney for far-right religious advocacy groups including the Alliance Defending Freedom—one of the organizations spearheading the current litigation campaigns against abortion and trans rights. During his time in the Louisiana state legislature, Johnson proposed a bill that would have permitted discrimination against LGBTQ+ people, while also advocating for a type of marriage called "covenant marriage" that makes divorce difficult to obtain, and is promoted by conservative Christians. And as a member of Congress, his efforts have ranged from introducing a national-level “Don’t Say Gay” bill to playing a leading role in the attempt to overturn the 2020 elections.
What’s more, Johnson has a long history of anti-abortion extremism. According to Popular Information, he frequently sued abortion clinics during his time as an attorney. His crusade against clinics didn’t stop when he obtained elected office—as a state legislator, he often represented the state of Louisiana in court defending laws that were designed to shut down abortion clinics operating in the state. In his capacity as a member of Congress, he is a co-sponsor of the "Life at Conception" bill—which if passed, would grant every "preborn human person" full 14th Amendment rights from "the moment of fertilization”—in other words, prohibiting all abortions, even under life-threatening circumstances.
I don’t need to tell you that having this man at the helm of one of our governing bodies spells trouble for those of us who care about voting rights, abortion rights, LGBTQ+ rights, and equality in general.
The good news is that as we head into a series of critical elections next year—and one very crucial one in Ohio this fall—abortion rights and women’s rights remain popular and motivating issues among voters. In Ohio, early voting has already begun in an election that will determine whether abortion rights are added to the state constitution. News reports out of Cleveland indicate that voters in Democratic-leaning counties are showing up to vote early in droves, already exceeding the significant turnout from August’s special election. But we can take nothing for granted, given the spending by anti-abortion dark money groups opposed to Issue 1. (Ohio voters: click here to learn more about how to vote YES on Issue 1 in this election).
You can count on Ms. to keep you updated on what’s happening in Congress, in state legislatures, and at the ballot box on issues of equality and social justice.
Onward,
