News & Views

Prof. Steven Rogers - Photo: stevenmrogers.com

In his new book, “Accountability in State Legislatures,” Prof. Steven Rogers of St. Louis University presents a wealth of data which show that elections have come to do very little to hold state legislators accountable.

Among other things, Rogers reports that more than a third of state legislative incumbents win reelection without either a primary or general election challenger and that only 11% of voters can recall who their state legislator is.

What’s more, when deciding how to vote in state legislative elections, voters’ approval of the president is more than three times as important as their approval of the state legislature, reflecting our nationalized politics.

So, what are the implications of these and some of his other sobering findings? Recently NC Newsline caught up with Professor Rogers for an extended conversation to find out.

Hilary Harris Klein - Photo: Southern Coalition for Social Justice

As NC Newsline has reported at length in recent weeks, North Carolina Republican lawmakers maintain large and gerrymandered veto-proof majorities at the state Legislative Building and are using them to further extend their control over state government. Indeed, the 2023 legislative session has seen the advancement of several new laws designed to make voting harder – particularly for people of color and low income – as well as a process for crafting new legislative and congressional districts that are sure to favor the GOP.

And while the list of these new laws is maddeningly long and complex, NC Newsline recently received a helpful summary from one of the state’s most knowledgeable advocates for voting rights and fair elections, Attorney Hilary Harris Klein of the Southern Coalition for Social Justice.

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