Democrats showed increasing strength at the state level in 2022. They will control the "trifecta" in states that have 140 million Americans, which is more than the number of Americans living in states with a Republican trifecta. Importantly, Democrats won the trifecta in Michigan, a state that famously barely flipped for Trump in 2016. They also control the trifecta in New York, California, Illinois, Minnesota, Colorado and the usual assortment of New England and Pacific Coast states.
Republicans control the trifectas in Texas, Florida, Georgia and Ohio. Significant larger states that have split control include Virginia, Pennsylvania, Nevada and Arizona. Meanwhile, North Carolina and Wisconsin have been gerrymandered so extensively that Democratic control of state legislatures is basically impossible under current conditions.
States during the Progressive Era were called the Laboratories of Democracy, but conservative strength at the state level - from natural and artificial gerrymanders - often led to terrible laws written by ALEX like "Stand Your Ground" laws. Now, we have the potential reverse of this dynamic.
These new Democratic trifectas will allow for legislation surrounding choice, marijuana and criminal justice reform and other important issues. Hell, in Connecticut, we got a major tax cut!
As the video above notes, we are not going to see any significant legislation at the federal level for the next two years, but there could be some important work being done at the state level.
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