Democrats and Republicans Exploit ‘Vigilante’ Provision in Texas Abortion Ban
Experts warn that if this form of governing becomes common, it could undermine American democracy.
Landwebs
Since the U.S. Supreme Court declined to temporarily block the GOP-backed Texas abortion law permitting citizens to sue anyone who helps a woman obtain an abortion after about the six-week mark, and established a minimum $10,000 court award for doing so, at least 31 copycat laws have been introduced across the country focusing on a wide variety of issues including book banning, gun control and transgender athletics, reports the Washington Post. Democratic lawmakers who have introduced the copycat bills said they oppose the legal strategy used in the Texas law but are unwilling to cede the tool to their Republican counterparts for solely conservative causes.
A majority of the copycat bills are focused on conservative causes, including seven abortion bills that closely mimic the Texas law. More than a dozen are education bills, with Republicans taking sides on disputes over school curriculum, library books, mask mandates and general-neutral bathrooms and several of the bills providing a legal path for parents and even the general public to sue if “divisive” topics — such as race relations or sexual orientation — are discussed in the classroom. Meanwhile, California Gov. Gavin Newsom asked Democratic lawmakers to introduce copycat legislation that targets the gun industry, including those who make kits for ghost guns, untraceable firearms assembled from components often bought online. While most of the copycat bills have not advanced out of committee to their state’s House or Senate for a vote, experts warn that the extreme partisan polarization in the country has created fertile ground for the Texas-style copycat bills to proliferate and that if this form of governing becomes common, it could undermine American democracy.
