Another Fib about the Big Lie
Madison, WI – Under GOP voter suppression bills passed today, Wisconsinites who vote absentee in future elections would face extra barriers to cast their ballot. The Republican bills are part of a nationwide push to restrict access to voting, bolstered by the Big Lie that the 2020 election was stolen. Senator Larson offered this statement:
“Our local election officials stepped up like never before during a national pandemic to safely hold our elections to ensure each of our neighbors could safely and securely cast their ballots. Instead of applauding their efforts, Republicans have disparaged them at every turn. While the Packers sort out their quarterback situation, most of the Republicans are trying out their hand at expert level Monday morning quarterbacking. They refused to step up when they were needed, and now they’re spending their time second-guessing election workers.
“On the eve of the 102nd anniversary of our state ratifying the right to vote for women, we have Republican legislators dangerously eroding our democracy.
“At a time when our national institutions are under attack, we should be working to restore people’s faith in the democratic process by expanding access to voting. These bills achieve the opposite. They disenfranchise vulnerable voters and sow distrust in our fair and safe electoral system. Of the millions of votes cast in Wisconsin in 2020, just 29 were highlighted as suspicious.
“While these bills are likely to be vetoed by Governor Evers, we must still hold Republicans accountable for their partisan schemes that endanger our democracy. No matter how sweet their rhetoric, these bills, and their words are bitter poison.”
NOTE: This press release was submitted to Urban Milwaukee and was not written by an Urban Milwaukee writer. It has not been verified for its accuracy or completeness.
Mentioned in This Press Release
Recent Press Releases by State Sen. Chris Larson
Chris Larson makes very important points, ones that will bear constant repetition in the weeks and months ahead. Despite being unable to win a majority of votes in many places, Republicans now insist, egged on by Donald Trump and his acolytes, that the only legitimate elections are the ones that install them in office, whatever the numbers say.
This is the path not only to the undermining of democracy, but to an imminent (2022) legitimacy crisis and the real danger of widespread violence at the polls. Let’s say that, in a bitter race, Chris Larson clearly defeats Ron Johnson, assuming Johnson runs. Johnson claims (falsely) that there was fraud, and that he won. The Republican legislature, using just-passed anti-democratic laws, and the far-right Wisconsin Supreme Court overturn the election and declare Johnson the winner.
Conversely, let’s say that through voter suppression, voter intimidation and out-and-out fraud, Ron Johnson ekes out a “win” against Chris Larson. In his close race for County Executive, Larson, the gentleman, did not contest the result. History is not going to repeat itself.
And, most important, there is a very strong likelihood that, whatever next year’s outcomes, the losing side will claim the result is not legitimate. If, given what is occurring, the losing Republicans make that claim, it will be false. If the Democrats make it, it will be true. Final note: no one has a solution to a legitimacy crisis.