I will give them one thing. fleeing for two weeks did build awareness and gave Newsom the political cover to get his proposal moving (and possibly Hochul too).
Replies
it's shitty that Hochul and NY can't do it in time for 2028, even if their mechanism to amend the constitution is smart under normal use cases
aug 18, 2025, 8:26 pm • 14 0 • view
It really may have been necessary and not stupid. Which is stupid in itself.
aug 18, 2025, 8:28 pm • 7 0 • view
The Alexei Navalny Award for Effective Opposition
aug 18, 2025, 8:23 pm • 14 0 • view
Any plan involving “hope Kathy Hochul doesn’t suck” is risky lol
aug 18, 2025, 10:23 pm • 2 0 • view
I think this was the best realistic outcome. They were never going to be able to stop Texas Republicans from passing the maps.
aug 18, 2025, 8:31 pm • 55 1 • view
I mean they could've just, never returned until after the midterm, or at minimum after midterm primaries. Pritzker was funding their sheltering in illinois, they had party base support, Texas Rs couldn't do anything *and* it blocked their ability to legislate bad bills. What was the downside?
aug 18, 2025, 9:22 pm • 2 0 • view
I read that if they were out of the state for 30 days, their residency could be challenged, and their seats could be vacated. A lot of them were also single parents, and most have jobs outside of being legislators. I don’t think anyone proposed that they could stay out of the state for a year.
aug 18, 2025, 9:27 pm • 13 0 • view
Couldn't find anything regarding challenged residency/vacated, at least in terms of Texas law/constitution. Abbott doing anyways? I mean that's something else, but at that point it doesn't really matter either way.
aug 18, 2025, 9:33 pm • 2 0 • view
But I couldn't find any articles pointing to their seats getting challenged, only either about them returning/having surveillance or about the initial arrests not being typical arrests.
aug 18, 2025, 9:34 pm • 2 0 • view
There were numerous articles and legal explainers explaining the limitations of the quorum break from the very beginning. It was never on the table that they would actually be able to stop the maps.
aug 18, 2025, 9:30 pm • 9 0 • view
its fun watching the do something anything demanders asking what the point of this was
aug 18, 2025, 9:36 pm • 2 0 • view
I think they should have gotten more out of it. I hope they're primaried.
aug 18, 2025, 9:06 pm • 7 0 • view
If they didn’t think they’d get anything out of it, why the dramatics. Really just seems like posturing.
aug 18, 2025, 9:08 pm • 0 0 • view
They said from the very beginning that they likely weren't going to be able to stop the maps. Their goal was to raise awareness and see if they could get some blue states to retaliate, which California did. This was explained from the beginning.
aug 18, 2025, 9:09 pm • 11 0 • view
Also: bsky.app/profile/jort...
aug 18, 2025, 9:16 pm • 1 0 • view
I know their stated rationale and reason for doing what they did, I just find it a total waste of time and ultimately ineffective.
aug 18, 2025, 9:12 pm • 0 0 • view
I mean, if California's maps nullify Texas's, it will end up being quite effective.
aug 18, 2025, 9:13 pm • 11 0 • view
From your lips to Gavin’s ears!
aug 18, 2025, 9:14 pm • 1 0 • view
hell, the party machinery is already getting to work to get people to vote yes on the proposition in november. on saturday i saw oakland's county supervisor, congresswoman and mayor all at a rally in support, plus a very special guest:
aug 18, 2025, 9:18 pm • 1 0 • view
OK, they won't be. So you're just going to have to deal with that.
aug 18, 2025, 9:08 pm • 16 0 • view
It's a world of mediocre choices. I'm not going to be eternally angry about it. But I am rather tired of having to give ground seemingly everywhere.
aug 18, 2025, 9:14 pm • 4 0 • view
what you saw was fighting to not give ground in a battle in which they ultimately do not have the power
aug 18, 2025, 9:38 pm • 5 0 • view
You know that'll make you feel better? Actually do something.
aug 18, 2025, 11:08 pm • 0 0 • view