How state Republicans are dooming the Senate filibuster

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Well, it's been a hell of a couple of weeks as far as voter suppression goes.

First, of course, we had the Georgia law which makes illegal giving people standing in line to vote any refreshments, among other limiting measures. (Of course, if the Georgia law had worked to eliminate long lines, that would have been one thing. However...)

Then we had Texas further restricting the nation's most restrictive election laws.

And now "what's wrong with" Kansas has entered the chat:

Kansas lawmakers, following a trend in Republican-controlled statehouses nationwide, gave initial approval Wednesday to bills that would give the Legislature virtually complete control of elections and make it more difficult to cast a ballot by mail.

One of the measures would strip the governor, the secretary of state and the courts of the ability to regulate elections. The other limits who is permitted to return a mail-in ballot on behalf of another person and makes it a felony for an individual to return more than five mail-in ballots.

The changes were approved on a 28-12 vote, despite reports from Secretary of State Scott Schwab in January that Kansas had a “free and fair” election last year.

It should come as no surprise that state-level Republicans, in states they control, and in states which went for Joe Biden and Kamala Harris, would create more impediments to voting. The party as a whole has gone full in on the former guy's ludicrous voting fraud mishegas, so it was inevitable they would create solutions for problems which didn't exist.

However, forgive me if I'm not cowering in fear and consternation.

First of all, all of these laws will be challenged—and tied up—in federal court. And these kinds of cases take quite a while to wind their way through all hearings and appeals. Also, of course, the Biden Department of Justice is not that of Bill Barr. Expect no interference on behalf of the states passing these laws. If anything, the DoJ is more likely to file amicus briefs on behalf of the plaintiffs.

Secondly, states are in such a rush to get these laws on the books that they're telegraphing their punches, like over-the-hill boxers just looking for one more score. The motive forces behind these laws are fear and desperation. Between the legislation being tied up in court, and a good year to prepare for any shenanigans, our side is hardly powerless.

Thirdly, corporations are speaking. Coca-Cola and Delta, Georgia's two biggest employers, after some hemming and hawing have come out against the Georgia law. Meanwhile, in Texas, Dell, AT&T, Southwest Airlines, and American Airlines have all spoken in opposition to the Texas GOP's voter suppression. They know which way the wind is blowing, and it's not towards restricting the franchise.

But the elephants in the room are the For the People Act, and the John Lewis Voting Rights Act.

Both have been passed by Democrats in the House. Now they're awaiting a hearing in a 50-50 Senate. Now, there's the little problem of the filibuster, effectively giving Mitch McConnell a veto on any non-reconciliation legislation. And you have senators like Joe Manchin and Krysten Sinema voicing hesitancy on doing away with the filibuster. However: do you really think that the filibuster holdouts will remain thus in the face of multiple GOP states enacting voter suppression laws, and in the face of an intransigent minority party? 

I'm mildly agnostic about the filibuster. However, if it stands in the way of needed legislation, then nuking it from orbit to make sure is the only option. If there aren't ten Republicans who will negotiate in good faith with Chuck Schumer—and, let's be honest, there probably aren't—even Senators Manchin and Sinema will bend to what's necessary. They neither wish to hobble the Biden-Harris agenda, nor be on the hook for allowing voter suppression laws to proliferate like rancid mushrooms. By going all-out with their anti-democratic efforts, Republicans are giving Democrats the exact reason they need to neuter or be done with the filibuster and not look back. A lack of a filibuster would also make Senate elections even more consequential: You want to keep all this good stuff? Well, vote Democratic, because the filibuster is gone.

Republicans would be well served by remembering the old adage: When the Gods wish to punish us, they answer our prayers. In their rash hubris, they're bringing about their own destruction. It can't happen soon enough.