WASHINGTON —Last week, DLCC President Heather Williams joined Ali Velshi on MSNBC’s The Last Word to discuss the DLCC’s plans to build Democratic power in the states and how state legislatures are the true arbiters of the fight for abortion rights.
As a reminder: Last week, the DLCC announced a multi-cycle plan to win the majority of state legislatures by 2030 and unveiled our first 2024 announcement of targeted investments to harness energy at this level of the ballot.
With so much on the line and unprecedented energy at this level of the ballot, 2024 is the year of the states.
To watch the full video of Heather’s appearance, click here.
From Heather Williams on MSNBC’s The Last Word:
- On abortion rights in the states: “We at the DLCC are the party committee responsible for building power in the states and really setting the national agenda. What we know is that when the Supreme Court decided on Dobbs and they decided on Roe, so much of the work moved into the states. The mandate moved to the states, and we’re seeing states act on this day in and day out. We’re seeing Republicans roll back our rights and we’re seeing Democrats in power preserving them. We know that the states are moving policy that reflects our lives so closely, and daily, and that it is everything from abortion rights, to gun safety, to climate to voting rights. All of that is happening in your backyard, in your states.”
- On the importance of breaking Republican supermajorities: “Power in the states is so important, and we think about power in the perfect way, right, which is a Democratic trifecta. We think about it in terms of flipping majorities, but then there’s this really important piece of protecting Democratic governors’ veto power. Last year, we saw in North Carolina one vote decide abortion rights for the 10 million people that live in North Carolina. They rolled it back with one vote and moved an abortion ban. So protecting our Democratic governors who are working so hard to ensure that our rights are preserved is really critical.”
- On the importance of voting down ballot: “… It is so important that when folks go to vote, that they’re not just voting [for the] top of the ticket for their governor or for the president, that they’re voting all the way down. I feel like I cannot stress enough how impactful the states are on our everyday lives and how the issues that matter most are being decided there. And if folks are interested in learning more and getting involved in their local races, they should head to DLCC.org.”
To book Heather Williams on future appearances to talk about the DLCC’s work, state legislatures on the frontlines of defending fundamental freedoms, or the DLCC’s battleground map in the “year of the states,” please contact the DLCC press team at [email protected].
The Democratic Legislative Campaign Committee (DLCC) is the official Democratic Party committee dedicated to winning America’s state legislatures and building state infrastructure. Over the last decade, we have fought cycle-over-cycle to gain a dozen new legislative chamber majorities and we are leading the effort to bring national attention and investment to our ballot level. State legislatures are the building blocks of our democracy and have the closest connections to Americans’ day-to-day lives. From protecting fundamental freedoms and voting rights to growing the middle class, the DLCC and state legislators are moving the Democratic agenda forward and shaping the future of this country.
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