WASHINGTON — As part of this year’s Netroots Nation conference, the Democratic Legislative Campaign Committee (DLCC) hosted a virtual panel, moderated by DLCC President Heather Williams and featuring Illinois Speaker Pro Tempore Kam Buckner, Michigan Senate Majority Leader Winnie Brinks, Wisconsin Assembly Democratic Leader Greta Neubauer, and North Carolina House Democratic Leader Robert Reives.
The discussion centered on how state Democrats are leading the charge against the extremism and chaos coming out of Washington, grassroots momentum in the states, and the growing foundation of power state Democrats are building.
Democratic Legislative Campaign Committee President Heather Williams:
- “The kinds of conversations that [state legislators] are having are so important to connect the dots between this administration and all of the Republicans who are falling in line with […] these detrimental cuts that will impact families and communities all across the country. [They’re] bringing those things to life and helping to support voters in understanding what it’s going to do.”
- “It cannot be stressed enough how much of an impact folks can have in participating at this ballot level – not just to see more Democrats gain power, but also the kinds of policy that is being decided at our statehouses across the country is just so important and relevant to everyone’s everyday life.”
Wisconsin Assembly Democratic Leader Greta Neubauer:
- “What differentiates our ballot level, is that our candidates are out knocking on doors five times a week during the campaign season, and it is incumbent on them to connect directly with their voters and to be able to answer for their votes in Madison and make clear that they share their concerns and they have a plan to improve their lives. And I think that’s what Democrats need to do overall. We need to help our voters understand that we get it, that times have been hard, and that we are going to do things differently when we’re in charge.”
- “And in a moment where we have a little bit of a challenge right with the Democratic brand, it’s really important to have state legislators out there talking directly with the people that they represent and bringing those concerns back to their state capitals and passing policy that improves their lives. I really do think state legislators are essential in restoring people’s faith in the electoral process in a moment in which we really need that.”
Illinois Speaker Pro Tempore Kam Buckner:
- “If Project 2025 is arson – and I truly do believe it is, it is arson to democracy – state legislatures are the fire department. […] It’s austerity disguised as populism, and it forces states to either pick up the pieces or to let working families fall through the cracks. Here in Illinois and in states around the country that we have made up our mind that we are not going to allow our folks and our families to fall through the cracks.”
- “We are the party of teachers, nurses, working families, and voters who really do still believe that government can be a force for good, and we’re finally acting like it again. And we’re seeing once again those results at the ballot box. […] We’re building, we’re not panicking, we’re planning. And while the other side is busy selling nostalgia and nonsense, we will keep running on progress and proof.”
- “Before there was Project 2025, there was Florida, there was Texas, there was Iowa. Statehouses were really the research and development labs for what we now call Trumpism. […] They passed the bills, they tested the talking points, and they laid the groundwork, and then they wrapped it in a leather-bound manifesto and called it a plan for the rest of the country.”
Michigan Senate Majority Leader Winnie Brinks:
- “We also really see our role as holding those Republicans accountable for the bad ideas that are coming out of Washington, DC, with the MAGA agenda… We’ve invited people in to tell their stories and to have them come to present to legislators who have the ability to help blunt the impacts of these negative policy ideas that are happening in DC and having a ripple impact throughout the country.”
- “It’s really important that people know when folks are knocking on their door or asking for their vote next year, who is really sticking up for them, and it’s really important that we are telling those stories. So every day, we go to work with the resolve to make sure that we are standing up for Michiganders, and we will not stop fighting until we have secured a continuing and enduring majority in the state of Michigan.”
North Carolina House Democratic Leader Robert Reives:
- “When you explain to people what’s happening, what the [Republican budget] bill’s doing, and you explain to them, this isn’t some tightening up your belt, cutting waste thing, but this is really a ‘we just don’t feel like paying for this for you, and we don’t think you matter.’ People really respond to that, and they’re really serious about ‘How do we help? How do we stop this from going?’ So to me, the number one point has been education. And when we educate people, they’re right with us.”
- “Because of the DLCC and a lot of work from a lot of other folks, we’ve been able to do a lot of great things in North Carolina…We’re the only chamber from 2012 to 2020 that was in a minority [and] able to gain seats each and every year. We’re the only chamber in the entire Southeast that still has an opportunity to reach the majority by 2030. ”
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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