WASHINGTON, DC (KSWO) – The Democratic Legislative Campaign Committee hosted a press conference on March 22, which featured legislative speakers from multiple state legislatures including Oklahoma House Democratic Leader Rep. Cyndi Munson, and Texas Democratic Leader Rep. Trey Martinez Fischer.
The press conference was a “Red State” press call which centered around what Democrat Party legislative leaders are doing in majority Republican-led states to combat what they call dangerous legislation being proposed and implemented.
Each of the six featured speakers took turns talking about their own state and how the minority Democrat Party is combating certain pieces of legislation while signaling hope for those who want to see less of a supermajority in their state legislature.
When it was Oklahoma Rep. Munson’s turn to speak, she chose to do so with a large Oklahoma flag directly behind her. Munson grew up in Lawton and became the first Asian American woman to be elected to the Oklahoma state legislature.
Munson first spoke about what the Oklahoma Democratic party wants to see come out of the state capitol: legislation which would benefit the everyday Oklahomans.
Within her comments, she specifically mentioned a livable wage, and better educational outcomes.
The Oklahoma House leader also spoke toward women’s reproductive rights in the Sooner State. She said there have been extreme attacks in Oklahoma when it comes to those rights. Munson did mention how after the first wave of anti-abortion legislation was introduced after the fall of Roe, women in the state rallied together to let political leaders know they were not going to stand by while their reproductive rights were taken away.
“Oklahoma has one of the strictest abortion bans in the country,” Munson said. “It’s unfortunate that Republicans continue to attack women when they’re trying to get the health care they need.”
One piece of legislation Munson directly mentioned which she says goes against women’s reproductive rights is House Bill 3013. The bill is authored by Oklahoma Rep. Denise Crosswhite Hader (R-41), and would penalize anyone, who is not a medical professional, with a felony if they distribute or intend to distribute abortion-inducing drugs with the intent to cause an abortion for another individual.
Munson mentioned how she believes this bill would basically target and ban getting abortion pills by mail.
During debates and hearings on this bill, Rep. Crosswhite Hader said her goal with this piece of legislation is to help protect the health of women in the state.
“My goal is to protect the physical and mental health of women,” Crosswhite Hader said. “This bill addresses people that are trafficking abortion-inducing drugs to young women with little to no thought to the consequences. All to make a profit from a woman during one of the most vulnerable times of her life.”
During the press conference, Munson said Crosswhite Hader’s claims were simply false.
Minority Leader Munson also spoke about Nex Benedict, the nonbinary Oklahoma teen who died a day after an altercation inside one of their school’s bathrooms. Their death was ruled a suicide.
“We’ve lost a precious life [with Nex Benedict’s passing]. Someone who should be here today with their friends and family and going to class or just enjoying spring break like every other student,” Munson said. “We are working incredibly hard, not just trying to pass the policies that we know work for our constituents, but also fighting back against the extremism that continues to plague the work that we’re trying to do and accomplish.”
Munson mentioned how people speak about children has lasting effects. She mentioned leaders within the state who, in recent weeks, have spoken what some might consider to be harshly toward that community. She mentioned Oklahoma State Superintendent Ryan Walters directly during these remarks.
However, what was laced throughout her remarks was a rhetorical pushback against a supermajority in state legislatures. A supermajority is when one party holds the vast majority of the seats within a chamber of a legislature. In many states, including Oklahoma, the Republican Party holds a supermajority in both chambers of the legislature.
Some studies have shown legislatures with a supermajority composition can lead to more extreme policy outcomes, especially in times of high polarization.
During the Q and A portion of the press conference, 7News Legislative Reporter Justin Allen Rose asked Munson about the recent call from Oklahoma Attorney General Gentner Drummond on the state legislature to push for legislation similar to Texas’ controversial SB4 policy. That policy allows for state and local law enforcement agencies to arrest people who are suspected of being in the country illegally.
Oklahoma House Speaker Charles McCall (R-22) issued a statement after the AG’s call stating he plans on filing legislation similar to SB4.
In her response, Munson said AG Drummond and Speaker McCall are both vying to be the next governor of Oklahoma, so she is not surprised to see them pandering to that base. She went on to say how the House has already passed the deadline to hear bills which originated in the House, so she is unsure how he would be able to do what he says he is going to do.
Other speakers during the press conference included Montana Rep. Zooey Zephyr, Tennessee Rep. Justin Jones, Iowa Democratic Leader Rep. Jennifer Konfrst, and special election candidate for the Alabama House Marilyn Lands.
The vast majority of the speakers spoke about Republican supermajorities within their state legislatures, and the dangers of having a supermajority of either party within a legislature.
Copyright 2024 KSWO. All rights reserved.
