Jim Hightower breaks down the Texas gerrymandering battle—and what comes next

Please see is a in a rush transcript and might include mistakes. A proofread model can be made to be had once imaginable.

Marc Steiner:

Welcome to the Marc Steiner Display right here on The Actual Information. I’m Marc Steiner. It’s admirable to have you ever all with us. Texas at this time is the bellwether for the ability of the best in The us, Texas. Governor Abbott has threatened to decrease Democrats of their congressional delegation and to prosecute democratic climate lawmakers who disagree to go back to their seats to ban him from railroading his authoritarian time table. Who higher to speak about this than my visitor these days? The mythical populist Jim Hightower, who joins us from his house in Austin, Texas. We publishers the Low Do e-newsletter that we’ll be linking to. He was once two times elected Texas Agricultural Commissioner and has remained a thorn within the facet of the tough, as he places it, giving the The us’s habitual crowd a tonality towards the rule of thumb of the plutocratic elites. Welcome, Jim. Excellent to have you ever with us.

Jim Hightower:

All the time excellent to be joined with you.

Marc Steiner:

So I used to be having a look at my notes and I wrote on the supremacy for some explanation why as I used to be doodling, Texas is the fascist canary within the coal mine. No longer it all, however let, let’s do, discuss what appears to be taking playground in Texas at this time with the governor. The Democrats working away so there received’t be a quorum. And Trump sought after to redistrict all of Texas, give Republicans extra energy. I heartless, there’s an actual struggle happening. So communicate a little bit about how that took place and what do you assume is occurring?

Jim Hightower:

Neatly, in used formed energy snatch, that’s all there may be to it. The governor gerrymandered the climate of Texas maximum lately, simply 4 years in the past, he was once very happy with that. In truth, he was once in court docket protecting his gerrymandering. However after Donny sought after to get 5 extra congressional seats squeezed out of Texas. So dutifully, Greg Abbott, the governor, kowtowed to the Donald and stated, sure, sir, we’ll paintings on that. We’ll do, we will be able to gerrymandered the gerrymandering. And that’s what he proposed to do, convening a different consultation of the legislature, which is a dear proposition by means of the best way, in order them again in combination. And all the time a deadly proposition

And commanded that they re carve out the states to squeeze the crowd extra totally out of the political procedure. The crowd being the workaday other folks, the patrons, the environmentalists, simply habitual destitute crowd, simply farmers, simply habitual crowd in order that Trump may have 5 extra seats in Congress. And the Democrats to their credit score stated, incorrect, we’re no longer going to take a seat right here for that. And by means of the best way, this is an impressive factor as a result of there are those that say, I need to accumulation administrative center. I need to have a seat in Congress. Neatly, it’s something to accumulation the seat, nevertheless it’s any other factor to worth the seat to position it to paintings for habitual crowd, which is the theory of liberty. And that’s what the Democrats are status up for and to deliver, in lieu than simply sit down there and be abused by means of the Republican, tremendous majority on account of gerrymandering, had been in a position to keep an eye on all of the executive of the climate of Texas. In order that they’re ready to run this factor thru. And the Democrats worn one device this is all the time to be had to them. And that’s simply to mention aios.

Marc Steiner:

So what the Democrats are doing by means of absconding and no longer permitting the votes to hurry playground on the day, it’s a delaying tactic. However is it a technique? I heartless, what takes playground relating to this struggle that’s taking to exit on that may unfold like wildfire to Republican held states around the nation? What do you do but even so simply announcing, I’m no longer appearing up?

Jim Hightower:

Neatly, that may be a tough message. Primary, the crowd of Texas will simply think that the legislature by no means display up. We now have, what’s it? We meet two times a hour for 140 days within the habitual consultation of the legislature. The crowd would in lieu we meet 140 years for 2 days could be a greater trade in. So there’s all the time been a mistrust of centralized executive in Texas and centralized executive, which worn to be the bugaboo of the Republican birthday celebration now’s their program. We wish centralized executive. We don’t need towns so as to go issues that we within the legislature, that we, within the governor’s administrative center, that we within the Lieutenant Governor’s administrative center, we lawyer basic’s administrative center don’t need as a result of we’re I planks, we’re valid wing plutocratic, theocratic, kleptocratic ID planks. And we don’t need the crowd stepping into the best way of that. And in order that’s why they regularly aim to rig the device.

And after now and again, as in now must rer the device. And a few democratic governors in California and Illinois particularly Unused York it looks as if as smartly, announcing, ok, in the event that they’re taking to play games this silly sport, after we will be able to play games too, and we understand how to do it. And so for each 5 seats that they squeeze out of Texas, we’ll squeeze any other 5 out of a few alternative climate. And so we’ll stability the device once more. And that’s why the crowd are so unwell of presidency gameplay. And that’s actually all that is, is partisanship run amok and the crowd are unwell of it. And that’s why there’s incorrect cue and scream by means of the society in Texas towards the Democrats leaving behind their position, leaving behind their activity. They should come again right here and do their activity. And do their activity manner to them that the Democrats must simply sit down quietly of their seats. Refuse, we worth what gear we’ve got. And sure, it’s not a long-term technique, however the long-term technique is liberty. That’s what Republicans persistently are combating in maximum climate legislatures and indisputably within the nationwide executive as smartly.

Marc Steiner:

So I heartless, you will have the status the place Trump is supporting this progress to decrease democratic seats in Texas. You presently have Governor Newsom announcing that he of California announcing if this continues, they’re taking to have their very own rules to decrease Republican seats. So the place does this hurry us? I heartless,

Jim Hightower:

Refuse, it’s creating a mockery of presidency itself creating a mockery needless to say of liberty. And so the Democrats are the usage of the only hand of playing cards that they have got, and also you’ve were given this Republican tremendous majority right here that may run thru probably the most godawful regulation. And we’ve got the worst executive in the US of The us, in Texas, which is actually going some, I heartless, that takes a certified talent of obstructionism and simply anti-democracy and forget for the crowd themselves so as to succeed in that. However we’ve got performed it. We now have the absolute best poverty fee within the nation. We had the fewest selection of crowd with fitness protection within the nation. We had the absolute best selection of destitute crowd, the absolute best selection of destitute kids. We had the worst infrastructure. We will be able to’t even get ultimatum poised on a floodplain out within the hill nation of Texas as we skilled horribly within the terminating couple of months and simply factor later factor. Our executive is failing once more on account of gerrymandering. And also you discussed that Trump supported this? Refuse, Trump initiated this. He’s the person who made the telephone name to Greg Abbott and stated, I want 5 extra. Understand that telephone name he made to

The treasurer, I assumption it was once, or whoever respectable in Georgia and stated, I want 11,000 extra votes. Deliver me 11,000 votes. Deliver me the pinnacle of Diego Garcia. And he expects that to be delivered. And the Republican birthday celebration has turn into the Donald birthday celebration. And they simply say, sure, sir, for the rest that he asks for. And our obsequious psalmus, I’ll say {that a} bunch of Republican officers simply exit at the side of it. It’s as though they’ve incorrect delight in anyway inside of themselves. And we’ve had a historical past of this in Texas. There’s a wide variety of rebellions. When the climate of Texas had a different progress by means of the slavery, crowd in our climate in 1861 moved to dissolve Texas association with the US and turn into a accomplice climate. Sam Houston was once the governor at that date. There’s no longer a extra iconic Texas determine than Sam Houston,

Marc Steiner:

Proper?

Jim Hightower:

And but Sam Houston stated, incorrect, I’m no longer going to position up with that. I imagine within the union in the US of The us. And so he refused to swear allegiance to the Confederacy. And they got here to get him actually, I heartless bodily moved in to the climate capitol to aim to take away Sam Houston. And he stepped apart. However simplest by means of announcing this can be a subject of theory. I’m no longer taking to swear allegiance to one thing that I don’t imagine in. And to one thing that I believe is a extremity for the crowd, the habitual crowd of Texas in a extremity for the union as smartly.

Marc Steiner:

So I surprise what you assume in the entire years you’ve been combating in Texas and across the nation the place this takes us, what’s the technique not to permit liberty to be shattered?

Jim Hightower:

That’s all the time as much as the crowd. And that’s the excellent information that I will be able to deliver to you is that those energy grabs, those audacious unprincipled, simply rigging of the device and stealing of crowd’s basic political rights, infuriates the society. And it’s that society this is now in insurrection. And that insurrection is the method. It might probably’t be performed by means of Greg, by means of Newsom out in California. It might probably’t be performed by means of any alternative democratic birthday celebration determine or political determine. It’s were given to be performed by means of the crowd themselves spotting that they’re being screwed. They usually maximum indisputably are. And a lot of these movements create that simply blatantly viewable to crowd. A accumulation can exit on that crowd don’t pay a lot consideration to. It’s, smartly, that’s simply politics. Neatly, that is greater than politics as a result of it’s stealing your rights and it’s after translating into stealing your healthcare, stealing your office protection, stealing environmental protections, et cetera, et cetera. And so crowd at some time get bored to death with that, and that is occurring. The primary actual divulge of it was once that large motion a couple of months in the past when there was once large incorrect kings protests that took place all around the nation. We had 20,000 crowd out right here in Austin, for instance. We had loads of hundreds in Unused York and

California and alternative playgrounds. There was once even a modest village in Alaska that had a protest of 1 man.

Marc Steiner:

I noticed that

Jim Hightower:

I’m no longer taking to let this occur. Any person’s taking to protest right here and it’s taking to be me. Neatly, that’s the angle. Basically, the crowd of The us are revolting in the perfect sense of that word, by means of the best way, and are announcing incorrect to those ripoffs. And we would like a good politics once more. And that is going additional into we were given to get the large cash out of politics as a result of that’s what’s at the back of all of this. That’s the energy this is at the back of.

Marc Steiner:

So in Texas itself at this day, how do you assume this performs out? The Democrats can simplest keep away for goodbye simply relating to cash, relating to representing their constituents. So how does this play games itself out?

Jim Hightower:

It performs out by means of the elections. We’re taking to have elections and we’re going to position all of these things thru. We’re recruiting applicants, very, superb applicants in any respect ranges. We spill out a decision. Bernie Sanders did this too, by means of the best way, and it was once very efficient. And that’s run for precinct chair. That’s no longer a weighty accountability administrative center. And it’s essential turn into the precinct chair of the Democratic Birthday party, and that may trade the politics for your county. We now have 50 counties in Texas that don’t have any Democratic birthday celebration chair, a lot much less democratic birthday celebration equipment. So we need to form again an supplementary, form again the infrastructure of that supplementary to after employ excellent applicants and rally the parents round the ones applicants to elect and throw off those scoundrels. They’re simply somewhat working roughshod over crowd’s rights.

Marc Steiner:

Neatly, you’re additionally dealing with a day the place this would govern to the gutting of the Balloting Rights Function and has became the whole thing on its head that was once fought for the terminating 60 years.

Jim Hightower:

Yeah, yeah. We’re in a misfortune date, no longer simply in Texas, within the nation. I heartless, the Superb Courtroom, as you assert, is basically dismantling the Balloting Rights Function, that are vote casting rights. Through the best way. The phrases are impressive. The ones are the rights of the crowd so as to vote. And the Superb Courtroom goes at the side of the Republicans and the Plutocratic company leaders who need this to occur. They don’t desire a liberty. They would like a plutocracy, they would like an autocracy, and that’s what they’re looking to installed playground. And the Superb Courtroom is part of that. And once more, the cash powers are utterly at the back of this. And in order that’s a long run combat, is to get the cash out. The very first thing is to exchange plethora of the scoundrels who’re stealing our vote casting rights in administrative center to modify that. And we’re on that program in an overly critical approach. And by means of the best way, we’ve been making advances within the terminating couple of elections. We elected Greg Casar to be a member of Congress valid right here in Austin. San Antonio Congressional District, a former laborer rights recommend in our climate, were given elected to the Congress, Jasmine Crockett up within the Dallas department, a ferocious tonality. So ferocious than Donald Trump is frightened of her principally. And is ens preserve her? He has each valid to be frightened of her, by means of the best way. She’s tenacious and she or he’s fine. And so extra of a lot of these crowd. And now we’re recruiting others to hurry workplaces within the upcoming election cycle, which can be starting within the primaries upcoming march, I assumption it’s.

Marc Steiner:

So the query I’ve right here within the date we’ve got left in combination is we may well be dealing with, given what’s going down in Texas on the day, and what alternative Republican governors have stated they’re taking to do on this struggle a day this is some of the vital day in American historical past since they killed reconstruction and allowed this sort of dictatorship to enter the within the South and alternative playgrounds. So what do you spot because the approach to fight that? The tactic not to permit that to occur?

Jim Hightower:

It’s politics. The alternative technique is upheaval, riots, violence revolution. So the one technique you will have trim of that, which is vile for all, is to form a politics again. We’re no longer a right-wing climate in spite of the proof that you simply see within the crowd who’re in administrative center right here in Texas and in our congressional delegation. We’re a non-voting climate. We now have the bottom voter turnout in maximum elections of any climate within the nation, and indisputably throughout the worst two or 3 states within the nation. And that’s what we need to form again. And it’s been the faint of the Democratic Birthday party that has allowed this to occur. The Democratic Birthday party was a cash birthday celebration starting within the Eighties and continuing now simply complete tilt. However now crowd are taking that again. Crowd throughout the Congress, crowd working for administrative center across the nation, crowd who’re Ken Martin, the pristine chair of the Nationwide Democratic Birthday party simply got here out for a suggestion that will cancel dull cash being worn in our number one campaigns that can not hurry unaccountable cash from firms. The vast majority of it comes from firms in order that the crowd don’t even know who’s paying, who’s purchasing the election. So reforms like which might be taking playground. Structural reforms are taking playground which might be taking to create a remaining within the lengthy haul, however this is a lengthy haul combat.

Democrats can’t keep out perpetually right here in lieu of Texas. They’ve were given households, et cetera. They’ve were given the unedited jobs that lots of them have, and that at last they’ve were given to come back again to these. Alright? However we’re taking to worth that to create some extent and to rally alternative supporters for administrative center to turn into political activists and to start to revolt by contrast thievery this is taking playground valid in entrance of our very highs. And that may form a pristine politics that may after form up for the lengthy haul. And we’ve performed this sooner than. That’s the article I book announcing to crowd, in particular younger crowd, they believe, oh my God, that is the worst factor that’s ever took place. Neatly, you identified something. Jim Crow rules have been good-looking godawful.

And we had a civil struggle, we had a terrible despair. Or even an effort below Franklin Roosevelt for a coup, there was once a company coup tried by means of Wall Streeters that have been taking to overthrow Franklin Roosevelt as president of the US and take away him. That in truth took place in our nation. So we, we’ve had those crises which might be simply coming near near sooner than they usually play games out for a occasion, however after the crowd revolt. They arrive again and form one thing else of their playground. And that’s, the historical past of Texas is a continuing insurrection. And after the cash powers are available in and after we revolt towards them. Once more, liberty is a procedure. It’s no longer a factor that occurs.

Marc Steiner:

Proper. And one terminating factor that sooner than you exit, I heartless I used to be enthusiastic about what Greg Cesar stated, the congressman we have been speaking about previous, he stated that crowd want to concentrate on what’s going down in Texas at this time as a result of Donald Trump desires to unfold this sort of ploy throughout The us. Trump is aware of he can’t win the then midterms. So he’s looking to rig them and dismantle the Balloting Rights Function of 1965 as we understand it. And that’s obviously what they’re making an attempt to do on each ranges. So once more, I need to come again to the purpose I used to be making previous, the way you combat that during Texas.

Jim Hightower:

You do exactly what Greg Cassar stated and simply what I’ve been announcing and what Democrats, the enthusiastic Democrats are announcing around the nation. And that’s you’ll’t simply combat it in Texas to their Korean, I heartless, Trump concept that we simply plan this thru in Texas as a result of I’ve were given Greg Abbott there, I’ve were given my boys that’ll take charge of this for. And after it seems that, wait a modest, California says, smartly, we’ve were given some motion on this too. And after Illinois says that, and after Unused Hampshire says that, and after all Alabama, Steven says that. And so it builds. So already they’re in a far larger combat than they’d any concept that they have been tampering with.

Marc Steiner:

It sort of feels like we’re at the verge, if no longer, we’re already in it of a significant political civil struggle on this nation.

Jim Hightower:

Neatly, sure. I heartless, I don’t worth civil struggle oddly as a result of we had a civil struggle. Refuse, yeah, valid, valid, valid. It was once calamitous. However we’re in the course of a

Marc Steiner:

Political

Jim Hightower:

Warfare for the very sole and chance of liberty. In order that’s the combat. This isn’t a combat in regards to the Texas legislature. It is a combat about whether or not the crowd themselves are going so as to have a vote that issues, a vote this is counted relatively

Marc Steiner:

Neatly. It’s all the time a diversion to speak with you. I do know that you’ve got a combating is ill and deep deepen your bones. And so I need to proceed staying involved about what’s going down in Texas.

Jim Hightower:

Please do. I’d find it irresistible.

Marc Steiner:

And we will be able to be speaking once more quickly. Thanks such a lot for being with us these days.

Jim Hightower:

Superb. Thanks.

Marc Steiner:

Whisk help.

And because of Cameron Grino for working this system these days, audio writer Steven Frank for running his necromancy Roset Ali for generating the Mark Steiner display and hanging up with me and the tireless kra, making all of it paintings at the back of the scenes. And everybody right here at The Actual Information for making the display imaginable. Please let me know what you concept, however what you heard these days, what you’d like us to guard, simply incrible to me ats@therealnews.com and I’ll get valid again to you. So for the group right here at International Information, I’m Mark Steiner. Keep concerned. Secure listening, and hurry help.