Data: State of quorum; Cartogram: Kavya Beheraj / Axios
There are twice as many states that have strong Republican-controlled legislatures than those with strong Democratic-controlled ones, according to Quorum’s new 2021 State Legislative Trends report.
Why is this important: The power of state legislatures has been exposed nationwide in recent weeks, with Texas and other states passing voting and abortion restrictions, as well as coronavirus-related laws, as well as redesigning them. constituency boundaries for the next decade.
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Sixteen states have strong Republican control, compared to eight states with strong Democratic control.
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Fourteen states have slight Republican control. Eleven states, plus Washington, DC, have slight Democratic control.
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Nebraska has the only unicameral legislature and has no formal party alignment – although most members tend to affiliate with political parties in the state.
Between the lines: The data reveals how Republicans have more control over state laws in the United States, but it also shows which states could most easily be toppled.
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Minnesota, Arizona, New Hampshire, Michigan, and Virginia have the thinnest partisan advantages in their state legislatures. Minnesota only has a 3% Democratic advantage and Virginia 16%.
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Of the 10 thinnest state legislative majorities, only three lean Democrats.
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The rest are pretty Republican, potentially giving Democrats a chance to regain control of more state legislatures in the next election.
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