“The weak can overcome the strong, if the weak persist.” ~Parable of the Sower
Last week, when in the closing days of the Missouri state legislative session the Republican supermajority once again defied voters by repealing one citizen initiative and putting another one back on the ballot, I realized:
Not everyone goes through this every legislative session.
But Red State Democrats do. And we have some lessons to share.
Because the Republican playbook is clear, if you pay attention to Red States like Missouri, where I live.
Their goal is to wear us down.
Let me explain how I know.
When Roe fell, our Attorney General ran to the courthouse in his slippery office shoes so that he could be the very first one to take a constitutional right away from me. The trigger ban he was so eager to trigger was so extreme that it provided no exceptions for rape or incest.
But Missourians have the citizen petition process, and through that process we brought an initiative to enshrine reproductive freedom into the state constitution. Qualifying for the November ballot was a gauntlet that required signatures from 8% of registered voters from six of Missouri’s eight congressional districts.
That’s around 180,000 signatures in total, distributed around the state – an expensive, logistically challenging, and time-consuming process that has taken other signature-gathering efforts the better part of a year and millions of dollars.
But the Secretary of State – a staunch anti-abortion activist – intentionally delayed that process to compress that timeframe even more.
So we didn’t have a year to gather the necessary signatures.
We had 90 days.
Seeing people across this state rise to that challenge was one of the most inspiring things I’ve ever seen. Women in cities hosted signing parties. Rural activists like Jess Piper drove all over the state to bring the petition to women in far flung, tiny towns who wanted to sign, then doubled back to get everything notarized, to make sure that every I was dotted and every T was crossed.
We needed 180,000 signatures.
We turned in 380,000.
But it still wasn’t over.
With the constitutional deadline to print ballots looming and with every legal challenge having been dismissed, the Republican state senator who wrote the abortion ban threw a Hail Mary and brought a case that flung every legal argument against the petition at the wall, to see if anything would stick.
Judge Christopher Limbaugh (yes, the cousin of that Rush Limbaugh) caught her Hail Mary pass and created a legal standard out of whole cloth, then claimed the petition didn’t meet it. On the day of the constitutional deadline to print ballots, the Missouri Supreme Court heard the case on an emergency basis.
In a 4-3 ruling, they agreed the petition should be on the ballot.
So finally, in November, the people were allowed to make their voices heard. The abortion amendment passed, and the right to abortion is now part of Missouri’s constitution.
But, possibly, not for long.
See, while citizens have to go through all of the above hoops in order to get a petition on the ballot, the legislature has no such restrictions. They can add questions to our ballots easily, with a simple sweep of their legislative pen.
And so, last week, in the closing days of session, the Republican supermajority in the Missouri state legislature added an abortion ban (dressed up with ballot candy) to our ballot.
And so, we begin again.
After all the hoop jumping, all the effort, all the time, all the advocacy, all the money, all the heart.
It is emotionally, financially, and physically exhausting to live like this.
That, friend, is the point.
This isn’t the first time Missouri Republicans have violated the will of the voters. It’s not even the only time this session. Alongside the abortion amendment, in November 58% of Missourians passed a paid sick leave petition that requires employers to give an employee one measly hour of sick time for every 30 hours worked.
But unlike the abortion amendment, the sick leave provision was not added to our constitution – making the process to undo it even simpler. The Republican supermajority of the Missouri state legislature could simply overturn the paid sick leave provision.
And that’s exactly what they did.
They have a history of ignoring voters. In 2010, Republican lawmakers outright repealed an anti-puppy mill initiative that Missourians had passed overwhelmingly. (I ask you – who protects puppy mills?)
In 2018, 62% of Missouri voters passed Clean Missouri, a constitutional amendment that cleaned up our redistricting process. Two years later the state legislature turned around and proposed a constitutional amendment to undo it. Dressed up with ballot candy that further limited lobbyist gifts, their repeal passed – preserving their precious gerrymandered maps and undoing Clean Missouri before it even got started.
When Missourians passed Medicaid expansion, Republicans refused to fund it; the Missouri Supreme Court had to step in. When St. Louis and Kansas City – Blue Oases in a sea of Red – have passed their own local reforms, the Republican supermajority has passed laws preempting them. They’ve preempted gun reform, minimum wage increases, local laws on paid or unpaid sick days, sick leave, vacation, health or retirement benefits, pesticides, ride sharing, municipal broadband, fire sprinklers….
It’s endless.
Every success (which is only possible in the blue cities) is sweet indeed … until it is met with a slap back from the Republican legislature. Every progressive ballot initiative that’s passed is met the following year with some strategy that will undo it.
It’s like you’re treading water on a choppy day. Every time you catch a breath, a wave slaps you in the face.
It’s exhausting.
But – whether you consider us a cautionary tale or a legend of persistence under constant, withering attack – those of us in Red States have lessons to share.
Friend, the current iteration of the Republican Party doesn’t intend to play by whatever rules you think exist, and it doesn’t intend to live up to its end of any bargains it may strike.
They will never relent. They will never stop.
Theirs is a war of attrition – their goal to wear us down and drain our resources and energy and hope.
Left with any levers of power, they will wrench democracy from our hands every time. They will never stop trying to overpower the will of the voters. They have proven that to be the case.
There is freedom in that realization; it exposes the only path forward.Subscribed
Yesterday as I was knitting this piece together, a fellow Substack author (and pastor) Hans Jorgensen wrote about the Parable of the Sower. He quoted one particular passage that stopped me in my tracks:
“The weak can overcome the strong, if the weak persist.” ~Parable of the Sower
It is this persistence that is most difficult.
Persistence in the face of withering criticism, disappearing resources, and unrealistic expectations is heroic.
There are many heroes organizing in Red States.
There are smart, dedicated, thoughtful, brave, experienced people who have tried to tackle this state, and others like it. The problems we have are not simple, or easy to fix. There’s not a one-cycle strategy to overcome the challenges we face.
So I’m glad to see the DNC promising sustained Red State party investment; that long-term assistance is critical. And I’m working hard as the Executive Director of Every State Blue to build out the grassroots infrastructure and year-round organizing muscle (and nominee support) that we need in Missouri, Ohio, and Tennessee. It’s making a difference; last week after the Missouri legislature overturned the will of the voters, over 400 people registered for a Blue Missouri call to talk about where we go from here.
For the other folks living in Red States, or red regions, know that I see where you are, I know where you’re coming from. I know it’s hard, and often under appreciated. I want you to know that I appreciate what you’re doing. I do think there’s a path forward in Red States, but I only believe that’s true because of people like you.
And for those of you living in Blue States, and blue regions, don’t write us off. There are many dedicated people who are working their fingers to the bone trying to make things better in every state. Amplify their work. Help their causes. Value their persistence; it comes at a mighty cost.
And appreciate that the lessons they’re learning locally are lessons we must implement nationally.
As I say often, Red State Democrats are not looking for sympathy.
We’re looking for company. After all, we’re all in this together, friend.
Let’s get to work.
Actions for the Week of May 20, 2025
Friend, things may be heavy – but you can lighten that load by doing something small – a “small deed” – to bring about the world that you want to see. In doing so we tell the world, the universe, our leaders – and most importantly, ourselves – that we will not go quietly into that good night.
I call it Action Therapy.
That’s why in each Tuesday post I share a few “small things” – usually a Small Thing to Read, a Small Event to Attend, and a Small Call to Make or Action to Take. My intention here is to give you actions you can tuck into your week with ease – and know that you’re doing something today to make tomorrow better.
Join me in doing so. It matters.
Small Call To Make: No to the Big Bad Billionaire Bill
Republicans are trying to ram through their cuts to social programs before the general public catches wind of what they’re doing. It’s really important for all of us to let them know that there are a lot of people paying attention.
Perhaps it feels like making one call can’t make that much of a difference – but it can, because it shows interest and knowledge. The more people call, the more concerned they will be with the repercussions of their votes.
Sunlight is the best disinfectant. Show them that there’s sunlight on what they’re doing.
Rogan’s List has created an exceptional Action Guide with loads of actions – like phone banks, social media content, scripts to use with your own friends and family, ideas for Letters to the Editor – so please head there for additional actions:
ACTION GUIDE: Taking Down The MAGA Murder Budget
Please give Rogan’s List a follow if you’re not already following them.
Especially if you have a Republican Rep, call them. Find their phone number by calling 202-224-3121 and giving your address. And because I’m a fan of amplifying (rather than re-creating) so I’m using 5 Calls’ wonderful script here:
Hello, my name is [NAME] and I’m a constituent from [CITY, ZIP].
I’m calling to urge [REP/SEN NAME] to oppose any budget reconciliation bill that cuts Medicaid, reduces Medicaid expansion, or imposes Medicaid work requirements. Medicaid is a lifeline for millions of Americans and rural health systems. Reducing its federal budget would cut off millions of people from needed health care and destroy lives and local economies.
Thank you for your time and consideration.
Small Event(s) to Attend: Field Team 6 and Fight for Democracy
Two great events this week – including one that’s tonight so hopefully you can make some space for it!
First up, tonight at 8pm eastern: How to Stop a Backsliding Democracy In Its Tracks (and Engineer a Reverse Course): Lessons Learned and What We Need to Do Next
Democracy is under siege at home and abroad—but history shows that authoritarianism can be stopped, and democracy can be rebuilt through courageous, strategic movements and the actions of everyday people. In this webinar, AFT President Randi Weingarten will moderate a discussion with experts and strategists of resistance and people-powered movements, exploring how we turn the tide through education, organized labor, and strategic coalition-building.
Register here: https://sharemylesson.com/webinars/how-to-stop-backsliding-democracy
Second, starting at 9am Pacific on Thursday, join Field Team 6 and a plethora of wonderful speakers for their all-day summit! Truly, the lineup of speakers is incredible and this promises to be an uplifting and galvanizing event. Check it out: https://www.fieldteam6.org/summit-2025
Small Thing to Read: The State Department Has Pressured Gambia to Use Starlink
First, last week a report came out by Pro Publica detailing a shocking amount of pressure that has been mounted by the State Department to get Gambia to use Elon Musk’s Starlink. I know it’s hard to keep up with the stories of grift (as Nemik in Andor says, “It’s easier to hide behind 40 atrocities than a single incident.”). So I wanted to share this blatant use of our country’s power to directly benefit the richest man in the world: https://www.propublica.org/article/trump-musk-starlink-state-department-gambia-africa-pressure
Second, the health research firm KFF published a tracking poll in April that showed public opinion on cuts to major health agencies. Notably: “more than nine in ten Democrats, eight in ten independents, and more than half of Republicans oppos[ed] federal funding cuts to” Medicare, Medicaid, and Social Security. Read more: https://www.kff.org/health-costs/poll-finding/kff-health-tracking-poll-april-2025-publics-view-on-major-cuts-to-federal-health-agencies/
Thanks for reading, friend – I’m glad to see you here! You’re making a difference, I promise.
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