Earlier this month, the Tennessee House voted to expel two Black legislators, Reps. Pearson and Jones, for speaking out for gun safety laws, while a white colleague who did the same was allowed to remain in office.

In Georgia, legislators have passed a bill that gives them the power to remove Fulton County’s District Attorney, Fani Willis, over her investigation into Trump’s demands to “find” votes to overturn the election in the state.

Now, after refusing to recognize her for an entire week, the Montana House voted to bar Rep. Zooey Zephyr from speaking or voting on the House floor for the rest of the legislative session – after extremists claimed that her choice to stand with her microphone raised in solidarity with protestors was equivalent to “encouraging an insurrection.”

I want to be clear about what we’re up against here: This pattern is an intentional tactic from authoritarian, right-wing extremists who want to silence duly elected officials who dissent – so they can push their own agenda, regardless of what voters want.

And it’s enabled by the extreme gerrymandering and voter suppression that fuel hyper-partisan supermajorities in our states, denying us a meaningful choice at the polls and shutting out the opportunity for real debate.

This isn’t what is supposed to happen in a democracy. It’s what happens in an authoritarian state – where anyone who opposes the ruling party is punished for the mere act of speaking out. That can’t, and won’t happen here in America

Join us today in condemning the attempts by state legislatures to overrule voters and silence lawmakers for advocating for their constituents.