Louisiana Republicans have continued to consolidate power in the Pelican State. All congressional Republicans retained their seats in the 2022 elections and the party managed to gain seats in the state legislature despite not holding any elections. While Louisiana holds state-level elections during off-years (the next one is later this year in November) two Democrats in the state House switched parties, giving Republicans the ability to override vetoes from the state’s Democratic governor. This expands Republican control in Louisiana and allows them to push through their policy priorities with less opposition.

No-Fault Divorce: It’s always about controlling women

How might Louisiana Republicans flex their newfound power? They’re entertaining a proposal to outlaw no-fault divorces. If you haven’t heard, fringe conservatives across the nation have been pushing to end no-fault divorces for the past few years. Much of their reasoning behind this policy is rooted in misogyny and authoritarianism: they believe that no-fault divorces allow women to “shift spouses like they change their underwear” and ultimately harm children. They propose that eliminating no-fault divorces will keep families together and be good for kids, despite copious amount of research suggesting that long-term unhappy marriages produce harm for spouses AND children.

Conservatives’ obsession with no-fault divorce has recently been reignited with the controversy surrounding Steven Crowder. For those out of the loop: Crowder is a popular right-wing podcaster known for regularly platforming racist, misogynist and other discriminatory ideas. A video was recently leaked of him berating his, at the time, eight-month pregnant wife for not performing her “wifely duties.” In a response to the leaked video, he announced that he is in the middle of a contentious divorce that was not his choice:

“My then-wife decided that she didn’t want to be married any more. In the state of Texas, that’s completely permitted... I’ve still believe that children need a mom and a dad and that divorce is horrible. But in today’s legal system, my beliefs don’t matter. In Texas, divorce is permitted when one party wants it, Period.”

I hope you hear the alarm bells going off: when met with criticism over his treatment of his ex-wife he bemoans the fact that she was allowed to get a divorce in the first place. This is not the first time he’s targeted divorce laws, just last year he blatantly ranted that “we need to reform divorce laws in this country” and he’s most definitely not alone in this crusade.

Republicans legislators across the country are taking notice. Louisiana Republicans seem to still be in the early stages of crafting legislation as they’re currently only considering a non-binding resolution supporting the elimination of no-fault divorces. Texas Republicans have taken it a step further: they’ve gone as far as to include opposition to no-fault divorces in their most recent party platform…

We urge the Legislature to rescind unilateral no-fault divorce laws, to support
covenant marriage, and to pass legislation extending the period of time in which a divorce may occur to six months after the date of filing for divorce.

-2022 Texas Republican Party Platform

Extremist watchdogs recognize the ways these conservatives link their defense of marriage to their opposition to abortion and LGBTQ rights. This is simply one extension of the larger culture war that the far-right is waging. By making divorces, abortions and even simply going to the bathroom more difficult they aim to shape culture by restricting the actions of women and trans-identifying people.

Next in line to restrict trans rights…

“It’s a mudslide into degradation of the moral fabric of our society.”

-Woody Jenkins, head of the East Baton Rouge Parish Republican Party.

No, Jenkins wasn’t referencing the myriad laws restricting trans people’s rights across the country. This was his response to a bill preventing job discrimination on the basis of someone’s gender identity or sexuality. The bill was proposed by Louisiana Democrats and failed to make it out of committee due to Republican push-back. Instead, Louisiana legislators have supported an anti-trans sports bill and are currently advancing a ban on gender-affirming care for minors.

According to Genocide Watch, an international non-profit organization that advocates against mass murder, there are ten stages of genocide. Believe it or not, Republicans are waist-deep into Stage 6 (Polarization) and are already beginning Stage 7 (Preparation). To be very clear, we’ve already blown sped through the stages of discrimination, dehumanization and organization just in the last few years. They are very clear in their goal, in their own words: “transgenderism must be eradicated from public life entirely.”

We cannot let this hateful behavior continue. Not only do we need to educate ourselves on trans issues so that we don’t fall prey to ignorant talking points about “protecting children” we also need to forcefully support the trans community as the attacks increase. Click the button below to provide targeted support to Louisiana’s Trans Community via a bevy of local organizations.

Support Louisiana's Trans Community

A pair of DINOs may help make their wishes a reality

Heading into 2023, Louisiana Republicans were just one seat shy of holding super-majorities across both chambers of the state legislature. Believe it or not, it was a crotchety southern Democrat that handed Republicans full legislative power this past March. State Representative Francis Thompson is currently the state’s longest serving legislator and he recently switched parties, leaving the Democratic Party behind in favor of Republicans. This shift officially gave the Republican party the ability to override vetoes delivered by the state’s Democratic governor. (Less than a month later, fellow DINO State Rep. Jeremy LaCombe also switched parties helping cement Republican control over Louisiana government.)

To be fair: these shifts were overdue as both LaCombe and Thompson have voted with Republicans for the past few years. Most notably, Thompson sided with Republicans twice to convene a special session to override the governor’s veto. One of those sessions led to the implementation of a congressional map that likely engages in racial gerrymandering and violates federal law.

Let’s call a spade a spade, these guys have long been DINOs: Democrats In Name Only. Despite identifying as a Democrat, Thompson has previously co-sponsored a bill to ban transgender girls from school sports and also fought to remove restrictions on concealed handguns. What’s so abhorrent about this shift is that at a time when Republicans have been proudly expanding their bigotry nationwide these guys really pointed to them and said that they “best represent my views.”

Okay Francis. Just don’t come crying to Democrats when the leopards eat your face.

More From Battleground on Louisiana

• Racial gerrymandering? Figure out if Louisiana’s Republican-drawn congressional map will be upheld or struck down by the courts.

• DINOs aren’t quite extinct in Louisiana. Learn how the state’s political history has led to the survival of a rare breed conservative Democrats.