With all eyes on the turmoil in Charlotte this week, the nation is debating back and forth over race relations and effective policing. With touchy subjects such as these, it's often best to wait on passing judgment until all relevant evidence is sorted out.
Did you know that the North Carolina legislature is actively working on a bill that would prevent the public from viewing body camera videos of police officers? Probably not.
Every once in a while, state governments will make national headlines for something outrageous, or controversial, or averse to logic. North Carolina's HB2, Indiana's Religious Freedom Restoration Act, and a slew of voter identification laws come most immediately to mind. What's curious about these laws is that there is little uproar when they are introduced as bills. The headlines are always about the laws that have already been passed. But why?
The answer is simple: we don't care about state politics.
National politics is flashy and glamorous, there's no denying it. The presidential election holds critical importance, and so people rightfully pay attention to it. This November, voters will go to the polls and choose from a list of some of the most well known people in the nation for holding office. How many of those voters can name a single state legislator?
With a system like ours, voters either choose candidates for state offices purely by party association, or they don't vote in state elections at all. It's incredibly dangerous when considering the power that state governments have.
Often times, the policies introduced in these controversial bills that are passed into law are not supported by a majority of voters. For example, Indiana's Religious Freedom bill, which had dangerous consequences for Americans in the LGBTQ community, was widely unpopular with a majority of Americans. The public's opinion was not reflected by the people who represent them, because those representatives understood that they could operate completely under the radar.
With a lot at stake, voters should be more cognizant of lesser levels of politics. This November, take the effort to research some of the down ticket races, and make a responsible choice on who will be writing laws with your best interest in mind. It's the best way to keep government working for the people.
