Democracy is on the ballot in November

With primary elections over in Connecticut, the shift to to the general election on November 8 is underway. Labor and people's organizations are preparing for a full mobilization to get out the vote, as extremist Republicans target this state.

As became clear when the US Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, all hard won constitutional, rights including the right to vote itself are at stake. Democracy will be on the ballot along with reproductive rights, voting rights, workers' rights, civil rights and environmental justice.

Extremist Republican Leora Levy, supported by Donald Trump, will be challenging Richard Blumenthal for U.S. Senate. Right-wing Republican Bob Stefanowski will be challenging Governor Ned Lamont.

And in the Fifth Congressional District, the national Republican campaign committee is targeting former teacher and union member Rep. Jahana Hayes, the first African American woman in the Connecticut Congressional delegation.

The Connecticut AFL-CIO is launching an all-out voter mobilization of union members and their families at a Labor Day Breakfast on September 2. At it's biennial convention in June, delegates adopted a resolution calling the election one of “extremely high stakes for working people.”

This election's high stakes were underscored last week when all Republicans in the US Senate voted against the Inflation Reducation Act. The bill passed with a tie-breaking vote by Vice President Kamala Harris.

While the $370 billion bill got watered down to achieve enough votes for passage, in a press conference at the state capitol Senators Blumenthal and Murphy said it is critical to improve peoples' lives.

“This measure is truly historic,” said Blumenthal who fought for its passage.. “It is the biggest single investment in fighting climate change in United States history. It is the most important step to cut medicine costs in American history. It is the biggest step forward in tax fairness in recent history.”

The bill allows Medicare to negotiate drug prices, caps out-of-pocket drug costs for Medicare recipients and imposes a 15% minimum tax on corporations earning at least $1 billion and a 1% tax on corporate stock buybacks .

While the bill takes important steps to move from fossil fuels to renewable energy sources, climate change activists emphasize there is much more action required. This election will determine the ability to wage that fight.

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