Meghan Leonard
@meghanleonard.bsky.social
1K followers 4.1K following 90 posts
Associate Professor - Political Science @ Illinois State University: judicial politics & state supreme courts. cats. women's sports. basketball. she/her
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Reposted by Meghan Leonard
audrelawdamercy.bsky.social
Wednesday is gonna be a rough day:

The Supreme Court will be hearing oral argument in a pair of cases that threaten what little remains of the federal government’s ability to protect voters from racial gerrymandering under the Voting Rights Act

ballsandstrikes.org/scotus/louis...
Louisiana v Callais: The Republicans Justices Are Getting Ready to Finish Off the Voting Rights Act
In Louisiana v Callais, John Roberts will have the chance to finish his decades-long war on. voting rights.
ballsandstrikes.org
Reposted by Meghan Leonard
notalawyer.bsky.social
the actual story here, which the media never talks about, is that police in this country have become a discrete right-wing political operation. the story isn't about cops leaving (they're lying about that), it's about the police trying to exert influence over elections.
misoshnik.bsky.social
Lmao is this supposed to be a bad thing?
A tweet from Bari Weiss that says “"It's shaken me to my core," a lieutenant said of Mamdani's unexpected victory in June. "The absolute dread I feel is palpable.
"
Today in @TheFP our @Olivia_Reingold talks to the cops who say they will walk if Zohran Mamdani is elected in November:”
Reposted by Meghan Leonard
booksandbows.bsky.social
this is in edgewater, for those in the city. they’re all over the north side this weekend.
royalpratt.bsky.social
ICE / Border Patrol threatening to arrest a cyclist for following and recording in Chicago
Reposted by Meghan Leonard
jamellebouie.net
a key thing about vought — and all of these guys — is that they have a totally top down and hierarchical vision of the world. they believe that the cultural changes they hate can be turned off by destroying the federal government because they can’t imagine that they emerged bottom-up in society
thomaszimmer.bsky.social
What he’s railing against is a profound shift in culture, status… He’s obsessed with the idea that America is controlled by a leftist “ruling elite” - but “elite” isn’t defined socio-economically or by political power, it means something like: Getting to define “real America” and who gets to belong.
Reposted by Meghan Leonard
kevintmorris.bsky.social
There is so much going on these days, but one thing this week really does deserve your attention. On Wednesday, SCOTUS will hear oral arguments in a case that could overturn the VRA's protections against racial gerrymanders. Nothing is certain ahead of time.
Reposted by Meghan Leonard
angierasmussen.bsky.social
I don’t know who needs to hear this but the CDC is being eviscerated right now. America is not going to have any kind of outbreak response capacity after tonight. Americans’ health data is no longer secure. Say goodbye to federal public health in any capacity. It’s a disaster. We won’t recover.
Reposted by Meghan Leonard
reichlinmelnick.bsky.social
My first thought was “wow I hope this guy didn’t give out his name because he could absolutely be charged” and yup, he is correct to stay anonymous.

This man’s account is shocking. His neighbors’ situation is shocking. The entire Chicago raid is shocking.
On the other side was a mom and her 7-year-old daughter, pleading for his help.
"I wasn't planning on letting her stay, but I didn't know what the hell was going on," the man said of his Venezuelan migrant neighbors. But he quickly relented. The little girl was inconsolable and hid under his bed.
"I didn't want them to take her," said the man, who didn't want to be named because he fears he'll be targeted by federal authorities for his actions.
"I gave her my bedroom, and I just told her,
'Just stay there. Don't open, don't, shh, just stay quiet," he recalled telling the mom and daughter as he choked back tears.
Reposted by Meghan Leonard
kashana.blacksky.app
Very much enjoying the inflatable frog segment of the civil war.
Reposted by Meghan Leonard
govpritzker.illinois.gov
Donald Trump is not a king — and his administration is not above the law.

Today, the court confirmed what we all know: there is no credible evidence of a rebellion in the state of Illinois.

And no place for the National Guard in the streets of American cities like Chicago.
Reposted by Meghan Leonard
Reposted by Meghan Leonard
heathercherone.bsky.social
Perry: The federal government is "temporarily enjoined from ordering the federalization and deployment of the National Guard of the United States within Illinois."

That's it. Thanks again for following.
Reposted by Meghan Leonard
heathercherone.bsky.social
Perry agrees, after lawyers for the Trump administration decline to rule out the possibility that the president would mobilize another state's National Guard and sent those troops into Chicago.
meghanleonard.bsky.social
A friend asked today how things were in Chicago and aside from the obvious I noted that everywhere I look and everything I read about demonstrates this is a city of good people who are going to fight back in ways big and small. Chicago is showing their values.
Reposted by Meghan Leonard
heathercherone.bsky.social
Perry: "I see no credible evidence there is a danger of rebellion in the state of Illinois."
Reposted by Meghan Leonard
heathercherone.bsky.social
Perry: Four (4) federal judges have issued rulings in the past two (2) days in separate cases that cast significant doubt on federal officials' "credibility and assessment of what is happening on the streets of Chicago."
Reposted by Meghan Leonard
shannonheffernan.bsky.social
Reports of ICE presence is notable. But the scale of response from neighbors, just showing up-- is also pretty striking.
Reposted by Meghan Leonard
leahlitman.bsky.social
Brett Kavanaugh: “The Govt sometimes makes brief investigative stops …”
Kavanaugh concurrence
Reposted by Meghan Leonard
adamserwer.bsky.social
Has anyone ever asked this man to explain what the is wrong with being Palestinian? Seems like a simple follow up question. bsky.app/profile/atru...
atrupar.com
JD Vance describes Chuck Schumer as "one of the most famous Palestinians in the world"
Reposted by Meghan Leonard
heathercherone.bsky.social
I have lost count of how many times Hamilton has said that Perry must use a "highly deferential standard of review" when determining whether the president is acting lawfully.
Reposted by Meghan Leonard
heathercherone.bsky.social
Perry: Do you acknowledge that your depiction of what is happening at Broadview does not at all reflect what the Broadview Police and the Illinois State Police?
Hamilton: You must give great deference to the president
Perry: "What if he is relying on invalid evidence?"
Reposted by Meghan Leonard
victorerikray.bsky.social
When I see this, I wonder if people realize that Jim Crow racism in the American south was a type home-grown fascism. It was not (just) a superficially genteel system of social deference. Refusing to defer was often met with incredible violence designed to terrorize the entire Black community.
Reposted by Meghan Leonard
volts.wtf
It really can't be said enough: the goal of the "anti-woke" movement was always to destroy social norms against bigotry. And it worked. And there's a whole lot of purportedly "left" thinkers & commentators who helped it -- indeed, it couldn't have been done without them.

They should feel bad.