Revolution in the States

[Casino67]

WSJ:

Here's a prediction: Democrats and liberals will soon preach the virtues of Congressional redistricting reform. The reason is the historic losses Democrats suffered on Tuesday at the state level that have set Republicans up to dominate the post-2000 Census process of rewriting district lines.

The GOP's failure to take over the U.S. Senate has masked the arguably more important story that Republicans picked up at least a record 680 state legislative seats nationwide. That's more than even the 472 seat gain in 1994, according to the American Legislative Exchange Council, and more than the previous record of 628 seats by Democrats in the Watergate election of 1974. Not since 1928 have Republicans held so many state legislative seats.

With control in three state bodies still undecided, Republicans have already won control of at least 19 state legislative chambers, including the Indiana, Pennsylvania, Michigan, Ohio and Montana houses. In at least five states—Alabama, Maine, New Hampshire, North Carolina and Wisconsin—Republicans took the majority in both legislative chambers. The GOP hasn't controlled Alabama's legislature since Reconstruction.

In bluer than blue Maine, Democrats started Tuesday with a 104 to 55 house advantage but the GOP won at least 22 seats. In New Hampshire, Republicans picked up some 120 house seats for a majority of 296 to 104. The Michigan state house had 66 Democrats to 43 Republicans and now stands with at least 60 Republicans to 47 Democrats. In Texas, Republicans turned their slim 77 to 73 advantage into an astonishing 99 to 51 seat majority.