The U.S. Supreme Court sided with Maine state Rep. Laurel Libby on Tuesday, after the Republican challenged her punishment from state Democrats for standing up for girls and refusing to back down.
As chronicled by The Daily Wire, Rep. Libby was censured — banned from voting and speaking on the House floor — by Maine Democrats back in February over a Facebook post drawing attention to Maine’s controversial transgender policies. Specifically, the post featured a public image of a boy winning a state championship in high school girls’ pole vaulting.
“The Democrat majority in the Maine House voted to censure me and at the same time, to strip my constituents of their voice and their vote,” Libby told The Daily Wire in a phone interview Wednesday. “And following the censure vote is when Democrat House Speaker Ryan Fecteau declared that, until I apologize, I would not be allowed to speak or vote on the floor.”
Libby said she knew immediately she was going to fight back. “That night after the censure, I had decided to move forward with a lawsuit, and we filed two weeks later,” she said.
And so far, the fight has paid off for Libby. The Republican has become a leading player in the fight for girls sports, and on Tuesday, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that she’s allowed to vote while her legal battle plays out.
“I can vote, which is the key part,” Libby said. “That’s the most important, right? Because my constituents have been without a vote on important legislation for three months now. I can vote on their behalf, but I still cannot speak.”
Not only did SCOTUS side with Libby, but there were only two dissents, which came from Justices Ketanji Brown Jackson and Sonia Sotomayor. Notably, Jackson, who was the only one to explain her dissent, suggested that it’s likely Libby will ultimately win her case.
“I was surprised that it was 7 -2. Frankly, I’m really thrilled with that result,” Libby said, before noting Jackson’s dissent: “It really came down to the process and the procedure and timeframe, and not the merits.”
“I was hopeful, but perhaps not optimistic before,” the Republican said. “And I would say I’m outright optimistic now.”
Libby told The Daily Wire she believes her case was picked up by the Supreme Court since the actions taken against her were “unprecedented.”
“I think when folks who are not involved in politics think of the role of their representative, they think of the fact that they’re voting on legislation, right?” she explained. “To have a duly elected representative stripped of that right, which is how they speak for their constituents, is shocking and an attack on democracy.”
As for now, Libby said she’s excited to give her constituents their voice back. The first bill she’s able to vote on concerns a measure to repeal the national popular vote compact in Maine.
“I’m thrilled to be able to vote on that bill and others on their behalf — we’ll also have some really important budget bills coming up where there are probably going to be new and raised taxes, which I will vote against,” Libby explained. “I’m glad to be able to exercise my vote on behalf of the people of House District 90.”
Related: Janet Mills And Her Family Get Rich Off The Maine Governor’s Transgender Stance
