In their Left and the Law segment, Jan Haaken and Mike Snedeker look back on the legal terrain of 2021, taking up gains and losses around social justice reforms. They start with a short civics lesson on the three branches of lawmaking governing our lives: the Executive, Judicial and Legislative branches. Even as the Supreme Court and federal courts have been taken over by arch-conservatives, social movements have won victories, from the election of progressive prosecutors in response to the Black Lives Matter movement, Native American tribes using treaty rights in defending land and water rights, to cities suing fossil fuel companies for lying about climate change. Mike and Jan take up a few highlights here in Oregon, specifically in death penalty cases, and conclude with some prognosticating for 2022.
- KBOO