Human-rights group names 900 Republican state legislators in 'far right' groups, but that adjective doesn't fit some

"Nearly 22 percent of Republican state lawmakers nationwide have joined at least one far-right Facebook group, according to a new survey by an advocacy group that tracks bigotry and attacks on democracy," Daniela Altimari reports for Route Fifty. "The Institute for Research and Education on Human Rights found 875 legislators representing all 50 states who have joined white-nationalist, paramilitary, QAnon, anti-immigrant, 'Stop the Steal' or other groups tied to the far right. The Facebook groups that the report focuses on are active on a range of issues, and not all of them embrace racist or nationalist ideologies." The listings also include organizations such as Right to Life, No Left Turn in Education and groups opposing mask mandates.

The report examined all 7,383 state legislators who served in 2021-22. Three Democratic legislators joined such groups, but no Libertarian or independent lawmakers had. For the purposes of the report, the IREHR defined "far right" groups as "those advocating for changes that would significantly undermine political, social and/or economic equality along class, racial, gender, sexual orientation, national origin, immigration status or religious lines, Altimari reports.