This story was originally published by the WND News Center.
Democrats in Maine are arguing in court they can decide which lawmakers can vote in the legislature, essentially that an elected lawmaker has no right to vote there because of her conservative views on transgenderism, even though a majority of the state's residents support her perspective, not that of the leftists in the legislature.
The startling and extremist claim was made by Maine Attorney General Aaron Frey, a far leftist who has been trying to get the courts to dismiss a First Amendment fight brought by Rep. Laurel Libby, a Republican who was deprived of her constitutional right to vote by majority Democrats because she criticized their agenda to promote transgenderism.
Frey, a Democrat, claimed while failing to get the case dismissed.
According to the Washington Stand, Frey demanded, "Rep. Libby does not have a First Amendment right to vote, as a legislator, on any particular piece of legislation."
He claimed that the state House can "discipline" its members any way it wants.
WND reported that "discipline" was by Democrats who stripped the elected Republican lawmaker of her right to speak in the legislature, or to vote there.
The fight blew up into the headlines when President Donald Trump said the federal government's position is that there are two genders, male and female, and males should not be in women's sports.
Maine Gov. Janet Mills publicly defied the president, prompting the federal government to begin withholding federal funds to Maine, as well as federal investigations into possibly federal law violations by the state.
The fight has left Maine in "noncompliance with Title IX," and a poll by the University of New Hampshire showed 64% of the state's residents say transgender athletes "definitely should not" or "probably should not" participate in girls' and women's sports.
Libby meanwhile, sued the Democrats in the state legislature for censoring her because of her views.
House Democrats in the state have claimed that his Democrat party had to "punish" Libby for her beliefs.
The case is being heard by Judge Melissa Dubose of Rhode Island, because one of the transgender athlete's parents works in the federal court system in Maine, creating a conflict of interest in the case for that entire network.
The report explained Assistant Attorney General Kimberly Patwardhan told the court that Libby's representation of her constituents is unaltered, even though she cannot express their opinions on issues, measures, and laws.
Libby has charged the Democrats, in fact, are depriving all of her constituents of their right to be represented in the lawmaking body.
Free speech advocates say the case should be an easy victory for Libby.
"There is little question the House majority targeted Rep. Libby because of her viewpoint," said a filing from the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression. Democrats there, in fact, are doing "an end-run around the super-majoritarian provisions of the Maine Constitution" and "an egregious violation of the First Amendment."
Democrats insist they can disenfranchise all of the voters in Libby's district when they choose.
Libby had posted an image of a boy who calls himself a girl winning a girls' state championship on Facebook.
"District 90 now stands voiceless on the House floor — unable to vote, unable to speak, and unable to be represented on matters ranging from an $11 billion state budget to local priorities impacting working families. The inability to speak to that legislation, especially in the minority, where it may not change the outcome but can at least register the opinion of my district, is crucial." Libby charged.
FIRE also pointed out that, as often happens, Democrats have not consistently applied the same standard being used to attack Libby to all.
Legislators took no action against Rep. Vicki Doudera (D-41) after she shared the name and photo of an underage chess champion on social media, the report noted.
