Following an announcement from Texas House Democrats, Every Texan issued the following statement:
Every Texan stands in solidarity with Texas House Democrats who today are leaving the state to break quorum in a bold move against regressive and discriminatory voting bills being pushed through the legislature by Republican lawmakers.
“Extraordinary times call for extraordinary measures,” said Marisa Bono, CEO of Every Texan. “Thousands of concerned Texans and hundreds of community organizations across the state have organized to fight back against voter suppression. We stand with the elected representatives who are responding to the call of the people to protect our democracy at all costs.”
Most of the Democratic lawmakers at the Texas Legislature are heading to Washington, D.C. to rally much-needed support for federal voting rights legislation. Texas is already one of the most difficult states in which to vote, and the proposed bill is among the most restrictive in the nation. If passed, voting will almost certainly be more difficult for groups that have already been marginalized.
“Texas’ history of voter discrimination repeated itself this weekend when Texans seeking to have their voices heard were forced to camp all day and overnight in the Capitol to oppose the voter suppression bill being ramrodded through the legislature,” said Every Texan Legislative & Policy Director Luis Figueroa. “Texans deserve better, and we applaud legislators for demanding better.”
The right to vote is the fundamental linchpin of our democracy – if there’s any time to take bold action, it’s now. Together, we can fight for all Texans by ensuring safe and accessible elections.