Short Intro: Congress needs to pull out all the stops and turn back the harsh GOP-sponsored voting laws spreading across the country and do it for the people and our nation's future and ASAP.
From ABC News in part the following
with this headline:
“Major voting rights bills being
considered by Congress as state restrictions mount”
Democrats repeated calls for Congress to pass sweeping
voting rights legislation after efforts to pass election reform in Texas led to
a walkout by House Democrats over the holiday weekend. (More on this after this
article) –
Fourteen states have already passed restrictive voting laws
this year. Nearly 400 bills were filed nationwide, according to the Brennan Center for Justice at NYU.
Texas is the latest state to consider a voting rights bill
that proved to be contentious before it died in the House after failing to meet
a critical deadline. The bill, Senate Bill 7, includes:
1. Banning drive-through voting.
2. More restrictions for mail-in ballots.
3. Changing early voting hours.
4. Increased regulation for access to polls by partisan poll
watchers.
5. Lowing the burden of proof threshold for challenging
election results.
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott (R), after a DEM walkout stopped the
bill’s movement, has threatened to defund the state legislature in response to the
bill's failure, which would revoke the salaries of legislators, and their
staff, tweeting in part on Monday ((May 31): “I will veto Article 10 of the
budget passed by the legislature. Article 10 funds the legislative branch. No
pay for those who abandon their responsibilities. Stay tuned.”
He has until June 20 to follow through with his veto threat
to cut their pay.
I Note: Abbott wants to hurt DEM legislators by cutting off their salaries, but what about GOP salaries?
I don’t believe that Abbott can pick and choose who to hurt and seek revenge this way, for surely that is what this is.
So, Governor, I believe such an action would NOT pass any court
smell. But, we shall see, right?
MORE: Pressure builds over
restrictive voting bills in Texas
Related to above and reported before is this in the U.S.
Senate also from ABC News with this headline:
“Senate Democrats move forward with
voting rights bill despite Republican opposition”
For the People Act (H.R. 1) would implement
sweeping election reform.
Key part of H.R. 1:
Aims to make major election reforms that: (1) lowers barriers to voting, (2) includes automatic voter registration, (3) requires voter registration on the day of an
election, (4) reforms gerrymandering, and (5) updates campaign finance laws.
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) is committed to
bringing the bill, a version of which passed the House along partisan lines (35
Republicans joined the DEM majority) earlier this year, to a full vote urging
quick passage – basically to stop many starts now running amok with restrictive
bills (e.g., Texas and Georgia prime examples).
Schumer said some of the state laws that the “For the People
Act” aims to beat back “smack of Jim Crow rearing its ugly head once again” arguing
that was a primary reason that the Senate needs to act, adding: “If we don't
stop these vicious and often racist actions, third world autocracy will be on
its way.”
Democrats have argued there is an increased urgency to
passing voting protections as statehouses across the country consider
legislation that would restrict access to the polls.
For example, the Brennan Center for Justice at NYU, a
nonpartisan, independent organization that analyzes election rules, found that
state lawmakers had filed 253 bills with provisions that restrict voting access
in 43 states as of last month.
MORE: Voting rights legislation across country looks to
both restrict, expand access
My 2 cents: As I have stated for years, voting must be free, fair, safe, and secure – but this “new” loser GOP just cannot grasp that concept.
They lost a lot in 2020 and immediately on
cue and with the voice of Trump hovering over them, started to change
voting laws and rules to try and ensure that they never lose again. Many of
them have said as much, but the vast majority of the public knows that this
their only goal and hopefully will resist.
This “new” GOP is acting
like a spoiled child who keeps stomping and screaming until he or she gets
their way – maybe a weak analogy but each passing day they prove my point – again,
cite Texas and a few other harsh GOP-run states.
I have a great fear about
this “movement” since it only takes us in one direction that in the end in fact
spells the end of the United States as we love and cherish it.
That may be strong hyper language
but it is my strong feeling about the way this “new” GOP is moving while
blaming everyone except themselves. They are taking us in the wrong direction
without any doubt – at least my view – all the while blaming everyone just never
themselves.
Thanks for stopping by.
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