Page 2 - Suppression Session News Today

Enforce those critical constitutional provisions. we are in a battle, a democratic battle. this is not the first time, though. the supreme court overstepped in 1980 in mobile versus bolden and thats why congress had to amend section 2 of the voting rights act. so they let it sit after shelby county versus holder but now its time to move. congress has to move forward, they have to move quickly and they have to move comprehensively to ensure that we protect american democracy. >> yeah, thank you v...

Dont suppress it. you suppress it, you suppress democracy. >> both bills set to be debated over the coming days during the legislatures special session largely resembling republicans first attempt to pass a restrictive voting act back in may, which failed, of course, after democrats staged a late-night walkout. joining me now is texas state representative eddie rodriguez. thank you for joining us on this. really appreciate it. talk me through some of the most concerning parts of these bills. >> ...

Poll watchers to leave, that ban drive-through voting, 24-hour voting. the situation is urgent. this is happening right now, in texas. and we need everybody to pay attention. >> yes. attention is very important. so representative martinez, when you see what republicans are doing in a state like yours in a totally brazenly partisan way and then you hear democratic senators joe manchin and kyrsten sinema in washington, d.c. saying we have to be bipartisan, we have to work with republicans, what go...

Color. you dont think thats a coincidence, do you? >> thats right, here in hidalgo county, we have these innovations and had the largest turnout in 33 years. were home to houston and other cities, beautiful voters of both parties, it was incredible. of course now republicans at the state level are trying to ban these innovations under the guise of this idea of this lie that there was massive voter fraud. whats happening is after the representative and his colleagues courageously walked out to st...

>> well, ill tell you what. you hit it on the head. the problem we have here in texas, people are actually voting. we had a 66% turnout in the 2020 election. and president trump, former president trump, won by 5 1/2 points. were not as red as people think. were becoming purple. so the only way you can stop that momentum is to change the game. just like you said, lets make the lhurdles higher, lets put more tripwire on the ground, lets make it a crime to vote in texas and thats the only way these...

Provisions got added at the 11th hour was already adding restrictions. it was criminalizing behavior that, largely, doesnt happen here in texas. consider that the former secretary of state said, in the first committee, our elections are fair, theyre safe, theyre secure. and so, there is really not a problem to fix. but, you know, ultimately, the -- the current version that recently got filed. it -- it still bans drive-thru voting. it still allows the partisan-poll watchers, which -- which will h...

Stop that momentum is to change the game just like you said. lets -- lets -- lets make the hurdles higher. lets put more tripwire on the ground. lets make it a crime to vote in texas and thats the only way these folks can hold onto power. so when it comes to survival of the fittest, theyre not willing to be pragmatic or bipartisan. >> do you think that ignoring the power-grid problems, which are a concern for a lot of people in your state. and instead, focusing on the culture war of critical-rac...

They will be speaking about. you mentioned some of those items like banning 24-hour drive-through voting. it also adds new criminal penalties for election officials. it makes it easier and empowers partisan poll watchers even further than they already are, and as the new id requirements as well. democrats here in texas, i can tell you they are ready for a fight. they are very energized. i have been speaking to them all day, saying it is not a special session, this is in their words a suppression...

Feeling on the ground as were here. it is a suppression session that has been set up specifically as a key part of that, passing a voter suppression bill. were seeing this all around the country and i think this is the most critical moment. this is a defining moment in the administrations role. i think theyre doing several things. im glad some of the other pieces are happy as well. i want to see the kind of passion and a sense of urgency of now of what it is. >> this conversation on the left sid...

We are told at least seven other texas democrats are making their way to d.c. as well separately. if this sounds at all familiar to do, texas democrats pulling a big, tactical surprise move to try to save voting rights? it is because this is the sort of the second iteration of this weve seen in a matter of weeks. in may republicans in the texas senate jammed through an earlier version of this voter suppression bill. republicans in the texas senate passed the bill in the middle of the night on a ...