Connect with Sylvia Garcia

INSIDE THE CAPITOL WITH SENATOR GARCIA
The Voting Rights Act - 50 Years Later

VOTING RIGHTS IN TEXAS

In August of 1965, Texas' own President Lyndon B. Johnson signed the Voting Rights Act (VRA), a landmark piece of federal legislation prohibiting racial discrimination in voting. This ended literacy tests, poll taxes, property-ownership requirements, moral character tests and grandfather clauses that were designed to prevent minorities from voting. Although we have made significant gains in voting rights since 1965, discrimination at the polls persists today and cannot be dismissed as a relic of the past. Minority voters still face significant obstacles in registering to vote and casting ballots, especially here in Texas.

PASADENA REDISTRICTING

In 2013, the U. S. Supreme Court struck down Section 5 of the VRA in Shelby vs. Holder. Almost immediately, the Mayor and City Council of Pasadena, Texas voted to redraw their council district lines and change two “single member districts” to “at-large districts”. This had the effect of giving Hispanics less power to elect candidates of their choice. Senator Garcia and others vocally opposed the plan, but without the pre-clearance clause of the VRA it is now up to citizens to contest voting rights infringements in the courts. After the implementation of the new districts, Senator Garcia traveled to Washington DC to testify in a Senate Committee about Pasadena as an example of the need for strengthening the VRA.

TEXAS VOTER IDENTIFICATION

In 2011, the Texas Legislature passed a law requiring citizens to present a valid state ID when voting. Supporters of the Voter ID law stated that its intention was to prevent voter fraud. Opponents of the law, including the Justice Department at the time, argued that the measures effectively keep poor residents and minorities out of voting booths because they often lack government IDs or the ability to get a valid ID. Earlier this month, the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals determined the law violated Section 2 of the VRA, barring discrimination against black and Hispanic voters. However, it is very likely that the legal challenges to the Voter ID law will continue for several years to come.

TIMELINE OF VOTING RIGHTS

1965- President Johnson signs the VRA, permanently barring barriers to political participation by racial and ethnic minorities.

1972- Barbara Jordan of Houston and Andrew Young of Atlanta become the first African Americans elected to Congress from the South since Reconstruction.

1982- President Ronald Reagan signs a 25-year extension of the VRA

2006- Congress extends Section 5 of the VRA for an additional 25 years. Section 5 requires certain jurisdictions with a history of voting discrimination to get federal pre-approval for voting changes.

2011- A record number of restrictions to voting are introduced in state legislatures nationwide, including photo ID requirements, cuts to early voting and hurdles to voter registration.

2013- The U.S. Supreme Court strikes down Section 5 of the VRA in Shelby v. Holder.

2015- The Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals finds Texas' Voter ID law to be discriminatory.

The fight for equality continues…

MY TWO CENTS

While the Voting Rights Act sets up a framework for ending barriers to the ballot box, the struggle for real equality has been a long and arduous process that continues today. The Shelby vs. Holder ruling by the Supreme Court was a step in the wrong direction, but it can be reversed. Congress can pass a new, flexible and forward-looking set of protections that work together to guarantee our right to vote — and it's not just wishful thinking. Since 2006, Congress extended the key sections of the Voting Rights Act on four occasions in overwhelming, bipartisan votes. Once again, a bipartisan group of lawmakers must come together to work on these critical protections. Democracy depends on it.

Putting People First,

Sylvia

   

Sylvia Garcia Campaign
P.O. Box 8530, Houston, TX 77249-8530
http://www.sylviaforsenate.com

To unsubscribe, please press HERE.

Paid for by Sylvia Garcia Campaign; Roland Garcia, Treasurer