Texas Republicans renew efforts to pass voting restrictions in special session

[Elderberry]

Washington Post by Amy Gardner 7/8/2021

Republican lawmakers in Texas on Thursday launched their second effort this year to pass new voting restrictions after Democrats blocked them in May with a dramatic walkout at the state Capitol.

The legislature convened Thursday for a special session called by Gov. Greg Abbott (R) to enact a laundry list of conservative priorities, including a ban of transgender athletes on youth sports teams and beefed-up border security. But Abbott has made clear that “election integrity” is a top priority, and Republicans filed bills in the House and Senate that include many of the same voting provisions they sought to enact earlier in the year.

The new election proposals include a number of restrictions championed by former president Donald Trump. The measures would ban several election programs implemented last year to help people vote during the coronavirus pandemic, including drive-through voting and 24-hour and late-night voting. Voting rights advocates noted that voters of color used these programs disproportionately, meaning they could disproportionately feel the impact of the restrictions.

Both the House and Senate bills, which are likely to change as they make their way through the legislative process, omitted a particularly controversial provision considered by lawmakers in May that would have prohibited early voting before 1 p.m. on Sundays. Democrats and civil rights activists decried the measure as a direct assault on “Souls to the Polls,” the get-out-the-vote program that encourages Black voters to vote early on Sundays after church services.

More: https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/texas-voting-restrictions-special-session/2021/07/08/b2071458-dffd-11eb-ae31-6b7c5c34f0d6_story.html

[AARguy]

Democrats think that any rule which discourages people from voting multiple times, voting under the name of others than themselves, and, generally, making any rule which keeps them from putting their finger on the scales of fairness, is a "restriction". They think that requiring voter ID, for example, a truly common sense requirement, "oppresses" folks somehow.

All this is brought to you by the same people that say CRT is not being taught in schools while they have established a legal defense fund to protect teachers who teach CRT in schools. The same folks that burned down Minneapolis, Baltimore and the rest screaming to defund the police... who now say its Repubs that want to defund police.

How gullible can we be listening to these liars?

[IsailedawayfromFR]

Perhaps we need to begin describing WHO should be voting as well as HOW to determine eligible voters.

If Congress wishes to discern undesirable Americans who happened to be protesting an irregular voting process in last election, then why can Texas not decide to say people who choose to disobey our state laws are ineligible to vote?  Or terrorists who stop vehicles on our streets ineligible to vote?  Or those who do not work and subsist on welfare?

Banks are now refusing to have as customers people it alone decides do not cherish the bank's values.  Why can a state not do the same to people who should be voting?  We already do it with convicted felons.

[Elderberry]

That's surely a 2 edged sword. Under those voting restrictions, a Blue State would never become Red again.

[IsailedawayfromFR]

That's surely a 2 edged sword. Under those voting restrictions, a Blue State would never become Red again.

So the solution is to bend to their wishes like open up the cells and let those dangerous to society to vote yet do nothing at all on our end?

[Elderberry]

So the solution is to bend to their wishes like open up the cells and let those dangerous to society to vote yet do nothing at all on our end?

So lets go back to only property owners can vote, but only on election day.

[Cyber Liberty]

So lets go back to only property owners can vote, but only on election day.

Would you hate me if I thought that should be looked at? 

[Elderberry]

Would you hate me if I thought that should be looked at? 

Not at all. I wish we could.

[Cyber Liberty]

Not at all. I wish we could.

 

[IsailedawayfromFR]

So lets go back to only property owners can vote, but only on election day.

I love that solution.

[AARguy]

When the nation started only property owners could vote. Soon, property owners will be a tiny part of the population as the country is overrun with millions of illegals who survive off public assistance, not their own resources. We may see a day where property owners are forbidden to vote and only those who receive public funds will have a voice.

[Bigun]

So lets go back to only property owners can vote, but only on election day.

I'd settle for tax paying, non-felon citizens but that's just me.

[berdie]

I guess I'm just goofy (no affirmation required) but the requirements of this bill don't seem out of the norm to me. No, one shouldn't get a mail in ballot unless requested. No drive thru/all night voting should not be allowed. Who would they have to watch these places? And lastly, if the churches want to transport people to vote...hunky dory. They can have people meet at the church during normal voting hours and take them.

Sheesh...voting is an honor. I know the reasons behind this but it irritates me.

As far as going back to only property owners voting...that seems to be a two edged sword. So many people today are more into renting...you might losing some good folks. How about people that are on public assistance losing the right to vote?