Houston Chronicle by Cayla Harris 8/3/2021
U.S. Rep. Al Green and state Rep. Ron Reynolds, both Houston-area Democrats, were arrested Tuesday during a voting rights rally in Washington, D.C.
They are the latest Texas Democrats to be detained while protesting voting restrictions in the nation’s capital. U.S. Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee, D-Houston, was arrested last week.
In an interview Tuesday afternoon, Green said he and Reynolds were protesting outside the Supreme Court. The location was symbolic, given that the Supreme Court in 2013 effectively invalidated “preclearance” — a key provision of the Voting Rights Act that required states with a history of discrimination, such as Texas, to seek approval from the Department of Justice before changing their voting laws.
Texas Republicans are currently pushing a bill that would overhaul the way the state conducts elections. Supporters say it will weed out fraud and make elections administration consistent statewide, while Democrats have said the measure will make it harder for all Texans — but especially Black and Latino voters — to cast their ballots.
“It’s important for us to know that we have to, sometimes, do more than vote,” Green said. “Voting is important, but sometimes you have to do more than vote, and protest is a part of it.”
More:
https://www.houstonchronicle.com/politics/texas/article/U-S-Rep-Al-Green-state-Rep-Ron-Reynolds-16361415.php
