The Texas Legislature gathered this week to discuss two proposed bills — Senate Bill 7 and House Bill 6 — which would add restrictions on voter registration and vote by mail in a state already plagued by some of the most restrictive voting laws in the country, and would disproportionately affect marginalized voters.
Hundreds of Texans traveled from across the state to assert that restrictions and voter suppression threaten our democracy.
Unfortunately, our leaders never gave them a chance. The Senate State Affairs Committee suddenly changed the hearing date for SB 7 after missing an administrative deadline, and the House Elections Committee pulled the rug out from under Texans by breaking committee rules and canceling a hearing before testimony was heard on HB 6.
The 2020 election cycle demonstrated the cracks in our democracy, but also the tenacity of every voter who faced down a pandemic and escalating attacks on voting rights in order to cast their ballot. The last thing we need is legislation that will continue to harm voters and restrict our freedom to vote.
We at CDF-TX do not support this legislation, which seeks to weaken the voices of the rising electorate that we commit to fighting for. Every child deserves a fair, equitable path to using their voice in elections. We will not let SB 7 /HB 6 silence these voices.