long I would be there and forgot to stock my ‘mom purse’ full of snacks and a water bottle. Lesson learned for next time! To explain why I was at the Capitol, let me back up a little…
In the spring, a friend alerted me to the fact that the Texas Senate was holding hearings on redistricting. Once the state receives the census numbers from the Federal Government, our Governor can call a special session to redraw federal and local districts. I decided that it would be a good time to start using my voice to stand up to gerrymandering because, in the end, it is setting the boundaries for each district that would affect the outcome of the 2022 elections and all elections moving forward...for 10 years. I know that the 2020 election was one of the most important for our generation and I also believe that 2022 is stacking up to be just as important, if not more, than 2020. The testimony in the spring was easy by many standards because I was able to give it from the comfort of my own home, over Zoom. After watching many others speak their minds, I was a little nervous because I had not really prepared anything to say other than using a quote from Lyndon Baines Johnson on voting and quoting from the Texas Constitution that it should be the 2023 Texas Session that should work on redistricting for state and local races. I was on and off rather quickly and relieved that it was over yet still glad that I spoke up.
Near the end of the Texas Legislative session in May, many Democrats walked out from the House floor in protest of the voting bill that Republicans were trying to pass that would restrict voting in many ways including but not limited to stopping 24 hour voting and drive through voting. Both of these means to cast a ballot were used to help encourage people to vote during the pandemic and also helped people who work 2-3 jobs to make ends meet or work irregular shifts, and some elderly and disabled. The voting bill will prohibit or curtail some of these creative avenues for Texans to vote and therefore suppress the vote of many based on the premise that there is widespread voter fraud in Texas, which there is not.
As a result of the great Democratic Walk Out at the end of the normal Texas Legislative Session, Governor Abbott called a special session to get everyone back to the table to pass many legislative agenda items that were not completed in the regular session. As the first special legislative session was about to begin, the House Democrats took further steps to keep the restrictive voting bill from passing and left the state of Texas all together. As a Texan and someone who fiercely believes in people exercising their right to vote in order to have their voices heard, I was cheering from the sidelines.
In July, when I had heard about the Poor People’s Campaign teaming up with Powered By People to organize a march from Georgetown to Austin, Texas, I knew I had to get off the couch and show up. The precision with which the event was organized is attributed to many volunteers from both organizations led by Reverend Dr. William J. Barber, Reverend Dr. Liz Theoharis and Beto O’Rourke. I was able to attend the Tuesday evening rally in Georgetown, walk the morning segments Wednesday and Thursday and then walk the entire 10 miles from the N. Lamar area of Austin all the way to UT campus on Friday. I met some amazing and inspiring people of all ages who are not afraid to speak truth to power and work to effect change. On Saturday, there was a short walk and rally that took place on the steps of the Texas Capitol. I had not intended on doing the walk portion on Saturday since I had already walked 20+ miles over three days but I couldn’t keep myself from being swept up in the energy from the starting place in the parking lot of the AFL-CIO office adjacent to the Capitol. The crowd zigzagged around the Capitol, up the south lawn and stopped at the steps in front of the pink granite building. Thousands showed up to support the cause. That week of action cemented my resolve to stay active and do whatever I can to help use my voice to help others find and use theirs.
Flash forward to this past weekend when I heard the TX House committee was going to hold a session to hear public testimony on SB 1, I knew that I wanted to take the next logical step after the July march, and testify against this bill. With the help of some friends, we crafted my testimony. I wasn’t so nervous about standing up and testifying, I was only a bit stressed Monday morning when I realized I had not been inside the Capitol in YEARS nor did I know really how to register to testify. After a quick search on the Texas House of Representative website, I figured a few things out quickly and was out the door. Once I parked at Visitor parking and walked several blocks to the Capitol (note to self, always wear comfortable shoes for the trek and pack the pretty shoes for later) I found the auditorium. There were two iPads in front of the auditorium on which to register, both were not working very well so it took a little while to sign in before I finally got to enter the room.
Inside the auditorium, the dais held a dozen or so committee members. I recognized Representative Senfronia Thompson immediately, Representatives Bucy, Moody and Johnson, too. I was a little taken aback as I didn’t realize all of them had returned from D. C. but glad to see them and feel they were co-warriors in this fight for democracy. As I settled into a seat, I realized they were talking about HB 20 instead of SB 1 and was relieved I hadn’t missed my chance to speak. HB 20 is a bill authored by Representative Briscoe Cain that relates to censorship of/or certain other interference with digital expression, including expression on social media platforms through electronic mail messages. SB 1, authored by Representative Hughes relates to election integrity and security, including preventing apparently rampant fraud in the conduct of elections in this state. I am glad I was in the room early enough to hear the bills being discussed and testimony for both.
My observation throughout both of the hearings was that both bills are about citizens of Texas having equal opportunity to use their voice, either on social media (owned and controlled by private companies) or equal opportunity at the ballot box to exercise the right to vote; using their voice in action (controlled by the government). The First Amendment protects citizens who want to use their voice related to government entities and private companies can decide who can use their platforms and dismiss or penalize those who threaten or incite violence or do not follow a set of rules set out by the private companies. My focus was on the ballot box portion of the hearings.
After watching several testimonies, I wanted to ask Representative Lozano how many people actually committed fraud and were convicted during the 2020 election via drive-thru, mail-in or 24 hour voting but ran out of time. I wanted to ask _him_ this question because during the hearings of SB 1 he pointed out a tiny few instances of voter fraud in Texas but I didn’t hear any references to fraud in 2020. There may be a very small number of instances of voter fraud, but it is my understanding that it's the job of the AG’s office and the Secretary of State to find and prosecute voter fraud. Wouldn’t it imply that those two offices are not able to execute their job if they need to prohibit or severely curtail these highly successful and out-of-the-box types of voting? Shouldn’t we, as a democracy, want more people to use their voice on election day? I believe we should.
During a testimony in favor of HB20, Chairman Ashby gave an ‘expert’ witness a “lifeline”, as he called it and the gentleman was allowed to speak for another 5+ minutes, giving his ‘voice’ more weight than that of others in the room. It is ironic that one bill is trying to give more people a voice without consequences while curtailing that of others just because they don’t agree with you or those in power. For the record, when I gave my testimony and the buzzer went off indicating my time was up, Chairman Ashby did not extend my time for me to finish my prepared speech.
I also wanted to ask the committee members if they remember what they were doing on February 18th of this year because I can remember what I was doing, like it was yesterday. I was on day 7 of intermittent electricity and water due to the wild winter storm that barreled across Texas. That morning, I was carting water from my pool to flush my toilets when I heard about one of our Senators from Texas high-tailing it to Mexico. I was furious (which made my blood boil and was probably a good thing since my heat was working only intermittently) and there was still snow on the ground. The failure of the Texas Power Grid in February is a problem in need of a solution for millions of Texans. HB 20 and SB1 are bills that are a solution looking for a problem (as I said in my testimony), and as Representative Bucy said is only affecting a fraction of a fraction of a fraction of Texans. Our power grid needs more attention than our very secure, nearly fraud-free Texas elections.
On a final note, I am a person of privilege. It is a privilege that I was able to take time from work during the week to march from Georgetown to Austin in July AND take a day off from work to sit for almost 12 hours to eventually give testimony on a bill that is trying to keep people from voting/using their voice. I came home from the long day on Monday and collapsed in my big, living room chair suffering from vertigo and it has taken me several days to feel somewhat back to normal. My friend, Sheri, commented that in Chinese medicine, vertigo is associated with disharmony. Whether this is 100% accurate or not, there is a lot of disharmony overwhelming so many parts of our lives these days like the pandemic, climate change and many other things that should be more of a priority than combatting apparent voter fraud.
More people of privilege need to speak up for those who are not able to use their voices as easily. I wish more people who have the means (e.g., time, money, power) would speak up to make voting easier not harder, for wearing a mask around others and for getting the vaccine for themselves AND for the community. As my friend Marianne so eloquently pointed out, community = common + unity. To combat the disharmony that is rampant in our country, we need to find the ‘common’ nature in all of us. To unite. To find our voices. To help other find theirs.
Below is the full text of my testimony (I got cut off at the 2 minute mark and forgot to ask for a ‘lifeline’ from Chairman Ashby like he gave to other speakers). I would NEVER have been able to stand up and use my voice without the help of Alex, Jennifer, Lesley and Kellyn as my support system near and far.
“The vote is the most powerful instrument ever devised by man for breaking down injustice” – wise words from a wise Texan. LBJ knew well that the right to vote is at the heart of being American. It’s a pity: those who wrote this bill forget that.
This bill apparently solves voter fraud. To warrant so sweeping a bill, voter fraud must be rampant in Texas. Let’s look at the numbers: last year, Eleven Million, Three Hundred and Fifteen Thousand, and Fifty-Six Texans voted – more than ever before. Out of those millions, the number of people that the Attorney General has prosecuted for voted fraud? One.
Not one hundred, not one thousand. One. One person.
That’s a tiny number! There’s a bigger chance that California’s got better barbeque than Texas, and when we’re asked to believe that voter fraud is a widespread problem, it’s just as laughable.
This bill is a solution in search of a problem.
What, then, is this bill for? It is for politicians who wish they could do without elections altogether: cut the people out of the deal! Every American, every Texan, has the right to vote. Not the privilege, not the honor, the right to vote. Texans will not sit idle as their rights are taken away.
Cutting 24 hour & early voting takes the right to vote from those who work three jobs to stay afloat. Banning drive through voting takes those rights from some of our elders or the disabled. Are they not proud Texans? Should they not have the right to vote?
A right cannot exist only in name. A right cannot exist for some and not all. A right must stand for all in action and opportunity.
We must remember what every American child pledges to: “…one Nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.”
With Liberty and Justice for All.
Members of the Texas House: Our justice is our right to choose our government. Our liberty is our right to vote.
Hurray for Theresa!
ReplyDeleteHurray for Theresa!
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