87S10184 JRI-D
By: Reynolds H.C.R. No. 3
CONCURRENT RESOLUTION
WHEREAS, The history of the United States has been tarnished
by discriminatory policies that suppress minority voting rights and
threaten the foundation of our democracy; and
WHEREAS, On March 7, 1965, civil rights activists the
Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and John Lewis led a peaceful
march against voting inequality and were met with extreme violence;
this event prompted a public outcry and inspired Congress to pass
the Voting Rights Act later that year; the bipartisan legislation
allowed direct federal oversight and protections of election
processes to prevent states from suppressing minority voters; and
WHEREAS, In 2013, a landmark Supreme Court decision weakened
the Voting Rights Act of 1965 by ending the preclearance process,
which required jurisdictions with a history of voting
discrimination to submit changes to voting policies for federal
approval before implementing them; this limited the federal
government's ability to deter voter suppression, and North Carolina
and Texas immediately passed voting changes that were previously
rejected for preclearance; these laws remained during several
elections before federal courts later determined that they were
discriminatory; moreover, restrictive voting measures proliferated
after the 2020 election, and as of June 21, 2021, 17 states enacted
28 new laws that suppress access to the vote; and
WHEREAS, U.S. Representatives Terri Sewell and John Lewis
coauthored the Voting Rights Advancement Act, which was renamed in
honor of Congressman Lewis after his passing; this bill would
restore the protections of the Voting Rights Act of 1965 while
updating the coverage criteria to reflect current conditions and
apply to all states; furthermore, the bill focuses the preclearance
process on a set of discriminatory measures, requires reasonable
public notice for voting changes, and allows the Attorney General
to request the presence of federal observers in places at risk of
racial discrimination in voting; and
WHEREAS, Congressman John Lewis dedicated his life to
protecting Americans' right to vote, and Congress should pass his
legislation to prevent voter suppression and uphold our nation's
core value of equality; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That the 87th Legislature of the State of Texas,
1st Called Session, hereby respectfully urge the Congress of the
United States to pass the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act;
and, be it further
RESOLVED, That the Texas secretary of state forward official
copies of this resolution to the president of the United States, to
the president of the Senate and the speaker of the House of
Representatives of the United States Congress, and to all the
members of the Texas delegation to Congress with the request that
this resolution be entered in the Congressional Record as a
memorial to the Congress of the United States of America.