87S10437 TBO-D
By: Bucy H.C.R. No. 8
CONCURRENT RESOLUTION
WHEREAS, The passage of the For the People Act and the John
Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act would help to protect
Americans' right to vote; and
WHEREAS, The For the People Act currently under consideration
in the United States Congress reflects lessons learned across the
country during recent election cycles, embracing measures to
improve the safety and security of our voting processes and to
strengthen our democracy by engaging more citizens; recognizing the
exigencies of modern life in a 24/7 economy, the legislation
includes many elements to make voting simpler and more convenient,
among them at least two weeks of early in-person voting, online and
same-day voter registration, and automatic voter registration at
motor vehicle departments and other specified government agencies;
it expands and standardizes voting by mail, provides funding for
mail-in ballot tracking, and offers standards for ballot drop
boxes; setting such national policies will ensure that every
eligible voter has equal access to the ballot box, no matter where
they reside; 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; in response to the decision,
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, The United States is the world's leading democracy,
and we must continue to set the standard for free, fair, and
accessible elections in which every vote is counted; now,
therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That the 87th Legislature of the State of Texas,
1st Called Session, hereby respectfully urge the United States
Congress to pass the For the People Act and 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.