Texas Lawmakers to Testify at Hearing on State’s Voter Suppression Efforts

Washington D.C. (July 26, 2021)—On Thursday, July 29, 2021 at 10:00 a.m. E.T., Rep. Jamie Raskin, the Chairman of the Subcommittee on Civil Rights and Civil Liberties, will hold a hearing on the restrictive voting bills currently under consideration in the Texas legislature, as well as how these proposals are related to nationwide voter suppression efforts fueled by baseless claims of widespread electoral fraud.

Despite no evidence of voter fraud in the 2020 election, Republicans are seeking to implement legislation that would dramatically restrict ballot access. This legislation targets the voting rights of Black and Latino citizens through mechanisms including restrictions on voter assistance, which could effectively disenfranchise many Latino voters who require language assistance to cast their ballot. It also hardens voter ID requirements, curtails mail-in and early voting, and increases the possibility of voter intimidation.

On July 8, Texas Governor Greg Abbott convened a special session of the legislature, which held hearings on updated versions of the voting legislation. In response, over 50 Democratic lawmakers decided to deny the legislature a quorum and traveled to Washington, D.C., to push for passage of the For the People Act and the John Lewis Voting Rights Act. Three lawmakers leading this campaign will testify before the Subcommittee about the impact these restrictions would have on their communities and the urgent need for Congress to pass voting rights legislation.

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