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Howdy #Changemakers,
Charlie Bonner here, I’m a voting rights advocate at MOVE Texas and a proud member of the Deeds Not Words Board. After a painfully long legislative session, I wanted to tell you about the critical fight we find ourselves in to protect the freedom to vote.
Instead of expanding access to health care, addressing the climate crisis, or reforming the faltering electrical grid that left hundreds of our neighbors dead— The Texas Legislature spent their precious time this session focused on racist voter suppression schemes. Now you might be asking yourself, why on earth would they do that? Simple, they’re scared of your power.
What we’re seeing is nothing more than a cynical attempt at holding on to power. Young Texans turned out in record numbers last fall, so now Governor Abbott and his cronies in the legislature are seizing power and erecting intentional barriers to voting in order to silence the voices of Black, brown, young, Indigenous and new Americans and govern only for the wealthiest few. I for one, am shocked— SHOCKED I tell you!
Back in March, lawmakers filed Senate Bill 7, legislation that threatened to impose even greater anti-voter restrictions in what is already the most restrictive state in the country to cast a ballot. With anti-voter lawmakers controlling every level of government, stopping this attack on the freedom to vote was going to be tough. But something changed the political landscape this session— folks like you started showing up.
Tens of thousands of Texas voters, business leaders, artists, and activists stood up and spoke out against racist voter suppression, many getting involved in the legislative process for the very first time. Sharing our stories about the impact of voter suppression helped pro-voter lawmakers amend out many of the most egregious portions of the bill. And the hell we raised helped slow down the legislative process and bought our voting rights champions precious time to fight back.
So on the very last day to pass bills, Democratic members of the Texas House walked off the house floor and into history. Breaking quorum for only the fourth time in Texas history to stop a vote from ever taking place on anti-voter Senate Bill 7. That night gave me so much hope. That night showed just how powerful we are, even when the deck is stacked against us. When we work together, when we speak out, when we stand up and fight for one another— anything is possible.
But our fight is just beginning. The Governor has vowed to bring back his voter suppression scheme in a special session (the special suppression session, if you will) and the desperately needed For The People Act has stalled in the US Senate. Every step we’ve taken toward progress in this country has been met with resistance. But we have shown time and time again that people of good conscience, changemakers like you, will rise against any challenge and claim freedom as our own.
Together, we can ensure Texans can safely and freely cast our ballots so that every voice is heard and our elections truly reflect the will of the people. Because for democracy to work for all of us, it must include us all.
At this critical moment in the history of our country, we need you in this fight. So I’ve just got one question for you— are you with me?
For Democracy,
Charlie
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