Statement On Texas Anti-Voter And Abortion Bills From Building Back Together Executive Director Danielle Melfi

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: September 1, 2021
PRESS CONTACT: [email protected]

STATEMENT ON TEXAS ANTI-VOTER AND ABORTION BILLS FROM BUILDING BACK TOGETHER EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR DANIELLE MELFI

“Texans are today facing fundamental threats to their basic rights: SB1, an anti-voter bill that makes voting even harder in Texas, and SB8, which undermines Texans’ rights to abortion access protected under Roe v. Wade. 

Texas already has the most restrictive voting laws in the country and voter participation is among the lowest of any state. Now, the state legislature is advancing Senate Bill 1, which would further undermine the ability of Texans to exercise their right to vote on the issues that matter most — from health care to education — by making it harder to register, implementing restrictions on early voting and mail voting, purging voter rolls, and making it a felony for local election officials to proactively send mail ballot applications to registered voters. This legislation would have a devastating impact on democracy in Texas, and it’s more critical than ever that the Senate pass national voting rights legislation to safeguard every American’s freedom to vote with the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act and the For The People Act.

Senate Bill 8 prohibits abortions in Texas before many people are even aware they are pregnant, effectively making abortion nearly impossible to access. This bill also gives license to anyone — from abusive partners to distant family members or even strangers — to harass anyone who attempts to help Texans access their constitutionally protected right to reproductive health care, and receive financial incentives to do so. When many people already struggle to exercise their right to reproductive health care due to financial barriers, inability to travel, and a range of other structural hurdles, it is unconscionable that the Texas legislature is attempting to further undermine this fundamental right. 

These two pieces of legislation do not reflect the will of Texans, and represent a dangerous assault on their constitutional liberties. These pieces of legislation would disproportionately impact people of color, people in rural areas, and low income Texans from exercising their rights. We stand with Texans and allies across the country who are calling to stop these laws from taking effect or being replicated by other state legislatures in an attempt to limit the rights of even more Americans across the country.”

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