Thread by @Mkovach217

I heard that it was advised one should read the 39-bill #votersuppression package that dropped in #MIleg yesterday before calling it a voter suppression package. I've spent the last two days pouring over all of the bills and am feeling quite prepared to comment. A🧵...

These bills are copies of voter suppression bills that have been introduced in 40+ other states – that perpetuate lies and conspiracies to strip Michigan voters of their rights. This isn't what anyone wanted or needed

Many of these bills are non-solutions in search of non-problems. On their face, most of the bills are the same attacks sweeping the nation. A direct retaliation to a record number of voters turning out to make their voices heard. But this package is uniquely insidious and racist.

These bills creatively and surgically weaponize our laws to go after Detroit and other Black and Brown communities. It builds off of the racist lies and conspiracies levied against Detroit, it’s voters, elections officials, and poll workers (Who are all heroes btw) in November.

Here is one example of a bill that is so profoundly racist – SB273, will give County Boards of Canvassers approval power over the placement of ballot drop boxes in every city/twp in their county. On it’s face, that might sounds innocuous enough. Wrong.

This bill is racist. County Board Canvassers do not have constituents they are accountable to. They are not elected by the people. They are unelected partisans hand-picked by their political parties. This is 100% about exerting control and power over Black & Brown Communities.

This bill makes these unelected partisans the gatekeepers between you and your right to cast your vote safely, securely, and conveniently at a ballot drop box. They get to decide the number and location of drop boxes in communities they don’t know and don’t live in.

This bill strips your city/twp clerk, who YOU have chosen to administer YOUR elections, who is accountable to YOU, and works for YOU, of their power to best serve the needs of you and your community during elections.

The effect and I believe absolute intention of SB 273 is for anti-voter politicians and political parties to wield their power through County Boards of Canvassers to deprive voters in Black and Brown communities of access to the vote.

You don't have to look back past Nov to know what will happen: Just think what the 2 members of Wayne Co's BoC - who, abused their power & tried to steal the votes of over 250K Detroiters by voting to not certify only Detroit’s election - will do when they can approve drop boxes.

It’s not lost on me and a sad irony that when I was typing this thread @Cannonfor58, a GA State Rep. and a black woman, was being arrested for wanting to witness a bunch of cowards celebrate the signing of one of the most restrictive voter suppression laws in the country.