REP. GARCIA: "Our democracy is built on the sacred principle that every American has an equal and fair right to vote. But states, like my home state of Texas, are imposing laws that are limiting that very sacred right." 1/4
"Between bills like #SB1 and extreme gerrymandering, the voices of many Texans are being diluted and silenced, especially Latinos. We cannot let this stand. It is our responsibility, our duty to protect voting rights for every American" 2/4
"no matter what zip code they live in, or what language they speak. The Freedom to Vote Act will do just that for Latinos and for all Americans by banning partisan gerrymandering, restoring the Voting Rights Act and creating new protections for voters." 3/4
"We will ensure every American makes her voice heard. Mi voto es mi voz." 4/4
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REP. WILLIAMS, reading a statement from her constituent Yolanda Renee King, granddaughter of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. & Coretta Scott King: "In 2013, the Supreme Court ended the Voting Rights Act that my grandparents and so many in their generation fought and died for." 1/4
"When I was 12 and in 2021, the Supreme Court further weakened the law until there was almost nothing left...My home state of Georgia...immediately passed laws that make it harder for people to vote, make it impossible to protect elections" 2/4
"and even criminalize the act of passing out food and water to people waiting in long lines. That means I and my peers have fewer rights today than we had the day we were born. I can only imagine what my grandparents would say about that." 3/4
🚨BREAKING: Senator Schumer announces plan to push through filibuster and proceed with voting rights legislation using a procedure known as "messages between the Houses" in a caucus memo.
Here's what you need to know🧵👇
When the House and Senate pass different versions of the same bill, the bill must go through reconciliation in order for the chambers to approve the same bill text. Messages between the Houses is a form of reconciliation.
Here's what happens: when chambers disagree on bill text, they can send the bill back and forth to each other with revisions until a final text is agreed upon. Once the bill has been sent between chambers 3 times, the motion to proceed CANNOT be filibustered in the Senate.
🚨⚖️COURT ALERT: Lawsuits asking the court to intervene in Minnesota's redistricting process are scheduled for oral argument today.
Here's what you need to know👇🧵
Minnesota hasn't passed any new maps yet this redistricting cycle. The lawsuits filed in Minnesota are a special type of case called "impasse litigation." These lawsuits are filed when lawmakers cannot agree on new maps as election deadlines are approaching.
In most states, impasse litigation is filed in only extreme circumstances. But some states, like Minnesota, go through impasse litigation every redistricting cycle. In fact, MN has had impasse litigation every cycle since 1970.
🚨⚖️COURT ALERT: Federal lawsuits challenging Alabama's congressional map are headed to court this morning.
Here's what you need to know.👇🧵
AL has a long history of racial discrimination & gerrymandering in redistricting. Past maps have been drawn to "pack" Black voters into specific districts & "crack" Black communities elsewhere in the state, leading to Black Alabamians having less voting strength & representation.
The map drawn in 2021 continues to do the same. While Black residents make up over 25% of Alabama's population, only 1 of the 7 congressional districts is drawn to include a majority-Black population and the districts fail to represent Alabama's growing diversity.
🚨⚖️COURT ALERT: Lawsuits challenging North Carolina's new legislative and congressional maps go to trial today. #ncpol
Here's what you need to know.👇🧵
In this trial, the plaintiffs are trying to prove that NC's new legislative and congressional maps are gerrymandered to benefit Republicans and dilute the voting strength of Black voters, violating the state constitution.
First, let's clear up why North Carolina courts can even hear partisan gerrymandering claims. In 2019, SCOTUS held in Rucho v. Common Cause that partisan gerrymandering claims are non-justiciable political issues — meaning that *federal* courts CANNOT hear these claims.