Kevin Sieff (The Brownsville Herald)
BROWNSVILLE -- Proposed changes in the state's voting laws could force thousands of South Texans to prove their citizenship in order to vote in local, state and national elections.
During the coming legislative session, Texas Republicans plan to introduce a measure that would target perpetrators of voter fraud, especially non-citizens. The stringent voting regulations -- dubbed the "voter suppression bill" by opponents -- are already being discussed by Texas state representatives.
On Friday, members of the House's elections committee met at the University of Texas-Brownsville/Texas Southmost College to take testimony related to voting reform.
If voters are required to provide proof of citizenship - as last year's failed House Bill 626 would have mandated -- South Texans will likely be among the most adversely affected.
Many Rio Grande Valley residents delivered by midwives are currently struggling to get passports because of U.S. State Department suspicions that their birth certificates were fraudulently provided. See ACLU Lawsuit
At the hearing Friday, immigration attorney Lisa Brodyaga estimated thousands of passport applicants -- almost all of them South Texas residents -- are struggling to prove they were born in the United States. If voters are required to provide proof of citizenship, many worry the same people will be disenfranchised.
"These cases reveal serious flaws with the proposal to require proof of citizenship in order to vote," said Rep. Rafael Anchia, D-Dallas, the chairman of Friday's hearing.
But House Republicans continue to stress the importance of voting reform.
In a brief to the U.S. Supreme Court, Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott wrote that "serious allegations of voter fraud have persisted, especially in South Texas, for more than a century."
Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst has made it clear that cracking down on voter fraud will be one of his priorities this session, said Rich Parsons, a spokesperson for Dewhurst.
"He wants to make sure that only U.S. citizens are casting their vote in U.S. elections," Parsons said.
In addition to the proof of citizenship requirement, House Republicans have also pushed a voter-identification bill that would require voters to present government-sanctioned photo identification, such as a driver's license, at the polls, in addition to a valid voter registration card.
But two recent studies found that voter-identification requirements could keep current voters away from the polls.
In 2006, the nonpartisan Brennan Center for Justice at the New York University School of Law found that 25 percent of African-Americans, 18 percent of seniors over 65, and 15 percent of voters earning under $35,000 a year do not have government-issued photo identification.
A study commissioned by the U.S. Election Assistance Commission, conducted by researchers from Rutgers and Ohio State universities, found that in 2004, states with voter-identification laws experienced a drop in turnout, including a 10 percent drop in Hispanic voters.
Showing posts with label Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst. Show all posts
September 5, 2008
June 11, 2008
Protect Our Right To Vote! Petition
The U.S. Supreme Court's ruling is a victory for democracy in our nation and I'm pleased that the court agreed with the vast majority of Texans who want to protect the sacred American principle of 'one person, one vote.' With this legal challenge now behind us, I look forward to passing a fair Voter ID law in Texas next year that fully protects the voting rights of all U.S. citizens registered to vote in Texas .If you have not yet joined the thousands of Texans who have signed our online petition, go to http://www.dewhurst.org/voterid immediately to show your support of a Voter ID requirement in Texas!
After you’ve done that, please forward this message to five friends urging them to join our efforts to uphold ballot integrity and protect the sanctity of our rights.
Sincerely,
David Dewhurst
Protect Our Right To Vote!
With your help we can pass a Voter ID Law in Texas!
http://www.dewhurst.org/site/PageServer?pagename=voter_id_Petition
After you’ve done that, please forward this message to five friends urging them to join our efforts to uphold ballot integrity and protect the sanctity of our rights.
Sincerely,
David Dewhurst
Protect Our Right To Vote!
With your help we can pass a Voter ID Law in Texas!
http://www.dewhurst.org/site/PageServer?pagename=voter_id_Petition
June 9, 2008
Texas State GOP worry grouchy voters won't go to polls
June 8, 2008, 11:16PM
State GOP worry grouchy voters won't go to polls
Convention opens here amid some discontent within the party
By R.G. RATCLIFFE
Copyright 2008 Houston Chronicle Austin Bureau
AUSTIN — After a decade of political dominance, the Texas GOP is opening its party convention in Houston this week with a troubling prospect: Grumpy Republicans may not turn out to vote this fall.
Many of the grass-roots Texas Republicans see presumptive presidential nominee John McCain as not conservative enough. Others still support presidential candidate Ron Paul. Some are unhappy over immigration, high federal spending, a sagging national economy and rising gasoline prices.
"A lot of them, and rightly so in many cases, are mad. They're concerned," said Roger Williams, chairman of the Texas GOP's voter turnout efforts this year. "What we've got to do is alleviate those concerns and get them to vote."
"We're the underdogs, and anybody who tells you we're not hasn't been out and about," Williams said.
The convention runs from Wednesday to Saturday at the George R. Brown Convention Center in Houston.
Against this backdrop of discontent, the convention will feature speeches by Gov. Rick Perry, U.S. Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison and Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst, all of whom are considering runs for governor in 2010.
The convention also will feature U.S. Sen. John Cornyn, who faces a re-election challenge this year from Democratic nominee Rick Noriega of Houston.
Delegates on Friday will hear from former U.S. House Speaker Newt Gingrich and former presidential contenders Mike Huckabee and Mitt Romney. Romney is McCain's designated surrogate speaker at the convention.
Cathie Adams, president of the Texas Eagle Forum, said McCain is not building bridges with the grass roots by sending Romney to speak to the Texas convention in his place.
"It would have been better if he had come himself," Adams said.
Adams said many delegates to the convention will want to be reassured about McCain on immigration. She said many are upset that he supports a process of granting citizenship to those who entered the country illegally.
Adams said McCain cannot win just by telling voters the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Barack Obama is bad.
"Everyone I know is unhappy with the prospects of Obama," Adams said. "But they'll stay home rather than just go out and vote against someone."
Similarly, some of Paul's supporters are upset with McCain and how the state convention is run. Some sued the Texas GOP last week in an effort to block the seating of some non-Paul delegates.
Don Zimmerman, a Paul activist and candidate for Travis County tax assessor-collector, is vying to be a national delegate, even though that means supporting McCain, whom he does not like.
Zimmerman said many new delegates to the convention this year will be Paul supporters. He said he wants to get them focused on winning local races.
"Get over the McCain thing and work for your local Republican who you like," Zimmerman said.
Republican leadership is less worried about the elections of McCain and Cornyn than they are about the effect party disgruntlement may have on congressional and legislative races.
Republican pollster Mike Baselice said half the Republican voters in Texas say the state and nation are on the "wrong track." He calls them "grumpy Republicans" who cannot be counted on to turn out to vote against presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Barack Obama.
"I'm concerned about the wrong-track Republicans opting not to vote," Baselice said.
Baselice said Republicans in 2002 had a 6 percentage point advantage in Dallas County voting and an 8 percentage point advantage in Harris County. He said neither party now has an advantage in Dallas, and the GOP holds an advantage of about 1.5 percentage points in Harris County.
He said that partisan shift could give Democrats a great boost if a large percentage of Republicans don't vote.
Baselice said Republicans who vote can be counted on to vote up and down the ballot, but he said the GOP stands to lose ground if the "grumpy" Republicans stay home.
Former Republican Chairman Tom Pauken said politicians and party leaders need to reassure the Republican grass-roots workers that their efforts matter for conservative causes.
"The grass roots has withered up and died," Pauken said.
But current state Chairwoman Tina Benkiser said she believes most of the discontent is directed toward Washington. She said the 2006 elections were bad for Republicans nationally but that the Texas GOP picked up more than 200 offices held by Democrats that year.
Benkiser said the goal of this week's convention will be to excite the delegates and make them feel like a conservative agenda is worth working for in the general election.
"At the end of the day, things bode well for us," Benkiser said.
http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/front/5826424.html
State GOP worry grouchy voters won't go to polls
Convention opens here amid some discontent within the party
By R.G. RATCLIFFE
Copyright 2008 Houston Chronicle Austin Bureau
AUSTIN — After a decade of political dominance, the Texas GOP is opening its party convention in Houston this week with a troubling prospect: Grumpy Republicans may not turn out to vote this fall.
Many of the grass-roots Texas Republicans see presumptive presidential nominee John McCain as not conservative enough. Others still support presidential candidate Ron Paul. Some are unhappy over immigration, high federal spending, a sagging national economy and rising gasoline prices.
"A lot of them, and rightly so in many cases, are mad. They're concerned," said Roger Williams, chairman of the Texas GOP's voter turnout efforts this year. "What we've got to do is alleviate those concerns and get them to vote."
"We're the underdogs, and anybody who tells you we're not hasn't been out and about," Williams said.
The convention runs from Wednesday to Saturday at the George R. Brown Convention Center in Houston.
Against this backdrop of discontent, the convention will feature speeches by Gov. Rick Perry, U.S. Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison and Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst, all of whom are considering runs for governor in 2010.
The convention also will feature U.S. Sen. John Cornyn, who faces a re-election challenge this year from Democratic nominee Rick Noriega of Houston.
Delegates on Friday will hear from former U.S. House Speaker Newt Gingrich and former presidential contenders Mike Huckabee and Mitt Romney. Romney is McCain's designated surrogate speaker at the convention.
Cathie Adams, president of the Texas Eagle Forum, said McCain is not building bridges with the grass roots by sending Romney to speak to the Texas convention in his place.
"It would have been better if he had come himself," Adams said.
Adams said many delegates to the convention will want to be reassured about McCain on immigration. She said many are upset that he supports a process of granting citizenship to those who entered the country illegally.
Adams said McCain cannot win just by telling voters the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Barack Obama is bad.
"Everyone I know is unhappy with the prospects of Obama," Adams said. "But they'll stay home rather than just go out and vote against someone."
Similarly, some of Paul's supporters are upset with McCain and how the state convention is run. Some sued the Texas GOP last week in an effort to block the seating of some non-Paul delegates.
Don Zimmerman, a Paul activist and candidate for Travis County tax assessor-collector, is vying to be a national delegate, even though that means supporting McCain, whom he does not like.
Zimmerman said many new delegates to the convention this year will be Paul supporters. He said he wants to get them focused on winning local races.
"Get over the McCain thing and work for your local Republican who you like," Zimmerman said.
Republican leadership is less worried about the elections of McCain and Cornyn than they are about the effect party disgruntlement may have on congressional and legislative races.
Republican pollster Mike Baselice said half the Republican voters in Texas say the state and nation are on the "wrong track." He calls them "grumpy Republicans" who cannot be counted on to turn out to vote against presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Barack Obama.
"I'm concerned about the wrong-track Republicans opting not to vote," Baselice said.
Baselice said Republicans in 2002 had a 6 percentage point advantage in Dallas County voting and an 8 percentage point advantage in Harris County. He said neither party now has an advantage in Dallas, and the GOP holds an advantage of about 1.5 percentage points in Harris County.
He said that partisan shift could give Democrats a great boost if a large percentage of Republicans don't vote.
Baselice said Republicans who vote can be counted on to vote up and down the ballot, but he said the GOP stands to lose ground if the "grumpy" Republicans stay home.
Former Republican Chairman Tom Pauken said politicians and party leaders need to reassure the Republican grass-roots workers that their efforts matter for conservative causes.
"The grass roots has withered up and died," Pauken said.
But current state Chairwoman Tina Benkiser said she believes most of the discontent is directed toward Washington. She said the 2006 elections were bad for Republicans nationally but that the Texas GOP picked up more than 200 offices held by Democrats that year.
Benkiser said the goal of this week's convention will be to excite the delegates and make them feel like a conservative agenda is worth working for in the general election.
"At the end of the day, things bode well for us," Benkiser said.
http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/front/5826424.html
May 25, 2007
Ailing senator helps quash voter ID bill
Ailing senator helps quash voter ID bill
09:49 AM CDT on Thursday, May 24, 2007
By TERRENCE STUTZ / The Dallas Morning News
tstutz@dallasnews.com
AUSTIN – Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst declared a much-debated voter identification bill dead Wednesday night as the Senate faced a midnight deadline for passage of all bills in this year's legislative session.
His declaration prompted Democratic Sen. Mario Gallegos of Houston, who has been recovering from a liver transplant but has stayed in Austin to prevent a vote on the bill, to thank the lieutenant governor and all of his colleagues before departing the Capitol.
"It's time to go home and do what the doctors tell me," Mr. Gallegos said, adding that he had no regrets. "It's something that had to be done. If I hadn't been here, they would have passed it."
Mr. Gallegos returned to the Capitol on Monday against his doctors' wishes to preserve a Democratic blockade of the GOP-backed legislation, which would have required Texans to show a photo ID or two other pieces of identification to vote. The Senate's 11 Democrats blocked action on the proposal under the chamber's long-standing rule that requires a two-thirds vote of the 31-member chamber to take up any bill.
The measure passed the House earlier this year but has been stalled in the Senate. Republicans say it's an important piece of legislation to fight voter fraud, especially illegal immigrants voting. Democrats contend that's a problem that doesn't exist and say the measure will harm minorities and the elderly.
Besides thanking Mr. Dewhurst for ending the partisan standoff over the bill, Mr. Gallegos also thanked Sen. Bob Deuell, R-Greenville, a family physician, for monitoring his health this week and arranging to have a hospital bed placed in a room adjacent to the Senate chamber for Mr. Gallegos to rest.
"I'll be back," the Democrat promised other senators before leaving. "If you want to fight this battle again, I'll fight it – but with a healthier Mario Gallegos."
http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/news/texassouthwest/stories/DN-nuvoterid_24tex.ART.State.Edition2.43a99d8.html
09:49 AM CDT on Thursday, May 24, 2007
By TERRENCE STUTZ / The Dallas Morning News
tstutz@dallasnews.com
AUSTIN – Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst declared a much-debated voter identification bill dead Wednesday night as the Senate faced a midnight deadline for passage of all bills in this year's legislative session.
His declaration prompted Democratic Sen. Mario Gallegos of Houston, who has been recovering from a liver transplant but has stayed in Austin to prevent a vote on the bill, to thank the lieutenant governor and all of his colleagues before departing the Capitol.
"It's time to go home and do what the doctors tell me," Mr. Gallegos said, adding that he had no regrets. "It's something that had to be done. If I hadn't been here, they would have passed it."
Mr. Gallegos returned to the Capitol on Monday against his doctors' wishes to preserve a Democratic blockade of the GOP-backed legislation, which would have required Texans to show a photo ID or two other pieces of identification to vote. The Senate's 11 Democrats blocked action on the proposal under the chamber's long-standing rule that requires a two-thirds vote of the 31-member chamber to take up any bill.
The measure passed the House earlier this year but has been stalled in the Senate. Republicans say it's an important piece of legislation to fight voter fraud, especially illegal immigrants voting. Democrats contend that's a problem that doesn't exist and say the measure will harm minorities and the elderly.
Besides thanking Mr. Dewhurst for ending the partisan standoff over the bill, Mr. Gallegos also thanked Sen. Bob Deuell, R-Greenville, a family physician, for monitoring his health this week and arranging to have a hospital bed placed in a room adjacent to the Senate chamber for Mr. Gallegos to rest.
"I'll be back," the Democrat promised other senators before leaving. "If you want to fight this battle again, I'll fight it – but with a healthier Mario Gallegos."
http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/news/texassouthwest/stories/DN-nuvoterid_24tex.ART.State.Edition2.43a99d8.html
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