[PAA-Discuss] FW: In Texas, Is It Still 1964?

[zappa2004]

Interesting.

-----Original Message-----
From: True Courage Action Network [mailto:info at truecourageaction.net]
Sent: Monday, March 26, 2007 5:06 AM
To: zappa2004 at earthlink.net
Subject: In Texas, Is It Still 1964?



                  The Week Ahead
                 March 26, 2007



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                        The 24th Amendment

                        Dear Kathryn,


                        In 1962, race-based voter suppression was very much
alive in the South, thanks to the poll tax. To affluent whites, the tax was
pocket change, but to poorer blacks and others it often meant giving up a
necessity to be able to vote. Even worse, in some states, poll taxes
accumulated at each election even if the voter didn't vote. So a voter who
missed 3 or 4 elections was likely to never vote again.
                        In answer, Congress proposed the 24th Amendment,
which stated:

                        The right of citizens of the United States to vote
in any primary or other election for President or Vice President, for
electors for President or Vice President, or for Senator or Representative
in Congress shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or any
State by reason of failure to pay any poll tax or other tax.

                        In January 1964, South Dakota became the 38th state
to ratify the amendment, thereby making it the law of the land. Its passage
nullified poll tax statutes in the five states that still had them: Alabama,
Arkansas, Mississippi, Texas, and Virginia. Since then, only Virginia
(February 25, 1977) and North Carolina (May 3, 1989) have affirmed their
support of electoral equality with their symbolic ratification of the 24th.
The Texas Legislature has been silent on this issue.

                        Until now.

                        Representative Alma Allen and Senator Rodney Ellis
have filed companion resolutions, and testimony is scheduled this week.
Passage of this measure is symbolic, but hugely important. It will show the
rest of the country that Texas has joined the 40 other states that believe
all citizens have the right to vote without impediment.

                        At TCAN, we think Texas should end its embarrassing
silence on this issue and make the statement that it's on board with voter
equality. Teri and John will be testifying in favor of this bill on
Wednesday afternoon. We truly hope you can be there, too. The House
Elections Committee hearing begins at 2pm or upon adjournment of the House.
Please email us to let us know you're interested, and we'll give you all the
information you need to make your voice heard. If you can't, you can still
show your support for both TCAN and ratifying the 24th by making a donation.

                        While we're on the topic of voting, I invite you to
have a look at John's post on our blog. It's pretty sobering: you'll see how
a number of legislators really do miss the "good old days" of voter
suppression and have been quite creative in their attempt to turn back the
clock. Here's an excerpt:

                        Voter restriction advocates claim there is rampant
voter fraud (people voting under a false identification or voting for a dead
person, etc., NOT election fraud, as is suspected in Ohio and Florida) and
that the sanctity of the ballot is being violated. [But] the Secretary of
State and the Attorney General's offices ... [have both] explained that
there have been NO cases of voter fraud that were worth pursuing as a
violation of our current voting laws in the last few election cycles. This
certainly begs the question: What is the real agenda behind this one-sided
effort to create more identification checks on voters and people wanting to
register to vote?

                        I'd be interested in hearing your answers to that
question and will post a few of them on our blog.

                        Stay tuned . . .



                        Stewart Snider, Field Director
                        True Courage Action Network









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