TX – Dozens of Texas civil rights groups are hitting back against Senate Bill 7 and House Bill 6, two bills that would substantially change voting processes in Texas if passed.
Both bills have received significant pushback from lawmakers, residents and Texas-based companies. Prominent Texas Republicans are claiming the bills are necessary to prevent voter fraud in the state and that Democrats are pushing a narrative that the bill allows for voter suppression.
More than 60 Texas organizations and civil rights groups including ACLU of Texas, Houston Food Bank, Texas NAACP and the League of Women Voters of Texas have signed a letter condemning the bills and outlining how they harm voter access in the state.
“The supporters of HB 6 and SB 7 challenged people to ‘read the bills and point to voter suppression,'” the Texas Civil Rights Project wrote in a tweet. “Today, 63 civil rights orgs have gladly accepted that challenge & are releasing two joint statements outlining some of the sections that would harm voters the most.”
Senate Bill 7 would limit early voting hours, eliminate drive-thru voting and largely limit mail-in voting. House Bill 6 would also largely limit access to mail-in voting and require voters who need assistance, such as those with disabilities or those who aren’t fluent in English, to disclose why they require someone to help them vote.
In a press conference earlier this month, Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick chided American Airlines CEO Doug Parker for commenting against SB 7 reportedly before reading it.
“You have a right to your opinion, but read the damn bill,” Patrick said.
“Voters want confidence in their election system,” Patrick also said in the conference. “Senate Bill 7 is not voter suppression, it’s voter security.”
According to the Houston Chronicle’s editorial board, the state has only prosecuted 174 cases of voter fraud since 2005 — a minuscule portion of the more than 93 million ballots cast since then.
