Gilly fights GOP on bills to curb votes
WASHINGTON — Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand and fellow lawmakers introduced new voting legislation Thursday, reviving the work of late congressman and civil rights icon John Lewis to counter the Republican proposals that have swept the country.
The bill, called the Voter Empowerment Act, would let voters register online, require states to register any eligible citizen and allow same-day voting registration, expand early voting, and grant former felons the right to vote, among other provisions.
The bill was originally introduced in the House in 2019 by Rep. John Lewis who died of cancer last summer.
“As Republican legislatures across the country seek to pass voter suppression laws that will disenfranchise communities of color, it is critical that we pass the Voter Empowerment Act to strengthen the integrity of our elections and ensure that voting is equal, fair and accessible for all Americans,” Gillibrand (D-N.Y) said.
A Thursday congressional hearing on voting rights revealed that more than 360 bills aimed at restricting voting have been filed in 47 states this year.
Most of the restrictive laws are backed by Republicans, and largely aim to restrict mail-in voting, reduce access to polling places and institute voter ID restrictions.
House subcommittee on elections Chairman G.K. Butterfield, citing data from the New Yorkbased Brennan Center for Justice, said Texas, Georgia and Arizona have been the busiest states.
Twenty-five bills were introduced in Georgia and 23 bills were introduced in Arizona. One of the new Georgia laws only allows poll workers to give food and water to voters in line.
“Despite no credible evidence of any irregularities in the 2020 election, states are responding to Americans’ participation in democracy by moving to curtail access, introducing suppressive voting legislation at an alarming rate,” Butterfield said Thursday.
A record 158.4 million people cast ballots in 2020, jumping 8% and higher in key states that helped toss former President Donald Trump from office.
The goal of the hearing, Butterfield said, was to start repairing key parts of the Voting Rights Act that the Supreme Court struck down in 2013 — such as requiring states with a history of discrimination to get Justice Department approval before passing new voting laws.