Abbott Rejects Obama Criticism Of Texas Voter Turnout Efforts By Jamie Lovegrove Texas Tribune • Mar 14, 2016 ShareTwitter Facebook Google+ Email Texas Gov. Greg Abbott at a press conference on Monday dismissed President Obama's criticisms of the state's efforts to improve voter turnout, arguing that the state must crack down on "rampant" voter fraud. Jamie Lovegrove / Texas Tribune Texas Gov. Greg Abbott repudiated President Barack Obama’s recent criticisms of the state’s voter laws on Monday, arguing that Texas must remain vigilant against voter fraud. “What I find is that leaders of the other party are against efforts to crack down on voter fraud,” Abbott said. “The fact is that voter fraud is rampant. In Texas, unlike some other states …show more content…
Obama has been previously critical of Voter ID laws like the one Texas passed in 2011. A federal judge ruled last year that the Texas law had a “discriminatory effect” by restricting access to the polls for black and Hispanic Texans. Last week the full U.S. 5th Circuit Court of Appeals announced that it would hear arguments over whether the law violates the Voting Rights Act. The law requires most citizens to show one of a handful of forms of allowable photo identification before their election ballots can be counted. One specific policy that Obama suggested the state should adopt to increase turnout would be online voter registration. But Abbott appeared uninterested in the proposal when asked about it at a press conference following the announcement that California-based Pegasus Foods is building a new, 80,000-square-foot manufacturing facility in Rockwall, Texas. “We don’t want to open the system up to methodologies or ways of voting that would promote or allow voter fraud,” Abbott …show more content…
Cory Booker, D-New Jersey, said last year, an assertion that PolitiFact found to be true. As of last year, there had been a total of 85 election fraud prosecutions resolved in Texas, including 51 guilty or no contest pleas and 9 convictions, according to PolitiFact. Lorraine Minnite, a Rutgers professor and author of the book The Myth of Voter Fraud, determined that four cases in Texas from 2000 to 2014 involved in-person voter fraud. Shortly before the governor spoke on Monday, the Texas Civil Rights Project filed a lawsuit in San Antonio federal court challenging the state’s voter registration procedures. The complaint alleges that Texas is violating the U.S. Constitution and federal law by refusing to register eligible voters who submit changes to their driver’s license information with the Texas Department of Public Safety. “Plaintiffs, who are eligible Texas voters, have been disenfranchised — just like the thousands of similarly situated voters who complained to election officials about these same problems when their ballots were not counted,” the complaint reads, arguing that this contradicts the equal protection clause of the Fourteenth Amendment and the National Voter Registration Act of
After espousing “license plates are not traditional public forums for private speech,” Breyer then draws attention to the fact “Texas presents these [license plate] designs on government-mandated, government-controlled, and government-issued IDs that have traditionally been used as a medium for government speech,” rejecting the respondent’s notion of a limited public forum. Confirming the specialty license plates as government speech, the Court reaffirms “Texas maintains direct control over the messages conveyed on its specialty plates [and] Texas law provides that the State ‘has sole control of the design, typeface, color, and alphanumeric pattern for all license plates,’” further legitimizing Keller’s position. Concisely, the Court’s opinion reiterates “[w]hen government speaks, it is not barred by the Free Speech Clause from determining the content of what it says,” and thus concludes no infringement of free speech occurred, thereby wholly rejecting the respondent’s arguments in favor of
Gregg Abbott was born and raised in Texas. In 1984 he served as state trial judge in Houston, TX and became a paraplegic when a tree fell on him while he was jogging. In 1996 Governor George Bush (R) appointed Mr. Abbott (R) to the Texas Supreme Court where he served for eight years. He resigned from Texas Supreme Court, to be sworn in as Lieutenant Governor of Texas in 2002. In 2010 he was known as the longest-serving Texas Attorney General in Texas history. In 2014 Mr. Abbott ran and won the office of the Governor of Texas. Even though Governor Abbott was against open carry of hand guns in 2014, because he felt this would disrupt public safety, he signed a law in 2015 that allowed open carry on college campuses. He also signed the law for
States’ rights, the fight for the unborn and their right to life, and resistance to gun legislation, tend to be some of the top issues for conservative Texas voters. The last time a Democrat carried the state of Texas was in 1976, when Jimmy Carter won the Presidential election. During the 2004 presidential election, then President and Republican candidate, George W. Bush, won with 61.09% against 38.30% votes for the Democratic candidate John Kerry. However, in the more recent Presidential elections that were held in 2008 and in 2012, the very popular Democratic candidate, Barack Obama, did not win the majority vote for Texas. Thus, looking at this information, it can be said that the state of Texas tends to lean more towards the Republican side.
Texas Legislation has been known to be extremely controversial. But, before it can be described, for whom the legislation
We can conclude that in order to amend the Texas constitution a proposal must be initiated during a regular session or special session of the legislator. In addition, a unanimous two-thirds vote must be achieved before an election can be held for the people to vote on the amendment. Although citizens voiced their concerns for reform of the constitution during the 1970’s only one reform attempt resulted in an opportunity for the electorate to vote. In the end the constitutional reform did not succeed because of shady tactics, specific individuals, and fear of change. The recent Supreme Court Ruling on gay marriages is an example of why the Texas constitution is to constrict and non-free flowing. Due to the fact that it is so detailed they would not of had the ability to allow gay marriages to be legal without a specific
In an attempt to put the power back in the states and minimize the control of the federal government, Texas Governor Greg Abbott has called for a Convention of the States to amend the U.S. Constitution. Governor Abbott has also proposed nine amendments that would dramatically elevate power within the state. Abbott believes that the federal government has overstepped its boundaries as set forth by the 10th amendment and it is the state's duty to take back the power that was once theirs (Texas Gov.).
Many people were affected by the decision government Abbott has made, which leads rivalry between the people who are for and against the law making decision. The people who are for this law settlement, are more likely to remove community local laws that control the environment for society. For example, Maren Taylor from Texas Vot wrote that, “The Texas Legislature has decided that the people of cities shouldn’t have the right to protect the communities they.” The point that the communities from each city, will indeed have to understand that state government officials will remove any local control and replace the rules by what the legislative desires for. In most places, the ban of local activity that
Texas represents a national demographic shift that will cause the United States to become a “minority-majority” country in the near future. Texas achieved that status in 2004, when racial and ethnic minority populations, both native and foreign-born, collectively outnumber non-Hispanic whites; in addition, the state
Republican proponents claim that voter identification laws do not discourage those who are most likely to vote from turning out to the polls. They also believe voter identification laws are vitally essential to discourage voter fraud and to strengthen public trust in the electoral system (Gerken 40). Looking closer at both sides of this continuing controversy will help to clarify each sides claims and reveal any misinformation.
Attempting to persuade the majority of Texans to vote for the Democratic Party will be difficult as Texas is a large Republican state. However, due to the high number of electoral votes, 38, it is crucial that the Party does win these votes in order to ensure the presidency. Seeing as how Texas voters are mostly strictly traditional Anglo Republicans it will be more difficult to convince these voters than it would to persuade the remaining minority citizens. Historically, voter turnout for minorities in Texas is very low, so in order to change this turnout, these citizens must feel encouraged to vote because they will benefit from the result of their actions. Different minorities expect different things so it will simpler and more efficient
Texas remains a large state with masses of diversity in addition. Despite all the Texas greatness and large land there remains one issue that stays still not immense in, which is voting. Surprisingly, only twenty-two percent of Texans vote. Furthermore, Texas is positioned second to last with the lowest voting rate. There exist plenty of reasons Texas has such a minimal voter turnout rate. One reason mentioned in the Texas Civil Health Index “transpires Texas demographic” (Texas 20). In addition, another reason befalls that people actually believe that their vote doesn’t matter. Finally, a third reason stands that people ensue uneducated. Voting will transform our lives, if citizens just speak up everything will be just the way Texans want it. Texans need to benefit of their freedom and not let only segment of the state control our appeals and needs. It is essential to vote; that will be the only way our voice could be heard; it
The Texas anti-abortion law has taken the country’s attention by storm. It is an issue on many different woman’s minds, especially those who live in the state of Texas. The new laws are forcing many woman to have to cross state lines in order to receive an abortion and medical care. This includes woman who needs abortions due to preexisting medical conditions and those who are carrying fetuses which are diseased and are expected not to be born as healthy babies. The Texas Governor Rick Perry and Senator Ted Cruz are leading the fight for the abortion laws to become permanent, laws that are considered the strictest abortion laws that this country has ever seen.
According to the National Conference of State Legislatures, in Texas Voter ID laws are “strict” meaning that a voter cannot vote with a valid ballot without first representing a photo ID. When a person does not present a valid photo ID, they vote with a provisional ballot that will only be counted if the voter returns with an acceptable form of identification. In late 2013, the Obama administration filed a complaint against the Voter ID law that Texas was proposing. This was in “efforts to restore a stronger federal role in protecting minority voters in Texas” (Mataconis). The administration stated that the law discriminated against those of a minority group, meanwhile Republicans said that the complaint was an intrusion on state’s rights. John Cornyn, a Republican in the Senate, said that “a politicized Justice
Texas has a reputation throughout history of differing views from the federal government in laws and politics pertaining to social, fiscal, and educational issues. On the whole, Texas operates as a largely conservative state. Because of this, policy-making is often right wing. With the institution of a Democratic, liberal president, the State’s dissent from the Federal government has only increased over certain issues. One hot topic of the 2012 Presidential election was immigration. With the major increase in immigration, it is no surprise that the issue was so emphasized. Between 2000 and 2011 there was a 30 percent
I believe that many people in Texas do not care to vote because of apathy and the majority see a system that is corrupt, full of lies and