Tell your lawmakers to oppose HB2363 / SB2298
2020 is slated to be an important election year, and the stability of our democracy is at stake. Politicians like Secretary of State Tre Hargett are trying to keep us from mobilizing our own communities to the ballot box. With the help of state legislators Rep. Tim Rudd (R-Murfreesboro) and Sen. Ed Jackson (R-Jackson), he is seeking revenge by proposing HB2363/SB2298 – a new version of last year’s draconian voter suppression law. Only this time it removes certain penalties and restrictions within the confines of the pending lawsuit.
Our state officials – who rarely show up for our black and brown communities – should not be making changes to voter registration law in an election year. The State is already in a lawsuit for passing a similar law. A federal judge blocked that law and placed a preliminary injunction on our case until February 2021. We should not rush into passing another law with a lawsuit still pending.
Tennessee ranks at the bottom of all states for voter participation. We should not be creating arbitrary penalties for voter registration groups that are trying to change our dismal voter registration and turnout rates. We should be focused on proven ideas that increase voter participation but have not yet been supported by our Secretary of State and members of the Tennessee General Assembly:
- Automatic voter registration
- Registration on Election Day
- Making improvements to the paper voter registration form
We are opposed to HB2363/SB2298 due to the civil penalties applied to voter registration groups and the intimidation these proposed laws signal to groups who mobilize communities of color.
HB2363 passed the House Elections & Campaign Finance Subcommittee yesterday and is headed to full Local Committee next Wednesday, Feb. 26 at 2:00 pm at the Cordell Hull Building, House Hearing Room 1.
Ready to get involved?
Join us for our next TEAm Meeting:
Our Rights, Our Vote on Thursday, February 27 from 6 – 8 pm.
Learn more and register.