Turner among mayors pushing for voting rights legislation: 'Voting rights are under historic attack'

Eight Texas mayors, including Houston’s Sylvester Turner, are among a group of 151 mayors nationally pushing the U.S. Senate to address voting rights legislation. 

The eight mayors are part of the non-partisan U.S. Conference of Mayors. The group sent a letter to Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) to urge the passage of the Freedom to Vote Act and the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act, according to Houston Public Media. The House approved both measures last year.

In addition to Turner, the Texas mayors who signed the letter are Arlington Mayor Jim Ross, Austin Mayor Steve Adler, Brownsville Mayor Trey Mendez, Dallas Mayor Eric Johnson, DeSoto Mayor Rachel L. Proctor, Port Arthur Mayor Thurman ‘Bill’ Bartie and San Antonio Mayor Ron Nirenberg.

"Yesterday, I joined other bipartisan @usmayors in urging the U.S. Senate to take action on voting rights legislation, specifically the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act (S. 4) and the Freedom to Vote Act (S. 2747)," Turner said on his Twitter account.

The federal legislation the mayors want to see approved would override aspects of voting laws passed last year by the Republican-controlled Texas Legislature, including Senate Bill 1. The sweeping legislation rolled back local voting initiatives meant to make it easier to vote, set new rules for voting by mail and boost protection for partisan poll watchers, among other provisions.

GOP lawmakers in states across the U.S. initiated voting law changes because of false claims of fraud during the 2020 presidential election. Former President Donald Trump and other Republicans continue to falsely claim the election was stolen from Trump despite no evidence of voter fraud, according to Houston Public Media.

"Voting rights are under historic attack and our very democracy is threatened," the mayors wrote in their letter. They pointed to nearly three dozen new voting laws passed recently by 19 states that restrict access to the ballot.

The mayors said federal legislation in the Senate would help reduce voter suppression by creating national standards to ensure voting access. That includes a mandate for early voting, allowing all voters to cast mail-in ballots and making Election Day a federal holiday.