88R9924 TBO-D     By: Reynolds H.C.R. No. 33       CONCURRENT RESOLUTION          WHEREAS, The history of the United States has been tarnished   by discriminatory policies that suppress minority voting rights and   threaten the foundation of our democracy; and          WHEREAS, On March 7, 1965, civil rights activists the   Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and John Lewis led a peaceful   march against voting inequality and were met with extreme violence;   this event prompted a public outcry and inspired Congress to pass   the Voting Rights Act later that year; the bipartisan legislation   allowed direct federal oversight and protections of election   processes to prevent states from suppressing minority voters; and          WHEREAS, In 2013, a landmark Supreme Court decision weakened   the Voting Rights Act of 1965 by ending the preclearance process,   which required jurisdictions with a history of voting   discrimination to submit changes to voting policies for federal   approval before implementing them; this limited the federal   government's ability to deter voter suppression, and North Carolina   and Texas immediately passed voting changes that were previously   rejected for preclearance; these laws remained during several   elections before federal courts later determined that they were   discriminatory; and          WHEREAS, U.S. Representatives Terri Sewell and John Lewis   coauthored the Voting Rights Advancement Act, which was renamed in   honor of Congressman Lewis after his passing; this bill would   restore the protections of the Voting Rights Act of 1965 while   updating the coverage criteria to reflect current conditions and   apply to all states; furthermore, the bill focuses the preclearance   process on a set of discriminatory measures, requires reasonable   public notice for voting changes, and allows the attorney general   to request the presence of federal observers in places at risk of   racial discrimination in voting; and          WHEREAS, Congressman John Lewis dedicated his life to   protecting Americans' right to vote, and Congress should pass his   legislation to prevent voter suppression and uphold our nation's   core value of equality; now, therefore, be it          RESOLVED, That the 88th Legislature of the State of Texas   hereby respectfully urge the Congress of the United States to pass   the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act; and, be it further          RESOLVED, That the Texas secretary of state forward official   copies of this resolution to the president of the United States, to   the president of the Senate and the speaker of the House of   Representatives of the United States Congress, and to all the   members of the Texas delegation to Congress with the request that   this resolution be entered in the Congressional Record as a   memorial to the Congress of the United States of America.