You'll recall earlier this week that the intolerant Republican Representative from House District 4, Betty Brown, announced her campaign for re-election to a sixth term to the Texas House.
As mentioned in an earlier post, the Asian Political Leadership Fund made it clear that they intend to launch television advertising against the intolerant Terrell Republican. You can view the ad here.
As reported by the Quorum Report this week, Brown faces a crowded Republican Primary field:
First elected in 1998, Brown is seeking her sixth term as legislator. One of her opponents, Lance Gooden, said that he's running because Brown doesn't have too many accomplishments to show for her time spent in the Capitol. ... Others filing papers this summer to run in HD 4 include Jeffrey Fulgham Jr., an executive at the First State Bank of Brownsboro, and Melissa Pehle-Hill who announced her candidacy at the Athens Texas Independence Day Tea Party.
Brown has her hands full with an upcoming primary challenge from many angles of the Right. She narrowly held off a formidable opponent in 2008 with just 52.5% of the primary vote. The Asian American Leadership Fund is clearly looking to knock Brown off in the primary and might just accomplish that task. That likely means House District 4 will be represented by a Republican not named Betty Brown, as the district is clearly drawn for someone from the Right versus the Left.
Republican State Representative, Betty Brown of Terrell, announced her bid to run for re-election to House District 4, indicating she has no worries about being a high priority target of a large, national based Asian-American organization known as the Asian Political Leadership Fund.
You'll recall that the twelve year incumbent made news by demonstrating her, and her Party's level of intolerance during Voter Suppression Committee hearings this past spring, by interrupting Ramey Ko and his testimony with this bigoted remark:
"Rather than everyone here having to learn Chinese - I understand it's a rather difficult language - do you think that it would behoove you and your citizens to adopt a name that we could deal with more readily here?"
"The world should see Texas as a big, modern, important state with the twelfth largest economy on earth.
Unfortunately, some of our politicians still seem pretty small.
Betty Brown - she made national news when she said U.S. citizens with Asian names should give up their birthright in order to vote.
If Texas is going to play a bigger role on the world stage, shouldn't our leaders be bigger, too?"
Matt Glazer rightfully pointed out in April of this year that Asian-Americans are a growing population in Texas. Clearly the remarks by ultra-conservative Brown have drawn the community's ire--and rightfully so. Brown has indicated that she intends to keep Voter Suppression as one of her top issues in her platform for re-election as a Republican in 2010---that, and say "no" all the time versus proposing constructive, forward-thinking legislation to solve problems of every day Texans.
The question is who will the Asian Political Leadership Fund actively back? In 2008, Brown easily won re-election to a sixth term in defeating former Democratic U.S. Senate candidate Victor Morales. Where Brown ran into deep trouble was in the Republican Primary, where she squeaked by with only 52.5% of the vote. Will this national Asian-American organization back a Republican challenger or hold their gun powder for a general election? My bet is that the Leadership Fund will do whatever it takes, primary or general, to knock the intolerant Terrell Republican off the ballot.
Smith floated another draft of a possible compromise bill on the floor today. Smith has been leaving Sen. Troy Fraser's SB 362 parked in committee in hopes of finding something that will pull a few swing-district Democrats to vote "aye."
But that's getting push-back from GOP hardliners on the committee and stopping him short of the five votes he needs.
"I have a really good agreement with [Republican] Rep. [Dennis] Bonnen and Rep. [Dwayne] Bohac, and [Democratic] Rep. [Joe] Heflin," Smith said. "I'm having trouble getting Rep. [Betty] Brown and Rep. [Linda] Harper-Brown on board.
Linda Harper-Brown won her re-election by a mere 19 votes. Harper-Brown beat Democrat Bob Romano 19,857 to 19,838 or 48.72% to 48.67%. Former Texas Republican Party Political Director Royal Masset estimated that a photo ID requirement would reduce Democratic turnout in Texas by 3%. In House District 105, that would have cost Bob Romano about 595 votes.
Is Harper-Brown pushing a fundamental political ideology or is she worried about re-election?
Rightwing voter suppression tactics may cause the death of any legislation passing out of the Texas House.
This is a simple situation of the far right not being able to agree with the moderate Republicans in the House who are trying to at least attempt to compromise with Democrats. There are a large group of Democrats who want to preserve the ability of every Texan to vote, and so it is the middle of the pack on both sides of the aisle who will get this bill passed.
Brandi Grissom of the El Paso times sums up the fight in a piece yesterday.
GOP lawmakers unwilling to compromise on strict voter identification requirements they have made a priority at the Capitol may be the very ones who kill the effort in the Texas House, state Rep. Todd Smith, R-Euless, said Wednesday.
"If the far right is unwilling to accommodate on this legislation to any extent, then they do have the power to succeed in killing voter ID, and I will certainly allow them to do so," Smith said.
In the wake of a new, more restrictive bill, the Texas Democratic Party is urging people to contact the House Election Committee and request a hearing on this controversial bill.
Today, House Elections Committee Chairman Todd Smith circulated a new, more restrictive version of the Republican Voter ID bill that absolutely requires a Photo ID before a voter would be allowed to cast a regular ballot. The Committee could consider and vote out this legislation on short notice as early as this afternoon or at any time called by Chairman Smith.
Call the House Elections Committee members and tell them you support House Democrats' call for Chairman Smith to schedule a public hearing on this unacceptable version of the Voter ID bill before the Committee even considers taking a vote.
How is the new bill more restrictive?
According to Dave Montgomery at the Fort Worth Star Telegram, the bill takes away all of the compromises and moves it more in line with the Betty Brown, Warren Chisum, Tom Craddick wing of the party.
Smith, R-Euless, backed away from his original plan, which allowed voters to present a photo ID or two forms of non-photo ID, after 71 of the 76 House Republicans issued a statement insisting on a strict photo ID law.
In another major change, Smith also modified a provision in his earlier proposal that would have kept the bill from taking effect for four years in order to educate voters about the new ID requirements. Now it would become effective in January 2011.
Voters who are indigent, have a religious objection to the documentation, or live in a nursing home would be exempt from the photo ID requirements in Smith's revised plan. The bill would also exempt voters who are at least 70 years old and never had a birth certificate because their births weren't recorded with a state vital statistics office.
It's important to note these changes make the House voter suppression bill worse than SB 362.
As the Texas Democratic Party points out, Voter ID requirements place costly and time-consuming new bureaucratic barriers between voters and the ballot box that will make it harder for all of us to vote. There is no evidence of voter impersonation and Texans face far more urgent problems, but Texas Republicans are following a national Republican agenda to keep failed leaders in office with laws that would reduce turnout among seniors, students, people of color and those with lower incomes.
The fact that SB362 and ever other voter suppression bill is legislation in search of a problem may be a big reason why nobody in the Republican Party can agree on how to legislate it.
The Austin Chronicle has an incredibly impressive write up of the on-going shenanigans. Lee Nichols talked with Republican Todd Smith who said:
"But they want it without any money for registering voters, or without a transition period, or without a signature verifying process," Smith continued. "Then I don't get the marginal votes. It's time to find out whether Rep. Brown and Rep. Harper-Brown want a voter ID bill, because my distinct impression at this point is that they do not. For whatever reason, I am under the distinct impression that they want to kill it, and I may give them the opportunity to do that."
There are only a few weeks left, and the fact the target is moving around so much is the exact reason why more public input is necessary. People's ability to engage in our democracy is too important to have a thrown together piece of partisan legislation.
There are only two solutions. 1) more public input to work through possible problems and legal challenges or 2) refuse to pass a radical, restrictive piece of anti-voter legislation.
In either case, Speaker Joe Straus and Election Committee Chair Todd Smith are the two people in the drivers seats now.
Following her comments last week, State Rep. Betty Brown has proven to be been an attractive target for comedians. After a mention of the incident on Saturday Night Live's Weekend Update, The Onion published this today.
It is unfortunate that Betty Brown's comments served to reinfoce stereotypes people have about Texans. If you haven't seen it yet, be sure to watch Ramey Ko's response.
This is a fantastic interview done by KXAN's Jenny Hoff with Ramey Ko in reaction to Rep. Betty's Brown's remarks about Asian American's adopting "easier names" in relation to his testimony regarding the Voter ID bills.
Be sure to watch the last minute of Ko's response- it's solid.
During public testimony in the Election Committee, Republican Representative Betty Brown said something very interesting.
"Rather than everyone here having to learn Chinese - I understand it's a rather difficult language - do you think that it would behoove you and your citizens to adopt a name that we could deal with more readily here?"
Now the background.
Rep. Brown, a Republican, made it clear that nothing is sacred that gets in the way of Texas Republicans' extreme partisan agenda, asking a witness testifying on the problems the Republican Voter ID bill would create for Chinese-American Texans. That's when she said the above mention line.
According to the Texas Democratic Party, Rep. Brown then went on to put the onus on those who would be prevented from voting by the Republican Voter ID bill to figure out their own solution, saying to the aforementioned witness, "I see a need here for young people like you, who are obviously very bright, to come up with something that would work for you and then let us see if we can't make it work for us." While Rep. Brown later tried to back out of her statements, the damage was done.
The Texas Democratic Party is now asking for Rep. Brown to apologize.
"It's already shameful enough that the Republican Elections Committee members are trying to suppress the votes of countless Texans with their partisan Voter ID bill, and now Rep. Brown is adding insult to injury with her disrespectful comments," said Texas Democratic Party Chairman Boyd Richie. "We are calling on Rep. Betty Brown to apologize for her offensive and out-of-touch remarks."
The Asian American community is one of the fastest growing populations in Texas. If a law is going to disenfranchise a group of people, the solution cannot and should not be for a person to sacrifice their culture in order to have the right to vote.
As the Asian American Action Fund pointed clarified, "Texas has a rather substantial APA voting population, including a fair number of Republicans. Not to mention, current and previous elected officials including ex-Rep. Martha Wong and sitting Rep. Angie Chen Button."
AJ Durrani, President of the Asian American Democrats of Texas added to Chairman Richie's appeal. Durrani e-mailed the members of AADT saying:
Members of AADT,
On Wednesday April 8, during the Texas House of Representatives testimony on the Voter ID Bill, State Representative Betty Brown, R-Terrell, made shockingly intolerant and insensitive remarks about Asian Americans. An article from the Houston Chronicle.Com is provided below for details, as is a statement from Texas Democratic Party Chairman, Boyd Ritchie.
State Representative Betty Brown's racially insensitive remarks have no place in America, and she should immediately and unconditionally apologize for her remarks. Please contact State Representative Betty Brown about her unacceptable remarks and ask her to apologize immediately in a public forum.
Her email address is: [mailto:betty.brown@house.state.tx.us betty.brown@house.state.tx.us]
Her postal mail and fax addresses, and phone numbers are as follows:
Capitol Address
Room E1.404, Capitol Extension
Austin, TX 78701
(512) 463-0458
(512) 463-2040 Fax
District Address
108 S. Pinkerton, Suite 105
Athens, TX 75751
(903) 675-9500
(903) 677-6773 Fax
This is the Republican solution to the many problems with Voter Suppression legislation. If you are negatively effected by this ill conceived and unnecessary law, you should make sacrifices. If you are unwilling to sacrifice your job, your culture, your marriage, or anything else that may prevent you from voting, then you didn't want to vote bad enough.
Maybe that is why former Texas Republican Party Political Director Royal Masset estimated that a photo ID requirement would reduce Democratic turnout in Texas by 3%.
Mexican American Legislative Caucus chairman, and recent blog newcomer, Trey Martinez-Fischer has found a way to bring some levity to the situation. Once you get done asking for Rep. Brown to apologize, you can at least find out what your new name can be here. Let me introduce you to Elise Hughes KVUE's new political reporter. She may look familiar. Sort of like Jennifer Kim.
Update: Thanks to a friend on facebook, we now have the entire question and answer period between Ramey Ko and Rep. Betty Brown. There a couple really great points and our friend Ramey does a great job testifying.
And now I hear it is too late this session, but I am going to leave the topic up since it is something to consider in 2009's session. Gas will be about $20 a gallon by then.
With extraordinary gas price increases this year, one would think the Texas Legislature may try and assist its citizens and make sure we are getting the bang for our $3.08 a gallon that we deserve. It should be making sure we are actually getting that gallon of gas. But instead I have found a bill sitting in committee for the past month that should instead be sitting on the Governor's desk.
House Bill 37, authored by Rep Burt Solomons of Denton County, refers to the sale of temperature-adjusted unleaded and diesel gasoline. Depending on climate and temperature, gasoline expands and contracts. Thus, in certain areas of the state that are hotter, you are getting less than your gallon of gasoline that you think you are paying for. In effect, the hotter it is, the more we get screwed at the pump!
While I don't always agree with Rep. Solomons legislation, this is a bill with merit. Several states across the nation have been seeking similar legislation to force the oil industry to allow retail outlets to install temperature-adjusted pumps.
It is already bad enough that our Department of Agriculture does not inspect gas pumps at retail outlets in a timely manner (ask me some day to find the pictures of the out of date Weights & Measures inspection stickers I have found in both Dallas and Houston. We're getting Stapled!). Now we realize that we aren't even getting a gallon of gas when we pay for one. This bill needs to get out of committee and to the house floor. It has been sitting in committee since April 17.
Consider calling or emailing the Agriculture & Livestock Committee members to give them that needed push: Chairman Rep. Sid Miller, Vice-Chair Rep. Charles "Doc" Anderson, Rep. Betty Brown, Rep. Jimmie Don Aycock, Rep. Pete Gallego, Rep. Juan M. Garcia, and Rep. Joe Heflin.
Today is the first day of early voting across the state. It is the first day that few Texans will venture outside to vote on another constitutional amendment or have a voice in how their cities are run.
If we are lucky, by the end of early voting, 5% of Texans will use the powers of democracy, and yet today, Republicans will try to restrict the power to vote even more.
Project Vote has been working on this issue nationally, and the newly founded True Courage Action Network (TCAN) has been a rallying point here in Texas. Project Vote has put together a must read on the Politics of Voter Fraud. The key findings of the report make it clear how unnecessary this bill is.
During the study, 2002 - 2005, nationally only 24 people were convicted or pled guilty to voter fraud. As we pointed out when they first began this debate last Monday:
HB 626 would literally end voter registration drives and registration by mail as we know them today by requiring every person who registers to provide a certified copy (not a photocopy) of a birth certificate ($23), citizenship papers ($200) or a passport, mailed in a business reply envelope if not presented in person. By requiring a "certified" copy instead of a photocopy, the days of voter registration tables, door-to-door voter registration and registration by mail would be over.
Best case scenario, this is legislation for the sake of legislation. Worst case scenario, Republicans don't want people to vote.
HB626's "proof of citizenship" requirements would end Voter Registration as we know it today by ending postcard registration, including federal postcard registration, which may violate the National Voter Registration Act. Thousands register to vote at businesses and community centers and in door to door registration drives every election year. Most do not carry around "proof of citizenship" documents, and requiring registrations to be submitted via business reply envelope holding "proof of citizenship" documents means an end to voter registration drives.
The mainstream media has been paying attention to this coup on democracy too.
"House Bill 626 by Rep. Phil King, R-Weatherford, may be worse still. It would require every applicant for a voter registration card to prove his and her citizenship. That is, you would have to show a certified birth certificate - not a copy - or passport to register to vote. The bills pushed by Brown and King further that effort to shrink the number of voters in Texas to better gain advantage for Republicans, particularly incumbents."
Editorial, Austin American Statesman, April 26, 2007
"A second bill, sponsored by Rep. Phil King, R-Weatherford, would require applicants for voter registration cards to provide a certified copy of a document providing proof of citizenship. Many qualified voters do not have ready access to such documents… It would also undercut bipartisan voter registration drives because of the difficulty in assembling such documentation."
Editorial, Houston Chronicle, April, 26, 2007
It's not too late to do something. Kuff has a targeted list of swing votes provided by TCAN. You can also contact your representative, and tell them to vote against HB 626.
Today is your day to defend democracy from itself.
