Chief Justice John Roberts has fought to undermine voting rights his entire career. Chief Justice Roberts’s lifelong crusade against voting rights, explained. Roberts dismantled much of the Voting Rights Act in Shelby County v. Holder (2013), in which he made the ridiculous assertion that “There is no denying, however, that the conditions that originally justified these measures no longer characterize voting in the covered jurisdictions.”
Demonstrating that Chief Justice Roberts is either naive or a malicious liar (it is the later), on the very same day as his Shelby County opinion, “Texas announced that it would implement a strict photo ID law. Two other states, Mississippi and Alabama, also began to enforce photo ID laws that had previously been barred because of federal preclearance.” The Effects of Shelby County v. Holder.
“The decision in Shelby County opened the floodgates to laws restricting voting throughout the United States,” which continues to this very day. Election bills surge nationwide as 47 states consider restrictions:
By March 24, lawmakers had introduced 361 restrictive election bills in 47 legislatures, according to the nonpartisan Brennan Center for Justice at New York University, which has been tracking the legislation.
Former President Donald Trump’s stolen election Big Lie has inspired an avalanche of election-related bills nationwide. By all accounts, the 2020 election was secure and the results were accurate. Trump’s attorney general William Barr said there was no evidence of widespread voter fraud, and Trump’s legal efforts to overturn the results failed in courtrooms around the country.
Honoring its shameful past as the “heart of the Confederacy,” and rejecting its later history as the “heart of the Civil Rights Movement,” Georgia rushed to become the first state to enact Jim Crow 2.0 voter suppression measures in response to Donald Trump’s stolen election Big Lie. Georgia’s Voter Suppression Law.
Reminder: There were three recounts in Georgia, including a hand-count audit of over 5 million paper ballots, which confirmed the result that Democrat Joe Biden won Georgia. Nevertheless, Trump continued to advance his unfounded stolen election Big Lie. Georgia hand count of votes affirms Biden’s narrow victory over Trump.
Not wanting to be outdone by its Confederacy sister state, the absolute worst voter suppression state in the nation, Texas, is rushing to enact its own Jim Crow 2.0 voter suppression measures. Texas lawmakers advance a bill that would make voting more difficult, drawing comparisons to Georgia.
Lawmakers in Texas, a state that already claims the most onerous voting laws in the nation, on Thursday took a major step toward making it even tougher to cast a ballot, the latest in a bevy of Republican-backed efforts to restrict voting ahead of the 2022 midterm elections.
The State Senate approved an overhaul of election law that would roll back many steps taken by counties last year to facilitate voting during the pandemic and impose new curbs in their place, including statewide limits on polling-place hours, a new formula for locating polling places and a ban on drop boxes that were widely used nationwide last year to assist mail-in voters.
The proposal also would ban anyone except the voter who filled out a ballot from dropping it in a mailbox or delivering it to an election official. It adds new paperwork requirements for voters who need help because of language problems or disabilities. And it would give so-called poll watchers — untrained monitors, usually chosen by candidates or party officials, who are stationed inside polling places — the right to videotape voters if they deem them suspicious [this is a sop to the Houston-based GQP voter suppression organization True The Vote.]
[D]espite no evidence of significant election fraud in Texas last year, supporters of the bills in both chambers say those and other measures are necessary to make the state’s elections more secure.
Georgia’s Jim Crow 2.0 voter suppression law led to a belated backlash from corporate America after demands for corporate accountability from the state’s major corporations, and threats of a Georgia boycott. Major League Baseball on Friday pulled the All-Star Game from Atlanta in response to Georgia’s voter suppression law.
A little late to the game after the bill had already been signed into law. This is in the same vein as “thoughts and prayers” after every mass shooting. Expressions of grief from corporate America without actually doing anything to stop it.
Newly elected Senator Jon Ossoff (D-GA) during a press conference in Atlanta on Thursday said:
“I absolutely oppose and reject any notion of boycotting Georgia,” Ossoff said. “Georgia welcomes business, investment, jobs, opportunity, and events. In fact, economic growth is driving much of the political progress we have seen here. Georgia welcomes the world’s business. Corporations disgusted like we are with the disgraceful Voter Suppression bill should stop any financial support to Georgia’s Republican Party, which is abusing its power to make it harder for Americans to vote.”
U.S. Sen. Jon @ossoff blames “out of control” Republicans for MLB’s All Star Game decision. “… This egregious and immoral assault on voting rights has also put our state’s economy at grave risk.” #gapol pic.twitter.com/BSCgZP0JfF
— Greg Bluestein (@bluestein) April 3, 2021
After their silent complicity in Georgia’s Jim Crow 2.0 voter suppression law, corporate America is suddenly “woke” (aware to systemic racism) to corporate accountability and is now stepping up to try to stop Jim Crow 2.0 voter suppression laws from being enacted in other states. Pressure mounts on corporations to denounce GOP voting bills:
Liberal activists are stepping up calls for corporate America to denounce Republican efforts to tighten state voting laws, and businesses accustomed to cozy political relationships now find themselves in the middle of a growing partisan fight over voting rights.
Pressure is mounting on leading companies in Texas, Arizona and other states, particularly after Major League Baseball’s decision Friday to move the 2021 All-Star game out of Atlanta. The move came a week after Georgia Republicans enacted an overhaul of the state’s election law that critics argue is an attempt to suppress Democratic votes.
Other companies have, somewhat belatedly, joined the chorus of critics.
Delta Air Lines and The Coca-Cola Co., two of Georgia’s best-known brands, this past week called the new law “unacceptable,” although they had a hand in writing it.
The fight has thrust corporate America into a place it often tries to avoid — the center of a partisan political fight. But under threat of boycott and bad publicity, business leaders are showing a new willingness to enter the fray on an issue not directly related to their bottom line, even if it means alienating Republican allies.
“We want to hold corporations accountable for how they show up when voting rights are under attack,” said Marc Banks, an NAACP spokesman. “Corporations have a part to play, because when they do show up and speak, people listen.”
* * *
In Texas, the NAACP, League of Women Voters and League of United Latin American Citizens, among other organizations, are urging corporations in the state to speak out against a slate of Republican-backed voting proposals. “Democracy is good for business,” the campaign says.
Nine organizations took out full-page ads (right) in The Houston Chronicle and The Dallas Morning News, the state’s leading newspapers, urging corporate opposition to the plan. The Texas proposal would limit some early voting hours, bar counties from setting up drive-thru voting and prohibit local officials from proactively sending applications for mail ballots before voters request them.
Unlike their Georgia-based counterparts, American Airlines and Dell Technologies didn’t wait for the Texas measure to pass. “To make American’s stance clear: We are strongly opposed to this bill and others like it,” American said in a statement.
Arizona, which Biden flipped from Trump in November, hasn’t seen high-profile corporate players engage yet. But 30-plus groups sent a joint letter to Allstate Insurance, CVS Health and Farmers’ Insurance, among others, urging their public opposition to proposed voting restrictions. Emily Kirkland, executive director of Progress Arizona, a progressive group that signed the letter, said there’s been no response yet.
But see:
Michael Bidwell doesn't *only* give to the GOP, but he gives big $$ to GOPers who are working to suppress the vote. Words mean nothing without actions. If he continues to donate to these electeds, he is supporting their voter suppression.
Info: https://t.co/AO7kktNucH pic.twitter.com/505Vy3QMyf— Take A Stand (@RepresentMeAZ) April 3, 2021
Here is the text of the Greater Phoenix Leadership Letter:
Re: Business Leadership Opposition to Senate Bills 1485, 1593 and 1713
Members of the Arizona Legislature –
The following business leaders of Greater Phoenix Leadership have signed onto the Arizona Capitol Time’s opinion editorial titled Disenfranchising Voters is not “Election Reform” in opposition to the legislative bills listed below.
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- Senate Bill 1485: S/E NOW: early voting list; eligibility
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- Senate Bill 1593: early voting; time limits; envelope
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- Senate Bill 1713: early ballots; identification; mailing
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We encourage you to please vote no on these bills when they come up for a vote and appreciate your consideration.
—
Disenfranchising Voters is not “Election Reform”
Arizonans have an election system that is safe, secure, and convenient. Through the hard work of election officials and leaders from both parties, our voting system serves as a national model. Despite this success, we are now witnessing legislative efforts aimed at not only undoing this carefully crafted system, but actually attempting to suppress the votes of Arizonans. These efforts are misguided and must be defeated.
And as private-sector business leaders who lead the Public Policy Committee of an organization of CEOs at the helm of hundreds of thousands of employees in Arizona, it is incumbent upon us to speak out against proposals that could interfere with any Arizonan’s right to vote.
In this legislative session, dozens of proposed bills would adversely affect the way that Arizonans vote and how those votes are counted. These proposed measures range from requiring a purge of voters from the Permanent Early Voting List, to introducing stringent new identification requirements for those voting by mail, to shortening the early vote period available for all voters. Some measures go even further and would do away with the Permanent Early Voting List in its entirety or would require all early ballots to be returned by a voter in person. Most egregiously, one measure would even permit legislators to overturn the will of the voters during a presidential election.
These proposals are a concerted effort from those in Arizona -and across the nation- who wish to sow additional doubts about our elections in the minds of voters, and feed into the paranoia that has plagued our political discourse over the past several months. Disturbingly, each of these proposals have one thing in common: making it more difficult for Arizonans to vote.
Despite claims made by the proponents of these misguided measures, Arizonans already have confidence in the integrity of our elections and, by and large, they find it easy to vote. This confidence in our election process has been validated by the ever-increasing numbers of registered voters in Arizona utilizing vote-by-mail (and other innovations). The creation and implementation of our election improvements have historically received significant bi-partisan support and represent our shared commitment to protecting the right to vote for all Arizonans.
We live in a very politically divided time, which underscores why we must protect the institutions that have been successful and have instilled voter confidence. Win or lose an election in Arizona, we know that the system is accurate, fair and dependable. We can, and should, regularly strive to make improvements to the way that we conduct this most vital component of democracy. However, these efforts in play at the legislature today will hinder, not enhance, the precious right to vote.
These measures seek to disenfranchise voters. They are “solutions” in search of a problem. They are attempts at voter suppression cloaked as reform – plain and simple.
The onslaught of voter suppression measures that have been introduced or entertained this session has been alarming. Attempts to disenfranchise Arizona voters is not “election reform” and cannot be tolerated. Further, pandering to those who willfully choose to perpetuate misleading or inaccurate information cannot continue. True leaders will play an important role in sharing the truth: our election system in Arizona works.
See the GPL Link for the signatories.
The AP continues:
Other groups are demanding that corporations focus on Washington, where congressional Democrats are pushing measures intended to make it easier for Americans to vote, regardless of state laws. Among the changes, Democrats would enact automatic voter registration nationally and standardize access to early and mail voting. [H.R.1/S. 1 the For The People Act].
Democrats also want to restore parts of the Voting Rights Act of 1965 [The John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act] that require the federal government to approve all election procedures in states and locales with a history of discrimination. The Supreme Court struck down those provisions (see above), which applied to Georgia and Arizona, among other states, in 2013.
* * *
On Wednesday, the same day 72 Black business executives published a letter in The New York Times urging corporate leaders to speak out, Bastian was more direct. He sent a companywide memo declaring the law “unacceptable” and “based on a lie” — though he didn’t mention Trump.
Big business’s mistake, Jordan said, was “thinking there was ever any version that wouldn’t end up like this.”
Republican Jim Crow 2.0 voter suppression laws have awakened the next generation of the Voting Rights Movement and forced corporate America into taking corporate accountability. nearly 200 companies speaking out against voting law changes in Texas, other states:
Nearly 200 companies on Friday joined in a strong statement against proposals that threaten to restrict voting access in dozens of states, in a further sign of corporate willingness to speak out on social justice issues.
[E]xecutives from at least 193 companies — including Dow, HP, Twitter and Estée Lauder — urged the protection of voting rights across the country.
The joint statement was organized by Civic Alliance, a nonpartisan group of businesses focused on voter engagement.
“There are hundreds of bills threatening to make voting more difficult in dozens of states nationwide,” executives wrote in the statement, which also included signatures from the CEOs of Under Armour, Salesforce and ViacomCBS.
“We call on elected leaders in every state capitol and in Congress to work across the aisle and ensure that every eligible American has the freedom to easily cast their ballot and participate fully in our democracy,” the statement said.
[W]ith Friday’s petition, businesses are getting pressure from activists to step up before bills become law, and to go beyond issuing statements.
In addition to condemning voting proposals in dozens of states, activists wantcompanies to testify in front of legislators, withdraw financial support from lawmakers who support them, and throw weight behind the federal election reform legislation.
“We want them to lobby senators about passing the currently pending bill and use their forces to lobby that just as aggressively as they would to advance their own corporate interests,” said Cliff Albright, co-founder and executive director of national community organizing group Black Voters Matter. “At the end of the day, democracy is in their business interest.”
* * *
Civic Alliance first started considering a sign-on letter for its members late last week, but the Black executives’ letter is what “really tipped the scales,” said Mike Ward, the group’s co-founder. The statement “literally had a call in it — we call on our fellow executives and business leaders to join,” Ward said. Within eight hours on Thursday, about 10 percent of the organization’s roughly 1,070 member companies had decided to sign on, and Ward expects that number to continue rising.
Ward said the organization has been getting dozens of calls and emails a day since the Georgia law was signed, and that it has worked with some companies to help them craft their statements. “It feels very much like November, instead of April of the year after” an election season, which is usually their busy time, Ward said.
Ward said he believes states where legislation has not yet passed will get increasing attention from corporations, and that companies are considering options beyond statements — things such as withholding contributions, lobbying on behalf of federal legislation, or speaking directly with lawmakers.
* * *
Mike Ward said that while critics have suggested companies were slow to respond, the public has not historically expected companies to focus on voting access. But Albright hopes more of Corporate America will follow Chenault’s admonition that “there can be no middle ground” and expects concrete action beyond issuing statements or signing a letter.
“Just as aggressively as you tell the world to have a Coke and a smile, you need to tell the world to repeal this law,” Albright said. “If you really want to show us that this is an unacceptable law, then you can still take some actions.”
UPDATE APRIL 6, 2021:
🚨ALERT: @patagonia CEO releases public letter calling on businesses to take concrete action to protect voting rights. The clothing company backed up their statement with a $1 million donation to @NewGAProject and @BlackVotersMtr. https://t.co/40GDGiU6X0
— Democracy Docket (@DemocracyDocket) April 6, 2021
https://twitter.com/marceelias/status/1379614336847642632
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On Monday, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell tried to threaten corporations with “consequences” if they continue to take a stand against the GQP’s Jim Crow 2.0 racist voter suppression laws. “Mitch McConnell Just Threatened Corporations For Not Supporting GOP Racism”, https://www.politicususa.com/2021/04/05/mitch-mcconnell-threatens-corporations.html
McConnell took aim at corporate US: “Parts of the private sector keep dabbling in behaving like a woke parallel government. Corporations will invite serious consequences if they become a vehicle for far-left mobs to hijack our country from outside the constitutional order.”
Mitch McConnell is a leader in a political party that depends on donations from the wealthiest Americans and corporations for its survival, so it seems that the power in this situation rests with the corporations, which, if they chose to do so, could turn off the money supply to McConnell and the Republican Party at any time.
Sen. McConnell can’t do much to anyone as the Senate Minority Leader. He can make speeches on the Senate floor or go on Fox News, but he doesn’t control what bills make it to the Senate floor anymore or what gets a final vote.
McConnell’s threat is empty. There is little that he can do to corporate America.
The “pro-business” Republican Party has reached a point where they are threatening businesses who said that every eligible American should have equal access to the ballot box, and those voting laws that target minorities are wrong and need to be changed.
That is the entire position that has Republicans outraged.
Mitch McConnell is threatening corporate America because they won’t turn a blind eye toward Republican racism.
Corporations should tell McConnell fine, the donation spigots to Republicans are now closed.