Reaction to Republican State Legislator Attempts to Suppress the People’s Right to Vote

Beware the political party that wants to suppress the people’s right to vote.

The odds are the members of that party are not fighting for you and your interests.

As fellow writers AZ Blue Meanie and Michael Bryan have reported, the Republicans have spent a large portion of their time in the Arizona State Legislature introducing bills that would:

• Take away a woman’s right to choose and criminalize legal abortion procedures.
• Make the State’s handling of the Coronavirus worse than it already is.
• Suppress the vote.

Republican legislators Kevin Payne, Michelle Ugenti Rita, and Shawna Bolick have introduced measures to:

• Purge, or eliminate PEVL, the Permanent Early Voting List (HB2370 introduced by Payne.)
• Restrict voter registration opportunities (SB1358 put forth by Ugenti-Rita.)
• Give the legislature the power to nullify the Arizona Electoral College results of a Presidential Election (HB2720 advanced by Bolick.)

Suffice it to say, these measures are designed for one purpose only: For Republicans to maintain their political hold on power by making it harder for people to vote.

Democratic reaction to these proposals has been universal.

In a press release on Payne’s proposal (which he even admits will not see the Governors desk for signature,) Liz Luna, the Deputy Director of the Arizona Democratic Legislative Campaign Committee (ADLCC,) wrote:

“In only the second week of the legislative session, Representative Kevin Payne proposed a bill (HB 2370) to abolish the Permanent Early Voting List (PEVL) which provides an opportunity for all eligible Arizona voters to receive their ballots in the mail for each election. There are currently 3.2 million voters signed up for PEVL in the state.

Since the start of the Trump Administration, the ADLCC has witnessed countless attacks on voting rights and citizen led initiatives to secure voting rights to all Arizonans. This abuse of power is just the beginning of what attacks on our democracy will look like this year.

Receiving ballots by mail has been an option to Arizona voters for more than two decades and approximately 80% of Arizona voters already choose this method to vote because it is safe, secure and effective.

Democrats will continue to work to increase access to the ballot box. We know our democracy works better when every voice has the opportunity to be heard, and this pattern of placing arduous burdens in front of voters must end.”

Ms. Luna also released a statement ridiculing Ugenti-Rita’s anti-voter registration proposal, relaying:

“SB1358 is a clear attempt by GOP Senator Michelle Ugenti-Rita to prevent organizing and accessible voter registration. We’ve seen the success that local organizers can have in their own neighborhoods—registering voters and signing more people up to participate in democracy.

Sen. Ugenti-Rita’s proposal would eliminate the right for county recorders to host voter registration events in any public places, like parks or outside a grocery store. It puts unnecessary and undue burdens on rural communities who may not have easy access to a government building and targets grassroots organizations who have registered millions of voters across the country and right here in Arizona.

This is a disgusting abuse of power and a further attempt to undermine our democracy.”

Shawna Bolick’s bill on having the Legislature nullify the results of the Presidential Election has encountered the most bipartisan criticism. According to the January 29 edition of Yellow Sheet, one Republican called the proposal “the worst bill of the year.” Even Ugenti-Rita (the one who wants to limit voter registration opportunities) has, according to the same Yellow Sheet reporting, stated that “this was a bad idea.”

YSR 1-29-21-1

It certainly is in Democratic Circles.

The Democratic House Member from Legislative District 20, Judy Schwiebert wrote:

“Representative Bolick’s bill would basically make our state legislature the decider of our presidential election. Neither a Republican nor Democratic majority in our State House should have that power. That’s the sacred right of voters.”

Pima County Democratic Party Chair Bonnie Heidler made an impassioned statement that could apply to all these voter suppression measures, relaying:

“I believe that any elected official who swore on a bible to uphold the Constitution and support the lie that this election was stolen MUST be removed from office. And, any elected official that blatantly lies to their constituents should be removed from office. Lastly, any elected official that threatens harm to any other elected official, or their constituents of a different party, should be removed from office. The reason, January 6. All of these actions directly led to the insurrection on January 6. All officials who have ever participated in a rally to do harm or posted about a rally to do harm, such as Gosar and Biggs, MUST be removed from their elected position.”

“Also, we have known for decades that Republicans want to control who votes because, as the Unindicted Co-Conspirator ex-president has said, “Republicans would never win again”, if it weren’t for gerrymandering. In other words, they have to cheat in order to win. And, voter suppression is just another form of racism, as we all know. So, if we are to remove institutional racism, we must not draw lines during redistricting, nationwide, that continue to promote institutional racism.”

Legislative District Nine Representative Dr. Randy Friese tweeted:

https://twitter.com/DrRandyFriese/status/1355158018862710784

Edder Diaz-Martinez, the Communications Director of the Maricopa County Democratic Party also issued a statement which said:

“House Bill 2720 does nothing more than undermine Arizona’s democracy. If passed, this measure would allow our state legislature to decertify Arizona’s General Election results, thus granting them the option to choose Presidential Electors.

Years ago, the Arizona Legislature designated Arizona voters to decide who Arizona’s Presidential Electors via the ballot box.

In 2020, Arizona conducted fair and free elections in which a record number of voters cast a ballot. Now that Arizonans voted for a Democratic president (and consequently 11 Democratic Presidential Electors), Rep. Bolick wants to ensure that if Democrats continue to win elections, a Republican-controlled legislature can overrule Arizona voters. In essence, when Arizona’s voters cast a ballot, their vote may not count.

HB2720 is an effort to suppress the voices of Arizona voters. MCDP is firmly against any action which undermines the voices of Arizonans.”

These alleged public servants from the former Party of Lincoln should be ashamed of themselves for the voter suppression bills they have put forth.

They should be advancing bills that would make voting easier for people, not harder.

These proposals need to soundly defeated if by some chance they make it to the Senate or House floors.

Promote Democracy and the right to vote.

Defeat and shun the voices of voter suppression.