ACLU-TX Launches New Blog

[sonias]

aclutx.blogspot.com

Thursday, January 15, 2009
ACLU of TX Executive Director Reacts to Senate Rules Change

I am deeply saddened the Senate seems to be adopting the behavior of the House from the last few sessions. With the harmonious opening of the House yesterday I, perhaps foolishly, thought our great state was moving on to a more collaborative approach to governance.

That the Senate would suspend the two-thirds rule for an issue that isn’t really, even a problem, genuinely disheartens me. I thought, also, foolishly, that we might not have to worry about this specious bunch of silly legislation. If any of our readers have witnessed ineligible people trying to vote, that is, immigrants here without documentation, please call me immediately. What this bill is about is an attempt to keep people, U.S. citizens who might not vote for politicians who harbor animosities toward immigrants, from voting. It is hard to imagine that people who have immigrated here without appropriate and legal documentation – that is, illegal immigrants – would even try to vote and risk having their status discovered. That’s why this so-called protection is so specious. And why it is so unbelievable that the Senate – the upper chamber, the august body of the legislature – would so devalue its reputation as to change tradition and law for such a silly reason.

As Thomas Wolfe would have said, "Oh lost. Oh lost." We are bewildered.

-- Terri Burke, ACLU of Texas Executive Director

:dem:

Sonia

[tbyg52]

1. Hear, hear! nt