The attack on democracy currently playing out in D.C. and in state legislatures like Texas is the worst we have seen since Reconstruction. At the center of this crisis are poor women—especially poor women of color.
Tag: Voting Rights
War on Women Report: Women Athletes Must Play in Bikinis?; Black Women Legislators Arrested in Name of Voting Rights; The Mistreatment of Black Scholars
The War on Women was in full force under the Trump administration. But despite a transition of administration, the War on Women is still seeping into federal, state and local legislation and attempting to reverse important progressive policies. While the battle may look different, we are staying vigilant in our goals to dismantle patriarchy at every turn. The fight is far from over. We are watching.
Keeping Score: Record Number of LGBTQ Athletes Compete in Tokyo; Police Arrest Congressional Black Caucus Chair; Louisiana Eliminates ‘Pink Tax’
This week: Olympic athletes push for gender equality and inclusivity; Biden condemns state lawmakers’ attack on voting rights; ICE prohibits arrest of pregnant women, and federal judge rules DACA is unlawful; Rep. Joyce Beatty is arrested during demonstration; Zaila Avant-garde is first African American winner of the National Spelling Bee; and more.
Texas Democrats: On Abortion Rights and Voting Rights, “I Don’t Want To Go Back”
It’s been a little over a week since Texas Democratic state legislators decamped to Washington, D.C., in protest over Gov. Greg Abbott’s uncompromising agenda during the state’s special legislative session. Republican attempts to pass extreme voter suppression legislation are taking up the bulk of media attention—understandably. But the fight isn’t just for voting rights: It’s also about reproductive rights, which are under severe attack in the Lone Star State.
Texas state Rep. Donna Howard is one of the Democrats that fled the state. As a registered nurse and current chair of the Texas Women’s Health Caucus, Howard spoke to Ms. late last week to discuss the flawed assumptions behind the Republican push to restrict abortion access in Texas and the real-life impact of these laws on everyday Texans.
From Texas to D.C.: A Legislator—and Her Child—Fight for Voting Rights
Over 50 Texas Democrats have left the state en masse to prevent a quorum in the House and to freeze extreme election bills from advancing through the chambers. One of those “fugitive” Democrats is Texas state Representative Erin Zwiener (D)—a mother to a 3-year-old daughter named Lark. Due to very real child care constraints, Zwiener faced an impossible choice: Do I flee the state with or without my child?
Zwiener joined Ms. to discuss how these drastic measures relate to Texas Democrats’ overall strategy, and how their quick exit affected her as a wife, parent and legislator.
On the Ground in Texas: The Latest Front Line in the War on Voting Rights
After Texas Gov. Greg Abbott called a special legislative session to discuss voting restrictions and other cultural issues, activists and lawmakers are fighting back against Republicans’ extreme agenda.
Abbott is “pushing forward an agenda that is over-politicized and all predicated on a big lie,” said LaTosha Brown, co-founder of Black Voters Matter. “We’re calling this ‘the suppression session.’”
Keeping Score: Olympics Ban Swim Caps Made for Black Hair; Abortion Restrictions Reach Record High in 2021; Biden Administration Boasts Narrowest Pay Gap in History
In every issue of Ms., we track research on our progress in the fight for equality, catalogue can’t-miss quotes from feminist voices and keep tabs on the feminist movement’s many milestones. We’re Keeping Score online, too—in in this biweekly round-up.
This week: abortion restrictions skyrocket in 2021; Olympic policies disproportionately target Black women; Supreme Court rules in favor of free speech and gender expression; state legislatures endanger voting rights; and more.
Texas Democrats: Nothing Is “Off the Table” Ahead of Special Legislative Session on Voting Rights and Budget
In a year of rampant voter suppression, voting laws in the Lone Star State are the most restrictive in the country. The fight for voting rights in Texas will reach a new flash point this week during a special legislative session beginning Thursday, July 8.
State Representative Erin Zwiener (D) joined Ms. for a conversation about what to expect throughout this special session, how she and other Democrats are fighting growing Trumpism among state legislative bodies, and what Texas Democrats are up to next in their attempts to protect the right to vote for all Texans.
Supreme Court Deals Dual Blows To Voting Rights, Election Transparency
In its final two opinions of the term, the court upheld two restrictive voting laws in Arizona and struck down a nonprofit donor disclosure rule in California. In both decisions, the justices ruled 6-3, along ideological lines.
Defending Democracy: Final Passage of ‘For the People’ Act Still Entirely Within Reach
Despite some reports of its demise, the For the People Act is very much alive—and for the first time, final passage of this urgent, necessary bill to transform our democracy is entirely within reach.
By changing how we draw congressional districts, by protecting who can vote, and expanding who can afford to run for office—the bill is our best chance to build an America that actually reflects and represents all Americans—an inclusive democracy long promised, but not yet realized.