HOUSTON — Local voting rights activists rallied outside the Greater Houston Partnership on Tuesday.
They are calling on the influential economic development group to take a more definitive stance against the controversial GOP voting bill in Texas.
“Unfortunately, Greater Houston Partnership continues to remain silent in the face of this slide toward a new Jim Crow 2.0 here in Harris County and in the state of Texas. We cannot, must not, and will not remain silent when issues that are fundamental to our democracy are at stake,” Devin Branch, with the Texas Organizing Project, said.
In May, the Greater Houston Partnership issued a broad statement condemning voter suppression efforts but made no specific mention of the bill in the Texas Legislature.
The Greater Houston Partnership released the following statement Tuesday:
“The Greater Houston Partnership values the dignity of all and strongly supports efforts to promote equity and inclusion. In fact, the Partnership is leading initiatives in our community to advance these goals. Though much work remains, we cannot forget that Houston’s diversity is our strength.
“We believe voting is fundamental to our democracy. Voting rules and regulations that are consistently applied are essential. These rules should ensure our elections are open to and readily accessible by all. Together, these protections maintain confidence in the electoral process itself.
“We at the Partnership are prepared to participate in any constructive deliberations in the future designed to achieve these goals.”