AUSTIN, Texas — Organizers and supporters of the March for Democracy have the Texas Capitol in their crosshairs.
Friday the group completed its final leg of their 3-day march from Georgetown to Austin.
Some of the goals include the passage of the For the People Act which protects voting rights, ending the filibuster and raising the minimum wage to $15 an hour.
Saturday morning the group will make its final trek to the Texas Capitol where they’re inviting anyone and everyone who supports their mission to join them for a rally in support of voter rights.
After nearly 30 miles on foot, the Poor People’s Campaign reached the final leg of their journey.
“It feels good,” said former Texas congressman Beto O’Rourke. “But I enjoyed every step of the way because we were marching with hundreds of people from all over the state, and so you got to learn people’s stories.
O’Rourke says they feel the momentum is building leading up to what they hope is a big rally on the steps of the Texas Capitol.
“This march built an energy and strength every single day, and we just got news yesterday that a group of senators may have a path forward on getting this bill passed,” O’Rourke said.
The group is pushing for Congress to pass federal voting legislation and stop Texas voting bills from moving forward.
“I’ll tell you Texas is providing the pressure and the push necessary to get the president and the Senate to pass voting rights legislation,” O’Rourke said.
But Republicans call the March a publicity stunt. They say the voting bills they’re to pass will only make elections more secure.
“Whether you’re a Republican or a Democrat or an independent, what you want is free and fair elections. Every eligible voter should be able to vote without complications or obstacles,” O’Rourke said.
Voters are undecided on what exactly needs to be done and how many voting options should be available.
“Last year was an anomaly a little bit in terms of voting, mail-in ballots being more prominent, and more of thing as opposed to a normal election but I think the more secure the better for sure," Josh Yagel said.
“I totally understand needing other kinds of like identity verification and making sure the right people are voting only one time, but I think the more access the better," Kate Lowe said.
Special guests include Luci Baines Johnson, the daughter of President Lyndon B. Johnson, and a performance by country legend Willie Nelson. The march is set to start at 9 a.m. Saturday with the rally getting underway at 10 a.m.