Wednesday, April 13, 2016

Congressional Luncheon Briefing: "How Voter Suppression Efforts Are Threatening Our Democracy," Thursday, April 21, 1:00pm-3:00pm, 2237 Rayburn HOB

*Please Spread Far And Wide For Democracy!!

Congressional Luncheon Briefing: Mark The Date


    Featuring national civil rights leaders, scholars, and top voting experts


    *Moderated by renowned news journalist Roland S. Martin of NewsOne


“How Voter Suppression Efforts Are
Threatening Our Democracy”

Thursday, April 21, 1:00pm-3:00pm
2237 Rayburn Building

(lunch starts at 12:45pm)

Dear Colleague:

You are cordially invited to an important Congressional briefing on the threat of voter suppression across the United States. 

The briefing will be held Thursday, April 21, 2016 from 1:00p.m.-3:00p.m. in 2237 Rayburn HOB. Lunch will be served at 12:45p.m. 

The briefing is being sponsored by the Transformative Justice Coalition (TJC), led by noted civil rights attorney Barbara R. Arnwine, former Executive Director of the Lawyer’s Committee for Civil Rights Under Law, and also sponsored by the National Election Defense Coalition (NEDC). 
     
The evisceration of provisions of the Voting Rights Act by the Supreme Court’s 2013 decision in the Shelby case has allowed states to brazenly restrict voting rights. This includes, but is not limited to, proof of citizenship laws, strict photo identification requirements, early voting cutbacks, and practices that create extreme waiting lines in predominately democratic precincts where there is a large presence of African Americans, Hispanics, Native Americans and university students.

Recent studies reveal that new state voter suppression could stop approximately 1.3 million from voting in competitive states. At the briefing, you will hear from the nation’s top experts on how scores of Americans are being denied the right to vote in states that have passed onerous voting laws. In Texas alone, half a million people lack the photo identification required to vote. Thirty-two states have promulgated new Jim Crow laws to combat the largely mythical "voter fraud."  Sixteen of these states will see their plans go into effect for the first time in the crucial 2016 elections.

Additionally our aging voting machines and insecure vote-counting technology poses serious questions about vulnerability and accuracy.

At this Congressional briefing new information based on the 2016 primaries voting experiences, and on 2016 published reports and books, will be explored.  The briefing will also feature recommendations and proposals for combating and redressing voter suppression, and legislation promoting an open, transparent and inclusive franchise for all eligible citizens.  
     

Opening Remarks:

    Rep. John Conyers
    Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee
    Rep. Terri Sewell
    Rep. Maxine Waters

Speakers:

    Rev. William Barber
         Executive Director, N.C. NAACP
         Leader, Moral Monday/Forward Together Movement
    Barbara R. Arnwine
         President, Transformative Justice Coalition
         Former Executive Director, Lawyer’s Committee for Civil Rights Under Law

    Ari Berman PhD
        Senior Contributing Writer for the Nation Magazine,
        Voter Rights expert and author of “Give Us the Ballot”

    Robert J. Fitrakis PhD
         Professor, Columbus State College, Phd
         Election Defense Expert on Vote-Counting Security and Election Fraud
  
    Lindsey Nielson, PhD
         University of California San Diego,
         Author of the recent UCSD Report on How Voter Suppression Laws Are Restricting                  the Vote in Communities of Color.

*Please RSVP to Joel Segal, former senior legislative assistant, 
     Rep. John Conyers, NEDC, 571 344-1518; or email at Joel.R.Segal@gamil.com, or contact 
     Dijon Kraus, Transformative Justice Coalition, 202 602-7080, email at dkraus@tjcoalition.org

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