It’s midday on June 29 at Project Vote and many of us are holding our breath, waiting to see whether Michigan’s Governor Snyder will sign a bunch of voter suppression bills. As the legislative session comes to an end, Snyder may have the unique moniker of the nation’s “latest voter suppressor” right before the presidential election. Senate Bills 751, 754, 803, and House Bill 506 will undermine the right of Michigan citizens to vote.
Maybe last weekend’s political gaffe by Pennsylvania state House Republican leader Mike Turzai is giving Snyder some food for thought. Turzai said that Pennsylvania’s new voter ID law will “allow” Mitt Romney to win the state in November. Wow. If Snyder signs the laws, he’ll be the latest in a series of politicians who are seen as suppressing and manipulating the vote for partisan gain.
The bills have been in front of the governor for two weeks and he seems to be seriously considering their impact. According to a June 26 Detroit Free Press article, Snyder said, “I don’t want to have legislation that would disenfranchise people.” Let’s hope he keeps to his word.
Read more on the bills and why voting advocates are asking the governor to veto the laws in this June 28 letter from the A. Philip Randolph Institute, the League of Rural Voters, and the National Congress of Black Women, Inc.