‘Vote them out’: country musician Willie Nelson headlines Texas protest rally
- Clergy, politicians, constituents and musicians all spoke against proposals to impose voter restrictions in Texas
- ‘If you don’t like who’s in there, vote them out,’ Nelson sang, inviting the crowd to join him in singing lyrics about taking a stand at the ballot box
Country music legend Willie Nelson led more than a thousand spectators in singing “vote them out” on Saturday from the steps of the Texas Capitol during a rally wrapping up a four-day march in support of Democratic state legislators who bolted for Washington two weeks ago to block Republican-backed voting restrictions.
Families spread out across the sprawling Capitol greens in Austin. Clergy, politicians, constituents and musicians all spoke out about the proposals to impose voter ID requirements, limit ballot drop boxes and mail voting, and strip local officials of their election authority.
The special session that the exodus by Texas Democrats halted is set to expire next week, but Republican Governor Greg Abbott has pledged to schedule a new one as soon as the politicians return to the state.
“If you don’t like who’s in there, vote them out,” Nelson sang, inviting the crowd to join him in singing lyrics he had previously written about taking a stand at the ballot box.
“I felt like I needed to be here. It is a history-making event that is so necessary right now,” said Brenda Hanson, 75, of Austin. “I am a descendant of slavery and I am not interested in moving back, I want to see this country go forward. I have lived well over three quarters of a century and I have never seen us go backwards like this before.”
Hanson said she is disabled but otherwise would have taken part in the nearly 30-mile walk. Instead, she hoped to make a statement with her presence as she sat chanting in support on a bench under a tree.
The march began on Wednesday and ended on Saturday when participants walked up to the doors of the Texas Capitol building. It was led, in part, by Beto O’Rourke, the former Democratic congressman and presidential candidate who has not ruled out a run for Texas governor in 2022.
Marchers compared what the Republicans say are measures meant to protect against fraud and restore confidence in American elections to Jim Crow-style restrictions.
“I ask you to think about every man and every woman who had the courage in their convictions and did what they needed to do in their own moment of truth in this country’s history,” O’Rourke told the crowd.
More than a dozen people in favour of the voting legislation proposed in Texas gathered at the Capitol building’s front gate behind the rally, waving signs in support of the proposed changes. Republican state Senator Bryan Hughes, who wrote the Senate’s version of the voting bill, told Associated Press that when he heard about the rally, he decided to visit with people around the Capitol grounds to listen to their views and encourage them to read his piece of legislation.
“The right to vote is fundamental and so it has to be accessible and secure, both are important,” Hughes said. “This is America. This free speech – we love this. Whether folks agree with me or disagree with me, I am glad to be here.”
Hughes said “many people have heard generalisations,” and his goal is to discuss with constituents the details of the bill’s language.
Caught in the political crossfire are nearly 2,000 legislative workers who risk losing their salaries after Abbott slashed funding for their salaries from the state budget in a punitive line item veto after Democratic lawmakers walked out in May. Politicians could restore the funding during ongoing special session, if it were not at a standstill with more than 50 Democratic House members in Washington.
A lawsuit filed by Democrats on behalf of the legislative staff is pending before the Texas Supreme Court. It is not clear when the court might make a decision.
Renee Conley, 52, said she attended the rally with her daughter, for whom she is fighting against the Texas voting bill. When she goes to vote, Conley said she brings her daughter to the polls so she can learn the process in anticipation of the day she can cast her own ballot. Now, Conley said she fears by the time her daughter goes to college, she will not be allowed to vote if she only has a university identification card.
“I am here for her rights,” Conley said. “There is no reason she should ever have any threat of not being able to vote.”
