GUEST COLUMN: Working toward a more perfect union: The crucial need for voting rights legislation
GUEST COLUMN: Working toward a more perfect union: The crucial need for voting rights legislation
Passing the Freedom to Vote Act and the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act "are crucial steps toward protecting our democracy." Guest column by State Sen. LaTonya Johnson of Milwaukee.
The Recombobulation Area is a thirteen-time Milwaukee Press Club award-winning weekly opinion column and online publication founded by longtime Milwaukee journalist Dan Shafer. Learn more about it here.
This is a guest column by State Senator LaTonya Johnson, who has represented the 6th Senate District since 2017, and previously served in the Wisconsin State Assembly from 2013 to 2016.
Having met the late John Lewis at the premiere of Selma, a movie inspired by those who marched for justice nearly 60 years ago, the gravity of the sacrifices made, and the legacy of true civil rights heroes reminds me of how far we have come in our journey toward equality. It is also a reminder of the price paid for the fundamental right to vote — a right that must be protected from threats, even today.
Last month, I had the honor of joining a diverse group of community and faith leaders for a roundtable conversation hosted by Power to the Polls Wisconsin with Sen. Tammy Baldwin, where we gathered to discuss ongoing efforts to build a more inclusive democracy in Wisconsin. Beyond the tireless work happening in our state to preserve ballot access and fight threats to our democracy, we discussed the importance of passing federal legislation like the Freedom to Vote Act and the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act, which are crucial steps toward protecting our democracy.
These bills are not merely symbolic acknowledgments of past struggles; they are indispensable, necessary actions to deal with current threats as we fight to affirm that every Wisconsinite can participate in our democracy free from discrimination, undue influence, and injustice.
The voting rights threats we face today — from partisan gerrymandering to the recent passage of ballot referendums that could further restrict voting rights — may seem less existential than hard won rights to the ballot box in the first place, but they are no less a threat to the true spirit of our democracy.
In tandem, the Freedom to Vote Act and John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act would tackle those challenges directly, while also working to hold our lawmakers accountable, ensuring they place the will of the people before partisan interests.
By stopping gerrymandering in its tracks and improving access to the ballot box, these pieces of legislation deliver power back to the people of our state and extend the rights afforded by our Constitution to stand up to voter suppression. We are fortunate to have true leaders in Congress, including and especially Senator Baldwin, whose leadership and advocacy on these bills is crucial.
Our democracy hinges on every voter’s ability to cast their vote freely and with confidence that it will count. In Wisconsin and across the country, while we should be proud of all the progress made to advance voting rights, we must recognize that the fight is far from over. We need to look no farther than the recent challenges to voting rights in our state to understand the urgency of passing these federal safeguards.
The principles enshrined in these bills transcend party lines and unite us all in the pursuit of a more perfect union — and it’s time that our leaders in Congress pass them into law of the land and carry the late John Lewis’ legacy.
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