>>> REPUBLICAN LAWMAKERS IN
GEORGIA ARE PUSHING TO ROLL BACK
VOTING ACCESS JUST MONTHS AFTER
RECORD VOTER TURNOUT IN THE
PREVIOUSLY DEEP RED STATE
ELECTED DEMOCRATS TO THE WHITE
HOUSE AND THE SENATE.
GEORGIA HOUSE BILL 531 PASSED
LARGELY ALONG PARTY LINES OVER
THE OBJECTION OF STATE DEMOCRATS
AND AMID PROTESTS BY CIVIL
RIGHTS GROUPS ANGRY OVER VOTER
SUPPRESSION.
THE NEW LAW, IF PASSED BY THE
STATE SENATE, WOULD REQUIRE
VOTER.
I.D. FOR AN KWREPBT SEE VOTING,
LIMIT THE AMOUNT OF TIME VOTERS
TO TO REQUEST AN ABSENTEE
BALLOT, RESTRICTS WHERE BALLOT
DROPBOXS CAN BE LOCATED,
RESTRICTS WHEN BALLOT BOXES CAN
BE ACCESSED, AND LIMITS EARLY
VOTING HOURS ON WEEKENDS, AMONG
MANY OTHER CHANGES.
REPUBLICANS SAY IT IS NEEDED TO
RESTORE THE PUBLIC’S CONFIDENCE
IN ELECTIONS AFTER FORMER
PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP AND HIS
ALLIES RELENTLESSLY PUSHED FALSE
CLAIMS ABOUT FRAUD.
THE SENATE ETHICS COMMITTEE
VOTED FRIDAY TO ELIMINATE NO
EXCUSE ABSENTEE VOTING
ALTOGETHER, A MEASURE THAT WILL
SOON GO TO THE FULL SENATE.
GENE ROBINSON, YOUR WRITING IS
RELATED TO THIS.
WHAT DO YOU MAKE OF, FIRST OF
ALL, WHAT THEY’RE TRYING TO DO
IN GEORGIA?
>> WELL, WHAT THEY’RE TRYING TO
DO IN GEORGIA IS LIMIT THE
AFRICAN-AMERICAN VOTE.
AND THAT’S WHAT REPUBLICANS IN
CHARGE OF THE STATE LEGISLATURE
ARE TRYING TO DO IN ORDER TO
HOLD ONTO POWER.
AND ON THE STATE WIDE LEVEL,
RECLAIM POWER.
IT IS -- IT IS -- AND THAT’S
FULL STOP.
THAT’S WHAT’S GOING ON.
THIS LOOKS LIKE A SORT OF
KNEE-JERK REACTION TO THE DONALD
TRUMP’S LOSS AND THE LOSSES OF
SENATORS PERDUE, LOEFFLER IN THE
ELECTION.
BUT I THINK THERE’S A LOT MORE
CALCULATION THAN THAT.
IN WHAT’S HAPPENING NOW.
GEORGIA HAS BEEN TRENDING PURPLE AND NOW BLUEISH FOR A WHILE.
AND NOW BLUEISH FOR A WHILE.
AND REPUBLICANS HAVE SEEN THOSE
MAYBE THEY CAN LOWER THE
DEMOCRATIC VOTE BY PUTTING -- BY
HURTING THE OPPORTUNITIES OF
AFRICAN-AMERICANS TO VOTE IN
CENTRAL ATLANTA, MAYBE THEY CAN
COME AT THEM IN THE ATLANTA
SUBURBS.
GEORGIA IS NOT THE ONLY STATE,
BUT THIS IS PERHAPS THE MOST
EGREGIOUS EXAMPLE, GIVEN ALL THE
FOCUS ON GEORGIA AND ALSO GIVEN
THE SENATE OUTCOMES.
>> THIS IS A NATIONAL ISSUE
THAT’S DRAWN THE ATTENTION OF
THE WHITE HOUSE.
STACEY ABRAMS MOST PROMINENTLY
THERE IN THE STATE OF GEORGIA AS
WELL.
WHERE ELSE ARE WE SEEING THIS
CROP UP?
THEY WOULD HAVE SWUNG THAT
ELECTION AND PERHAPS GIVEN THE
WHITE HOUSE TO DONALD TRUMP.
BUT THIS IS NOT UNIQUE TO
GEORGIA, AS YOU WRITE ABOUT.
>> NO.
WE’RE SEEING IT PARTICULARLY IN
THE STATES WHERE FORMER
PRESIDENT TRUMP CONTESTED THE
ELECTION RESULTS.
THERE ARE EVEN MORE AND MORE
RIDICULOUS ANTI-DEMOCRATIC
LEGISLATION BEING PUT UP BY
REPUBLICANS IN ARIZONA, FOR
EXAMPLE, INCLUDING A BILL THAT
WOULD ALLOW THE STATE
LEGISLATURE TO PICK THEIR OWN
ELECTORS NO MATTER WHAT THE
ELECTION LAWS.
BUT YOU ARE SEEING IT IN
PENNSYLVANIA, WISCONSIN.
YOU ARE ACTUALLY SEEING IT IN 33
STATES.
AND THERE ARE THESE KINDS OF
MEASURES IN 33 STATES ACROSS THE
COUNTRY.
>> WOW.
SO BASICALLY THE BOTTOM LINE ON
THIS IN GEORGIA IS THEY ARE
PUTTING LIMITS ON THIS IN
ABSENTEE VOTES.
TWO-THIRDS OF THEM WENT FOR JOE
BIDEN.
>> YEAH.
WILLIE, IT IS NOT JUST GEORGIA,
TOO.
NOW IN ARIZONA AND OTHER STATES
THEY ARE TRYING TO CHANGE THE
SYSTEM WHEREBY ELECTORS ARE
APPOINTED.
AND IN FURTHER REFERENCE TO BAG
THE NEXT PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION.
AND, GENE, I DON’T THINK IT’S
TOO HARSH TO DESCRIBE ALL OF
THESE ACTIVITIES TAKING PLACE
AND PUT FORWARD BY ONE POLITICAL
PARTY, THE REPUBLICAN PARTY, AS
THAT POLITICAL PARTY AT THE
NATIONAL LEVEL AND IN MANY
INSTANCES AT THE STATE LEVEL
LIVING IN FEAR OF THE CONSTANT
CHANGING FACE OF AMERICA.
>> ABSOLUTELY.
ABSOLUTELY.
I MEAN, THIS IS -- I DESCRIBE IT
IN MY PIECE AS VERY MUCH AKIN TO
JIM CROWE ERA VOTING
RESTRICTIONS ON
AFRICAN-AMERICANS.
NOT JUST AFRICAN-AMERICANS WHO
WERE TARGETED IN ARIZONA, FOR
EXAMPLE, IT WOULD BE MORE
HISPANIC VOTERS THAT ARE BEING
TARGETED.
BUT THIS IS BECOMING A
MAJORITY/MINORITY COUNTRY.
IT WILL BE A WHITE ANGLO
MAJORITY IN THIS COUNTRY AROUND