>>> MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL CAVED
TO FEAR AND LIES FROM LIBERAL
ACTIVISTS.
THEY IGNORED THE FACTS OF OUR
NEW ELECTION INTEGRITY LAW AND
THEY IGNORED THE CONSEQUENCES OF
THEIR DECISION ON OUR LOCAL
COMMUNITY.
GEORGIANS AND ALL AMERICANS
SHOULD KNOW WHAT THIS DECISION
MEANS.
IT MEANS CANCEL CULTURE
>> PARTISAN ACTIVISTS ARE COMING
FOR YOUR BUSINESS.
THEY’RE COMING FOR YOUR GAME OR
EVENT IN YOUR HOMETOWN.
AND THEY’RE COMING TO CANCEL
EVERYTHING FROM SPORTS TO HOW
YOU MAKE A LIVING.
>> ALL RIGHT, THAT WAS GEORGIA
GOVERNOR BRIAN KEMP ON SATURDAY,
LASHING OUT AT MAJOR LEAGUE
BASEBALL FOR PULLING THE
ALL-STAR GAME OUT OF GEORGIA
AFTER WHAT HE CALLS AN
INACCURATE CHARACTERIZATION OF A
NEW VOTING LAW THAT PRESIDENT
BIDEN HAS CALLED JIM CROW FOR
THE 21st CENTURY.
JOINING US NOW, EXECUTIVE
DIRECTOR AND FOUNDER OF THE
CENTER FOR ELECTION INNOVATION
AND RESEARCH, DAVID BECKER.
AND CO-CHAIRS OF THE POOR
PEOPLE’S CAMPAIGN AND PRESIDENT
OF REPAIRS OF THE BREACH,
REVEREND WILLIAM BARBER.
GOOD TO HAVE YOU BOTH ONBOARD.
SO, DAVID BECKER, WHAT WOULD BE
A BETTER WAY TO CHARACTERIZE
THIS LAW AS WE MOVE FORWARD?
IF YOU THINK THERE WOULD BE ONE.
>> WELL, THE I THINK THE GEORGIA
LAW AND MANY OTHER LAWS THAT
WE’RE SEEING BEING PROPOSED IN
THE STATES, FIRST OF ALL, EF-TO
REALIZE THEY’RE BASED ON A
FANTASY, ON THE BIG LIE THAT THE
ELECTION WAS SOMEHOW STOLEN,
WHEN IN FACT THE ELECTION IN
2020 WAS THE MOST SECURITY AND
TRANSPARENT ELECTION WE’VE EVER
HAD WITH MORE ACCURATE VOTER
LISTS, MORE SCRUTINY OF THE
ELECTION FROM THE MEDIA AND
PARTISAN POLE OBSERVER AND THE
COURTS THAN EVER BEFORE.
AND I THINK THAT’S WHY THE TRUMP
DOJ, FBI, AND FOUND THAT THE ELE
WAS SECURE.
WHEN WE’RE LOOKING AT LAWS LIKE
GEORGIA’S, WHERE WE SEE SOME
LIMITATIONS ON THE ABILITY TO
REQUEST A MAIL BALLOT,
LIMITATIONS ON DROP BOXES,
CRIMINALIZATION OF PROVIDING
FOOD AND WATER TO PEOPLE WAITING
IN LINE, THESE ARE REALLY
TROUBLING.
BUT I’M VERY MORE TROUBLED BY
LAWS WE’RE SEEING IN PLACES LIKE
TEXAS, WHICH WAS ALREADY STARTED
FROM WELL BEHIND WHERE GEORGIA
WAS IN 2020.
IT WAS ALREADY HARD TO VOTE IN
TEXAS, ONE OF THE LEAST SECURE
STATES TO VOTE AND THEY’RE
MAKING IT HARDER TO VOTE AND
LESS SECURE.
>> WE’LL GET MORE INTO THAT IN
JUST A MOMENT.
BUT FIRST, REVEREND BARBER, SAME
QUESTION TO YOU.
WHAT WOULD BE THE BEST WAY TO
CHARACTERIZE THIS LAW, IF YOU
THINK THAT THE MESSAGING COULD
BE DIDEDITED A BIT.
>> I DO.
THIS WAS
DIDN’T JUST START -- THIS WAS A
TRAIN THAT STARTED IN 2013 AFTER
IS SHELBY DECISION IT TOOK FOUR
YEARS IN COURT AND 1,200
NONVIOLENT PROTESTERS THAT GOT
ARRESTED.
AND WE FOUND OUT THAT SURGICAL
RACISM AND SURGICAL SUPPRESSION
OF POOR AND LOW-WELL VOTERS.
IT’S ABOUT RACISM, BUT NOT ONLY
RACISM.
VOTER SUPPRESSION IS AN ATTACK
ON OUR DEMOCRACY.
AND WE HAVE TO SEE THIS, BECAUSE
THE ATTACKS ARE HAPPENING IN
GEORGIA AND WEST VIRGINIA.
IN ALABAMA AND ALASKA.
AND I WAS TALKING THE OTHER CAY
TO A WHITE WOMAN AND A BLACK
WOMAN IN WEST VIRGINIA.
AND THIS IS WHAT THEY SAID,
MIKA.
THEY JUST DON’T WANT US TO VOTE.
AND THEY SAID, US, WHO?
AND THEY SAID, THE US THAT
BELIEVES IN LIVING WAGES, PUBLIC
EDUCATION, HEALTH CARE,
CORPORATIONS PAYING THEIR FAIR
SHARE, AND LISTING FROM THE
BOTTOM.
WE HAVE TO HAVE A WAY TO SHOW
HOW THIS IS AN ATTACK ON
DEMOCRACY.
AND YOU KNOW WHO SAID THIS MORE
CLEARLY THAN ANYBODY, DR. KING.
AT THE END OF THE SELMA,
MONTGOMERY, MARCH, HE SAID,
EVERY TIME THERE IS A THREAT OF
THE NEGRO AND BLACK MASSES TO
VOTE, YOU END UP WITH THIS
ATTEMPT TO SUPPRESS THE VOTE.
AND THAT’S WHY, YOU HAVE TO
REMEMBER, IN THIS LAST ELECTION,
55% OF POOR AND LOW-WEALTH
VOTERS VOTED FOR BIDEN/HARRIS.
AND 6 MILLION MORE VOTERS IN
2016.
THIS IS VOTER SUPPRESSION, IT’S
SURGICAL RACISM.
AND IT’S SURGICAL SUPPRESSION.
IT’S NOT JUST RACISM ALONE.
>> DAVID, AS YOU SAY, THERE’S
BEEN SO MUCH FOCUS ON THE STATE
OF GEORGIA AND ALL THE
CONTROVERSY SWIRLING THERE WITH
MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL MOVING ITS
ALL-STAR GAME FROM ATLANTA TO
DENVER.
BUT THERE’S A LOT GOING ON
ACROSS THE COUNTRY.
AND YOU’RE FOCUSED IN ON TEXAS
AND SB-7.
WHAT DOES THAT BILL DO?
>> SO, FIRST OF ALL, TEXAS
STARTED OUT AS ONE OF THE STATES
WHERE IT WAS HARDEST TO REQUEST
A MAIL BALLOT.
YOU NEEDED AN EXCUSE.
IT WAS HARD TO VOTE EARLY.
IT’S ONE OF THE FEW STATES THAT
DOESN’T REQUIRE PAPER BALLOTS
THAT CAN BE AUDITED AND
RECOUNTED LIKE WE SAW IN
GEORGIA, WHERE THE PRESIDENTIAL
BALLOTS WERE COUNTED THREE
SEPARATE TIMES, THREE SEPARATE
WAYS.
IT STARTED OUT WELL BEHIND MANY
OF THE OTHER STATES AND THIS LAW
WOULD MAKE IT EVEN HARDER.
IT MAKES IT DIFFICULT FOR LOCAL
OFFICIALS TO TRY TO MAKE IT
EASIER FOR PEOPLE TO VOTE, LIKE
WE SAW IN PLACES LIKE HARRIS
COUNTY, TEXAS, WHERE INGENIOUS
LOCAL OFFICIALS TRIED TO FIND
WAYS TO FACILITATE DEMOCRACY,
EVEN IN THE FACE OF THE PANDEMIC
AND TEXAS’ ALREADY RESTRICTIVE
LAWS.
FOR INSTANCE, IT MAKES IT VERY
DIFFICULT TO DROP YOUR BALLOT
OFF.
ONE OF THE THINGS THAT REALLY
TROUBLES ME, IF YOU HAVE A
DISABILITY, WHICH IS ONE OF THE
FEW REASONS YOU CAN USE TO
REQUEST A MAIL BALLOT, YOU NOW
NEED TO ACTUALLY GET A NOTE FROM
Y DOCTOR BEFORE YOU GO OUT AND
ARE ABLE TO REQUEST A MAIL
BALLOT.
IT ALSO EMPOWERS PARTISAN POLL
WATCHERS AND ONLY PARTISAN POLL
WATCHERS TO GO INTO THE POLLING
PLACES TO BASICALLY ROAM
WHEREVER THEY WANT, POSSIBLY
INTERFERING WITH THE PROCESS,
AND VIDEO VOTERS AS THEY’RE
VOTING, IF THEY THINK SOMETHING
IS FISH GOINGY GOING ON.
IN COMPARISON, EVEN THE GEORGIA
LAW SAYS YOU CAN’T DO THAT.
THIS IS ACTUALLY UNPRECEDENTED.
IT’S SOMETHING I’M REALLY
WATCHING IN TEXAS.
THE TEXASXEXAS HOUSE IS NOW
CONSIDERING THIS BILL AND WE’LL
HAVE TO SEE WHAT HAPPENS.
>> DAVID, WHAT’S THE RATIONALE
GIVEN IN TEXAS AND IN THESE
STATES WITH ALL THE RESTRICTIONS
WE’VE SEEN.
WHAT WE’VE HEARD IN GEORGIA FROM
GOVERNOR KEMP IS, WE HAVE TO
SECURE THE ELECTIONS.
AS WE’VE POINTED OUT, EVERY TIME
WE TALK ABOUT THIS STORY, COURT
AFTER COURT AFTER COURT STOOD UP
AND IN THE CHALLENGES TO THE
ELECTION PROCESS AND SAID, NO,
IT WAS FREE AND FAIR.
ELECTION SECURITY EXPERTS LIKE
CHRIS KREBS HAVE SAID IT WAS THE
MOST SECURE ELECTION IN THE
HISTORY OF OUR COUNTRY.
SO WHAT ARE WE HEARING FROM
LAWMAKERS PROPOSING THESE LAWS?
>> WE HEAR THE SAME CLAIMS OF
NEEDING TO SECURE THE ELECTION,
CLAIMS OF ELECTION INTEGRITY.
BUT THE SIMPLE FACT IS, WE HAVE
NEVER HAD MORE SECURE ELECTIONS
IN THE UNITED STATES THAN WE DO
NOW.
WE’RE GOING TO NEED TO CONTINUE
TO BUILD ON SECURITY OVER TIME,
BUT WE’RE DOING A REALLY GOOD
JOB OF THAT.
FOR INSTANCE, ONE OF THE THINGS
THAT’S A CONSENSUS
RECOMMENDATION THAT GEORGIA
ACCEPTED AND PUT IN PLACE FOR
THE FIRST TIME IN 2020, IT WAS
PAPER BALLOTS THAT COULD BE
AUDITED AND RECOUNTED.
IT WAS THE FIRST TIME IN TWO
DECADES THAT GEORGIA OFFERED
PAPER BALLOTS STATEWIDE.
TEXAS IS ONE OF THE LAST STATES
TO HAVE PAPER BALLOTS STATEWIDE.
AND SB-7 IN TEXAS WOULD DELAY
THE ROLLOUT OF PAPER BALLOTS TO
2026, MAKING TEXAS LIKELY THE
ONLY STATE IN THE 2024
PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION THAT
DOESN’T HAVE PAPER BALLOTS.
>> REVEREND BARBER, MIKE
BARNICLE IS HERE WITH A QUESTION
FOR YOU.
MIKE?
>> MIKE, GOOD MORNING.
>> REVEREND, AS YOU KNOW,
ARGUABLY, THERE ARE 42 OR 43
STATES ALL INVOLVED IN NEW
VOTING LAWS ON THE BOOKS,
STUDYING NEW VOTING LAWS ON THE
BOOKS.
MY QUESTION TO YOU IS, GEORGIA
AND ALL OF THE REST OF THE
STATES, INCLUDING TEXAS THAT
DAVID WAS JUST TALKING ABOUT,
THERE’S BEEN AN EFFORT IN THE
MEDIA AT SOME POINT IN THE PAST
COUPLE OF WEEKS, TO SORT OF TRY
AND BE EVENHANDED IN THEIR
APPROACH AND THEIR COVERAGE OF
SPECIFIC GEORGIA LAWS.
IT’S NOT QUITE AS BAD OR AS
REPRESSIVE AS WE FIRST THOUGHT.
SO MY QUESTION TO YOU IS, IN
GEORGIA AND IN ALL OF THE OTHER
STATES YOU’RE COVERING IN TERMS
OF THESE NEW POTENTIAL VOTER
LAWS, DOES ANY OF THEM -- DO ANY
OF THEM MAKE VOTING EASIER, OR
DO ALL OF THEM MAKE VOTING JUST
A LITTLE BIT HARDER FOR SPECIFIC
GROUPS OF PEOPLE?
>> IT’S INTERESTING.
NONE OF THEM MAKE IT EASIER.
ALL OF THEM MAKE IT HARDER.
AND ANY ATTEMPT TO ABRIDGE THE
RIGHT TO VOTE -- WE FORGET, THE
15th AMENDMENT SAYS, YOU CANNOT
NOT JUST DENY THE WRITE, BUT
ABRIDGE THE RIGHT TO VOTE.
SO WHAT WE SHOULD BE DOING IS
EXPANDING.
WHEN WE FOUGHT IN NORTH CAROLINA
AND WON, BY THE WAY, THEY WANTED
TO ROLL BACK SAME-DAY
REGISTRATION AND EARLY VOTING.
WHAT WE’RE SEEING IS EVERY
ATTEMPT TO SUPPRESS THE VOTE.
BUT IT’S SURGICAL.
IT’S SURGICAL, BECAUSE THEY KNOW
THEY JUST NEED SMALL
PERCENTAGES.
AND ONE OF THE THINGS WE’RE
SAYING IN THIS MOMENT.
MAYBE WE OUGHT TO CALL IT JIM
CROW ESQUIRE, NOT JUST JIM CROW.
YOU NEED TO EXPLAIN THIS IS NOT
JUST ABOUT BLACK PEOPLE.
BUT WHAT I THINK WE NEED TO DO
IN THIS MOMENT IS ANY ATTEMPT TO
SUPPRESS THE VOTE IS WRONG NOW
IN GEORGIA, PEOPLE ARE CALLING
ON CORPORATIONS TO TASK, AND
THAT’S RIGHT.
BUT I WANT TO SUGGEST THAT WHAT
CORPORATIONS REALLY OUGHT OUGHT
IS STOP BACKING THE SENATORS
ACROSS THIS NATION WHO HAVE
FILIBUSTERED RESTORING THE
VOTING RIGHTS ACT FOR 2,844 DAYS
TODAY.
BECAUSE IF THE VOTING RIGHTS ACT
WAS IN PLACE, NONE OF THESE LAWS
WOULD MAKE IT THROUGH
PRECLEARANCE.
WE NEED THAT BILL, THE JOHN
LEWIS BILL NOW.
WE NEEDED TO GRANDFATHER ALL OF
THESE LAWS BEING PUSHED AND THEY
NEED TO BE PRECLEARED NOW.
SO WHAT WE NEED IS LITIGATION,
LEGISLATION, AND CORPORATIONS TO
STOP SUPPORTING THESE SENATORS
THAT ARE FILIBUSTERING FIXING
THE VOTING RIGHTS ACT.
IT IS ATROCIOUS THAT TODAY IN
AMERICA, WE HAVE LESS VOTING
RIGHTS THAN WE HAD IN AUGUST OF
12965 WHEN THE VOTING RIGHTS ACT
WAS FIRST PASSED.
BECAUSE THE SUPREME COURT GUTTED
THE VOTING RIGHTS ACT OF 1965
AND GUTTED SECTION 5 IN 2013.
THIS WILL NOT JUST BE WON STATE
BY STATE.
IT’S A FEDERAL PROBLEM.
WE NEED FEDERAL LAWS.
WE NEED LITIGATION.
THE LITIGATION IS GOING TO HAVE
TO DO HARD WORK TO PROVE THE
SURGICAL RACISM.
THERE HAS TO BE A LOT OF DATA
DONE TO PROVE THAT IT’S SURGICAL
RACISM AND SURGICAL SUPPRESSION
OF THE DISABLED WOMEN, YOUNG
PEOPLE, AND SO FORTH AND SO ON.
AND THE POOR.
>> REVEREND WILLIAM BARBER AND