State Rep. Perry Thurston, D-Plantation (Pic by Meredith Geddings, via myfloridahouse.gov) State Rep.
“„Through taxpayer-funded legal shenanigans — including Secretary of State Kurt Browning’s efforts to ignore landmark federal civil rights legislation that protects racial and language minorities in Florida — it is clear that there is a move to suppress the vote.
“„I firmly disagree with Secretary Browning’s assertion that Section 5 of the federal Voting Rights Act is no longer required in Florida or the United States.
“„Accordingly, I am confident that the federal court is likely to block significant sections of the new “voter suppression” elections law that Republicans in the Florida Legislature passed and you signed into law earlier this year. Those unnecessary statutory changes amount to a dangerous threat to the voting rights of Florida’s language and racial minorities, and thankfully the federal courts are reviewing this misguided directive.
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“„Also, what seems comically transparent about these attempts is how they are part of a concerted national effort, spearheaded by conservative, big-business-backed groups like ALEC, the American Legislative Exchange Council. According to news reports, Florida is among 38 states that have instituted very similar new rules prohibiting same-day registration and early voting on Sundays.
“„So, it is my opinion that under the false premise of attacking rare cases of voter fraud in our state, you have aligned yourself with those who would twist our democracy for the purpose of suppressing Floridians vote.