Austin, Texas — Texas Gov. Greg Abbott signed SB1, an omnibus voter suppression bill on Tuesday that makes a large-scale attack on the fundamental right to vote. The legislation places unnecessary and discriminatory burdens on Texans trying to access the ballot box.

The following is a statement from Jon Greenbaum, chief counsel and senior deputy director of the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law:

“Texas already had some of the most restrictive voting laws in the nation, and the passage of this egregious bill just made conditions for voters even worse. Make no mistake – SB1 is designed to disenfranchise voters of colors, and strip them of their voice in our democracy.

“SB1 places restrictions on several methods of voting that were overwhelmingly used by voters of color this past election cycle, and even goes so far as to make the lives of voter assisters more difficult. It also limits the authority of election judges to prevent partisan poll watchers from interfering with the voting process, opening the door to intimidation of voters. This is a troubling day for voting rights.

“SB1 is the first significant piece of voter suppression legislation to be passed since the House of Representatives passed the 2021 version of John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act, which is designed to stop voting changes like these that worsen the opportunities for voters of color, and illustrates why this Congressional legislation is necessary.”