Fort Worth mayor declines to support John Lewis Voting Rights Act

Fort Worth Mayor Mattie Parker chose not to sign a letter from the United States Conference of Mayors urging the U.S. Senate to pass the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act and the Freedom to Vote Act.

“Simply put, I don’t sign onto every letter put out by the organizations of which I’m a member,” Parker wrote in an email to the Star-Telegram.

She added she focuses on areas where she has some level of expertise or where her involvement would lend what she called helpful attention or weight.

The mayors of Arlington and Dallas were among 140 from 37 states who signed the letter.

The letter cited statistics from the Brennan Center for Justice showing 19 states passed laws restricting the right to vote in 2020.

Voting rights are under attack and passage of these bills would allow equal access to the ballot, the letter read.

Arlington Mayor Jim Ross said federal intervention is needed if state governments restrict equal access to the ballot.

“That’s what democracy is all about. It’s about making sure everybody has the opportunity to vote,” Ross said.

Ross blamed partisan politics for laws he said make it harder for eligible voters to access the ballot box. He said the John Lewis Voting Rights Act and the Freedom to Vote act will protect voting access for eligible voters.

“That’s in our constitution both federally and our state constitution, and if laws are being implemented that restrict their ability to vote, then there needs to be some type of federal oversight to ensure that it doesn’t happen,” he said.

Parker echoed Ross, writing that the responsibility of protecting the vote goes beyond party politics. She called on state and federal leaders to find a way to protect free and fair elections, prevent voter suppression, while maintaining what she called appropriate responsibility at the local and state level.