A Democratic lawmaker in a newly blue Texas is seeking to end the state’s more than five-decade observance honoring Confederate leaders.
John Bucy III has introduced legislation that would eliminate Confederate Heroes Day, observed each year on January 19, and establish Election Day as an official state holiday, Chron reports.
Designated in 1973 to honor Confederate President Jefferson Davis and General Robert E. Lee, Confederate Heroes Day is a partial state holiday. Government offices remain open, but employees may choose to take the day off with pay.
Before the current observance was created, the Texas Legislature had separate holidays commemorating the two Confederate figures. As additional dates honoring influential figures—including Texas-born former President Lyndon B. Johnson—were added to the calendar, state officials looked for ways to combine the holidays.
Bucy says replacing Confederate Heroes Day with an Election Day holiday in even-numbered years could increase voter turnout. Giving Texans time away from work, he argues, would make it easier to vote without having to contend with demanding work schedules, traffic or lengthy lines.
The measure forms part of a wider effort by Texas Democrats to expand access to the ballot, including proposals for same-day voter registration and broader eligibility for voting by mail.
Bucy and other Democratic lawmakers have sought to remove Confederate Heroes Day from the state calendar during each of the past five legislative sessions.
Democratic state lawmaker John Bucy III is seeking to replace Texas’ annual Confederate Heroes Day observance with a state holiday for Election Day
Workers removed a statue of Confederate General Robert E. Lee from Robert E. Lee Park in Dallas, Texas, on September 14, 2017. The park has since been renamed
A series of racial flashpoints has intensified the debate, including the violent white supremacist rally in Charlottesville, Virginia, and the 2020 death of George Floyd.
Nearly 168 Confederate symbols were renamed or removed from public spaces that year, including 12 in Texas, according to the Southern Poverty Law Center.
Republican lawmakers have opposed replacing Confederate Heroes Day with Election Day in previous legislative sessions, largely citing concerns about lost productivity.
During a House committee hearing in 2019, for instance, Representative Sam Harless pointed to an existing Texas law that allows employees to take two hours off work to vote.
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“You don’t think two hours is enough time?” he asked incredulously.
“As a business person, I hate giving people a reason not to go to work,” the conservative lawmaker added.
Representative Richard Peña Raymond countered: “In the modern age, I think it’s more important that we make it easier for people to vote than it is probably to honor Robert E. Lee.”
The proposal is expected to return to the agenda when the legislative session opens on January 12.
James Talarico defeated scandal-plagued Republican Attorney General Ken Paxton to become the first Democrat elected to the state’s Senate delegation in 38 years earlier this month
Republican Governor Greg Abbott was also defeated by Democratic candidate Gina Hinojosa in a stunning upset
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Should Texas continue honoring its Confederate past, or focus on making voting easier for everyone?
Texas Democrats appear to be counting on the “blue tsunami” that swept across the state in the midterm elections to strengthen their campaign.
James Talarico defeated scandal-plagued Republican Attorney General Ken Paxton, becoming the first Democrat elected to the state’s Senate delegation in 38 years.
Republican Governor Greg Abbott was also unseated by Democratic candidate Gina Hinojosa in a stunning upset.
Democrats also gained control of the Texas House of Representatives for the first time in 24 years.
Republicans, however, still hold a strong majority in the State Senate.