Plus, Mexico's Supreme Court decriminalized abortion.
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott signed a restrictive voting rights bill; Mexico's Supreme Court decriminalized abortion. Tonight's Sentences was written by Gabby Birenbaum. Texas's new voting rights law Lynda M. Gonzalez/Getty Images - After months of Democratic efforts to stop it, including fleeing the state, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott (R) has signed a controversial new voting law that will add a bevy of new restrictions on voting. [AP / Paul J. Weber and LM Otero]
- The new bill curbs voting access by ending 24-hour voting and drive-by voting, injects partisanship into the oversight process by allowing poll watchers more access, and imposes harsher criminal penalties for violations of voting law. [Washington Post / Eva Ruth Moravec]
- Texans voting by mail will now need to provide a form of identification two separate times — on the ballot application form and the actual ballot. It's now a felony to send unsolicited mail-in ballot applications, and the state will now perform monthly voter roll checks. [CNN / Eric Bradner]
- Civil rights groups including the NAACP Legal Defense and Education Fund and the League of United Latin American Citizens have already filed federal lawsuits against the law on the basis that it suppresses voting access. A state-level lawsuit alleges the law is discriminatory against voters of color and voters with disabilities. [Austin American-Statesman / Chuck Lindell]
- The US Department of Justice could also challenge Texas's law in court, as it is doing for new restrictive voting laws passed in Georgia earlier this year. [Texas Tribune / Alexa Ura]
- If it survives court challenges, the new law will be in effect for the 2022 elections, when all 181 state legislators are on the ballot. [Dallas Morning News / Mede Nix and Allie Morris]
Mexico cements the right to an abortion - In strong contrast to its Texas neighbor to the north, the Mexican Supreme Court unanimously ruled that laws in two northern Mexican states that impose carceral penalties for people who have or assist abortions are unconstitutional, creating legal protection for abortion. [WSJ / Santiago Pérez and David Luhnow]
- Abortion access is difficult in Mexico, where all but four states have some laws severely restricting anyone's ability to terminate a pregnancy. [BBC News]
- With the new ruling, abortions can be decriminalized throughout the entire country, although the process of doing so and of building infrastructure for safe abortions will be slow. Women who have been jailed for abortions will also be eligible for release. [Washington Post / Mary Beth Sheridan and Alejandra Ibarra Chaoul]
- In the ruling, Justice Ana Margarita RÃos Farjat, one of three women on the Court, wrote that the moral and social stigma against abortion should not be aided by allowing for legal stigma as well. [CNN / Karol Suarez and Sharif Paget]
- The ruling is enormously consequential in a country characterized by its conservative Catholic past, and a sign that the Catholic Church's influence in Mexico is not as strong as it once was. It's an enormous victory for women's rights in Latin America, which often build on one another across countries. [NYT / Natalie Kitroeff and Oscar Lopez]
- Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) said Senate Democrats will continue moving ahead on crafting their $3.5 trillion budget bill, despite moderate Sen. Joe Manchin (D-WV)'s call for a pause. [The Hill / Jordain Carney]
- Virginia's government removed the statue of Robert E. Lee in Richmond's Monument Avenue, with Gov. Ralph Northam (D) saying it signifies a new era for the state. [Richmond Times-Dispatch / Mel Leonor]
- Britney Spears's father filed a petition asking a judge to remove the singer's conservatorship, saying his daughter should be given the chance to manage her own life. [BuzzFeed News / Stephanie K. Baer]
"Black votes were suppressed today. Texas Governor Greg Abbott has intentionally signed away democracy for so many. We are disgusted." Vox's Zack Beauchamp talks with Columbia law professor Jamal Greene about his book How Rights Went Wrong: Why Our Obsession With Rights Is Tearing America Apart. They discuss how the US obsession with rights and their protections gives too much power to judges and the courts, makes it difficult for ordinary citizens to find reasonable solutions to legitimate problems, and has made this country's legal system not only nonsensical but dangerous. [Spotify] This email was sent to vox@quicklydone.com. Manage your email preferences or unsubscribe. If you value Vox's unique explanatory journalism, support our work with a one-time or recurring contribution. View our Privacy Notice and our Terms of Service. Vox Media, 1201 Connecticut Ave. NW, Floor 11, Washington, DC 20036.
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