Today, the fascist Republicans on the Tarrant County Commissioners Court voted to cut polling locations in primarily Black and Hispanic neighborhoods. They did this because they know that they are about to lose Tarrant County, and it’s their last-ditch effort to hold on to power.
I was there for the protests this morning, and I had an idea of what kind of day it was going to be when I saw a religious cult praying to give Tim O’Hare strength in making this decision.
Someone told me they were there because Commissioner Matt Krause planned to pass a resolution honoring Charlie Kirk. However, a reporter for the Dallas Express, a far-right outlet owned by billionaire Monty Bennett, later confirmed that they were praying about the removal of polling locations.
The Charlie Kirk resolution.
We’re not going to discuss who Charlie Kirk was. If you don’t remember, here he was, in his own words:
Matt Krause wanted to honor him. He said his son in college and all his son’s friends were sad.
The two Black members of the Commissioners Court did speak against the resolution:
But of course, it passed with all three Republicans voting in favor and both Democrats voting against it. Tarrant County is 40.9% Anglo and 48.1% non-Anglo. Fitting, since they planned to cut polling locations on the same day in mostly minority neighborhoods.
And, to add insult to injury, Bill Weybourn was there to accept a plaque.
No kidding. It was a big slap in the face to the protesters who were there only hours earlier, protesting the 81 deaths under his watch.
From earlier this morning, on the courthouse steps, on each one of these neon signs was written the name of a person who died while in Sheriff Weybourn’s custody:
And only hours later, he showed up to accept a plaque from a third party regarding the jail’s recidivism program:
This is the circus that Republicans perform under in Tarrant County. While human beings die, they pat each other on the back and strip away polling locations to make sure no one can stop them.
There were hours of testimony against the closing of the polling locations.
Plenty of Charlie Kirk supporters stayed to support the closings, praising O’Hare.
Representative Vikki Goodwin and candidate for Lt. Governor testified:
Nydia Cardenas, who is running for Commission District 4, testified:
Dione Sims, who is running for TX25, testified:
Yisak Worku, who is running for HD91, testified:
So did the Texas Civil Rights Project:
And there were a slew of other candidates. TX24 candidate Kevin Burge, TX06 candidate Danny Minton, HD96 candidate Ebony Turner, and my Representative-elect, Junior Ezeonu. The public testimony portion went on until after 4 pm.
But it didn’t matter.
The Republicans made up their mind long before the vote took place. Long before they walked in there that day.
Placing the resolution for Charlie Kirk on the same day they planned to cut polling locations was a ploy to pull in all their sycophants, not only for support but also to run some of the opposition out. It was a political ploy.
When court began this morning, both overflow rooms were full. And the court refused to make any further overflow areas available.
Some people just camped out in the lobby.
Others were given seating outside the courthouse in the 100° Texas sun.
But the people stayed. And well over 100 testified. One minute a piece.
And when it came time to vote, the three Republicans voted to cut polling locations, and the two Democrats voted against it.
Tim O’Hare and Matt Krause know the math.
They’ve seen the same numbers as everyone else has. Tarrant County is slipping out of their hands, and they know it. The only thing standing between them and the political wilderness has been how few people bother to show up and vote.
That’s the whole game. Cut the polling locations in the neighborhoods most likely to vote them out. Make the lines longer. Make the drive farther. Bank on the fact that most people have jobs and kids and a life, and won’t fight for a ballot box that keeps moving on them.
But people notice when you do this stuff out in the open, in front of cameras, on the same day you’re eulogizing a culture war mascot while a sheriff who’s presided over 81 deaths in his jail struts in to collect a plaque. And they get mad.
Over a hundred people gave up their whole Tuesday to stand in a 100-degree sidewalk and testify for one minute apiece, knowing full well the vote was decided before they opened their mouths. They did it anyway. That’s the behavior of a county that’s fed up.
Every stunt like this is the Republicans on this court betting that voters will shrug and stay home. This is the county that flipped blue in a presidential year and has been inching there ever since, in a state where Republicans have had to rig the district lines twice in one decade just to keep the illusion of a majority alive. O’Hare knows this. Krause knows this. That’s why they’re governing like people who know the clock is running out.
They think cutting polling locations buys them another cycle. But people remember who stripped their polling place the same week they were praying over a resolution for a man who condemned MLK JR. People remember a sheriff collecting an award while grieving families held up neon signs with their loved ones’ names on them.
Tarrant County got bluer today. And it got angrier. Angry, organized, outnumbered majorities have a way of showing up exactly when the people counting on their absence need them not to.
The reckoning is just waiting on the calendar.
63 days until the November election!
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I ended up having to be in Dallas. So I got listen and watch it between meetings. Alisa Simmons was amazing. Tim was throwing so many temper tantrums it was just funny. Does make me appreciate Dallas I guess, no one cutting off after speaking over, all the commissioners laughing with each other even when they disagree cause they are all on the same team. It isn’t the toxic Dallas City Council or even my Irving City Council. So for once I will be glad to live in Dallas County.