FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
August 12, 2025
Contact: Ashley Sullivan, ashley.sullivan@weact.org, 1 (917) 837 – 1183
WASHINGTON – WE ACT for Environmental Justice strongly condemns the proposed redistricting effort underway in the Texas State Legislature and its implication for voting rights nationally. This is a clear partisan attempt to disenfranchise largely people of color and undermine the foundations of our shared democracy. Fair representation is a bedrock of our democratic system – as well as the environmental justice movement – and is crucial to ensure constituents can meaningfully and equitably have a say in the policymaking process that affects their families, neighborhoods, health, livelihoods, and futures. WE ACT strongly advocates for actions, like the ‘John Lewis Voting Rights Act’, to safeguard fair voting access and to advance a more just democratic system.
Leslie Fields, WE ACT for Environmental Justice Chief Federal Officer and former Legislative Counsel at the Texas State Legislature, responds:
“A fair, free, and open democracy is critical to advancing environmental justice. The current redistricting effort in Texas directly threatens that democracy by intentionally fragmenting districts and weakening the voting rights of people of color and lower income, disenfranchising large segments of the population. The implications are dangerous and massive, moving states to a frenzy of gerrymandering that will further hurt voting access – particularly for already underserved communities – and ultimately puts foundational Voting Rights Act protections at risk nationally.”
“Texas is home to many communities of color that are disproportionately impacted by fossil fuel infrastructure and resulting negative health impacts, including communities represented by members of the Environmental Justice Leadership Forum. These communities deserve elected representatives who are both responsive to their needs and rooted in their lived experiences. When district lines are drawn to weaken the voting rights of marginalized communities, those already underrepresented lose the ability to elect leaders who will address their needs effectively. When voices are excluded from the political process, the right to clean air, safe water, and healthy homes and livable futures is often taken away.”
“With massive environmental and public health protection rollbacks at the federal level, who will advocate for these communities against increasing hazards and pollution? We call on lawmakers to reject efforts to diminish voting rights and call for a strong, united front to protect fair access to voting rights for all communities.”
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WE ACT for Environmental Justice is a Northern Manhattan-based, membership-driven organization whose mission is to build healthy communities by ensuring that people of color and/or low-income residents are meaningfully included in the development of sound and fair environmental health and protection policies and practices. WE ACT has offices in New York and Washington, D.C. Visit us at weact.org and follow us on Facebook, Bluesky, and Instagram.