Texas League Fellows Spring 2012 Class

The Texas League is excited to welcome our new Spring 2012 Fellows Class.  After a comprehensive application  and interview process, we’ve selected 18 new Fellows from across the state of Texas representing cities of Austin, College Station, Houston, Dallas, and San Antonio. These Fellows will spend five months engaged in hands-on leadership development activities tailored to empower progressive-minded young people to become advocates and activists in their communities. Click here to read more about the Texas League Fellows Program and view pictures from the recent January training session.

By Christina Sanders (Texas State Director). Originally published on 99Problems.org.

This year has been a very emotional year for young people, people of color and the poor in Texas. Even though I was not alive during the era of Jim Crow laws that sought to segregate and suppress the electoral impact of African Americans, somehow I feel like I am in the midst of a Jim Crow fight today. The 82^nd Session of the Texas Legislature proved brutal to the confidence that many voting rights groups and advocates have in our state lawmakers. During that session, state house and senate representatives voted to approve a Voter ID bill that offered so many restrictions that one might assume Mr. Jimmy Crow wrote it himself.

This photo ID law was deemed “emergency” legislation by Texas Gov. Rick Perry. Someone please call 911 because that emergency  Voter ID bill could flip the script on Texas voters by no longer allowing voters to use a voter registration card to cast a ballot – leaving more than a half million registered voters shot and voiceless. Read more…

DEAN ROHRER / HC

By Judith Browne Dianis (co-director of Advancement Project) and Christina Sanders (Texas State Director of the League of Young Voters). Originally published in the Houston Chronicle. 

Nnete from 97.9 KBXX

CLICK HERE TO LISTEN TO THE INTERVIEW

Christina with Greater Houston Partnership President and CEO, Jeff Moseley

On November 8th, we will have the opportunity to elect the leaders who will lead our city for the next two years. The Texas League was onsite at the Greater Houston Partnership’s Houston Young Professionals Endeavor (HYPE) Meet the Candidates event on October 25 at the Downtown Aquarium. Young professionals were able to mix, mingle and learn about the candidates and where they stand on the issues. The Texas League team checked attendees voter registration status, informed them of their nearest polling location, handed out sample ballots, and shared opportunities about how young people can become engaged. The event was non-partisan.  View event pictures here!

Volunteers making calls

This month, we  kicked off our Lifelong Voters 2011 Campaign!  Every weekend in October, we’ll are block walking and phone banking to increase turnout of young voters in the upcoming November 8th local election in Houston. This is a larger effort to turn these voters into “lifelong voters”.  Research shows that voters who participate in two off-year elections are more likely to remain engaged in politics for the rest of their lives. Our mission is to energize these volunteers right now, and to keep them motivated through 2012 and beyond.  To volunteer or support the campaign, please call 281-849-VOTE or email texas@youngvoter.org.

Check out some of our pictures from the campaign’s volunteer training and first phone/social media bank. Read more…