Commissioner Alisa Simmons Condemns Intentionally Discriminatory Action by Commissioners Court

Law group with history of vote suppression and attacks on voting rights retained.

It is appalling but not surprising that Judge Tim O’Hare, along with Commissioners Matt Krause and Manny Ramirez, voted to retain legal counsel of a foundation with a well-documented history of overt hostility to minority voting rights. This is a clear act of intentional discrimination.

Commissioner Miles and I represent precincts with majority-minority voting-age populations. Minority citizens in our districts have repeatedly demonstrated their ability to elect their candidates of choice. We explicitly laid out the record showing that the Public Interest Legal Foundation is not a conventional law firm but rather an ideologically driven organization committed to attacking fundamental voting rights and undermining the rights and voting strength of people of color.

The current commissioner precincts were ratified properly in 2021 after careful consideration by the Commissioners Court at that time. They accurately reflect the racial makeup and political behavior of Tarrant County. The contention that they should be changed now is a fraud being sold to the citizens of our county.

Intentional discrimination is a violation of the Voting Rights Act and the U.S. Constitution. The action taken by the Commissioners Court today under the direction of Judge O’Hare will lead to extensive litigation, harming all citizens of Tarrant County. Judge O’Hare and the commissioners who voted with him are inexcusably committing Tarrant County taxpayers to covering not just $30,000, but ultimately hundreds of thousands of dollars in legal fees to defend shameful, intentional racial discrimination.