On February 4, 1982, Texas Governor William P. Clements Jr. spoke in front of the U.S. Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on the Constitution, expressing his desire that the 1975 Voting Rights Act Extension and Expansion be extended for an additional 10 years, as suggested by president Reagan, as is, without any of the proposed amendments. There was great concern that the proposed amendments to the Expansion would lead to an electoral system of proportional representation which allows parties to gain seats in proportion to the number of votes cast for them. Reagan spoke out against this system, stating that a system of proportional representation would “be alien to the traditional political principles of our country.” Governor Clements defends his support for the Extension as is with evidence of the positive impact the Act has had in Texas. He cites several examples including a 0.8% rate of objections to submissions under the Act compared to 3.7% rate of other states, positive reports from MALDEF (Mexican American Legal Defence and Educational Fund) of the Act’s impacts in Texas, a reported 29.5% increase in Latino voter registration in four years as reported by the Southwest Voter Registration Education Project, and the election of the first Mexican-American mayor of any major U.S. city, Henry G. Cisneros.
In Governor Clements’ statement before the U.S. Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on the Constitution, he acknowledges the record of “past, often systematic, discrimination against minority voting.” Regardless of doubts about the proposed additional amendments to the 1975 Extension, Clements fully supports the extension of the Voting Rights Act. This is a significant change from the many criticisms heard all over the country on the introduction of the Expansion. Given Clements’ record of positively received changes made in Texas and his record of philanthropy it does not come as a shock to hear of his adamant support of the Extension. Documents such as the remarks of Texas Governor William P. Clements Jr. are important in examining the sources of support around the Act. Clements was a white Texas republican who wholeheartedly backed the 1975 Voting Rights Act Extension and Expansion. This is significant support not only because of the status of Governor Clements, but also because of the possibility of influence among other white Texan republicans who had previously advocated against the Act. It is important to note that Governor Clements was able to strengthen his argument for the extension of the 1975 Act through the use of data gathered after its implementation, something not previously available when advocating for the Act.
“There is no doubt that Texas came under the provisions of the Voting Rights Act in 1975 because of a record of past – often systematic discrimination against minority voting. There is equally no doubt that such practices to a great extent have been abandoned. Although Texas’ coverage under section 5, the preclearance provision of the act, remains in full force and effect until 1985, nonetheless, isolated instances of discrimination remain and I believe that extension of the Voting Rights Act in Texas will help to eradicate them.”
“Remarks Prepared for Governor William P. Clements, Jr. U.S. Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on the Constitution.” In Records of the Office of the Chief of Staff (Reagan Administration), 1/20/1981 – 1/20/1989, 12-18. February 1982. https://catalog.archives.gov/id/118568872.