A Georgia House Democrat was arrested Thursday night after repeatedly banging on Republican Gov. Brian Kemp’s office door.
Rep. Park Cannon (D-GA-58) was banging on the door in protest of an election integrity bill signed into law Thursday. Democrats contend that the bill constitutes “voter suppression.”
NOW – Democratic Rep. Park Cannon being detained inside Georgia's Capitol while trying to knock on Gov. Kemp's door.pic.twitter.com/07VZawfeeI
— Disclose.tv (@disclosetv) March 25, 2021
“There is no reason for me to be arrested. I am a legislator!” Cannon can be heard saying as she is taken into custody.
Cannon faces charges of “obstructing law enforcement officers by use of threats or violence” and “disrupting general assembly sessions or other meetings of members” after police reportedly asked her to leave the premises.
“Hey everyone, thank you for your support. I’ve been released from jail. I am not the first Georgian to be arrested for fighting voter suppression. I’d love to say I’m the last, but we know that isn’t true,” Cannon said on Twitter after the incident.
Hey everyone, thank you for your support. I’ve been released from jail. I am not the first Georgian to be arrested for fighting voter suppression. I’d love to say I’m the last, but we know that isn’t true. #SB202
— Representative Park Cannon (@Cannonfor58) March 26, 2021
The summary of SB 202 says the bill provides “that persons or entities that mail absentee ballot applications shall mail such applications only to eligible registered electors who have not already requested, been issued, or voted an absentee ballot.”
It also implements voter identification requirements for absentee.
States implemented “no excuse” absentee voting during the 2020 election cycle due to the COVID-19 pandemic, which Republicans argue hurts election integrity.
“I was proud to sign S.B. 202 to ensure elections in Georgia are secure, fair, and accessible. I appreciate the hard work of members of the General Assembly to make it easy to vote and hard to cheat,” Kemp said of the bill on Twitter.
I was proud to sign S.B. 202 to ensure elections in Georgia are secure, fair, and accessible. I appreciate the hard work of members of the General Assembly to make it easy to vote and hard to cheat. pic.twitter.com/1ztPnfD6rd
— Governor Brian P. Kemp (@GovKemp) March 25, 2021
The NAACP Legal Defense Fund disagreed with Kemp.
“Today’s passage of S.B. 202 by the Georgia state legislature and its subsequent signing into law by Governor Kemp is a shameful, anti-democratic measure targeted at Black voters who turned out in overwhelming numbers to participate in the November and January elections,” they said in statement. “The legislature has worked for over a month to craft a bill that creates unconscionable barriers to voting.”
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Pete D’Abrosca is a contributor at The Georgia Star News and The Star News Network. Follow Pete on Twitter. Email tips to dabroscareports@gmail.com