Episode 47: Lon Burnam - Arrested During Tarrant County Commissioners Court
In episode 47, Tonya talks with Lon Burnam about the Tarrant County, Texas proposal to remove 44% of the polling sites in their county, which encompasses the major metro area of Fort Worth. Lon spoke against removing these polling locations at the County Court in August and was arrested when he picked up the microphone to speak. The vote was then postponed to the September 1st County Commission meeting -- which is the exact day that we spoke with Lon!
And we have an update: there has since been a decision. After eight hours, Tarrant County voted 2-3 to remove access to 92 polling locations. The Texas Tribune reports, “The approval came after commissioners heard testimony from more than 100 speakers, the majority of whom were opposed to the site cuts during a meeting that lasted over eight hours.” Listen to Lon's story about this propsal and why his opposition stems directly from his dedication to voting access equality for all citizens that are eligible to vote.
Lon Burnam is a former member of the Texas House of Representatives for District 90, initially elected in 1996, having served for 18 years. District 90 encompasses downtown Fort Worth, Texas, and surrounding areas. Lon holds an undergraduate degree in government from the University of Texas at Austin and a graduate degree in municipal and regional planning from the University of Texas at Arlington. He is also the former executive director of the Dallas Peace Center. Lon has always been a supporting member of the League of Women Voters! He is also a board member for March to the Polls, which was primarily organized to promote voter registration and civic engagement in high schools.
DIVE DEEPER!