In the News

Did you know it was Hispanic Heritage Month? I didn’t. But that sounds pretty awesome. Apparently, Rep. Marc Veasey thinks so, too.

September is Travis County’s Voter Registration Awareness Month – and the county Tax Assessor and Voter Registrar are kicking things off with a new online tool to help volunteers find new voter.

Voting rights matter. They are a major part of who we are as Americans. Throughout our nation's history, the right to vote has been expanded by Constitutional amendments and legislation. For decades, civil rights activists fought tirelessly to ensure equal access to the ballot box for all Americans. Major strides were made with the passage of the Voting Rights Act of 1965, a historic civil rights law which ensured that the right to vote not be denied on account of race or color.

Arlington Camera owner Bill Porter said his employees sometimes spend an hour helping customers choose thousands of dollars worth of camera gear -- only to lose that sale to an out-of-state online retailer that isn’t required to collect sales taxes on that purchase.

Recently, Porter said, a would-be customer chose not to purchase a $2,700 Nikon lens in the store because he realized he could save more than $200 in sales tax by buying it online.

VIDEO: Rep. Marc Veasey met several small business entrepreneurs to explain that they should not doubt to keep health care reform.

Area voters heading to the polls this week for a tax ratification election need to bring something extra with them: a photo ID.

U.S. Rep. Marc Veasey, D-Fort Worth, disagrees and has been among those fighting these requirements.

“It's a sad fact that year after year, minorities in Texas are shown over and over again that we cannot depend on Abbott to protect our voting rights,” he said. “And again, he is also spending the dollars of hardworking taxpayers to implement and wage court battles to uphold this discriminatory law.

Unless a federal judge intervenes, the South Texas city of Edinburg could be the first to enforce a new voter ID law next week. And lawyers will likely use the special election to gather evidence to strengthen lawsuits to block it in the future…

U.S. Rep. Marc Veasey of Fort Worth, the only Democrat in the Tarrant County delegation, has called on the Justice Department to drop its opposition to the merger. “American Airlines has been able to recover and regroup,” Veasey said. “But for the long-term viability of the carrier, the merger is not only necessary, but will be good for consumers as well as D-FW jobs and the local economy.”