Tyr-Ziu Saxnot
07-13-2021, 09:36 PM
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/texas-senate-passes-voting-bill-as-democratic-rivals-push-federal-bill/ar-AAM6plV?ocid=msedgdhp&pc=U531
The Wall Street Journal.
The Wall Street Journal.
Texas House Votes to Arrest Democrats Who Fled State to Block Voting Bill
Elizabeth Findell - Yesterday 1:07 PM
Texas House Votes to Arrest Democrats Who Fled State to Block Voting Bill
© Alex Wong/Getty Images
Texas House Votes to Arrest Democrats Who Fled State to Block Voting Bill
AUSTIN, Texas—Texas state House members voted 76-4 to send law enforcement to find and return absent Democrats “under warrant of arrest, if necessary,” a day after dozens of Democratic House members fled the state in an effort to kill election legislation.
The body cannot approve legislation without a two-thirds quorum of its 150 members.
Tuesday’s state House vote came as the state Senate was preparing to consider its own version of the elections bill. Some Democratic senators were also absent Tuesday, but the body had enough members to conduct business.
Both chambers of the Republican-controlled Texas legislature, in a special legislative session that began last week, filed similar versions of the bill, which would broadly tighten voting rules across the state. Gov. Greg Abbott called the special session after Democratic House members walked out before a voting deadline at the end of the regular legislative session in May, denying the body a quorum needed to vote on the proposed legislation.
House Democrats staged another walkout Monday, and dozens boarded chartered planes bound for Washington, D.C., where they hope to draw national support for their fight against the bills. The legislators will have to remain out of the state for weeks to successfully run out the clock on the 30-day special session. State Rep. Chris Turner, chairman of the House Democratic Caucus, said in a news conference on the steps of the U.S. Capitol Tuesday that at least 57 of 67 Democrats in the chamber had formally asked for their voting machines to be locked.
In the House, 80 members who came Tuesday morning voted to approve a procedural move to record who is present, ban members from leaving the chamber without approval and call for law enforcement to track down absentee lawmakers—arresting them if necessary and forcing them to return to the chamber. A total 63 of the body’s 67 Democrats were gone, two of them with approved absences.
Rep. Matt Shaheen, a North Texas Republican, said Monday night that he and his colleagues would look at all options for getting Democrats to return to Austin. He acknowledged it was unlikely that out-of-state law enforcement would be willing and able to make them comply with the state’s legislative rules.
“Public pressure is going to get them to return to Texas-- I don’t think it will come to them being handcuffed,” Mr. Shaheen said.
The bills would limit early voting hours, place additional restrictions on assisting disabled voters and voting by mail, and make many election missteps felony offenses. The special session was also going to consider funding border security measures, banning the delivery of abortion pills and prohibiting transgender students from competing in university sports in their non-birth gender. It was also set to reinstate the pay of legislative staffers, which Mr. Abbott vetoed after the May walkout.
While Texas Democrats have promised to stay in Washington until the end of the special session on Aug. 7, Gov. Abbott could continue to call special sessions to pass the voting bill. Democrats acknowledged Tuesday that the only long-term solution was federal legislation.
“We can’t stay here indefinitely,” said state Rep. Rhetta Bowers, a North Texas Democrat. “Texas Democrats will use everything in our power to fight back. But we need Congress to act now.”
The Texas Democrats will meet with U.S. Democratic senators in Congress to push for a federal voting bill. Vice President Kamala Harris also plans to meet with the Texas lawmakers, a White House official said.
In Philadelphia on Tuesday, President Biden will make the case to the public for federal legislation to curb GOP-led efforts in states to pass more restrictive election laws. Such laws have already passed in Florida and Georgia.
Last month, U.S. Senate Republicans blocked Democrats from debating election legislation put forward by Democrats. The legislation has been a priority for Democrats, who say it would preserve and expand voter access as many GOP-led states pursue tighter laws. Republicans have called the Democrats’ push a power grab that would undercut election security.
Republicans criticized the Texas Democrats for what they called an abandonment of their responsibilities. Democrats characterized the action as a refusal to participate in creating legislation they said would suppress the voting rights of their constituents, particularly minorities. Republicans have said the election bills would make elections more secure.
State Rep. Sheryl Cole, an Austin-area Democrat, said the group planned the walkouts after the marathon hearings on the election bills over the weekend. “The decision was made after the committee met for 24 hours and none of the Democrat discussions or amendments were allowed,” Ms. Cole said.
The Texas House Democratic Caucus paid for the planes, Ms. Cole said. She said Democrats will head to Capitol Hill Tuesday to try to meet with members of Congress.
Former U.S. Rep. Beto O’Rourke encouraged Twitter followers on Monday to “Support Texas House Democrats as they fight back against voter suppression in Texas and take the fight to our nation’s capitol.” A linked fundraising page said donations would help provide resources to block Texas voting bills. As of Monday evening, Mr. O’Rourke tweeted that Democrats had raised over $140,000.
Texas Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, who presides over the Senate, said on Twitter Monday that regardless of the House Democrats’ moves he expected Senate Democrats to show up Tuesday for a first vote of that body’s election bill. Either bill would need to be passed by both chambers and then signed by the governor to become law.
In 2019, Oregon’s GOP state senate delegation fled the state in an effort to stop a cap-and-trade bill to address climate change from passing. The bill eventually died. Oregon Republicans staged walkouts again in 2020 and 2021 to keep bills from passing the Democratic-controlled state legislature.
In Texas, House Democrats made a similar move in 2003, when dozens fled to Oklahoma to block a Republican-drawn redistricting plan that would have meant a loss of four or five Democratic seats. More than 50 Democratic lawmakers fled the state at the time in buses, where they would be less likely to be pursued by Texas Rangers and the Department of Public Safety.
State senators then broke quorum during a subsequently called special session and legal battles ensued. Before that, Democrats last tried to bust a quorum in 1979, when a dozen state senators, dubbed the “Killer Bees” left the state to stop a bid to separate party primary days. The Killer Bees included Texas congressman Lloyd Doggett, 74, who greeted the Texas state Democrats at the U.S. Capitol Tuesday morning.
A perfect example of how these ffing vermin act.
Running away, in an attempt to keep their ability to steal elections with voter fraud..
Which is so damn typically dem!!!!--Tyr
The Wall Street Journal.
The Wall Street Journal.
Texas House Votes to Arrest Democrats Who Fled State to Block Voting Bill
Elizabeth Findell - Yesterday 1:07 PM
Texas House Votes to Arrest Democrats Who Fled State to Block Voting Bill
© Alex Wong/Getty Images
Texas House Votes to Arrest Democrats Who Fled State to Block Voting Bill
AUSTIN, Texas—Texas state House members voted 76-4 to send law enforcement to find and return absent Democrats “under warrant of arrest, if necessary,” a day after dozens of Democratic House members fled the state in an effort to kill election legislation.
The body cannot approve legislation without a two-thirds quorum of its 150 members.
Tuesday’s state House vote came as the state Senate was preparing to consider its own version of the elections bill. Some Democratic senators were also absent Tuesday, but the body had enough members to conduct business.
Both chambers of the Republican-controlled Texas legislature, in a special legislative session that began last week, filed similar versions of the bill, which would broadly tighten voting rules across the state. Gov. Greg Abbott called the special session after Democratic House members walked out before a voting deadline at the end of the regular legislative session in May, denying the body a quorum needed to vote on the proposed legislation.
House Democrats staged another walkout Monday, and dozens boarded chartered planes bound for Washington, D.C., where they hope to draw national support for their fight against the bills. The legislators will have to remain out of the state for weeks to successfully run out the clock on the 30-day special session. State Rep. Chris Turner, chairman of the House Democratic Caucus, said in a news conference on the steps of the U.S. Capitol Tuesday that at least 57 of 67 Democrats in the chamber had formally asked for their voting machines to be locked.
In the House, 80 members who came Tuesday morning voted to approve a procedural move to record who is present, ban members from leaving the chamber without approval and call for law enforcement to track down absentee lawmakers—arresting them if necessary and forcing them to return to the chamber. A total 63 of the body’s 67 Democrats were gone, two of them with approved absences.
Rep. Matt Shaheen, a North Texas Republican, said Monday night that he and his colleagues would look at all options for getting Democrats to return to Austin. He acknowledged it was unlikely that out-of-state law enforcement would be willing and able to make them comply with the state’s legislative rules.
“Public pressure is going to get them to return to Texas-- I don’t think it will come to them being handcuffed,” Mr. Shaheen said.
The bills would limit early voting hours, place additional restrictions on assisting disabled voters and voting by mail, and make many election missteps felony offenses. The special session was also going to consider funding border security measures, banning the delivery of abortion pills and prohibiting transgender students from competing in university sports in their non-birth gender. It was also set to reinstate the pay of legislative staffers, which Mr. Abbott vetoed after the May walkout.
While Texas Democrats have promised to stay in Washington until the end of the special session on Aug. 7, Gov. Abbott could continue to call special sessions to pass the voting bill. Democrats acknowledged Tuesday that the only long-term solution was federal legislation.
“We can’t stay here indefinitely,” said state Rep. Rhetta Bowers, a North Texas Democrat. “Texas Democrats will use everything in our power to fight back. But we need Congress to act now.”
The Texas Democrats will meet with U.S. Democratic senators in Congress to push for a federal voting bill. Vice President Kamala Harris also plans to meet with the Texas lawmakers, a White House official said.
In Philadelphia on Tuesday, President Biden will make the case to the public for federal legislation to curb GOP-led efforts in states to pass more restrictive election laws. Such laws have already passed in Florida and Georgia.
Last month, U.S. Senate Republicans blocked Democrats from debating election legislation put forward by Democrats. The legislation has been a priority for Democrats, who say it would preserve and expand voter access as many GOP-led states pursue tighter laws. Republicans have called the Democrats’ push a power grab that would undercut election security.
Republicans criticized the Texas Democrats for what they called an abandonment of their responsibilities. Democrats characterized the action as a refusal to participate in creating legislation they said would suppress the voting rights of their constituents, particularly minorities. Republicans have said the election bills would make elections more secure.
State Rep. Sheryl Cole, an Austin-area Democrat, said the group planned the walkouts after the marathon hearings on the election bills over the weekend. “The decision was made after the committee met for 24 hours and none of the Democrat discussions or amendments were allowed,” Ms. Cole said.
The Texas House Democratic Caucus paid for the planes, Ms. Cole said. She said Democrats will head to Capitol Hill Tuesday to try to meet with members of Congress.
Former U.S. Rep. Beto O’Rourke encouraged Twitter followers on Monday to “Support Texas House Democrats as they fight back against voter suppression in Texas and take the fight to our nation’s capitol.” A linked fundraising page said donations would help provide resources to block Texas voting bills. As of Monday evening, Mr. O’Rourke tweeted that Democrats had raised over $140,000.
Texas Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, who presides over the Senate, said on Twitter Monday that regardless of the House Democrats’ moves he expected Senate Democrats to show up Tuesday for a first vote of that body’s election bill. Either bill would need to be passed by both chambers and then signed by the governor to become law.
In 2019, Oregon’s GOP state senate delegation fled the state in an effort to stop a cap-and-trade bill to address climate change from passing. The bill eventually died. Oregon Republicans staged walkouts again in 2020 and 2021 to keep bills from passing the Democratic-controlled state legislature.
In Texas, House Democrats made a similar move in 2003, when dozens fled to Oklahoma to block a Republican-drawn redistricting plan that would have meant a loss of four or five Democratic seats. More than 50 Democratic lawmakers fled the state at the time in buses, where they would be less likely to be pursued by Texas Rangers and the Department of Public Safety.
State senators then broke quorum during a subsequently called special session and legal battles ensued. Before that, Democrats last tried to bust a quorum in 1979, when a dozen state senators, dubbed the “Killer Bees” left the state to stop a bid to separate party primary days. The Killer Bees included Texas congressman Lloyd Doggett, 74, who greeted the Texas state Democrats at the U.S. Capitol Tuesday morning.
A perfect example of how these ffing vermin act.
Running away, in an attempt to keep their ability to steal elections with voter fraud..
Which is so damn typically dem!!!!--Tyr