The Democrats of the Texas House of Representatives may have fled the state in a half-baked PR stunt. But the Texas State Senate showed up for work, and in a stern rebuke of their House colleagues, immaturity and grandstanding passed the crucial Voting Reform Bill 18-4. Eight Democrat Senators fled the state with their House colleagues and a ninth is expected to join them in Washington, D.C. However, this is a largely symbolic gesture, the Republicans did not require their presence for a quorum.
The Texan Democrats have asserted the same false narrative that heralded the attempted federalization of our electoral system through HR1 and SB1 the so-called “For The People” and “John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act” acts, that election integrity or voting integrity laws which provide for commonsense security measures and counter electoral fraud somehow inhibit voting in a racially discriminatory fashion. This is an assertion that is false on its face.
Texas’ Democrats’ Broken Narrative: A Cheap Re-tread of DC Democrat-Socialist Talkingpoints
According to the Texas Tribune, the Nine Senators who abandoned their seats made a joint statement to the newspaper,
“Rather than continuing to fruitlessly debate Republicans who refuse to legislate in good faith, Texas Senate Democrats decided to take matters into their own hands in order to secure the voting rights of Texans — especially voters of colors, seniors and those with disabilities — and work with our partners at the federal level to pass voting rights legislation that would rein in discriminatory voter suppression laws and unfair redistricting practices,”
Annihilated By Governor Abbot and the Texas Senate GOP
State Senator Bryan Hughes, (R), the bill’s author responded to the Tribune and, “pushed back against Democratic criticisms of the bill as a means of voter suppression and said his legislation included “common-sense reforms” to ensure the integrity of elections.”
“This bill is about making it both easy to vote and harder to cheat,” he said, and blamed criticism of his bill on a “horrible, misleading, false national debate coming out of Washington.”
Gov. Abbott explained also the ongoing campaign of misinformation via Twitter,
Biden has a pattern of spreading misinformation & he's at it again today.
The #txlege is passing a law that EXPANDS early voting hours & prevents mail-in ballot fraud.
Texas is making it EASIER to vote & harder to cheat. pic.twitter.com/DGTob0obYc
— Greg Abbott (@GregAbbott_TX) July 13, 2021
Fox News, reported, “Texas Gov. Greg Abbott has threatened to arrest the state lawmakers who fled to Washington, D.C. in an attempt to short-circuit the House vote until Congress passes voting reform that would expand voting rights federally.”
In a statement released on Twitter Abbott wrote “Texas Democrats’ decision to break a quorum of the Texas Legislature and abandon the Texas State Capitol inflicts harm on the very Texans who elected them to serve. As they fly across the country on cushy private planes, they leave undone issues that can help their districts and our state.
Issues like:
- property tax relief
- funding to support Sheriffs and law enforcement in high crime areas,
- funding for children in foster care, and,
- funding for retired teachers
The Democrats must put aside partisan political games and get back to the job they were elected to do. Their constituents must not be denied these important resources simply because their elected representative refused to show up to work.”
As usual, there is one party that shows up to work on a regular basis and one that doesn’t.
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