Dozens of Texas Democratic state representatives left town this week in a bid to stop a vote on state Republicans’ plan to change state voting laws.
Some of Galveston County’s elected state representatives, all Republicans, are calling for the Capital Ds to be punished.
On Monday, the day at least 57 Democratic lawmakers announced they were flying to Washington, D.C., and breaking the legislative quorum in Austin, state Rep. Mayes Middleton, a Republican from Wallisville, announced he was filing legislation in response to the departure.
One bill, House Joint Resolution 22, proposes a constitutional amendment to prevent lawmakers from being paid salaries, per diems and mileage reimbursements in quorum-breaking situations.
The other legislation, House Bill 249, proposes a new law that would make it illegal for people to make campaign donations during a special session.
Middleton called the Democrats’ trip to Washington a political stunt just meant to raise money.
“This commonsense legislation stops the paychecks for legislators who don’t show up for work and break quorum,” Middleton said. “Just like in a real-world job, if you don’t show up to work, you don’t get paid.”
State Rep. Greg Bonnen, a Republican from League City, called the quorum-breaking move “incredibly discouraging” and a “publicity stunt.”
Texas lawmakers are paid $600 a month, as well as per diem of $221 every day when the legislature is in session.
Lawmakers also are prohibited from collecting campaign donations during the biennial legislative session.
There has, in fact, been a lot of fundraising going on in the name of the Democratic delay. On Wednesday, former U.S. Rep. Beto O’Rourke announced his political action committee had raised $430,000 to support the effort.
Democrats said their effort is necessary to block changes to state voting laws favored by Republicans, including a proposed ban on drive-through voting and 24-hour-voting locations and increased rules on mail-in voting.
While Democrats don’t have enough votes to block legislation in the House of Representatives, they do have enough members to prevent the 150-member house from forming a quorum. There needs to be 100 members of the House present for it to take action.
Middleton’s bills for now are symbolic. Items to be considered during a special legislative session need to be declared a priority item by Texas Gov. Greg Abbott. There also, of course, needs to be a quorum to pass the bills into law.
Members of the Texas House of Representatives who remained Tuesday issued a “call of the house” asking the chamber’s sergeant at arms to send for missing lawmakers, under warrant of arrest, if necessary.
Law enforcement won’t actually be sent to Washington, D.C., to track down and round up the legislators and return them to Austin. Abbott has vowed to arrest the missing Democrats if they return to Texas and force them to be present in the House chamber.
Abbott also has vowed to call another special session if the 30-day clock runs out on the current session.
SANTA FE COUNCILMAN RESIGNS
The city of Santa Fe will hold a special election in November to replace a council member who recently resigned.
Councilman IV Hoke resigned on July 1 because he and his family moved outside of the city limits, according to a resignation letter he sent to Mayor Jason Tabor. City rules require council members to reside inside city limits.
Hoke was elected to the council in 2019.
The city council on Thursday plans to approve a special election for Nov. 2, the next uniform election date on the state calendar. During that election, voters in Santa Fe will choose a person to fill Hoke’s unexpired term in office.
Voters then will choose a full-term council member again in the May 2022 regular election.
The city will begin accepting applications for the vacated place on the city council later this month, City Secretary Janet Davis said.
NOTEBOOK
Texas Land Commissioner George P. Bush on Wednesday announced he was suing the Biden administration over the border wall between the United States and Mexico. Bush asked the U.S. Southern District Court for the Southern District of Texas to declare a Biden order halting the construction of the border wall started by former President Donald Trump as unconstitutional and to prevent money previously budgeted for the wall from being allocated elsewhere. ... Dallas civil rights attorney Lee Merritt this week announced his candidacy for the Democratic nomination for Texas Attorney General. Merritt will be on next March’s primary ballot alongside former Galveston Mayor Joe Jaworski. ... The Galveston City Council District 1 special election is Aug. 28. Early voting begins Aug. 16 and will run through Aug. 24. If there’s a need for a runoff election, it will be held on Oct. 9.
(8) comments
If Texas Voters would read and compare the proposed bill with present Texas election law they would learn the only changes do nothing to legal voters rights but make it harder to cheat. The conduct of Democrats who left the state indicate they want easy cheating in our election law.
Miller. Please don’t continue disseminating false information. You haven’t read the most recent version of the proposed bills, which absolutely reduces the ability for many to vote. (....or you're intentionally ignoring the fact that it does.)
1) It bans the new practice of Drive Thru voting pioneered by Harris County which helps motivate those with disabilities, or simply difficulty, with mobility. Drive Thru voting also helps those who have anxiety attack issues. There are many application in which Drive Thru voting helps additional people have access to voting.
2) It bans 24 hour voting which Harris County pioneered. This obviously allows those with odd work schedules to have additional access to voting.
3) It bans non-profits and other groups from helping to distribute applications for Mail-In ballots. Not everyone knows how to obtain an application for a Mail-In ballot, therefore it would direct impact those individuals.
Ron Shelby:
#1. This from the bill:
https://legiscan.com/TX/text/SB1/id/2423989
SECTION 5.01 (b-1) :A person other than a voter is only permitted to be inside a motor vehicle while a voter votes from the motor vehicle if the person would be entitled to accompany the voter to the voting station under other law."
Read the letter from AG Ken Paxton:
https://www.texasattorneygeneral.gov/news/releases/elections-guidance-letter-drive-thru-voting
So curbside voting is permitted. As Ken Paxton states, "While election officials should not ordinarily question a voter's good-faith representation that the voter is physically unable to enter a polling place, officials should not actively encourage voters to engage in unauthorized curbside voting when they fail to meet the requisite legal criteria."
Texas Election Code§ 64.009(a)
https://statutes.capitol.texas.gov/Docs/EL/htm/EL.64.htm
Sec. 64.009. VOTER UNABLE TO ENTER POLLING PLACE. (a) If a voter is physically unable to enter the polling place without personal assistance or likelihood of injuring the voter's health, on the voter's request, an election officer shall deliver a ballot to the voter at the polling place entrance or curb.
Ron Shelby:
"This obviously allows those with odd work schedules to have additional access to voting."
There are penalties if your employer will not allow you to vote:
SECTION 6.02. Sections 276.004(a) and (b), Election Code, are amended to read as follows:
(a) A person commits an offense if, with respect to another person over whom the person has authority in the scope of employment, the person knowingly:
(1) refuses to permit the other person to be absent from work on election day or while early voting is in progress for the purpose of attending the polls to vote; or
(2) subjects or threatens to subject the other person to a penalty for attending the polls on election day or while early voting is in progress to vote.
(b) It is an exception to the application of this section that the person's conduct occurs in connection with an election in which the polls are open on election day or while early voting is in progress for voting for two consecutive hours outside of the voter's working hours.
Ron Shelby:
"It bans non-profits and other groups from helping to distribute applications for Mail-In ballots."
Since mail- in balloting is legally restricted to certain individuals (65 years or older; sick or disabled; out of the county on election day and during the period for early voting by personal appearance; or be confined in jail, but otherwise eligible). Texas Supreme Court - Harris County had to back down on sending applications to EVERYBODY. Doubtful if "non-profits" would know who is entitled and who is not to vote by mail.
Most states have a greater proportion of eligible voters voting than Texas at 60%. A healthy democratic republic would try to get more eligible voters voting, not make it harder.
The proposed legislation would make voting easier, cheating harder.... but that won't stop Democrats from trying to cheat.
Carlos. You still failed to say those limiting items were not in the Bill... Because clearly they are. I believe that anyone reading those clearly understands the impact they will have in further limiting access to vote. Legislators already backed off the further limiting of Sunday voting. It was clear what their intent was. The intent here is no different. It’s a shame you support that, but no surprise.
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