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AUSTIN, Texas (AP) – Texas Republicans urged a third attempt Thursday to pass new election restrictions after Democrats returned from a 38-day strike and were now barely able to prevent the law from Reaching Governor Greg Abbott.
A nearly 50-page bill was due to be passed early in the Texas House, where some but not all of the 50+ Democrats who fled to Washington DC last month to temporarily block the legislation remained absent.
With enough Democrats returned to secure a quorum and resume business at the Texas Capitol, Republicans fought to get the electoral law across the finish line before the Labor Day weekend deadline.
The atmosphere was charged. The GOP says the bill will ensure the integrity of the elections, but Democrats say it means voter suppression for minorities and people with disabilities. During Thursday’s debate, Republican House spokesman Dade Phelan interrupted lawmakers to tell them not to accuse each other of racism – or even speak the word.
Texas will become the newest major GOP state to enact stricter electoral laws in response to former President Donald Trump’s false claims that the 2020 elections were stolen. On Wednesday, the US House of Representatives passed federal voting rights, which Democrats in Congress believe is a step forward in their efforts to crack down on voting restrictions in states like Texas. But the Democrats do not have the votes to overcome the Republican resistance in the Senate.
“As much as you may denounce our need to go to Washington, I am really asking for federal protection,” said Democratic State MP Rafael Anchia.
Some Republicans haven’t hidden their frustration at the Democrats’ refusal to return.
“I think you could take care of it a little more and should have been here,” Republican JM Lozano said during an exchange with Anchia.
The bill was very similar to what the Democrats passed more than a month ago. It includes a number of tweaks and changes to the state’s electoral law that would make it more difficult overall to cast a vote in Texas.
Among other things, it bans drive-through voting and threatens local election officials with criminal charges for mailing nominations to voters who do not apply. Many of the regulations target Harris County – which Houston is a part of and a major Democratic stronghold – after leaders expanded choices there during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Texas Republicans accuse Democrats of exaggerating the effects of the law, claiming it is not being driven by Trump’s loss, even though some have sidestepped the question of whether they believe the election was stolen. Republicans note that the latest version would require an additional hour of early voting each day and would result in more counties offering at least 12 hours early voting on weekdays.
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