Thread by @JuddLegum

UPDATE: Members of the Texas legislature are seeking retribution against companies like @Dell and @AmericanAir that spoke out against voter suppression legislation.

They are attempting to punish these companies for political speech.

Follow along if interested.

@Dell @AmericanAir 2. GOP TX Rep @TomOliverson has proposed an amendment to the budget requiring corporations to "certify that the business has not publicly opposed any legislation filed in this or another state in 2020 or 2021 related to election integrity" as a condition of receiving grants

3. What's remarkable about this is that under @TomOliverson's amendment corporations SUPPORTING voter suppression laws remain eligible for grants. Under this amendment, only opposing legislation in Texas or any other state disqualifies a company.

(Via @DWStrategic)

@TomOliverson @DWStrategic 4. Texas Rep @briscoecain, the chair of the Elections Committee, has proposed an amendment withholding certain funds from any corporations that "publicly threatened any adverse action against this state based on any legislative or executive action related to election integrity."

5. These are the same kind of tactics that @SenRickScott is using at the federal level. Scott warned corporations speaking out against voter suppression would face a "day of reckoning" when/if Republicans retook control of the Senate

popular.info/p/mob-tactics

6. We don't know if these Texas amendments will pass or if Scott will make good on his threats. But it's a blatant effort to attach financial penalties to disfavored political speech

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7. UPDATE: A third amendment proposed in Texas, by @rogersfortexas, would cut off certain funding for corporations unless they "certify that the business entity has not publicly opposed any legislation filed in this or another state in 2020 or 2021
related to gender modification"

UPDATE: @BriscoeCain withdrew his amendment.

@BriscoeCain UPDATE: Last night, all three amendments listed above failed.

The TX legislature did pass an amendment from @ColeHefnerTX which prohibits companies that "publicly threaten any adverse action... based on any legislative action proposed or taken" from receiving certain funds

This is obviously very broad but could theoretically be used against companies that speak out against voter suppression legislation, anti-trans legislation, or any other issue.

Could likely be challenged on 1st Amendment grounds