Thread by @JeremySWallace

They took away my access to the floor and to be able to read amendments to major bills.

They took away my access to electricity to power my laptop.

And they took away my Saturday night with my kids.

But, Texas, I’m still here

It’s after 10:40 pm on a holiday weekend. I am one of the only non-government employee in the room as the Texas Senate debates a bill that will change voting laws for every Texan.

Although they could have waited until tomorrow to take this up so more Texans could watch in daylight, the Republicans in the Texas Senate made an unexpected decision to to disregard their own rules to force a debate and vote tonight. This could go well past midnight

Here’s a lot more detail on what is going down tonight and what is in the big elections bill.

houstonchronicle.com/politics/texas…

Check out how many humans are in the Senate chamber as debate begins at 10:39 pm. But check out how much security. There are 16 officers in gallery to keep 10 people in the gallery in check.

This just keeps getting better. During parliamentary inquiry. Lt Gov just called Senators up to front of chamber to huddle and talk away from microphones and far enough where I cannot hear a word.

State Sen Royce West drawing attention to Republicans taking aim at souls to the polls in Texas. Senate has provision in elections bill that won’t allow early voting on Sunday until after 1 pm.

And hello Sunday. We are now officially less than 48 hours from the 2021 Texas Legislative session ending.

And we still do not have a finished bill to fix the electricity grid that killed at least 200 Texans and left millions without power during frigid temperatures

Step one is complete. By 19-12 vote Senators agreed to resolution that allows them to add stuff into the election bill that were never previously discussed in House or Senate versions of SB7

Now just after 12:30 am Sen Hughes begin debate on actual bill. Starts by highlighting provision to require verifiable paper trail for voting machines in future.

As we approach 1:27 am, I have 19 of the 31 Texas Senators plus Lt Gov Dan Patrick who have left the floor. They can still see and hear debate elsewhere, but as I dream of the coffee I’m NOT drinking I’m a tad jealous of the breaks they are getting.

“Not in this bill.” Sen Bryan Hughes says of Texas election bill that previously had provisions allowing partisan poll watchers to have cameras and video record voters and poll workers. That provision was taken out of bill during negotiations