Thread by @TexasHDC

🚨 The debate on SB 7 is underway. Follow this thread for updates. #txlege

.@ErinForYall just raised a point of order on the Out-of-Bounds resolution for SB 7 (HR 2007) on the grounds that it was insufficiently detailed and materially misleading. #txlege

We should take this break to say @ErinForYall has been a rules master all session, fighting with procedural precision at every turn to stop bad policy. Thanks for all your work, Rep.! #txlege

The point of order is withdrawn. Rep. Clardy, one of the R conferees, continues to layout the out-of-bounds resolution #txlege

.@jessicafortexas asks Rep. Clardy to yield to questions again so she has a chance to ask questions before his 10 minutes are up. #txlege

... and the time expired on the layout of the resolution without a chance for anyone to ask questions. #txlege

Chair @ChrisGTurner is now speaking against the resolution. He points out for people watching that this is NOT SB 7. This is a resolution required because the conferees wrote new language for this bill #txlege

"It was written and agreed upon not by all the conferees but by the Republican conferees, behind closed doors. ... And now, as the sun sets, ... we are asking this body to vote on a resolution that would make this bad bill worse." #txlege

.@ChrisGTurner breaks down what's new in this resolution:

1) the SOS gets oversight over the "enforcement of voter roll maintenance," subverting the authority of local county officials

Particularly concerning given the recent discriminatory action by the SOS #txlege

2) "Souls to the Polls" -- a tradition, largely in black communities, to go to vote right after church on the Sunday of early voting -- is impossible to do under this bill.

New language says you can't vote on Sundays now until 1pm.
#txlege

"That's the point. You make it harder to vote by changing the hours and creating a line. It's shameful." @ChrisGTurner #txlege

3) Poll Watchers. This bill empowers poll watchers to have free rein in our polling places.

"They are looking for people who are willing to go intimidate black and brown voters. And this resolution makes it easier for them to do that." #txlege

4) Even HARDER to vote by mail on the basis of disability.

Last year, the TX Supreme Court ruled the voter's word is good enough if they feel they're at risk if they vote in person.

"This resolution says that's no longer good enough" @ChrisGTurner #txlege

5) Overturning elections. It's WAY easier under this bill to overturn the result of an election without proving fraud.

"Are you okay with that? Are you okay with a judge being able to overturn your own election because the math says the ... margin was close enough?"

#txlege

"This resolution is far afield from either the House-passed bill or the Senate-passed bill. Those bills are bad and egregious enough as it is. We don't need to go out of bounds to make it worse." @ChrisGTurner #txlege

"That last section about the judge overturning elections, we never heard that in committee. That was never vetted for the people of Texas. ... Are you aware of that?" @ForHD65, who has worked long hours on the elections committee all session, is on the back mic #txlege

"Do you think this is fair to the people of Texas?" @ForHD65 asks.

"It's absolutely unfair" @ChrisGTurner

The laws always provide for an election contest, Chair Turner points out. #txlege

.@BucyForTexas is speaking in opposition now.

"There's 150 of us on this floor, but we represent 29 million Texans." #txlege

"You're not one person when you're here. You're almost 200,000. ... If we pass this resolution, we don't have to prove there was voter fraud to throw out an election. We can just do it." says @BucyForTexas, who fought hard on the elections committee all session #txlege

"It's not just that the bill came back worse, it's that this resolution is adding stuff that we never heard. ... That means the voices of Texans were not heard in this debate." @BucyForTexas #txlege

"People deserve to have a hearing on this and have an input in this legislation. ... Have you had the time to review this?" @jessicafortexas, the hard-working vice chair of the Elections Committee, is on the back mic opposite Bucy #txlege

.@MALCTx Chair @RafaelAnchia notes that fellow D @HubertVo149 won by 6 votes when he first came into office and underwent a special committee investigation.

"Do you know what happened? ... Despite all of the allegations, (@HubertVo149) was the rightful winner." #txlege

Under this lowered evidentiary standard, @BucyForTexas points out, @HubertVo149 would have wrongfully been terminated from his seat.

Same thing happened to @DonnaHowardTX #txlege

Perhaps the greater point here? All Members, regardless of party, could wrongfully lose their seat under this lower evidentiary standard because someone made an allegation. All Members, regardless of party, should be against this provision.

#txlege

Vice Chair of @txblackcaucus @ronereynolds is on the back mic.

"It is clear, based upon prior election cycles, that African Americans tend to utilize Souls to the Polls. ... Is it your understanding this would have a disparate impact on voters of color in Texas?" #txlege

Next up? The brilliant @juliejohnsonTX speaking against the bill.

"Election challengers are no longer required to show that fraudulent votes actually resulted in a win."

#txlege

"The purpose of the Legislative Process has been completely subverted under the cover of darkness." @juliejohnsonTX #txlege

.@TurnerForTX is at the back mic now.

"I'm seeing things that are really going to affect large number of Texans. ..."

#txlege

"I do not understand for the life of me why we want to restrict mail-in voting?" @juliejohnsonTX #txlege

"I'd really liked to have had the opportunity to study this and consult with others." @TurnerForTX notes that a provision that mentions "ink on paper" that doesn't specify what that exactly means -- the whole application? the signature? #txlege

"You and I are attorneys. We know that words matter. Precision matters." @juliejohnsonTX #Txlege

"How is this going to play out in courtrooms?" @ForHD65 asks an important question.

Attorney @juliejohnsonTX notes this bill will be challenged every which way in court at the cost of taxpayers #txlege

"I'm concerned that we are just going to vote on this along party lines, and there are people in this body that aren't paying attention and just don't care." @ForHD65 #txlege

She's back! @ErinForYall raises another point of order that the reasons for the suspensions for the limitations of the conference committee are incorrect (Rule 13, Sec 9g) #txlege

Rep. @jessicafortexas asks Rep. Clardy to yield for questions. He refuses, again. #txlege

He has yielded.

"Do know how many of the provisions (in this resolution) never saw the light of day?" @jessicafortexas

#txlege

"If some of these bills were never heard in committee, then the public and members of the committee never had a chance to hear these bills." @jessicafortexas #txlege

Clardy argues sometimes, part way through the committee process, you think of new things you want to add in.

#txlege

The record vote to go outside the bounds on SB 7 passes 79-35 #txlege

Rep. Cain is up to explain the full bill now - CCR SB 7.

He begins by apologizing to @ForHD65 for stripping her amendment on SB 7 "by accident"

#txlege

.@txblackcaucus Chair and conferee @NicoleCollier95 is asking questions of the author from the back mic.

She's diving into the provisions giving the SOS control over county registrars.

#txlege

If there's a discrepancy between findings of the SOS and the county registrar, who prevails? @NicoleCollier95 asks.

Rep. Cain says he isn't sure.

#txlege

Rep. @NicoleCollier95 asks for an extension of the author's time, which is generally disallowed at this point in session.

"How else are we going to establish legislative intent?" #txlege

.@ForHD65 is now up with her own point of order, on the grounds that the conferees have exceeded their authority by omitting text that wasn't in disagreement (Rule 13, Sec 9) #txlege

The point of order is overruled.

#TxLege