Greetings from the Texas House where lawmakers will be debating Senate Bill 1, the GOP-backed voting bill.
@DadePhelan tells members the chamber's decorum rules will be strictly enforced. #txlege
SB 1 goes far beyond what the House voted out during the regular legislative session.
We're starting today w/ the same version of the legislation that prompted Democrats' six-week quorum break though author Rep. Andrew Murr will offer an amendment to make some changes. #txlege
One of the biggest changes in that amendment (& something Democrats had been pushing for) is language so poll watchers can be removed from a polling place if they violate the Penal Code.
Bill originally required them to first get a warning & repeat the illegal behavior. #txlege
Following questioning between Murr & @MattShaheen, @DadePhelan asks members "to be civil & respectful."
"The chair would appreciate members not using the word 'racism' this afternoon," Phelan says.
Shaheen opened by criticizing claims of racism & voter suppression #txlege
Opponents have aligned many of their concerns about voter suppression stemming from the bill w/ its ban on overnight voting & drive-thru used by diverse Harris County last year.
County officials have said those options were disproportionately used by voters of color. #txlege
Here's the exchange over #txlege's history of intentional discrimination, when @GinaForAustin asked if it amounted to racism.
“We can talk about racial impacts of this legislation without accusing members of this body of being racist,” @DadePhelan said.
Looks like the Senate elections bill, SB 1, will be rewritten in committee to match the House's election bill, HB 3.
There are various differences but the bills are a lot closer than the two versions of SB7 during the regular session: house.texas.gov/_media/pdf/com…#txlege
It may be a bit until we get to the bill though.
The Select Committee on Constitutional Rights & Remedies will first take up the social media censorship bill. They will also have to break ahead of their 4pm call time on the House floor. #txlege
Turning to SB 1 now. There are 70+ members of the public signed up to testify.
134 have registered a position on the bill (58 for/68 against/8 neutral) — just a fraction of #s we saw in the first special session. For a Saturday hearing, 484 registered w/ 407 against. #txlege
@CarolforTexas Alvarado has slowed down some, but I am quite honestly surprised by how similar the 53-year-old senator sounds at 8 a.m. vs 1 a.m. (after being on her feet without a break since before sunset yesterday). #txlege
"It is my sincere hope that civil acts by everyday Texans, from the Senate floor to the ballot box, can help to shed the light on all important issues," Alvarado, sounding like she's bringing this to a close, says. "What do we want our democracy to look like?" #txlege
Adding fuel to Texas voting bill fight, @CarolforTexas says she will filibuster on Senate's bill, which is up for debate now.
Alvarado acknowledged the bill will eventually pass but said a filibuster can help "call attention to what is at stake." texastribune.org/2021/08/11/tex…#txlege
@CarolforTexas Senate gave initial approval to SB 1 on 18-11 party-line vote earlier today after some amendments, including creation of online option to correct voting-by-mail errors.
That's something activists, including advocates for voters with disabilities, had been pushing for. #txlege
Though Rs are now pointing to correction process as a positive in defending SB1, it actually came thru Democratic push during regular legislative session.
Dems negotiated it into the voting bill that left the House but was ultimately left off the final version of SB7. #txlege
“Members take your key and leave the chamber discretely. Do not go the gallery. Leave the building.” @ChrisGTurner texted Democrats as they left the House chamber, breaking quorum and preventing a vote on Senate Bill 7 before a midnight deadline: texastribune.org/2021/05/30/tex…
House Democrats who just broke quorum to prevent vote on GOP’s priority voting bill, Senate Bill 7, are arriving at a Baptist church two miles from the Capitol.
Several “no comments” from lawmakers as they walk into a side entrance of a brick building #txlege
“Welcome to House District 46,” @SherylCole1 says as Democrats come out to address their quorum break to block GOP voting bill. #txlege
The Senate is now trying to bring up Senate Bill 7 on the floor w/ Democrats raising parliamentary inquiries and questions about timing on when the report was distributed to members for review #txlege
.@SenBryanHughes is trying to suspend the rules to allow the Senate to vote on the conference committee report earlier than the required 24 hours since it was filed. He wants to bring up the report after 10 p.m. #txlege
Hughes tells @whitmire_john he's giving senators "more time" by alerting them about 10 p.m. debate on SB 7.
"That's a nice spin," Whitmire says. The rule is for the report to be out for 24 hours so senators have time to review it. Hughes is trying to shorten that window. #txlege
-ban extended early voting hours
-ban drive-thru voting
-further clamp down on voting-by-mail rules
Final version leaves out polling place regulation in big counties that would've led to a decrease in voting sites in Dem areas/for voters of color.
It includes a new voting change to vote-by-mail that wasn't in either chamber's version of the bill.
DL or Social Security number will be required to request a mail-in ballot. Will also be required on the return envelopes containing ballots for votes to be counted.