The Texas Senate has pushed the state one step closer to becoming the largest in the nation where the GOP is making voting harder following the 2020 elections.
But bare-knuckled Republican governing is a way of life in the Texas Capitol, and no concessions are so far promised. Abbott has begun punishing and taunting Democrats while he settles on deciding when he will order them back to work.
He said Monday he would veto the part of the budget that funds legislators’ salaries, a move that could impact not just Democrats but also other Capitol staff. He then tweeted a reminder of the last time Texas Democrats dramatically blocked a bill: when then-state Sen. Wendy Davis talked for more than 11 consecutive hours in 2013 to filibuster a sweeping antiabortion measure, which Republicans immediately revived and passed in a special session.
AUSTIN, Texas Texas Republicans pressed ahead with their push for tougher election laws Tuesday, vowing to ensure Democrats’ weekend victory over one of the most restrictive voting measures in the country would only be temporary. GOP Gov. Greg Abbott prepared to call lawmakers back for a special session to revive the voting measure that…
Texas Republicans are pressing ahead with their push for tougher election laws after Democrats' defiant weekend walkout stopped one of the nation's most.
Former Harris County clerk: No ‘regrets’ over voting programs that sparked Texas legislative backlash
Former Harris County clerk: No ‘regrets’ over voting programs that sparked Texas legislative backlash
The state’s largest county experimented with drive-thru voting, 24-hour polling locations and sending unsolicited mail ballots. Now, the Legislature is trying to make clear that those practices are outlawed.
Harris County Clerk Chris Hollins speaks outside the federal courthouse after a hearing Monday, Nov. 2, 2020, in Houston. A federal judge has rejected a last-ditch Republican effort to invalidate nearly 127,000 votes in Houston. U.S. District Judge Andrew Hanen s ruling Monday concerned ballots cast at drive-thru polling centers that were established during the pandemic. The lawsuit was brought by conservative Texas activists who have railed against expanded voting access in Harris County. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)(David J. Phillip / AP)