Texas Governor Greg Abbott.Photo: Lynda M. Gonzalez-Pool/Getty
Also onhis personal account, Abbott wrote of the walkout: “The last time a stunt like this happened was … Wendy Davis. We all know how that story ended.”
Abbott was referencing former Texas state Sen. Wendy Davis, a Democrat who spent nearly 13 hours filibustering (i.e. talking without a break) in 2013 in an effort to block a vote on a bill that would have made the state’s abortion restrictions some of the toughest in the nation.
Davis helped temporarily delay passage of the bill, though it was ultimately approved.
Nonetheless, after Trump’s reelection loss last year amidrecord-breakingvoter turnout, The GOPhas movedto put more restrictions on voting in states across the country, arguing such changes are about election security and increasing voter confidence.
After the lawmakers exited the chamber, the House was left without enough members to pass the legislation before a midnight deadline.
SB7 would ban 24-hour voting and drive-thru voting, which werepopular with voters of colorin some counties last year, according toUSA Today. Among other changes, the measure would also block Sunday voting before 1 p.m., which would effectively stifle programs in Black churches that drive voters to the polls following worship services.
Texas Democrats said they had no other option than obstruction.
“Breaking quorum is a procedural tool we don’t use often in the House,” state Rep. Eddie Rodriguez wrote via Twitter. “We had to act last night because #SB7 was a threat to our democracy – including procedurally, as each time it was passed was under the cover of night or w/o the input of those we are elected to serve.”
Responding to Abbott’s vow to withhold their paychecks, Texas state Rep. Gene Wu wrote that he “didn’t give a s—-” about his monthly pay (which he said in a tweet was $600 a month), but that “there are thousands of workers here with families to support.”
Wu added that the governor’s announcement was “petty and tone-deaf even for Texas.”
“If you’re worried about state legislators not doing their jobs, think about it this way: We’re all allowed sick time off, no matter what job we do,” Wu wrote in another tweet. “The provisions of #SB7 were so vile that it made Democrats sick to their stomachs. We all need some personal time to throw up.”
source: people.com
