AUSTIN (KXAN) — Texas Democratic lawmakers drew a line in the sand on Monday afternoon after staging a planned walkout of the state Capitol and onto a flight to Washington D.C. — all in their latest effort to block Republican elections overhaul bills, which Democrats say are merely voter suppression.
The bills stem from the previous Senate Bill 7, which was defeated by another Democratic walk-out. But this week, Senate Bill 1 and its House equivalent received their first hearings. Despite no proof of widespread fraud in Texas’ 2020 Election, state Republicans have honed in on “election integrity” as a major party platform.
Over the weekend, hundreds waited up to 17 hours to testify against the bills, which have been accused by detractors as an attempt to prevent Democrats — and particularly voters of color — from getting to the ballot box.
The bills would limit early voting hours, ban drive-thru and mail-in ballot drop boxes and allow partisan poll watchers to record voters who receive help filling out ballots. It would also become a crime for local elections officials to encourage voting by mail.
Texas Governor Greg Abbott expressed his displeasure Monday, saying:
“Texas Democrats’ decision to break a quorum of the Texas Legislature and abandon the Texas State Capitol inflicts harm on the very Texans who elected them to serve. As they fly across the country on cushy private planes, they leave undone issues that can help their districts and our state.”
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