Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick Blasts Houston-Area Leaders Over Opposition To Voting Bills
Andrew Schneider, Houston Public Media News, KUT.org | Published on 4/6/2021
Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick blasted Houston-area leaders for enacting voting laws that he said were unconstitutional, after they called out state legislators for pushing for new strict voting laws.
Senate Bill 7 would ban 24-hour voting and drive-through voting, and would bar local election officials from mass-mailing absentee ballot applications to all eligible county residents — measures that Harris County pioneered or attempted to enact in the 2020 election cycle.
Speaking in the state Capitol, Patrick criticized the county for what he said was overstepping its authority.
"I have news for Harris County: You're not the capital of Texas,” Patrick said. “The state capital resides in Travis County, in the city of Austin, in this building, not in the county judge or the mayor's office. Harris County does not make policy and create law for the other 253 Texas counties."
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