So the news just came out that at least 58 members of the Texas House Democratic Caucus will be breaking quorum during this special session to deny the Texas GOP’s efforts to their newest versions of their voter suppression (read Jim Crow) bills, SB1 and HB3.
If the legislators remain in Texas, they are subject to arrest for breaking quorum, and early reports indicate that most of them will be going to D.C. in an effort to rally national support for the passage of The Jim Lewis Voting Rights Act and The For The People Act.
As the tweet and the article above mention, the last time this happened was in 2003 when the infamous DeLaymander took place. For those who may not know what that was, it was the Tom DeLay led mid-decade redistricting that the Texas GOP tried to ram through. The GOP was eventually successful but only after groups of both Texas House and Senate Dems fled the state to break quorum.
This time around, the Texas GOP rammed through SB1 and HB3 after hearings that lasted almost 24 hours (an irony since they are seeking to prohibit the utilization of 24 hour polling locations), where the vast majority of witnesses opposed the legislation. The Texas GOP, in typical fashion, ignored those witnesses and voted the bills out of committee.
And just in case you need a refresher on the attitude Texas Republicans have towards voting rights, this quote from a GOP witness at the recent hearing sums it all up:
Jack M. Finger, a San Antonio Republican, testified that Texas offers multiple ways to vote — including two weeks of early voting.
"How much more does Texas have to bend over backwards for the voter?” he said. “And voting is not supposed to be easy. That's what our men died for."
I sincerely doubt the people who served in our nation’s armed forces did so to make voting harder.
I’m proud of my fellow Texas Democrats like these elected officials who are putting it on the line to protect our rights. I’m proud of the friends I know working for organizations like The Texas Civil Rights Project who have been tirelessly fighting this fight. And I’m proud of the everyday Texans who are standing up and speaking out against these horrible bills.
If you are a person of good conscience, if you’re a fellow Democrat, or if you’re “just” a friend of democracy, join everybody down here and across the country fighting to protect the voting rights of all Americans. Call your Senators and your Representatives. If they’re Democrats, demand that they do all they can to secure passage of The John Lewis Voting Rights Act and The For The People Act. And if they’re Republicans, let them know that we’re damn sick and tired of the voting rights of our fellow Americans being trampled on time and time again.
We have to lift our voices together and make such a noise that nobody can ignore us.