Texas Republicans revive restrictive voting bill as dozens testify against it
Texas Republicans brought back their voting bill on Monday with no changes as some Democrats returned to the capitol for the first time since ending their holdout, making it clear that the bill is on track to become law after their 38day walkout.
Dozens of people showed up to testify before lawmakers to seize their last chance for public input on the the bill that will tighten voting rules in ways the GOP says will ensure election integrity and that Democrats say amounts to voter suppression for disabled people and minorities.
Senate Bill 1 would make mail voting a stricter process, increase liberties for poll watchers, and prohibit 24hour and drive-through voting, two ways that Harris county – which includes Houston and where 44% of the nearly 5 million residents are Latino and 20% are Black – expanded options for voters and also offered protections against the coronavirus.
Candis Houston, who lives in Houston, said she arrived in Austin on Sunday night so she could show up early Monday to testify. She joined about 70 other people who arrived at the Capitol as the sun was rising.
Houston is against the voting overhaul and wanted to share her experience of using a drive-through polling location with her daughters, including one who was positive for Covid-19, during the November election. Houston said she and her daughters’ identities were thoroughly verified before they cast ballots, that they were not allowed to have cellphones out and that it was more convenient than having to go into a building to vote.
“I had ancestors that died and marched for the privilege for us to vote, and anytime I can participate, I am going to be there,“said Houston, who is Black. “We should be encouraging people to vote and not limiting them by limiting where and when they can vote.”
But Steve Lawrence, of the Houston suburb of Woodlands, showed up to press lawmakers to pass the bill. Lawrence said he did not trust the way the 2020 election was conducted and wanted to ask the legislature to make changes.
“We are not happy with the election, and the way that there seems to be such a fight to stop any examination of the systems,” Lawrence said. “I think they wouldn’t be fighting so hard if there wasn’t something there.”
A house committee was expected pass the legislation that will next head to a vote of the full house. Governor Greg Abbott supports the legislation.
Texas is the last of the big GOP-run states that has yet to pass more restrictive voting laws, largely because more than 50 state Democrats flew out of the state, to Washington DC, in July to block the proposals.
The maneuver kept the house from having enough members for a quorum.
Former president Donald Trump’s false claims that the 2020 election was stolen have stoked discontent among many Americans and driven the Republican party to impose the changes.