TEXAS DEMOCRATS LEAVE STATE IN EFFORT TO BLOCK PASSAGE OF GOP VOTING BILL
Democrats in the Texas House left the state on Monday for Washington, D.C. to attempt to prevent a quorum in the recently called special session, and they say they are prepared to remain out of state until the session ends.
This is the second time Democrats have walked out to protest the advancing of GOP-backed voting legislation, which they say will make it more difficult for people to vote.
The 30-day special session began last week and is scheduled to run through August 6th. Governor Greg Abbott is able to continue calling special sessions through next year if necessary, and some House Republicans have indicated their support of using law enforcement to bring legislators back to the Capitol.
Abbott issued a statement saying the Democrats’ decision “inflicts harm on the very Texans who elected them to serve,” and that they “must put aside partisan political games and get back to the job they were elected to do.”