The newest flashpoint in the culture war is in Texas, where State House Democrats all walked off the job yesterday in order to prevent the passage of a GOP priority bill on voting restrictions. Since then, it has been bonkers. Fox News is lit up like a Christmas tree with videos condemning the Dems and Greg Abbott is apoplectic.
A short while ago the Republicans in the Texas State House voted to arrest the Democrats.
Texas House Republicans vote to direct the Sgt at Arms to arrest Texas House Democrats. pic.twitter.com/yT4YLVU69C
— Ron Filipkowski (@RonFilipkowski) July 13, 2021
Here’s what Abbott said yesterday.
Texas Gov Greg Abbott says when Democratic legislators return to Texas they will be arrested and dragged to the Capitol to force a quorum to pass voter suppression laws. pic.twitter.com/Lp4qIBCeyg
— Ron Filipkowski (@RonFilipkowski) July 13, 2021
Isn’t that swell? Democratic lawmakers now have to remain out of state, seeking asylum as it were, or they can go to jail when they return to their homes. I didn’t know non attendance at the legislature was a criminal offense, did you?
Abbott probably knows it’s unconstitutional, but what’s that if it makes for good political theater, right?
It’s not entirely without precedent. In 2019 Republicans did the same thing in Oregon, when they didn’t want to vote on a climate bill.
Oregon Republican senators have left the Capitol and scattered in various directions outside the state in order to avoid being rounded up by troopers for a high-profile climate bill vote scheduled today.
“Protesting cap-and-trade by walking out today represents our constituency and exactly how we should be doing our job,” Senate Republican Leader Herman Baertschiger Jr., of Grants Pass, said in a written statement Thursday morning. “We have endured threats of arrest, fines, and pulling community project funds from the governor, Senate president and majority leader. We will not stand by and be bullied by the majority party any longer.”
This is going to get uglier.
If Abbott is angry, we should keep doing whatever is making him angry. That’s my takeaway.
It’s more evident than ever that Congress MUST pass voting rights reform. And if Sens Manchin and Sinema don’t see this as the existential threat it is, we will need to mobilize with all our righteous fury and elect more Democrats to Congress, who will see this for what it is and will protect democracy over arcane Senate traditions.
They did this once before, when the Dems were being overridden for stupid/illegal laws. That was a while back, when Pete Laney (D) was still the Speaker and the Rs hadn’t quite gone insane. (They only fled to OK. And Pete had his own plane, because he lives a long way from Austin and no direct flights.)
Here’s to hoping abbot has such a shit-fit he drops dead from apoplexy.