The Texas governor said he plans to strip the Legislature's pay after Democrats staged a walkout to prevent restrictive voting laws from passing
Category: News & Politics
Via: texan1211 • 3 years ago • 53 commentsBy: mhall@businessinsider.com (Madison Hall,Grace Panetta) 2 hrs ago (MSN)
S E E D E D C O N T E N T
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott declared in a tweet on Monday that he would suspend the pay of the Texas Legislature after state Democrats staged a walkout to prevent Republicans from passing restrictive voting legislation.
The Texas Constitution grants the governor the power to veto line items in bills and state budgets, giving Abbott the authority to unilaterally remove the Legislature's funding in the recently passed budget.
Abbott's potential veto comes after state Democrats collectively walked out of the chamber to ensure there wouldn't be the quorum of lawmakers necessary to vote on the legislation, a move that killed chances of the bill being passed before a midnight deadline.
Texas Senate Bill 7 would have cracked down on initiatives that local election officials - particularly Democratic officials in Harris County - undertook in 2020 to expand voting options during the COVID-19 pandemic, including:
- Making it a felony offense for election officials to send unsolicited absentee-ballot applications to voters, even those who are eligible to vote absentee in Texas. Harris County officials tried to send absentee applications to the county's 2.4 million registered voters in 2020 but were blocked in court.
- Banning election officials from offering drive-thru voting, which Harris County did in 2020. The county successfully defended itself against last-minute legal challenges to its drive-thru voting system.
- Limiting counties to a maximum of eight hours of voting, between 1 p.m. and 9 p.m., on Sundays during early voting.
The Texas Legislature meets every two years for 140 days, meaning Republicans will not be able to bring the elections bill up for a vote during the normal legislative session until 2023. Under the Texas Constitution, however, the governor has the power to call a special session of up to 30 days solely to discuss and work on items brought by the governor.
Abbott was already expected to hold a special session to tackle redistricting, and it's now likely that the voting legislation will also be debated during that time as well. Texas Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick is also pushing for Abbott to include anti-transgender youth in sports legislation and other bills in the special session that failed to pass before the 87th legislative session ended in the state.
Texas legislators make $7,200 per year when not in session and $38,140 when in session, leading most state lawmakers to pursue other careers when the Legislature is not in session. If the governor calls for a special session, each legislator will receive a per diem payment of $221 for every day the special session is open, or up to $6,630 for the full special session.
Abbott's veto would also likely affect legislative staffers, who are paid via the legislative branch.
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Right on, Governor, right on!
LMMFAO!!
How about we do this with ALLFCKN POLITICIANS
Um, the Governor of Texas has no power outside the State of Texas.
Talk to the Democratic majority in the House and Senate.
Let's see you laugh if he manages to let judges overturn elections and who you voted for gets overturned. Fiesta tango.
Ain't going to happen!
But I surely hope that progressive liberals worry nonstop about it for months on end!
I truly hope that it doesn't. I view votes as a sacred trust in who we choose.
The democrat histrionics were designed to give cover to congressional democrats who want to override the election laws of all 50 states by jamming through H.R.1 on a partisan vote.
I wonder if the Texas Democrats think turning tail and running is a good look.
The party of Lincoln seems to have forgotten and abandoned his legacy.
Oh, gee, THAT crap again??
oy vey!!
Abbott is a moron. He claimed that illegals were bringing covid into Texas, then turned around and dropped the mask mandate.
we'll mark you down as an "Other" voter!
What 'crap' are you talking about Tex?
Jesus, I replied directly to your post.
Now that I have armed you with that information, let's see if you can figure it all out on your own now, okay?
Yes, with some vague innuendo.
Well I figure that you have an issue with my comment. Since you failed to state clearly WTF you issue is. Since you ALWAYS seem to have an issue with my comments, you'll have to be more specific.
BTW, before you post your predictable hyperbolic reply, you may want to review Abraham Lincoln's history in the Illinois legislature. It may help you understand the basis for my comment.
Or not...
Here is your post:
Here is mine:
And that is what passes as vague to you. Oh well.
You wrote a comment, I replied. WTF do you think I was fucking referring to?
Stop with the dickish comments and be specific what you label as 'crap' in my comment Tex. If you can't be specific, you shouldn't bother replying, though I doubt that you can help yourself.
Explaining the mundane over and over and over just ain't my thing.
It gets tiring.
And since you claim you have no idea what I refer to, let's just keep it that way, shall we?
Par for the course!
Translation: 'I posted a kneejerk unfounded post and don't have the gonads to admit it.'
Your "translation" leaves much to be desired.
Instead of attempting some lame-ass "translating", how about reading the post and spending 5 minutes comprehending it instead of blathering on with some fucked-up, fictitious "translation"?
It doesn't take 5 seconds to comprehend:
It's just another throw away, unfounded kneejerk reply from a member who regularly runs away from the BS spews in his comments.
Run away?
I am right here, dude!
It isn't my job to explain plain English posts to others.
If you can't figure it out on your own, then you are simply stuck, as I refuse to be baited into a long drawn out conversation over the post you can't understand.
Now, you can feign outrage or do whatever you wish.
Yet you have no issue having a long drawn out conversation over why you can't explain what you mean by 'crap'. Hilariously obtuse.
I hope this helps, but I have my doubts.
Well since I asked what YOU mean by 'crap' NOT the definition of crap, no, it doesn't.
But hey Tex, you carry on.
I see it didn't help.
I am personally just shocked!
I wonder where they got the idea from???
Oregon Senate Republicans leave the state to avoid climate bill vote
I wonder if Oregon Republicans thought turning tail and running was a good look. The rest of the GOP apparently thought it was fine.
You need to ask those who ran.
Ask them. Let me know what they say!
The proposed bill is falsely labeled as voter suppression, but in actuality limits the ability of the Dems to cheat
Well they will have to deal with it when they are brought back later in the year to do reapportionment of their legislative and congressional districts.
When have they cheated in the past?
And a democrat voting is a democrat cheating yeah?
Please provide factual documentation showing Democrats "cheating" in Texas.
He didn't make the claim that Democrats have cheated.
Read his comment carefully.
He made the implication that it was the reason for the voter laws to be changed. Now go away Texan, all you have any more is denials.
You are allowed to claim whatever it is you think you read.
But that doesn't mean sane folks have to accept what you claim.
Eh, fuck that democracy thing.
The truth of the matter is he is worried his state is turning purple.
Purple is my favorite color. If I had my way, all states would be purple. Maybe then our representatives would have to work for our votes.
Ask and you shall receive:
And my personal favorite since I live in Michigan.
No cheating by Democrats in elections, ever.
Oh please, it's not like Republicans haven't done it, too. People only moan, when their party is the losing party.
don't you know that republicans are the only elected officials allowed to obstruct government? wtf?
If you can't win votes, stop people from voting against you. The gop way. Most secure election, minuscule fraud (mostly by magats voting for Trump illegally), so lets make it harder to vote(removing boxes and voting places, limiting times and days, harder to vote by mail). Nothing in that bill helps democracy (or the republic). Can't believe the gqp has fallen so far it can only win by gerrymandering, suppressing votes and lying about everything. Not even remotely the party of my parents.
Only hope is that their magat followers are too stupid to jump through the hoops, unintended consequences. One thing to stop dems from voting, but their own voters won't be used to following all those rules either, so it may bite them in the ass if dems work to overcome the suppression and counter it.That isn't even touching on the 'poll watchers' and legislatures overturning the results of the voters.
Hey Tex, you still a Trumphumper? Think he is getting 'sworn in' in August like the qtips say?
Well, well, well, isn't that quite the set of asinine questions!
What state do you live in?
Polls open 24/7 there?
Can you vote at any time on Sundays?
gee, deflection. shocking. hard to hear down in the rabbit hole?
If you ask nicely, I may deign to answer you.
Yep. Washington. I can vote anytime I damn well want after I get my ballot in the mail. Could not be easier.
Good, I go to any polling place in my entire county, flip out my ID, and vote early.
Very easy, very fast!
Couldn't be easier!
Funny how the gop white folk never seem to lose their polling places in those red states. Not surprised you don't have a problem.
And it could be easier. So what exactly is the purpose of making it harder when there is no fraud? Unless you count those people who voted for Trump for their dead parent of spouse. But feel free to cite all the real fraud that the gop could not find. They can only make shit up to excuse their suppression.
In Texas, poll sites are determined by county officials.
If Democratic areas are losing sites, you should probably ask Democratic leaders in those counties. Not surprised you don't do that.
Can't find where I cited any fraud. Suppression is a term widely misused by progressives.
Tex, you live there. If you know everything in it (including judges ability to overturn election results with no evidence of fraud), why are republicans making restrictions when there is no fraud. You obviously can't site any fraud, so you just sit back smugly and tell everyone how easy you have it. What is your line for regulations? Harder to vote? check. Controlling women's reproductive physiology? check. Id for a gun? Fuck no.
While it is rather amusing to see yet another progressive liberal manage to throw all the stuff they personally don't like into any conversation, perhaps you would be better off attempting, at least, to stay on topic.
Almost every single state has some rules or laws regarding voting. Almost all of them could be considered to be "suppressive" under certain progressive liberals' criteria---IF the criteria were applied evenly.
Are polls only open 9 am to 12 pm on Saturdays really any so different than Texas allowing polls to be open 1-9 on Sundays?
So why single Texas out and ignore these other instances you claim to not like?
Current laws at attempted suppression are coming from Texas. Hence the focus. Don't worry, over time I'll take each one apart for you.
How about start with the judges being able to overturn election results without fraud.
Have a take on what is happening in Maricopa county in AZ?
Are you still a Biden blow queen?
Changing a polling station times from 10 am to 1 pm isn't suppressive in many people's eyes, and the others don't know any better.
A state has its polls only open from 9 am to 12 pm.
Where is your faux moral concern about it?