Author Topic: Election Integrity Bills  (Read 184 times)

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Offline Elderberry

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Election Integrity Bills
« on: March 23, 2021, 12:09:08 pm »
Texas Scorecard By Erin Anderson March 22, 2021

Activists who traveled to Texas capitol left disappointed, as election reform bills delayed at last minute.

A procedural move by Democrats delayed Monday’s scheduled hearing of multiple high-priority election reform bills in the Texas Senate State Affairs Committee, disappointing scores of citizen advocates who traveled to the state capitol to testify in favor of the proposed legislation.

The committee chairman, State Sen. Bryan Hughes (R–Mineola), said Democrat State Sens. Royce West (DeSoto), Beverly Powell (Burleson), Sarah Eckhardt (Austin), José Menéndez (San Antonio), and Roland Gutierrez (San Antonio) had “placed what is called a ‘tag’ on the big election bills that were set for today.”

Under Senate Rule 11.19 (the “Tag Rule”), any state senator can “tag” a bill to request and receive at least 48 hours’ advance written notice of a hearing on that bill.

“This is separate from the normal notice process,” Hughes said Monday. “This hearing was properly noticed, just like the rules require. But under the tag rule a senator can make this request.”

“This is not going to stop these bills,” he added, apologizing for the unexpected delay. “We have plenty of time.”

Hughes said he will reschedule a hearing “in a matter of days” on the priority bills, which include his comprehensive proposal Senate Bill 7, and four of the “Integrity Seven” bills by State Sen. Paul Bettencourt (R–Houston).

Election integrity advocates who traveled to Austin specifically to testify in favor of the legislation were fuming.

Conservative activist Mike Openshaw estimated 50 to 100 other people showed up to participate in this morning’s hearing, only to be disappointed.

“And the Democrats who did this? Their offices are closed, by appointment only,” Openshaw told Texas Scorecard, speculating the bills’ opponents are trying to run out the clock.

More: https://texasscorecard.com/state/democrats-delay-senate-hearing-on-election-integrity-bills/