Houston Chronicle by Jeremy Wallace 4/6/2021
Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick blasts Hidalgo, Turner as 'liars' in fiery press conference on GOP voting bill
Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick accused Democrats of “race-baiting†as they fight election bills in the Texas Legislature and said elected officials like Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo and Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner are lying about what the legislation would do.
“Senate Bill 7 is not voter suppression, it's voter security,†Patrick said during a more than 30-minute press conference in which he repeatedly slammed the media, Harris County officials, American Airlines, Democrats including Beto O’Rourke a “nest of liars†for saying the legislation seeks to disenfranchise people of color.
Patrick aimed his criticism at Harris County officials Hidalgo and Turner who have labeled the legislation as a form of voter suppression.
“They’re lying to you,†Patrick said looking into a bank of television cameras.
The back and forth on the Texas voting bill has escalated since last week as major Texas-based businesses including American Airlines, Southwest and Dell have put out statements of concern about it. That resistance comes as businesses and sports leagues including Major League Baseball oppose voting legislation in Georgia pushed by Republicans that similarly has been called an attempt to suppress the vote, particularly in minority communities that vote overwhelmingly in favor of Democrats.
Patrick’s fiery press conference came less than 24 hours after Hidalgo, Turner and other Harris County officials rallied in opposition to the legislation in Houston. At that event, Hidalgo said Republicans had “bought into a conspiracy theory†about widespread voter fraud, which has never been proven to exist.
Turner used similarly pointed rhetoric, labeling the voting bills “Jim Crow 2.0†and “part of a national campaign to restrict people’s right to vote.â€
That brought an at-times angry response from Patrick.
“We must stop this race-baiting on every issue,†Patrick said. “Election security is what the public wants.â€
More:
https://www.houstonchronicle.com/politics/texas/article/Texas-Lt-Gov-Dan-Patrick-unloads-on-nest-of-16081055.php
