Texas Scorecard By Brandon Waltens January 13, 2021
State Sen. Bryan Hughes says the changing the ‘three-fifths†rule to the “five-ninths†rule strikes a balance between majority rule and protecting the minority.The Texas Senate has changed their rules in an attempt to ensure Republican legislation can’t be blocked by Democrats.
Republicans currently hold 18 of the 31 seats in the Texas Senate. That’s one less than last session, due to the defeat of Republican State Sen. Pete Flores (Pleasanton) in November.
Under the old rules of the Senate, that could lead to Democrats being empowered to block Republican legislation, despite Republicans holding a majority.
Here’s how: In the Senate, a simple majority is all that is technically required to pass legislation. However, bills are required to be taken up in the order they are placed on the calendar.
More:
https://texasscorecard.com/state/senate-adjusts-rules-to-stop-democrats-from-killing-gop-bills/