Dallas Morning News by Allie Morris and Morgan O'Hanlon 8/11/2021
The House sergeant-at-arms began delivering civil arrest warrants to 52 fugitive Democrats in an effort to draw them back but none were apprehended.
Sen. Carol Alvarado began a filibuster the GOP-backed elections bill on Wednesday, a move that will likely delay the legislation’s passage, but not kill it.
The legislation “slowly but surely chips away at our Democracy,” Alvarado, D-Houston, said beginning her speech just before 6 p.m. “It adds rather than removes barriers for Texas seniors, persons with disabilities, African American, Asian and Latino voters.”
Alvarado launched the filibuster as the bill came up for final passage in the Senate, meaning debate could last late into the night — or beyond.
The move thrusts the Senate Democrats into the spotlight. Until now most of the focus has been on House Democrats, who fled the state en masse to block passage of the legislation they decry as voter suppression.
The Senate has maintained a quorum in both special sessions.
On Wednesday, the House was still short enough members to conduct any business. In the afternoon, the House sergeant-at-arms began delivering civil arrest warrants to 52 fugitive Democrats in an effort to draw them back. None were apprehended.
It remains to be seen how long Alvarado’s filibuster will last, but as of 8 p.m. it will ongoing. She cannot lean on her desk, eat, drink or use the restroom during the speech. Errors could draw a point of order that would end the effort.
As she began, Lt. Gov Dan Patrick reminded Alvarado that her comments must not stray from the bill’s content.
More:
https://www.dallasnews.com/news/politics/2021/08/11/texas-state-senator-plans-to-launch-filibuster-of-elections-bill-as-house-nears-quorum/
