Texas House debates new voting rules in late-night session

AUSTIN (Nexstar) — In a floor debate that started Thursday and spanned into the early-morning hours of Friday, the Texas House debated controversial changes to the state's election rules.

The Republican-backed legislation has been the focal point of a contentious battle over what Republicans call election integrity and Democrats label voter suppression.

The GOP-led Texas House gave its initial approval early Friday morning, with 81 votes in support, 64 against.

"I filed this bill to, you know, ensure that we have a equal and uniform application of our election code and and to protect people from being taken advantage of," the bill's author, State Rep. Briscoe Cain, R-Deer Park, said.

The legislation would enhance protections for partisan poll watchers and restrict distribution of vote by mail applications. It would require anyone who assists a voter to fill out a form detailing the reason for the assistance.

Cain, drilled with questions from House Democrats, admitted the 2020 election was free and fair, but stated this legislation was not filed as a reaction to the results of last year's vote.

"We don't need to wait for for bad things to happen in order to try and protect and secure these elections," Cain, who chairs the House Elections Committee, said.

Democrats, many of whom donned masks with the phrase "Good Trouble" on them, planned to introduce more than 100 amendments and also attempted to derail the bill using procedural delays.

"Every single member on this floor believes that election fraud is a crime and should be prosecuted," State Rep. Jessica González, D-Dallas, said.

"Where we disagree is that we do not believe that legal voters should be rejected and disenfranchise because of extraordinarily rare crime of election fraud," González, the House Elections Committee vice chair stated.

With votes on the dozens of proposed amendments expected to fall along the 83-67 GOP-dominated chamber, Democrats took the opportunity to question Cain on their belief the legislation would have a disparate impact on voters of color. They quizzed Cain on his true intent for filing the omnibus election bill, which had a bumpy road as it made its way to the House chamber.

"The theory driving this bill, and the provisions themselves in the bill, are designed and intended to undermine and suppress participation in elections by Black Texans, Latino Texans, the Asian American community and folks who have a disability," State Rep. Chris Turner, D-Grand Prairie, who chairs the House Democratic Caucus, said Thursday.

"It's a straight up assault on voting rights," he continued. "Key provisions of this bill will almost certainly be overturned by the courts."

Gov. Greg Abbott made "election integrity" an emergency item for lawmakers to address this legislative session. Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick and Speaker Dade Phelan backed the election overhaul legislation being worked on in their chambers.

"I don't see voter suppression in House Bill 6," Phelan, R-Beaumont, said last month.

"The bill is needed because Americans no longer trust the system," Patrick said of Senate companion Senate Bill 7.

But Democrats contend the legislation is a direct reaction to record-turnout for Texas in the last election and seeks to limit voting rules implemented by Harris County during the pandemic.

Cain said his legislation aims to ensure election security.

"I don't think this is voter suppression," Cain said. "I believe it's voter enhancement. I think this, this bill seeks to improve things for all Texans."

The Senate's version of the bill differs from the House version in that it restricts early voting hours and regulates how polling places are distributed across metropolitan communities in the state. The Senate would need to approve of the House's tweaks, or the differences would be ironed out between members of both chambers before the legislation could be forwarded to the Governor's desk.