The Texas Tribune
The Texas House still lacked enough members present to proceed with anythingafter Democrats left the state last month to block a controversial GOP-backed voting restrictions bill.
However, it was not clear at the end of the weekend if enough Democrats would stay away to prevent lawmakers from passing items on Texas Gov. Greg Abbott’s conservative agenda.
The elections legislation at the center of the quorum breaks would outlaw local voting options intended to expand voting access, further tighten the voting-by-mail process and bolster access for partisan poll watchers, among several other changes to state elections. On Saturday afternoon, at least 26 House Democrats announced that they intend to remain in Washington, D.C., to continue pushing Congress to act on a federal voting bill. That number alone is not enough to break quorum in the Legislature, meaning business could proceed as usual as early as this week.
Voting restrictions are not the only issue lawmakers could discuss and pass in the next few weeks. This second special session’s agenda — which only the governor can announce and add to — included 17 items. Six of those items are new, including the spending of federal COVID-19 relief funds and potentially changing the legislative rules regarding quorums. There is also a new item on public education during the pandemic, which would ensure kids can return to school in person this fall if they want to, without any mask or vaccine requirements.
Still unresolved is the issue of funding for the Legislature. Abbott retaliated against Democrats breaking quorum over the voting restrictions bill in May by vetoing a section of the state budget that funds the Legislature, its staff and legislative agencies. If left unresolved, Abbott’s veto will eventually lead to more than 2,100 state employees losing their salaries. Included on the second special session’s agenda is an item that would allow lawmakers to restore that funding. This funding was originally set to expire Sept. 1when the new budget goes into effect, but Texas Republicans leaders announced Friday they were transferring “an additional month of funding” from the Texas Department of Criminal Justice.
The Texas Senate has already started moving on Abbott’s agenda. The House is set to reconvene at 4 p.m. Central time Monday. We’ll be watching to see if the chamber has enough members present for a quorum. The Senate will begin meeting at 11 a.m. Central time. Watch live here.
