The Texas Senate on Thursday passed an election reform bill after a Democrat senator ended a 15-hour filibuster.
The GOP-controlled body passed Senate Bill 1 (pdf) 18–11 just moments after state Sen. Carol Alvarado, a Democrat, stopped speaking around 9 a.m.
Alvarado had stood on the floor since just before 6 p.m. on Wednesday.
Authored by Republican state Sen. Bryan Hughes, the bill would tighten up voter roll maintenance, expand early voting hours, and force employers to give workers time off to vote, whether on Election Day or on other days.
“We talk about easy to vote and hard to cheat, and that’s what the bill’s about,” Hughes told colleagues in Austin.
Alvarado accused Republicans of trying to implement voter suppression.
“Senate Bill 1 slowly, but surely, chips away at our democracy. It adds, rather than removes, barriers for Texas seniors, persons with disabilities, African Americans, Asian, and Latino voters from the political process,” she said.
Filibuster rules prevented the senator from taking food or water, or sitting or leaning, overnight. She did not speak continuously, with both Republicans and Democrats taking turns discussing provisions in the legislative proposal.
The bill would be sent to the Texas House of Representatives, but the lower chamber is not in session because it lacks a quorum.
Democrats in the state House fled to Washington last month.
The Texas Supreme Court ruled Tuesday that Republicans could legally move to compel their colleagues from across the aisle to return to Austin, a ruling cheered by Gov. Greg Abbott. Texas House Speaker Dade Phelan then signed the warrants, which were delivered to the offices of the Democrats by the sergeant-at-arms.
No Democrats have been arrested and Texas authorities have not shown any inclination so far to track down the missing lawmakers. It’s not clear when the stalemate could end.
Republicans control both legislative chambers in Texas, as well as the governor’s mansion.
But two-thirds of lawmakers must be present to constitute a quorum. Republicans only hold 82 seats in the 150-seat lower chamber.
Some Democrats are saying they won’t return to the Capitol voluntarily.
“There’s a warrant out for my arrest because I’m standing up for your right to vote. I won’t back down,” Democrat state Rep. Michelle Beckley wrote on Twitter, asking supporters to donate.
Zachary Stieber
Reporter
Zachary Stieber covers U.S. news, including politics and court cases. He started at The Epoch Times as a New York City metro reporter.
