A Debrief of the Democrat Walkout

On May 31st, Democrats and Republicans in the state of Texas debated over the passage of Senate Bill 7. The bill would place restrictions on Texas’ voting laws. However, this conversation ended up being a lot more controversial than what meets the eye.

Senate Bill 7 places restrictions on voting such as earlier close times for polling places and abolishing drive-through voting. The bill also sought to place increased restrictions on mail-in voting. Republicans believed that this bill would prevent voter fraud and malfunctions, but the Democrats viewed it as a way for voting to become difficult for people of color.

If Senate Bill 7 was passed, Democrats say that it would make it much harder for communities of color -namely black and Hispanic voters- to vote. Democrats believe that Senate Bill 7 Because of this, many people assume that this Republican-supported bill is being used to prevent Black and Hispanic people from voting. Republicans have neither confirmed nor denied this statement, so this accusation cannot currently be verified.

Mail-in ballots, drive-in elections, and other unique forms of voting have been shown to be especially successful with voter turnout in communities of color. By removing these forms of voting, Democrats believe that this demeans people of color. According to KUT radio “SB 7 [would outlaw] 24-hour voting centers and drive-thru voting, which were disproportionately used by voters of color during the 2020 election. The bill also [would ban] voting before 1 p.m. on Sundays, which voting rights groups warn would affect 'Souls to the Polls' campaigns led by Black churches." The Texas Civil Rights Project also added that “we have no online voter registration, only a fraction of Texans have the right to vote by mail, and 750 polling places were closed between 2013 and 2019, predominantly in communities of color."

The Republicans see the passing of the bill in a whole different perspective. According to The Brief, “Throughout the debate, Hughes argued SB 7 was striving for ‘common sense’ solutions that secured elections from wrongdoing and fraud. ‘We want elections to be secure and accessible,’ he said”. As a result of all the hassle from last year’s election, the right wing just wants to substantiate all the errors from new forms of voting.

Inside the Texas Capitol building, Republicans presented their new idea. However, the Democrats were not happy with this new bill. Democrats had tried a variety of other tactics to stall and run out the clock so the bill couldn’t pass. However, nothing had seemed to work, forcing them to take drastic measures. A little more than an hour to midnight, Democrats in the Texas House decided to stage a walkout. This broke the quorum, leaving Republicans without the minimum number of people necessary to pass a law.

Republicans think Senate Bill 7 restricts mail-in ballots in order to prevent voter fraud. Throughout the 2020 election, many voters' ballots were misplaced in the mail. The new bill merely advocates for a fair election. Their goal may have been to have an ethical voting process, but some see it in a different light. Republican Bryan Hughes told ABC7, an Amarillo TV station that “in my district over in East Texas, I have a county commissioner under felony indictment ... over mail ballot fraud from the 2018 election cycle."

On the other hand, NPR has said that “there's no evidence that there's a widespread problem with voter fraud in the state of Texas or elsewhere.” Restrictive voting laws may prevent many legitimate voters from voting as well. Although there isn’t a large amount of voter fraud and malfunctions, the Republicans are trying to prevent it from becoming a problem.

Moreover, Texas Governor Greg Abbot has said that he “intends to order lawmakers back to Austin to complete work on the bill”. He also mentioned in a tweet about the walkout, “No pay for those who abandon their responsibilities.” With all these back and forth conclusions, it’s difficult for outsiders to pick a side.

Source: Twitter

Regardless of what side you’re on, it is evident that the walkout will prove to be a very important event in the history of Texas politics.