Abbott Calls Second Special Session, Wants Change in Quorum Rule

 

Second Session Set to Start on Saturday 

There doesn't seem much in the laundry list of topics to make it worth for the Democrats to return to Austin, only to be consigned to the role of ineffective opposition on issues they fervently disagree on with the Republican majority. There is no sign that Abbott or the Republicans in the Legislature are willing to compromise, so all that is in store for Dems is the futility of their bodily presence. It sure doesn't inspire confidence that Governor Abbott has vowed that the quorum-breakers would be arrested upon their return to the state, and that Speaker Dade Phelan saw fit to actually issue a civil arrest warrant against at least one of them.  

What is worse is the prospect of being deprived of the ability to kill extremist or otherwise unacceptable GOP-sponsored bills through a walkout in the future. Ominously, the Governor has responded to LG Patrick's call to change the quorum requirements, presumably to weaken them to such a degree as to allow the Republicans to pass whatever they want irrespective of a legislative boycott by the minority Democrats. 

Ominously on the Agenda:
Legislation relating to legislative quorum requirements

This would be yet another debilitating blow to the opposition party and would mark a further consolidation of power by the Texas GOP, and of one-party rule at the state level. The Legislature currently is the only branch of Texas state government in which the Democrats have any representation at all. 

SOURCE MATERIAL AND REFERENCES

Gov. Abbott's Proclamation: 

https://gov.texas.gov/uploads/files/press/PROC_second_called_session_87th_legislature_IMAGE_08-05-21.pdf 

Gov. Greg Abbott announces special legislative session starting Saturday, covering elections, federal COVID-19 funding, quorum rules. The governor said Thursday the second special session will get underway at noon Saturday, with a 17-item agenda. TEXAS TRIBUNE 2021-08-05 by PATRICK SVITEK.   

Quorum-busting Texas House Democrats still plotting next move ahead of second special session. Following Gov. Greg Abbott’s announcement that a second round of legislative overtime would begin Saturday, the Democrats who relocated to Washington, D.C., to prevent the House from having enough members to conduct business indicated they are still discussing what they’ll do now. TEXAS TRIBUNE 2021-08-05 by ALEXA URA. 

Speaker Dade Phelan signs civil arrest warrant for Texas House Democrat who returned to Washington. The warrant to apprehend state Rep. Philip Cortez is the first one signed by the speaker since more than 50 House Democrats left the state to block Republicans from having the quorum needed to pass legislation during the special legislative session. TEXAS TRIBUNE 2021-07-26 by CASSANDRA POLLOCK. 

Texas House Republicans vote to track down absent Democrats and arrest them if necessary. The procedural move carries little apparent weight since the Democrats who fled the state to break quorum are beyond the jurisdiction of Texas law enforcement. TEXAS TRIBUNE by  PATRICK SVITEK and  CASSANDRA POLLOCK. 

Two Texas Lege Dems AWOL in Portugal

 PORTED TO PORTUGAL 

Playing Hooky in Portugal 

Bad optics, to say the least. On the other hand, the contingent of democracy-saviors-in-exile that remains mission-minded in the nation's capital should not take the bad rap for the action of those two. 

Hopefully, the porto-bound vacationers won't take the public per-diem while basking on the beach. That would make them look even worse. 

REFERENCE: 

Two House Democrats who broke quorum missing from Washington, D.C., reportedly vacationing in Portugal. Their vacation does not affect the lack of quorum that the House has in Austin that prevents the chamber from passing an elections bill. But it is at odds with Democrats’ insistence that they would use their time away to advocate for federal voting rights legislation in the nation’s capital. TEXAS TRIBUNE 2021-08-04 by PATRICK SVITEK and CASSANDRA POLLOCK.   

Do you agree ...? Online solicitation of opinion with loaded question

This jewel of a survey question was served up with a story on the next special session this morning:

Do you agree or disagree that public and private sectors must unite to safeguard America from the harmful effects of illegal trade? 

Is anyone in favor of illegal stuff and harmful effects? Is anyone opposed to safeguarding America? 

It's not even clear who is sposoring this blatent solicitation of supportive votes and  manipulation of public opinion results. 

The item was embedded in the following story: 

With special session’s end looming, Texas Democrats and Republicans mull their next moves. Abbott has promised to call a second special session to pass the GOP’s priority voting bill, but the exact timing is uncertain. And House Democrats have not yet revealed what they have planned after the session ends this week. TEXAS TRIBUNE 2021-08-04 by PATRICK SVITEK and CASSANDRA POLLOCK