Gov. Abbott Slashes Funding For Walkout Over Voting Rights Bill

DALLAS, TX — Would you like to be bullied now, or beaten up during recess?

On Friday, true to form, Gov. Greg Abbott made good on his threat to veto the state budget section that funds the state lawmakers, its legislative agencies and staff.

It's a bully's act of retribution after House Democrats outmaneuvered the GOP three weeks ago. Rather than be steamrolled during the session, they walked out before a vote. That, in turn, broke the quorum rule required and prevented passage of one of the most Draconian overhauls of election law seen since the days when Jim Crow ruled the South.

Provisions of the bill included: locations of polling places, voting hours limitations and expanded largesse for poll watchers to record voters on video and to, in the words of Texas Monthly, "police polling places for fraud in what critics argue would give license for intimidation."

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Senate Bill 7, as it's known, couldn't surmount that hurdle, and will most likely trigger a special session. And although Vice President Kamala Harris and other progressives have praised the heroics of the Dems' walkout, it's likely that conservatives will ultimately prevail.

A seething Abbott responded in a statement, saying that “funding should not be provided for those who quit their job(sic) early, leaving their state with unfinished business and exposing taxpayers to higher costs for an additional legislative session.”

Abbott accordingly announced, “I therefore object to and disapprove of these appropriations."

However, as the Texas governor seems blissfully unaware, it's the job of lawmakers to represent Texas, not conservatives. Balance and bipartisanship are actually real things, and punishing legislators because they refused to stand there and take their licks is reminiscent of the old days when corporal punishment could be administered by the school coach.

Swats, they were called. Often delivered with a wooden paddle with holes cut into them to increase the sting when they hit your jeans. If you were allowed to wear jeans, that is.

It's not entirely certain the governor is within the constitution to metaphorically line up the disagreeable Dems for swats. But the move is without precedent in state history.

Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick is all for Abbott's line veto, theorizing that it could force Dems back to take what's coming to them during the special session when it's called.

The veto is also mostly symbolic. It's meant to flex GOP muscle in a state where Democrats are either outnumbered or out of alignment because they represent a much more diffuse constituency than Republicans. "Democrats fall in love," as the saying goes, "Republicans fall in line."

The current budget addresses fiscal spending beginning on Sept. 1. Should lawmakers convene for a special session before that time, they could agree upon a supplement to the budget that would for all intents and purposes erase Abbott's action.

But Abbott's intention is clear. He's sending a message that if you don't roll over for us now, we will roll over you when we meet again.

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