How Did Three TX Dems Hand Voting Rights Victory To Gov. Abbott?

DALLAS, TX — Ultimately, the Texas House Democrats' crusade to rein in Gov. Greg Abbott's voting restrictions agenda ended with a whimper, not a bang.

Their appearance ends months of jockeying for media attention and public outcry — including a push at the nation's capital to enact federal legislation to expand voter protections.

Thursday night, three Houston Democrats effectively torpedoed the entire enterprise by showing up to establish a quorum. That quorum is all the Legislature needs to proceed in passing Abbott's special session agenda.

It was an entrance worthy of an Aaron Sorkin film. Houston Reps. Ana Hernandez, Garnet Coleman and Armando Walle entered the chamber as the sun was beginning to set in Austin on Thursday. A joint statement released by the trio claimed they were proud of their work in bringing the fight for voting rights to Washington, D.C. "Now," they declared with faux gravitas, "we continue the fight on the House floor."

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Someone needs to call bull on this. If they were so proud, why did they throw in the towel without telling their colleagues in the Democratic House Caucus that they planned to sabotage three months of pressure? Many expressed surprise at the trio's appearance. One, Michelle Beckley (D-Carrollton) posted a tweet that read simply, "This is how Texas Democrats lose elections."

Just hours earlier, it seemed like the stalemate had the GOP on its heels, looking feckless and ineffective.

But as the clock struck 6 p.m., House Speaker Dade Phelan (R-Beaumont) was able to do something all his signed arrest warrants and bluster had failed to do for nearly 90 days: He gaveled the chamber to order and declared that, with 99 members now present, the Legislature had the quorum that had so long eluded Abbott and the Texas GOP.

Cue the expected clapping and scattered cheers.

Now Lone Star lawmakers can begin to steamroll over the Democrats who are badly outnumbered. Because special session regulations require it, the Legislature can only act on items put forth by the governor, who is currently in isolation recovering from COVID-19.

The most onerous of Abbott's proposals is, of course, Senate Bill 1, which beefs up protections for partisan poll watchers while limiting who can vote, where and when.

Then you can expect legislators to turn their attentions to penalizing social media outlets that police conspiracy fantasies while cracking down on the history that Texas school kids are allowed to learn. Add to that measures to keep trans students from competing in school sports, and you have a sumptuous junk food binge for conservatives.

There's not much of actual nutritional value for everyday Texans, but that's never what this agenda has been about. These are measures guaranteed to keep the Lone Star State as far to the right as exists in the American political sphere today.

And now, that wish list looks like it's all about to come true.

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