Texas State Senate Passes GOP-Backed Voting Bill After 15-Hour Filibuster
© REUTERS / Mikala Compton
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Democratic Texas Sen. Carol Alvardo took to the Senate floor on Wednesday and launched a filibuster against the GOP-backed voting reform bill that, in part, calls for a ban on 'drive-thru voting,' enhanced restrictions on mail-in voting and added protections for partisan poll workers.
After Alvarado set forth a 15-hour filibuster, the Texas Senate recorded an 18-11, party-line vote in favor of passing SB 1.
During the filibuster, which began around 5:50 p.m. local time on Wednesday, Alvarado was prohibited from eating, drinking, or going to the bathroom. She was also required to keep speaking for the duration, and could not sit, or lean.
Alvardo used her hours-long protest to highlight her grievances with SB 1, which has gone through several versions since it was introduced earlier this year.
"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. LBJ said the Voting Rights Act stripped away the last major shackle of the fierce ancient bond of slavery," Alvarado testified.
After 15 hours of standing up and speaking out against voter suppression, Sen. Carol Alvarado ends her filibuster against anti-voting bill #SB1.
— Texas Democrats (@texasdemocrats) August 12, 2021
We could not be more proud of @CarolforTexas!
Thank you for always standing up for what is right. #TxDemFilibuster #txlege pic.twitter.com/5CwFYAQWdO
"Senate Bill 1 is a regressive step back in the direction of that dark and painful history," Alvarado added.
Republican Texas Sen. Bryan Hughes, who authored the bill, has dismissed Democrats' concerns, and asserted that the new legislation actually makes it easier to vote and hard harder to cheat.
He also claimed the voting reform bill has improved as time has progressed.
"It cracks down on those vote harvesters, those paid political operatives who try to coerce voters, who try to mislead voters, who try to get in between the voter and her ballot," Hughes said prior to the filibuster on Wednesday, as reported by the Texas Tribune. "We will not have that in Texas."
Alvarado also spoke with the outlet on Wednesday, explaining that her filibuster comes as a Democratic effort to "use every tool in the toolbox" and highlight "what is at stake."
The matter now advances to the Texas House of Representatives, which has been unable to reach quorum since the beginning of the second special legislative session.
Texas House Speaker Dade Phelan, a Republican, has signed the arrest warrants of 52 House Democrats, Texas State District Judge Brad Urrutia (D) has granted a temporary restraining order to several fugitive Democrats.
As of this article's publication, no Texas state lawmakers have been jailed in relation to arrest warrants signed by Phelan.
