Tipsheet

Abbott Threatens to Withhold Pay of Democrats Who Walked Out to Block Election Bill

Landon Mion
Landon Mion  |  May 31, 2021 6:30 PM

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott (R) said Monday that he would strip the pay of Democratic lawmakers in the state after they walked out of a legislative session to block a bill aimed at enforcing election integrity.

Democrats have said the election legislation in Texas would severely restrict voting rights in the state and that it is an "assault on our democracy," as Townhall previously reported.

The measures include banning drive-through voting, requiring identification for mail-in ballots and making it illegal for election officials to mail ballots to voters who did not request one.

Democratic state House members staged a mass walkout Sunday to prevent the chamber from being able to vote on the election legislation as the required 100-member quorum was not met and thus, the bill could not be sent to Abbott to sign into law. 

The House adjourned around 11 p.m. but the governor said he would call a special legislative session to ensure the passage of the bill.

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Abbott said in a statement:

I declared Election Integrity and Bail Reform to be must-pass emergency items for this legislative session. It is deeply disappointing and concerning for Texans that neither will reach my desk.

Early Sunday, the Texas Senate passed the election reform legislation with a partisan 18-13 vote. All state Democrats voted against the bill.

While Republicans are advocating for the election reform bill in the hopes that the integrity of elections in Texas will be protected, Democrats argue that the legislation is a GOP effort to make voting increasingly difficult.