Thread: Texas House tense as voter ID fight drags on

Texas House tense as voter ID fight drags on

By Brandi Grissom / Austin Bureau
Posted: 05/25/2009 10:46:42 PM MDT

The Austin American-Statesman has a touching story today about soldiers flying from the U.S. to the battlefield in the Middle…

AUSTIN -- Frustrations in the Texas House mounted Monday as Republicans and Democrats called each other obstructionists during a fourth consecutive day of delays designed to prevent a vote on a measure that would require voters to show photo identification.

Republicans claim the incessant talking, called "chubbing," threatens to kill hundreds of other measures and could mean a special legislative session.

"They're using the rules that are available to them, but clearly, yes, they are obstructionists, clearly," GOP House Speaker Joe Straus said of the Democrats.

Democrats on Friday began a talkathon in an effort to kill the controversial voting ID bill they say could disenfranchise hundreds of thousands of Texas voters.

After taking three days to approve a slate of uncontroversial local measures that are usually passed rapidly, Democrats proposed, talked about and then withdrew more than 50 changes to the so-called top 10 percent rule Monday. "We're fighting for the rights of people who live in our districts to vote," said state Rep. Jim Dunnam, D-Waco, leader of the House Democrats.

Dunnam said Democrats have offered to bring up other important measures, like one to provide property tax exemptions to disabled veterans, but Republicans have declined to let those issues come ahead of the voter ID bill.

All the bills that are in jeopardy of failing, he said, could have been voted on if Republican leaders had scheduled them for a vote sooner.

"Who's obstructing who?" he asked.

Republicans say requiring photo identification is necessary to ensure integrity in the election system. If the bill is not approved before midnight Tuesday, it will be dead for the current legislative session, which ends June 1.

And if Democrats continue the talking, hundreds of bills set to come up for a vote after the controversial identification measure, would also die.

That could result in a special legislative session to deal with issues like windstorm insurance for those who live along Texas' hurricane-prone coast.

"Texans deserve more from their representatives, regardless of party affiliation, than using parliamentary procedures to kill bills," said state Rep. Larry Taylor, chairman of the House Republican Caucus.

Brandi Grissom may be reached at bgrissom@elpasotimes.com; 512-479-6606

http://www.elpasotimes.com/ci_12447997

Every Texan should be mad as hell at the Democrats that are stalling the entire legislative session, which we only have very other year. They are slowing all bills down, and preventing passage of those bills not just this one.

Dixie

District: 57

P.O. Box 2910
Austin, TX 78768
Capitol Phone: (512) 463-0508

District Address:
713 Elm Street, Suite 101
Waco, TX 76704
District Phone: (254) 753-8546

Doesn't Texas have alot of ALIPACERS in the State? There should be a massive call today to the Dems who are "chubbing" and stalling on this issue!

the waco office didnt answer.
the lady at the austin office said i needed to call my own rep first and voice my opinions. and when i said im calling his office because his name is in the story, she didnt seem to care