Texas Democrats walked out of the Austin House of Representatives on Sunday in opposition to Senate Bill 7, a newly proposed piece of legislation spearheaded by Republicans to crack down on supposed voter fraud.
What We Know:
- Senate Bill 7 follows a national trend of voting laws. The Texas bill was viewed by Democrats and Voting Rights Groups alike as the harshest one proposed. The bill placed restrictions on early voting times and mail applications and banned the use of after hours voting and ballot drop-off boxes. The voting time restriction of Senate Bill 7, in particular, would affect the “Souls to the Polls” tradition in the Black Church.
- Talks of a potential walkout started in April and divided Texas Democrats. It was not until Republicans in the conference committee worked behind closed doors and without the Democratic counterparts that they were compelled to reconsider their options.
- Earlier Sunday afternoon, lawmakers in both the Black and Hispanic caucuses held a “Black and Brown Summit.” They discussed legislation that disproportionately affects black and brown communities.
- More than 30 Democrats were prepared to speak against Senate Bill 7 in an attempt to postpone its passage by the midnight deadline. When Republicans moved to limit debate, walking out became the only option. In total, 62 Democrats walked out of the Capitol building, stymying the bill.
Biden denounced the bill Saturday, stating, “It’s part of an assault on democracy that we’ve seen far too often this year — and often disproportionately targeting Black and Brown Americans.” Since the 2020 election, 14 states have enacted 22 new laws restricting voting procedure despite no evidence of voter fraud, such as the one signed by Georgia Governor Brian Kemp.
