Republicans in Texas tighten rules against absenteeism in legislature, following Democrats' departure from the state last month
In the heart of Texas politics, a heated debate is unfolding over new measures aimed at preventing lawmakers from breaking quorum. The conversation, part of the Eye on Politics segment, has seen Democratic and Republican representatives lock horns on the House floor.
At the centre of the controversy is Former Democratic Congressman Beto O'Rourke of El Paso, who is involved in a lawsuit filed by Attorney General Ken Paxton. O'Rourke's organization, Powered By People, donated more than $1 million to various legislative caucuses during the quorum break last month.
Democrats argue that these measures infringe upon their constitutional rights, with Democratic Representative Barbara Gervin-Hawkins of San Antonio accusing Republicans of holding the flood bill hostage due to a bigger agenda. They claim that quorum-breaking is a means to protect their constituents from new Congressional maps.
The new bill, House Bill 18, prohibits lawmakers who break quorum from fundraising. Individual legislators and their legislative caucuses will not be able to receive fundraising under the new measure. This means that Democratic Representative Chris Turner of Grand Prairie, who strongly opposes the new crackdown on quorum breakers, will face more than $9,000 in fines for breaking quorum.
Republican lawmakers, however, have defended their actions. Republican Representative Brent Money of Greenville countered that the flood bill was held hostage for three weeks while Democrats were in Chicago not doing their work. Meanwhile, Republican Representative Keresa Richardson of McKinney strongly supports the new bill and House rules regarding quorum breaks.
Among the new penalties are the removal of Democrats from chairmanships and vice chairmanships, and reducing their seniority. These penalties have sparked criticism from Democrats, who see them as punitive and politically motivated.
In the midst of this political storm, Jack Fink, who covers politics for KTVT-TV, continues to provide insightful reporting, keeping the public informed about the developments in Texas politics.
As the debate continues, it remains to be seen how these new measures will shape the future of Texas politics and whether they will indeed deter lawmakers from breaking quorum in the future.
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