Texas Governor Abbott calls another special session to pass GOP voting bill

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott called another special legislative session on Thursday – his third attempt to pass a GOP voting bill that Democratic lawmakers tried to block by fleeing the state.

“I will convene special session after special session to reform our broken bail system, maintain election integrity and pass other things that Texans demand and deserve,” Abbott tweeted after announcing the new 30-day session for Saturday, when the current special session is set to expire.

More than 50 Democratic state representatives fled Austin for Washington, DC last month, just as the GOP pushed for sweeping election changes in a special session. Under the Texas Constitution, the legislature requires that a quorum of two-thirds of lawmakers be present to conduct state business in either chamber.

One of the Democrats, Representative Gina Hinojosa, declined to explain her caucus plans during a call with reporters, saying it could “put our position at a disadvantage,” but added: “we will fight this with as much vigor as we have for it. indicate.”

The runaway Democrats used some of their time in Washington to lobby for an election overhaul bill called the For the People Act, an amended version of which Republicans filibustered in the US Senate . Democrats argue that federal legislation is the only way to push the electoral boundaries that Republicans are pushing at the state level.

Besides “electoral integrity”, other items on the special session agenda announced by Abbott on Thursday include measures on “critical race theory” and “social media censorship.”