Friday, May 22, 2009

Democrats Use Stalling Tactics On Voter ID

KERA News (2009-05-22)

[A decision by the Republican controlled Calendars Committee late Thursday night to schedule the Voter ID bill for floor debate for Saturday, ahead of debating the Texas Department of Insurance (TDI) Sunset bill, clean air bill and transporting guns to work bill, dares Democrats to run out the clock on those important bills by running out the session clock to stop the Voter ID bill.]

Talkative House Democrats used stalling tactics Friday to stall the voter identification bill that has been scheduled for debate this weekend.

Democrats - who warned they would put up a fight to stop the voter ID measure - began talking at length on non-controversial legislation Friday to use up the clock. The "talking" tactic, known as "chubbing," takes advantage of procedural rules to stall House business. This puts a lot of pressure on the members who have other bills they want to pass. The Legislature adjourns June 1 so there is not much time left on the 2009 legislative session clock.

Rep. Jim Dunnam, D-Waco, leader of the House Democrats, said members of his party were willing to compromise on key legislation but would continue to use parliamentary maneuvers to keep the voter ID bill off the House floor. "We're not being obstructionists. We're not killing any bills. We're not breaking quorum," Dunnam said. "We're trying to get the House's priorities back in order."

Dunnam said Democrats would allow important bills to be taken up and passed out of order with a vote of a supermajority of legislators - two-thirds of them. But that would take bipartisan agreement, which so far has been elusive.

More in "Voter Photo ID Bill Up For House Vote, Maybe!"

Texas Legislative Study Group Recommends against Voter Photo Identification (Report PDF)

Here is the Texas House video streams link page, if you want to watch when the House gavels in at 10AM Saturday morning.

No comments:

Post a Comment