Although important issues such as the continuation of the Texas Department of Insurance the revision of the Texas Wind Storm Insurance and property tax relief for Veterans have yet to be addressed by the House of Representatives Texas Democrats have effectively stalled the legislative process in the hopes of avoiding a floor debate over voter photo ID legislation. To them preventing a debate on the House floor is more important than all other pending legislation.
Senate Bill 362 the Voter ID bill was placed on the major state calendar on Friday May 22nd. However to prevent this issue from being discussed the Democratic Caucus devised a plan to waste the remaining days of the Legislature. Although bills placed on the Local & Consent Calendar usually pass quickly with little or no discussion the House rules permit a member to ask questions for up to ten minutes before the bill dies. Since Friday morning Democratic members have manipulated this rule by talking for nine and a half minutes on each of the bills on Fridays Local & Consent Calendar wasting many hours and three valuable days with no end in sight.
The purpose of the Legislature is to carry out the will of Texans for the benefit of the state. By preventing discussion and a vote on the issue of voter photo ID Democrats are ignoring the will of the vast majority of Texans who have demanded this legislation. These citizens want to know that their vote is not being cancelled out by a fraudulent one and want their State Representatives to listen to their concerns.
It is hard to watch the clock run down when we have so many important bills left to address said Representative Betty Brown (R-Terrell). The voter photo ID bill has received overwhelming support from the citizens of Texas and at the very least those citizens deserve to have this issue debated on the House floor. I am truly amazed that so many elected officials are willing to blatantly ignore their constituents and their needs.
The last day to consider Senate bills on the House floor is Tuesday and as we near that deadline the possibility of a special session which will cost the state more money increases.
I am disappointed that the Democrats are so eager to waste the time and money of the taxpayers they represent Representative Brown said. When I am sworn in at the beginning of each session I take the charge of honorably representing my constituents and carrying out the business of the state very seriously. I wish more of my Democratic colleagues shared this goal.
Polls have shown 90 of Texans want a voter ID law and the Supreme Court of the United States has upheld the law when it was challenged in Indiana.
