TX Dem: ‘I’ve Not Committed a Crime by Leaving the State’; ‘My Governor Is a Little Dramatic’
Lone Star Democrats still on the run as Republicans ramp up rhetoric
The Texas Democratic state legislators who fled the Lone Star State to prevent the Republican-controlled state legislature from passing a new bill aimed at restricting voting rights, are still on the lam — even as Texas Republicans escalate their threats against the runaway lawmakers.
The Democrats from the Texas House, for the second time walked away from the State Capitol in Austin, so as to deny the chamber's dominant Republicans the quorum that they legally need to proceed in order to pass the latest state-level legislation aimed at rolling back access to the ballot for Black and other disadvantaged Americans who typically vote Democratic.
The truant Texas Democrats — some 60 in all — first walked out in June, at the end of the regular legislative session to block the bill to which they object.
This time, they abandoned a special session called by Texas Republican Gov Greg Abbott, specifically to push through the voting bill. And this time, the Democrats from the Lone Star State kept running until they reached Washington DC — where they've been since last week in a waiting game against Abbott and other Texas Republicans who are escalating their threats against the wayward Democrats in a bid to force their return.
The Texas Democrats have been busy during their sojourn in the nation's capital, meeting with Vice President Kamala Harris as well as Democratic members of Congress.
Meanwhile, the Texas House, in collaboration with Abbott, authorized the arrest of the runaway lawmakers so as to compel their return.
Ted Cruz, Texas's junior US senator, further ramped the rhetoric from there.
“There is clear legal authority to handcuff and put in leg irons legislators that are trying to stop the legislature from being able to do business,” Cruz said.
Apparently, Cruz's rhetoric is wildly overblown, according to a finding by the independent fact-checking website PolitiFact.
Jasmine Crockett, one of the refugee Democratic state legislators, and herself a civil rights attorney, came to a similar conclusion.
“I’d like to make sure that viewers know that my governor is a little dramatic. I am not a fugitive,” Crockett said during an on-air interview with MSNBC. “Besides doing civil rights work, I do criminal defense. I’ve not committed a crime by leaving the state as it relates to my official capacity as a state rep. The most that could happen is that I could be ushered back into the chamber.
“But no one has put me in cuffs, no one is going to take any photos of me for a lineup or booking photo or anything like that and if they do we will have a whole other issue on our hands for attempting to incarcerate me,” she added. “You’re right, we can’t stay on the run forever. We are doing whatever we can within our power and we want people in Texas to know that we’re fighting for them. But we passed the baton. And right now, we need those on the federal level to fight for us. They are almost there.”
Crockett was referring to efforts by congressional Democrats to pass some form of federal voting rights legislation.
One of Crockett's colleagues said that Abbott's fixation to pass the voting-repression bill in Texas is simply borne out of elective desperation as he must face voters next year following this year's disastrous winter which nearly saw the collapse of the state electric grid as Texans were plunged into freezing temperatures and some even burned furniture to keep warm in the midst of a fierce winter storm.
“Look, we’ve got real problems to solve in Texas such as expanding health care for all. ... He’s playing games trying to play into his far-right for his primary that he’s worried he’s going to lose,” said Democratic state Rep John Bucy III. “He’s not doing anything that’ll help the people of Texas. So what he’s saying is despicable, it’s not helpful for texans, and we’re here to work for the people of Texas. That’s why we’re in D.C.”
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