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Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick and Senator Bryan Hughes held a press conference on July 21 in response to the Senate Democratic Caucus press conference on SB 1 earlier that day.

This report is intended to give you an overview and highlight of the discussions on the various topics taken up. It is not a verbatim transcript of the discussions but is based upon what was audible or understandable to the observer and the desire to get details out as quickly as possible with few errors or omissions.

 

Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick

  • You can always tell the side that’s losing, the side that’s speaking the loudest or is most emotional
  • Message has shifted as people have read the bill and know what’s in the bill, not about suppression or restricting right to vote
  • Democrat message and trip to Washington has fallen flat
  • Main reason they went to Washington was to federalize, most voters are against federalizing elections
  • Getting tired of hearing Jim Crowe 2.0, so are people of Texas, offensive term; a ‘reading between the lines’ attack on us, Democrats did the original laws
  • Would never bring a bill to the floor that would disenfranchise any voter
  • Words like this are divisive
  • Real fear factor is that more people of color voted for Republicans in the last election than ever before; trying to increase voter turnout, Republicans don’t fear what people do in the ballot box
  • Democrats haven’t won elections statewide since the 1990s but turnout has increased
  • Would you all print at least once that Texas leads the country in increasing the vote? Have increased turnout for gubernatorial elections from 2014-2018 by 76%
  • Over 80% of Democrats across the country support voter ID, people of color want a secure ballot process
  • Democrats are always shorting their own constituents, people of color want a mail ballot system that is easy but secure
  • Democrats almost said without saying it that Republicans don’t want people of color to vote, but counties in the RGV flipped to vote for Republicans
  • People of color in the RGV work in the O&G industry, want border security, support charter schools, support funding the police, support lower taxes
  • Whole idea that Republicans don’t want people to vote is ridiculous, if I go into a room with 100 Hispanic voters and I say I’m pro-life, support economic opportunity, por-family, I will walk out with many voting for me
  • If a Democrat walks into a room of 100 Hispanic voters and says I’m pro-abortion, I want open borders, I want to kill charter schools, I want to raise your taxes, they wouldn’t walk out with one converted voter
  • If Democrats really want to come together, majority of what we do is bipartisan; worry that Washington is creeping into the part in Texas
  • Disenfranchised voters are their voters after they left for Washington, still had a quorum in the Senate
  • If they want to drop this issue, need to drop the Jim Crowe 2.0 terminology, it’s offensive, should also stop talking about voter restriction and voter suppression
  • If there are issues they want to tweak and fix, should sit down at the table and we’re willing to listen
  • 24 hour voting and drive in voting was never in the law, drive in voting is electioneering in an automobile, supposed to be able to vote in private
  • Can’t have 1 country making up their own rules, this bill is about the state deciding election laws; we give them parameters
  • Difficult to get voters overnight, not needed
  • If Democrats want to work with us, should knock off the divisive rhetoric
  • Have only had more people voting since 2011 when voter ID was instituted
  • Texas Association of Business did a poll in May, 95% of Texans said it was easy to vote
  • Democrats should be talking about Senate Bill, not House Bill
  • Democrats should acknowledge some of the good things in the bill, requiring employers to give you a day off to vote during early voting, minimum hours expansion
  • Glad the Senate Democrats are back, hope House Democrats are back before the end of this month so this can get passed and staff can get paid
  • If they don’t come back before the end of August it’s a clear message they don’t care if someone gets paid

 

Sen. Bryan Hughes

  • Encouraging people to read the bill
  • Law today gives poll watchers the authority to watch events, eyes & ears of the public
  • Under SB 1, employer must let you off work to vote, allowed to vote if you’re in line before closing
  • Allowing voters to correct technical deficiencies with mail ballots, early voting is being expanded in 55 counties
  • Adding weekend hours, across the board opportunities to vote are being expanded
  • Election administrator in Harris County stopped drive thru voting last year due to concerns that votes wouldn’t be counted
  • Voter fraud is happening across the state, goal is to make it easy to vote but hard to cheat
  • References testimony from voter regarding improper assistant conduct

 

Questions

  • Asks after hours
    • Sen. Hughes – Expanding hours for many counties, previously only the largest counties had expanded hours due to resource availability
  • Asks after reduced hours
    • Sen. Hughes – No county hours are being reduced aside from 24 hour voting ban
    • Provisions allowing voters to vote if they are in line and requiring employers to let employees off work
    • Hours are being expanded under bill, 24 hour voting was never in Election Code
  • Why not include some provisions from the Democratic members?
    • Lt. Gov. Patrick – Amendments are taken on the floor, majority vote adopts amendments
    • If Democrats start from the premise that this is Jim Crowe 2 and we don’t want people of color voting, it is difficult to discuss
    • Rhetoric used on this bill sounds more like Washington than Texas Democrats and is not helpful
  • Asks about quorum breaking
    • Lt. Gov. Patrick – 4 Democrats who remained made the decision on their own
    • Need to change the quorum requirements, Texas is the only state with 2/3rds, can’t have legislators holding democracy hostage
    • No one notified me about who was leaving or staying, when they were returning
    • Arrest would be to find members and bring them to the Capitol
    • Would instruct DPS to find Senators and return them to the Capitol
    • Trusting that Senate Democrats aren’t going to break quorum
  • Other states with different quorum requirements?
    • Lt. Gov. Patrick – Can’t have this, anarchy in the Capitol; Texas laws should be like the rules in other states
    • Would need to be a Constitutional amendment, would need 3 Democrats to join in the Senate and similar in the House; some Democrats aren’t happy about this either
  • Different versions of SB 1?
    • Sen. Hughes – At each stage of the process the bill has changed, most of those offended were offended by generalizations; specifics there is not much to argue about
    • Lt. Gov. Patrick – Longer this goes on, the more people read the bill and see all the good provisions; no voter suppression in the bill
    • Democrat leadership need to take responsibility for divisive language
  • Conference Committee changes during the regular session?
    • Sen. Hughes – Bill is online, amendments were offered on the floor, discussion in committee; doing everything we can to keep process from being rushed
    • Lt. Gov. Patrick – Changes made in the bill were made by House in conference, every bill comes out of conference with surprises
    • Was no “souls to the polls” issue
  • What’s on schedule for the next two weeks?
    • Lt. Gov. Patrick – Our members have put in about two weeks work in the last week, members are on 5 hour notice to return if the Democrats return
    • Democrats don’t have an end game, bill will pass at some point pretty much in the form it is in
  • Why push through a bill on CRT that crossed out specific reading list items?
    • Sen. Hughes – References are in the TEKS, will not change, bill is about broad concepts like American Dream
    • House bill put a specific reading list in, TEA and SBOE suggested removing this because these items are in the TEKS, these will be required
    • Lt. Gov. Patrick – Biden admin pulled down handbook on CRT wisely, CRT says you are racist if you’re a certain ethnicity
    • New generation doesn’t see racial differences, will fight against CRT