TX House committee again passes the voting restrictions bill that instigated Democratic quorum break

[FBaggins]

A Texas House committee on Monday advanced the GOP-backed voting restrictions bill that first prompted Democrats to stall legislative work during a weekslong quorum break.

The 9-5 party-line vote on the revived legislation, Senate Bill 1, is part of a third bid to enact proposals that would outlaw local efforts to make it easier to vote, ratchet up vote-by-mail rules and bolster protections for partisan poll watchers. It comes just days after the House regained enough Democrats to restart business following a nearly six-week exodus over the minority party’s opposition to the voting legislation.

With the second special legislative session past the halfway mark, the House Select Committee on Constitutional Rights and Remedies opted to replace the Senate’s bill with language from its own bill, House Bill 3. That means the House is essentially starting over with the same exact proposals that instigated a stalemate in the chamber following Democrats’ departure to Washington, D.C., in early July.

State Rep. Andrew Murr, the Junction Republican authoring the legislation, indicated he could "foresee" at least some changes to the legislation when it reaches the House floor, though it remains unclear how expansive those amendments could be. “We’re picking up right where we left off from and so those changes are yet to come,” Murr told the committee.

https://www.ksat.com/news/texas/2021/08/24/texas-house-committee-again-passes-the-voting-restrictions-bill-that-instigated-democratic-quorum-break/

The TX House and Senate have only two weeks to pass identical versions or they have to start all over again in a new session. So the House might end up adopting the version passed by the Senate.