San Antonio Democrat returns from Washington to negotiate voting bill with Republicans

[TexasTowelie]

A Bexar County representative who joined a Democratic exodus to Washington, D.C., to block Republican election law changes has returned to Austin to negotiate with GOP leaders.

State Rep. Philip Cortez (D-San Antonio) told the San Antonio Report he met twice with State Rep. Andrew Murr, a Republican from the Hill Country town of Junction and the lead sponsor of the House version of the GOP election bill. Cortez said he was the only Democrat returning from Washington to take part in the bipartisan talks.

“A small group of Democrats in D.C. asked me to return to the [state] Capitol to begin formal discussions and negotiations to improve the bill and make it less harmful,” Cortez said Wednesday. “I returned to the Capitol yesterday, and I began those meetings yesterday. They’re going to continue all week to see if we can work on this and get this get this improved.”

Cortez was originally one of the 56 House members and nine senators who left to break quorum and stop Texas Republicans from passing voting changes that would empower partisan poll watchers at election sites and tighten restrictions on 24-hour voting, drive-thru voting, and mail ballot ID rules, among other changes. Republicans have said the changes are needed to prevent fraud; Democrats say they suppress the Black and Latino vote in Texas.

Read more: https://sanantonioreport.org/cortez-texas-voting-bill-negotiations/

[joshdawg]

1. "Negotiating" with republicans is like

pissin' in the wind, pushing a chain uphill......etc. ad nauseum.

[Javaman]

2. the repukes will tell the Dems what they want to hear then

promptly ignore everything they said.

it's the repuke way.

[LeftInTX]

3. Cortez's district is swing. He lost re-election in 2014.

It's suburban and includes a good chunk of Helotes, Alamo Ranch and the Seaworld area. Alamo Ranch has Del Webb, which is red as red can get and they vote in mid-terms. Helotes is Helotes and full of rich rednecks. His district is also the fastest growing in Bexar County. It's full of pick up trucks.....and those rednecks drive fast...
The district has grown so much that it is going to be significantly redrawn....Hence, I think that is why Cortez went back...He wants to save his seat....

The district will probably be split into a northern and southern sector. I think Cortez lives in the southern sector which is blue. Alamo Ranch and Sea World are between those areas.