As the Texas Senate begins debate over the controversial measure limiting transgender bathroom rights, Democrats in the Texas House are recommending that the House adjourn immediately, which would make it impossible for the conservative issues being pushed by Gov. Abbott to be approved, News Radio 1200 WOAI reports.
The House today voted 147-0 to approve a Sunset Bill which will allow several key state agencies, including the board that licenses physicians, to continue to operate. That was technically the only issue that absolutely had to be approved in the Special Session, and the issue opened the door for Abbott to add the 'Bathroom Bill,' as well as bills limiting municipal tax increases, scrapping local tree ordinances, and prohibiting local governments to annex to the agenda.
Abbott also placed abortion restrictions and allowing taxpayer funded vouchers for special needs students to attend private schools to the list.
“We are now in a position to adjourn sine die and end this charade. Time is quickly running out in this special session, and I fear that the mounting pressure of GOP primary politics - the driving force behind Texas politics these days - will preclude our making real progress on the issues that matter to all Texans," said State Rep. Eddie Rodriguez (D-Austin) "Meanwhile, each day we waste on the ‘Dan Patrick Show’ comes at great expense to Texas taxpayers - equivalent to over 14,000 days of pre-K education so far.
The House Republican Caucus, representing the majority in the chamber, immediately shot down that proposal."
The Republican Members of the Texas House are committed to working diligently to successfully address the conservative legislative agenda put forth by Governor Abbott in this special session," the caucus said in a statement.
There is also talk of a Democratic walk out, similar to what happened in 2003. In that session, the first with a Republican majority since Reconstruction, Democrats in the House, calling themselves the 'Killer D's,' fled to Ardmore Oklahoma to deny the majority a quorum to approve a Republican based redistricting plan.