The move denied the Republican-led legislature a quorum, leaving it with too few lawmakers in attendance to conduct business. Walking out also signals to constituents how far Democrats are willing to go to try to stop Republican efforts to make it harder to vote. More than a dozen states this year have passed tougher election laws but only in Texas have Democrats put up this kind of fight. Texas Democrats, shut out of power in the state capitol for decades, last fled the state in 2003 to thwart a redistricting plan. Trump won Texas easily in 2020 and it is already one of the hardest places to vote in the US.

Source: The Guardian July 13, 2021 12:51 UTC