Texas Senate exempts voter identification legislation from two-thirds rule

by Vince Leibowitz of of Capitol Annex

The Texas Senate voted 18-13 to exempt voter identification legislation from the longstanding “Two-Thirds” Rule requiring 20 senators to support a measure before it can be brought to the floor. Only one Republican, State Sen. John Carona (R-Dallas), joined Democrats in the near party-line vote.

The contentious rules fight that included about six hours of debate was unusual for a chamber that is typically more calm than the Texas House – which has been in a state of partisan turmoil since Republicans assumed power in 2003. In addition, the Republican caucus’s decision to pick the fight will likely cause Senate Republicans problems in the long run. Their victory came at a high price: Republicans were forced to vote along party lines against six priority amendments which would have given fully funding child health insurance, improved benefits for veterans, restoring funds to unemployment compensation, insurance rate regulation and foreclosure protection, tuition re-regulation and public education priority consideration over the voter identification measure.

The interesting thing is that the Senate’s vote may matter very little in the end. It is doubtful that a voter identification measure will pass the Texas House this session. Thus, getting a voter identification measure out of the Senate is probably pointless.

More than that, Senate Republicans–to court the desires of their right wing base–have handed Democrats six votes upon which they can be led like lambs to the slaughter when it comes time to run for re-election.

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