AUSTIN (WBAP/KLIF)- Twenty two Texas House Democrats sued some of the state’s top Republican leaders in federal court in Austin.
They are suing Governor Greg Abbott, House Speaker Dade Phelan and a State Representative James Wright. The lawsuit alleges that their efforts to bring them home for a Special Legislative Session infringed on their constitutional rights to free speech and to petition the government for redress of grievances.
Dallas-based lawyer Eric Cedillo said the lawsuit was filed on the final day of the first special session called by Governor Abbott and on the eve of a second special called session.
The lawsuit also alleges that some democrats are being targeted because of their race and skin color, but there’s no evidence to prove that.
“They mentioned this is a tool to they are utilizing to garner additional attention to their cause. But they’ll have to come up with factual contentions,” said Cedillo.
He expects we will get more information during a hearing this month.
Texas Democrats refused to return to the state Capitol on Saturday as Gov. Abbott began a third attempt at passing new election laws in the state.
Texas would ban 24-hour polling locations, drive-thru voting and give partisan poll watchers more access under the bill that Republicans were on the brink of passing in May. But that effort was foiled by Democrats abruptly leaving the Capitol in a late-night walkout.
Democrats made a bigger gambit — by decamping to Washington on chartered jets — to run out the clock on the GOP’s second try. Democrats had hoped to exert pressure on President Joe Biden and Congress to pass federal voting rights legislation, but a Senate Republican filibuster continues to block such a measure.
