Dems walk, stop Texas GOP's sweeping voting restrictions

[BumRushDaShow]

12. Heard this on the news early this morning!

I know that it only delays and doesn't torpedo the Jim Crow bill right away given the "special session" option thing, but I remember when Democrats in Wisconsin did the same regarding the anti-union "Card check" crap in their State Legislature under Walker - and that was 10 years ago!

Wis. Democrats Flee To Prevent Vote On Union Bill

February 17, 2011 4:26 PM ET

NPR Staff and Wires


A group of Democratic lawmakers in Wisconsin blocked passage of a sweeping anti-union bill Thursday by ignoring orders to attend a vote. Instead, they left the state to force Republicans to negotiate over the proposal. As ever-growing throngs of protesters filled the Capitol for a third day, the 14 Democrats disappeared from the grounds. They were not in their offices, and aides said they did not know where any of them had gone. A state police search is under way.

Hours later, one Democrat told The Associated Press that the group had left Wisconsin. Sen. Jon Erpenbach said Democrats fled to delay consideration of the bill in the hopes that Republican Gov. Scott Walker and Republican lawmakers would discuss changes. "The plan is to try and slow this down, because it's an extreme piece of legislation that's tearing this state apart," Erpenbach told AP in a telephone interview.

He refused to say where he was. Other Democratic lawmakers sent messages over Twitter and issued written statements, but did not say where they were. Walker, who took office last month, has made the bill a top priority. He urged the group to return and called the boycott a "stunt." "It's more about theatrics than anything else," Walker said, predicting that the group would come back in a day or two, after realizing "they're elected to do a job."

Walker said Democrats could still offer amendments to change the bill, but he vowed not to concede on his plan to end most collective bargaining rights. Republicans hold a 19-14 majority in the state Senate, but they need at least one Democrat to be present before taking a vote on the bill. Republican Sen. Glenn Grothman called it an extreme move, both by his Democratic colleagues and the teachers supporting them.

https://www.npr.org/2011/02/17/133847336/wis-democratic-lawmakers-flee-to-prevent-vote