Republicans strengthened their grip on the Texas Senate on Wednesday, shrugging off nearly 70 years of tradition with a rules change that knocks out the Democrats’ ability to block legislation on party-line votes. Republicans hold a 20-11 majority in the upper chamber, which under the old “two-thirds” rule would have left them one vote short of being able to bring up bills for debate without at least one Democrat. The tradition ensured that, even though it could be outvoted on every issue, the minority party could effectively block the most controversial bills from the floor. By reducing the number required to 19, the GOP seized a controlling majority over just about every major Senate vote to come in the session with a small cushion to spare. And though a small numerical change, it could have a huge impact as it may leave Democrats powerless to block bills or force compromise on issues such as school choice, gun rights, immigration and state spending. The rule change was near the top of new Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick’s wish list. The former state senator and tea party favorite first sought to change the rule in 2007 when he was voted down 30-1 on his first day in the Legislature.
Posted on: Thu, 22 Jan 2015 00:37:03 +0000
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