Democrats all for filibuster in Texas, but not Washington

 Power Line:

Rich Lowry notes this inconsistency in the Democrats’ position on filibusters:

In Washington, D.C., where Democrats control the White House and both chambers of Congress, the Senate filibuster is portrayed as a Jim Crow relic that is profoundly undemocratic.

In Austin, Texas, where Republicans control the governor’s mansion and both chambers of the legislature, House Democrats’ walking out to prevent the passage of a bill with majority support is portrayed as a heroic act preserving our democracy.

The alleged threat to “our democracy” is an election reform measure. Democrats claim that the legislation would result in voter suppression.

Lowry shows that this contention is hogwash. The bill deals in large part with what were supposed to be temporary expedients during the pandemic, such as drive-through voting and 24-hour early-voting marathons. As Lowry says, “Texas democracy was healthy and robust prior to these emergency innovations, and it will be when they are gone.”

The bill also contains provisions for increased security and transparency, both worthwhile goals. And, as Lowry says, the provisions “are hardly draconian.” They require voters to write a driver’s license number or other identifier on absentee ballots, matching the existing voter-ID requirement for registering to vote and voting in person. This makes perfect sense.

Another common sense provision bans public officials from sending out unsolicited mail-in ballots. This will limit fraud by keeping excess ballots from floating around. I agree with Lowry that “it’s not too much to ask that people affirmatively request their mail-in ballots.”

The only arguably objectionable part of the bill provides that early voting on the Sunday before the election can’t begin until 1 p.m. Supposedly, this would interfere with the traditional “souls to the polls” turnout efforts of black churches. But according to Lowry, this provision is likely to be changed.

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I have been voting in Texas for over 50 years.  It is remarkably easy and convenient without the pandemic exceptions used in 2020.  I currently live in a very diverse area and it is not unusual to see blacks working the polls.  When I vote early at the Court House again it is a diverse group and the woman in charge of voting is a very competent black woman. 

I think what we are seeing is a bad faith move by Democrats pretending that commonsense requirements are the functional equivalent of Jim Crow.  It is past time for this sophistry to end and the Democrats should stop trying to make it easier to cheat.

See, also:

Angry Democrats in Texas

Their real problem is that they are losing in Texas because Texans do not like what the Democrats are selling.  They are like the failed dog food commercial where the dog refuses to eat the crap.