Reaction & Commentary
THEY HAVE JOBS BACK HOME AND PRETTY SOON THEIR WIVES OR HUSBANDS WILL START SAYING HEY, IT IS TIME TO GET BACK HOME AND WHEN THEY GET HOME FOR THE SPECIAL SESSION THEY’LL BE ARRESTED, BROUGHT TO THE CAPITOL AND WE’LL PASS THESE BILLS.
YOU HEARD IN THE REPORT THE SENATE I’M THE PRESIDENT OF THE SENATE AND I’M ONE OF THE PEOPLE THAT HELPED WRITE THIS ELECTION BILL. I KNOW IT BACKWARDS AND FORWARDS. WE JUST KEEP DOING OUR WORK. WHILE THEY’VE BEEN GONE, FOR EXAMPLE, WE PASSED A BILL TO
GET RETIRED TEACHERS A 13th CHECK. THAT WILL DIE BECAUSE THEY AREN’T HERE. PUT MORE MONEY IN CHILD PROTECTIVE SERVICES. IT WILL DAY BECAUSE THEY AREN’T HERE. A PROPERTY TAX CUT AND THEY’RE NOT HERE. A LOT MORE GOING ON THAN JUST THIS BILL.
THEY SAID THERE IS POWER IN CERTAIN THINGS AND THEY’RE BEING CALLED COURAGEOUS. I CALL THEM THE LIARS CLUB BECAUSE EVERYTHING THEY ARE TELLING YOU FROM THE VICE PRESIDENT DOWN TO THE LOWEST LEVEL HOUSE MEMBER WHO IS ON THIS TRIP FRESHMAN WHOEVER IT
MAY BE ARE LYING TO THE AMERICAN PUBLIC. THE POWER IS IN THE TRUTH. GO TO TEXAS LEGISLATURE ONLINE, READ THE BILL FOR YOURSELF IN THE MIDDLE COLUMN IT SAYS SEARCH LEGISLATION. CLICK 87.1. AND THEN PUT IN THE SENATE BILL 1 AND READ IT.
TEXAS LEGISLATURE ONLINE UNDER SEARCH LOCATION PUT 87.1 AND THE CATEGORY AND S B-1. HERE IS WHAT YOU WILL FIND. YOU WILL FIND THAT WE’VE EXTENDED THE EARLY VOTING HOURS IN THIS BILL. THAT TODAY ON ELECTION DAY YOU CAN ACTUALLY — YOU ARE
REQUIRED TO BE GIVEN TIME OFF WORK TO VOTE AND EXTENDED THAT FOR THE EARLY VOTING PERIOD. WE’VE ADDED OVER 60 MORE COUNTIES THAT HAVE TO ADD MORE VOTING HOURS AND ADDED MORE VOTING HOURS ON SUNDAY. WE’VE DONE NOTHING TO SUPPRESS THE VOTE IN ALL OF THIS.
THEY TALK ABOUT 24 HOUR VOTING BILL AND DRIVE-THRU VOTING. THAT’S NOT IN THE LAW AND NEVER BEEN IN THE LAW. ONE COUNTY OUT OF 254 DID IT ON THEIR OWN LAST YEAR AND YOU’RE SAYING YOU CAN’T DO THAT. ONE COUNTY CAN’T RIGHT THEIR OWN RULES.
WHY NOT HAVE DRIVE-IN VOTING? WHEN YOU VOTE YOU CAN TAKE FAMILY AND FRIENDS. IF YOU DRIVE-IN YOU CAN TAKE A LOT OF PEOPLE WITH YOU. SAME THING WITH 24 HOUR VOTING. THIS IS ALL A BIG LIE. NOTHING MORE THAN THAT. SO I INVITE PEOPLE READ THE
BILL FOR THEMSELVES AND THEY WILL SEE THE TRUTH WILL PREVAIL BECAUSE WE’RE TELLING THE TRUTH AS REPUBLICANS. >> Martha: IT IS INTERESTING, LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR, YOU TALK ABOUT THAT IT’S A BIG LIE, RIGHT? IT SEEMS TO ME THAT THE MESSAGING ON THIS HAS BEEN FROM
THE DEMOCRAT SIDE THAT ALL OF THIS IS BECAUSE OF WHAT THEY CALL THE BIG LIE, THAT ALL OF THESE BATTLES OVER VOTING CAME FROM THE 2020 ELECTION AND THE OUTCOME THAT THEY SAY WAS DISPUTED FOR THE WRONG REASONS. BUT I THINK SO MUCH OF THIS
CAME FROM COVID, RIGHT? IT CAME FROM THE CHANGES THAT GOT PUT IN PLACE. I WONDER IF THE MESSAGING HAS BEEN OFF ON YOUR SIDE OF THE FENCE IN NOT ARTICULATING THAT CLEARLY ENOUGH FOR AMERICANS THAT THESE WERE EXCEPTIONS TO THE RULES THAT WERE MADE LIKE
YOU TALK ABOUT THE 24-HOUR VOTING IN ONE DISTRICT IN TEXAS. THIS HAS BEEN A REALLY SHARP MESSAGE OF BATTLING OF MESSAGES AND YOU HEAR THE VICE PRESIDENT TALKING ABOUT THE EDMUND PETTIS BRIDGE AND YOU HEAR THE PRESIDENT TALKING IN HIS SPEECH
THE OTHER DAY ABOUT CIVIL RIGHTS AND GREATEST THREAT TO VOTING IN THE COUNTRY. THIS IS A MESSAGING BATTLE. >> IT IS. MARTHA, I BELIEVE WE’RE WINNING THE MESSAGE NOW BECAUSE FOX IS GIVING US GREAT OPPORTUNITY. WE ARE DOING MORE TELEVISION AND PRINT AND RADIO INTERVIEWS.
THE FACTS ARE ON OUR SIDE. THE TRUTH WILL PREVAIL. YOU ARE CORRECT, MARTHA, IT WAS HOUSTON, HARRIS COUNTY THAT EXTENDED 24 AND DRIVE-IN VOTING AGAINST THE LAW ON YOUR OWN. WE CAN’T HAVE ONE COUNTY DECIDE ON THEIR OWN RULES AND EXPLAINED WHY WE DON’T NEED 24
HOUR VOTEINGS. VERY FEW PEOPLE VOTE DURING THAT TIME. SHIFT WORKERS CAN VOTE ANY TIME. WE EXTENDED THE HOURS FOR EARLY VOTING AND GIVING PEOPLE OFF EVERY DAY FOR EARLY VOTING. WE’VE EXTENDED THE VOTING. NOTHING TO DO WITH THE TRUMP ELECTION WHATSOEVER. WE ARE TRYING TO WRITE A REALLY
GOOD BILL THAT MAKES IT EASIER TO VOTE AND 95% BILL AND MARTHA, 95% OF TEXANS SAID IT’S EASY TO VOTE IN TEXAS. I WAS ONE OF THE AUTHORS OF THE VOTER I.D. BILL. WE HAVE INCREASED VOTING BY 76% FROM 2014 TO 2018. WE’VE INCREASED VOTING IN TEXAS
MORE THAN ANY OTHER STATE IN THE UNION. EARLY VOTING THAT WE HAVE AS I SAID THE OTHER DAY WITH YOU ON THE MORNING, WE HAVE MORE EARLY VOTING THAN SIX, SEVEN, EIGHT DEMOCRAT STATES AND SOME HAVE NONE. GO TO TEXAS LEGISLATURE ONLINE.
>> Bill: THANK YOU SO MUCH. I KNOW YOUR POSITION IS IT’S JUST A QUESTION OF TIME AND WE’LL WAIT
