'Mom guilt': Texas Democrats face hurdles in flight to fight voter law

[July 14, 2021]  By Brad Brooks

(Reuters) - In a bid to thwart legislation she fears will make it harder to vote, Erin Zwiener left Texas with dozens of her fellow Democratic state lawmakers - and one young companion.

"Every member is having to make different considerations to be here," Zwiener said. "For me, that meant bringing my three-year-old daughter with me, because we don't have very solid childcare arrangements at home."

So she had no time to linger after meeting with Vice President Kamala Harris in Washington on Tuesday, where the Texas Democrats are holding out.

"I need to relieve my babysitter, ok?" she shouted into her phone as she hustled into a rideshare with a gaggle of staffers. Her daughter, Lark, was being watched by a friend.

More than 50 Democratic members of the Texas House of Representatives fled their state on Monday to deny that body a quorum to vote on an elections bill.

They believe the bill will make voting more difficult for Blacks and Hispanics, traditional Democratic supporters, by prohibiting drive-through and 24-hour voting locations, adding new identification requirements to mail-in voting and empowering partisan poll watchers.

Republicans in Texas argue their voting bill will make it easier for people to cast ballots, for instance by forcing businesses to give people time off to go vote. Their bill is one of several such measures being pushed in conservative states in the wake of former President Donald Trump's false claim that he lost last year's election because of fraud.

The Democrats vow to remain outside Texas for the duration of a special legislative session that runs through Aug. 7, and even longer if more sessions are called.

Texas Governor Greg Abbott said he would have the Democratic lawmakers arrested when they return and force them to remain at the Capitol to carry out the session.

But none of the Democrats interviewed seemed concerned about that.

"The best policy is to ignore a bully when they bluster," Zwiener said.

She and other Texas Democrats said they were more concerned about logistical and personal hurdles.

Vice President Kamala Harris meets with Democratic members of the Texas state legislature who fled the state in an effort to slow changes to election laws and voter access, in Washington, U.S., July 13, 2021. REUTERS/Jonathan Ernst/File Photo

'NEED MORE MONEY'

Representative Celia Israel was going to marry her partner Celinda Garza on the House floor this week - but delayed the nuptials to flee the state. Many House members care for elderly parents or are parents who have left children behind with spouses. Others run businesses that are now left rudderless.

Texas representatives make $7,200 a year for the job. Most will struggle to afford a long stay in Washington.

"I don't know how I'm going to pay next month's mortgage," said Rep. Gene Wu.

Wu said the Texas House Democratic Caucus Committee used donor and member money to fund the group's flight to Washington. It is also covering food and hotel costs, but that was expected to end within days.

"We are going to need more money to stay," Wu said. "More than that, we need funds to combat this push by Republicans to pass this legislation around the nation."

Former presidential candidate and former Texas congressman Beto O'Rourke and other Democratic leaders are firing up fundraising efforts to help pay for hotel rooms and food.

Representative Gina Hinojosa left a nine-year-old and 15-year-old in Austin.

"I have mom guilt about leaving," she said. "The absence of family here with me is the hardest part of this."

(Reporting by Brad Brooks in Lubbock, Texas. Editing by Donna Bryson and Karishma Singh.)

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