Austin American-Statesman: Political fight over GOP election bills intensifies in Texas with economic effects debated

The political fight over Republican election bills intensified Tuesday as Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick summoned reporters to the Capitol to angrily denounce business leaders and others who oppose the legislation, saying they are spewing lies by accusing the GOP of a racist effort to suppress voting rights.

At the same moment, Democrats and civil rights groups were holding their own news conference to unveil a concerted effort to pressure leading businesses to denounce the GOP bills as a travesty for democracy, following the lead of similar statements from Dell Technologies and American Airlines.

Opponents also want companies to stop giving political donations to Republican politicians who favor such legislation, and, to raise the pressure, they unveiled an economic analysis that said passing such laws would significantly hurt the Texas economy. …

Opponents of the GOP bills, however, accused Patrick of lying about the legislation’s effect, cherry-picking provisions to gloss over problem areas while perpetuating the “big lie” that election fraud resulted in Trump’s defeat.

For example, in the name of standardized voting practices, SB 7 would close mega-voting centers at arenas and stadiums in large cities and ban extended voting hours, Common Cause Texas spokesman Anthony Gutierrez said.

It also would allow poll watchers to shoot video of disabled voters getting help casting a ballot, change mail-in ballot drop-off rules and ban local officials from sending a vote-by-mail application unless requested by voters, he said.

“SB 7 is over 30 pages of substantive and discriminatory changes to how voting works,” Gutierrez said. “Dan Patrick is straight-up lying to Texans in an attempt to save his floundering voter suppression bill.”