Texas House Democrats who have fled the state to preclude a quorum for a special session dedicated to passing an election security bill will be brought in by law enforcement "under warrant of arrest, if necessary," following a 76-4 vote approving the action Tuesday.
Passage of the legislation, dubbed House Bill 3, cannot occur without a two-thirds quorum of its 150 members. Only 80 of the 150 members were present on Tuesday. In addition, Texas Senate Republicans are trying to pass their own version of the bill, known as Senate Bill 1. Senate members are expected to debate their version of the voting bill as planned Tuesday, with a quorum of 22 members present.
Democrats have referred to the pair of bills as "Jim Crow 2.0," accusing Republicans of trying to suppress the votes of minorities. Here's a look at what's inside the bills:
What's in Senate Bill 1?
Under Senate Bill 1's provisions, a ban would be implemented on drive-thru voting or casting a ballot from inside a vehicle unless participating in curbside voting due to a disability. A ban would also be placed on overnight voting, requiring polls to be open a minimum of nine hours from between 6 a.m. and 9 p.m.