Democrat Texas Lawmakers Leave Austin For Washington

Democrats in the Texas Legislature have left the state. Instead, they’ve headed to Washington to block a Republican overhaul of state election laws. The bills were fast-tracked during the special session over the weekend. Democratic representative Erin Zwiener says she believes the push for tighter restrictions is based on fear. Republican State Senator Bryan Hughes of Mineola says the bills are all about stopping voter fraud. They’re being called election integrity bills by supporters and voter suppression bills by people who oppose them. It is the first time since 2003 that Texas Democrats have crossed state lines to break quorum.