DALLAS — Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick said Friday that he expects the Texas Legislature to approve an elections bill in short order, with the Senate passing its version of the controversial legislation next week.
Patrick defended what he called Republican efforts to secure Texas elections, saying that critics of the legislation were distorting the issue. He insisted that most Texans agreed with election reform efforts by GOP lawmakers, which is backed up by various polls.
And Patrick said the current Senate bill, which will be debated in the Elections Committee this weekend, is better than the version Democrats killed in the regular session by walking out of the House chambers and breaking quorum.
“People want a paper trail to back up their vote,” Patrick said in Dallas after addressing the Conservative Political Action Conference. “They like the idea that we’re not allowing our machines to be hooked to the internet, so no one can hack it. But they are glad we are putting security on our mail-in ballots because that’s where fraud can and does happen.”
In addition to those items, the GOP bills would ban drive-through and 24-hour voting and absentee ballot drop off boxes. It would expand the access of partisan poll watchers, and the Senate version of the bill would establish monthly comparisons of Department of Public Safety driver records with voter rolls to find potential noncitizen voters.
But Democrats on Friday said the elections legislation was unnecessary. Senate Democrats on Friday touted their bill, the Barbara Jordan Act named after the first Black woman state senator, that would, among other things, allow online and same-day voter registration and allow all voters to request mail-in ballots.
“It’s a solution looking for a problem that doesn’t exist,” said state Sen. Royce West of Dallas. “We will continue to fight against the bill and push legislation that encourages voting.”
State Rep. Chris Turner of Grand Prairie, leader of the House Democratic Caucus, agreed.
“While some of the egregious stuff has been taken out, there’s still some problematic things in the bills, including items related to poll watchers and mail-in ballot applications,” Turner said. “It’s all base of a big lie that Trump won the election.”
Patrick told The Dallas Morning News that it was unfair and incorrect to call the elections proposal a voter suppression bill. He said Texas has increased voter turnout 40% since 2011, when a voter ID law was approved.
“We’re not rolling back anything,” Patrick said. “I take it personally when they say that we’re trying to stop anyone from voting because in Texas we lead the country in increasing voting turnout. As Republicans we would never do anything to stop anyone from any background or any party from voting.”
Patrick said one controversial provision from the regular session’s proposal was not added to the current Senate proposal. That proposal would have mandated that early voting on Sunday not occur until 1 p.m., which is the time polling opens on Sundays in Dallas County. Other counties, including Tarrant, open their polling places earlier on Sundays, which led to some critics blasting the GOP bill and helped spur the Democratic Party walkout.
But Patrick said the issue was overblown, adding that the provision was added to the bill by a lawyer for the Texas House. Whatever the case, Patrick said he was proud of the current bill.
“It’s better and stronger than SB 7,” he said.
Patrick was in Dallas to address CPAC’s meeting in Dallas.
During his speech he unleashed a blistering attack against President Joe Biden and Democrats, claiming that the new president is allowing immigrants to illegally cross the nation’s southern border in order to turn them into voters.
“What’s happening on the border today is not an accident. It’s a designed plan,” Patrick said of the administration “letting” people pour across the border. “They want to turn them into to citizens, turn them into voters and take over this country.”
Patrick’s comments were part of a robust defense of Texas’ brand of conservatism, which he said was important to maintain a thriving Republican Party.
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott has directed the state to finish the border wall started by former President Donald Trump. The former president joined Abbott and Patrick earlier this month for an event at the border.
Abbott is not scheduled to speak at the CPAC convention.
Patrick was one of several Texans to appear on program.
On Friday former Texas Supreme Court justice and 2022 attorney general candidate Eva Guzman also stressed the importance of maintaining a secure border in her CPAC speech.
She said that some people describe illegal border crossing as examples of refugees escaping bad circumstances in their home countries.
“It’s not that simple,” Guzman said. “It’s an issue of law and order, national security and safety.”
She added that the “blessings of America” should be shared with people who "Share our values and respect our laws.”
Guzman said she would bring a lawsuit against the federal government to force officials to secure the border.
“It’s time to hold the federal government accountable,” she said.
Guzman, a former Texas secretary of state, is running for attorney general in the GOP primary against incumbent Ken Paxton and Land Commissioner George P. Bush.
Patrick piled heavy praise on Trump, recalling a conversation he had with the former president during his last Texas trip.
The lieutenant governor chaired Trump’s successful Texas campaign over Biden.
“He looked over and he said to me, ‘Dan, are you ready for one more in 2024?’” Patrick said told the jubilant crowd at the Hilton Anatole.
Trump addresses the convention on Sunday, and there’s speculation that he’ll mount another presidential campaign in 2024.
“I don’t know what Donald Trump is going to do in 2024, but I can assure you that his willingness to fight and stand up is honored here in Texas,” Patrick said.
Patrick promised that Texas would continue to be what he called the “capital of conservatism” and “the last man standing.”
“If we fall, America falls” he said. “We’re not ever going to let that happen.”
The lieutenant governor guaranteed that Republicans would roll up victories in next year’s midterm elections.
“We will keep this a red state,” Patrick said. “And in 2024 Trumpism will rise again.”
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