Since the election, several Republican-run states have taken steps to tighten up their voting laws in ways that maintain easy access to the polls while severely limiting opportunities for election fraud. (Georgia springs to mind, although other states have done the same.) When Texas tried to pass such a law, the Democrats responded by walking out, ending the chance to vote before the session ended. However, Governor Greg Abbott struck back hard and effectively, a reminder that it is possible to “out tough” the left.

Just the News explains what happened:

Texas House Democrats on Sunday night staged a walkout to block their Republican counterparts’ sweeping voter-reform legislation. 

The move blocked the passage of the bill by effectively ending the Texas legislature’s session.

In the old days, Republicans would probably have shrugged and said, “What can we do? The session is over. We’ll try again next time.” But with mid-term elections drawing near, next time will be too late – which is what the Democrats were counting on.

Gov. Abbott, however, seems to have been prepared for something like this because he made it clear that he has no intention of letting the Democrats walk away from their game-playing. Using his personal Twitter feed, he announced that he will defund the legislature for its failure to do its duty:

I will veto Article 10 of the budget passed by the legislature.

Article 10 funds the legislative branch.

No pay for those who abandon their responsibilities.

Stay tuned.

— Greg Abbott (@GregAbbott_TX) May 31, 2021

Then, Abbot explained that the Democrats’ little snit was meaningless because he plans to convene a special session to get the job done:

Governor Abbott Statement On 87th Legislative Session

AUSTIN - Governor Greg Abbott today issued a statement upon the conclusion of the 87th regular Legislative Session:

“From Day One of this session, our priorities were centered around hardworking Texans and building a state that is safer, freer, healthier, and more prosperous. We added to that the imperative that we secure the Texas power system to ensure it never fails again. We kept those promises while also delivering one of the most conservative legislative sessions our state has ever seen.

“We passed legislation to secure our border, support our police, expand second amendment rights, defend religious liberty, and protect the sanctity of life in Texas. We also enacted several key emergency items like reforming the Electric Reliability Council of Texas, weatherizing and stabilizing our power grid, ensuring COVID-19 liability protections, and expanding access to broadband and telemedicine.

“However, there is more we can and must do to ensure a brighter future for Texas. At the beginning of the legislative session, I declared Election Integrity and Bail Reform to be must-pass emergency items. It is deeply disappointing and concerning for Texans that neither reached my desk. Ensuring the integrity of our elections and reforming a broken bail system remain emergencies in Texas, which is why these items, along with other priority items, will be added to the special session agenda.

“I expect legislators to have worked out their differences prior to arriving back at the Capitol so that they can hit the ground running to pass legislation related to these emergency items and other priority legislation. During the special session, we will continue to advance policies that put the people of Texas first.”

What we’re seeing here, of course, is another example of leftist double standards: The same political party that is working hard to destroy the congressional filibuster, which gives the minority party the ability to withstand the mob when the Senate is fairly evenly divided, suddenly becomes loud and proud in its minority party stance and will block popular legislation to make its point.

Of course, what’s really going on (I hope) is that Democrats are making these frantic, theatrical stands because they know that they will be relegated to the minority across America if they can no longer rely on election fraud to get them into office or to pass their initiatives.

IMAGE: Governor Gregg Abbott. YouTube screengrab.