Attack on our Democracy: Becoming a Quorum Breaker

This event took place on Saturday, March 12, 2022 at 10:00 AM UTC.

Busting the quorum to halt a legislative session isn’t unheard of — in fact, it has happened at least two other times in Texas political history. But it is considered a nuclear option, a last resort when the debate has shut down and one side believes it’s being railroaded. As their quorum-breaking departure captured attention around the world, the Texas' Democrats' drastic move to break quorum was hard to ignore. And while they may not have spurred immediate federal change in their favor, this dramatic walkout halfway across the country marked a new inflection point in the national voting rights debate and shaped Texas politics forever. With three of the quorum-breakers and current lawmakers, we will explore what it truly means to break quorum and the impact it has played on the rest of the country. This panel will discuss how voting rights is the single most important thing we can do to protect our democracy. Venue: Hilton Austin Downtown Salon B