Texas Senate Democratic Caucus: Texas Republicans Silence Senator, Silence Texans

Austin, TX—The Texas Senate Democratic Caucus issued the following statement on Republican leadership’s actions to block Senator Carol Alvarado’s planned filibuster late Friday night:

“This weekend, Texas Republicans crossed a line and set a dangerous precedent by silencing Senator Carol Alvarado and denying her the right to filibuster legislation that will weaken the voices of millions of Texans.

“For ten hours, all 11 members of our caucus stood united in debate, asking questions and speaking out against House Bill 4. Senator Alvarado was prepared to continue that fight through one of the few tools available to the minority: a filibuster. But rather than allow her to speak, Republican leadership engineered a late-night maneuver to shut her down. They abruptly recessed the Senate for three hours, returned near midnight and then invoked a rarely used procedure to cut off her voice—citing a flimsy pretext based on a routine campaign email.

“This was not about procedure. This was about power. Silencing Senator Alvarado is part and parcel of the same pattern we saw with this bill: silencing voters, limiting transparency and eroding democracy in Texas.

“Senator Alvarado acted with integrity and resolve, ready to speak for her constituents and for all Texans who are being shut out of this process. By denying her that chance, Republican leadership has silenced not just one senator but the millions of Texans that we all represent.

“The people of Texas deserve leaders who fight for their voices to be heard—not politicians who manipulate the rules to protect their own power. We will not be intimidated, and we will not stop speaking out for fairness, democracy and the right of every Texan to be heard.”