Democrats Have Bail Measure on Ropes
in House with GOP 12 Short in Test Vote
Capitol Inside
May 19, 2025
A special session could be looming on the near horizon after Texas House Republicans came up short on Monday in a vote on a constitutional amendment that the outnumbered Democrats took a giant step toward killing as the key proposal in a package that Governor Greg Abbott has demanded as a legislative emergency.
In a chamber where the ruling Republicans need 100 votes to keep the bail restrictions proposal in Senate Joint Resolution 1 on track, the House advanced the measure to a final vote on an 88-50 tally in a sign of doom unless a dozen Democrats were prepared to flip for the finale.
Democrats put up little resistance to a separate related proposal with a vote of 133-8 for Senate Joint Resolution 5. The House gave tentative nods to three measures that are part of a sweeping package with a unanimous vote for the regulation and training of magistrates in Senate Bill 664 before endorsing a bail restrictions measure on a 122-20 vote and another pertinent measure in Senate Bill 40.
Abbott would have the ability to claim victory on bail reform regardless of the fate of the proposed revision to the Texas Constitution in SJR 1. But the win would be tainted badly by the defeat of the proposal that voters would decide if the Republicans found a way to bring at least 10 more Democrats on board for a constitutional alteration that voters would decide.
But the governor may not be ready to throw in the towel on the proposal if it dies in the House in regular session - and he could flex his muscle with a promise to summon lawmakers back to Austin for another shot at the bail package's most controversial element in a special summer session if fails again in the Capitol's west wing.
Two Democrats - State Reps. Joe Moody of El Paso and Richard Raymond of Laredo - voted for SJR 1 on the floor this afternoon as the only House members to break partisan ranks on the proposal would make it possible to deny bail to undocumented migrants who've been accused of major crimes. Moody, who's served as speaker pro tem in three of the last four regular sessions, typically sides with fellow Democrats on party line votes. Raymond - in contrast - has voted frequently with the Republicans during the 2025 regular session up to now.
Four Democrats were listed with approved absences in the second-reading tally on SJR 1 while three others - State Reps. Terry Canales of Edinburg, Sergio Munoz of Mission and James Talarico - turned up missing without excuses in the vote on the bail proposal that declares migrants as "illegal aliens" who could be deprived of bail as flight risks.
Canales made a passionate case on why House members should vote against the Senate resolution as a consequence of the way it treats migrants as though they pose more danger to a community than lifelong American citizens accused of the same crimes.
"I'm voting no because the hypocrisy of it doesn't pass the smell test," Canales told the House. "You want to get tough on crime? Let's deny all of them bail. Vote no on this piece of crap."
The Democrats have used their support on constitutional amendments for effective leverage in a House where most supported Republican Speaker Dustin Burrows in the leadership election on opening day. While GOP State Rep. John Smithee of Amarillo will get another shot at the apple on SJR 1, the odds for converting a double-digit sum of Democrats overnight appear slim barring developments unforeseen.
more to come ...
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