Page 5 - ARUBA TODAY

A5
U.S. NEWS Tuesday 28 May 2019

Texas’ election chief resigns after voter citizenship flub

By PAUL J. WEBER and CLA- islature sharply changed
RICE SIBLER after Republicans lost more
Associated Press than a dozen seats in the
AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — The 2018 midterms. Democrats
embattled Texas elections would need to flip nine
chief who questioned the more seats in 2020 to take
U.S. citizenship of nearly control of the Texas House
100,000 people resigned for the first time since 2001,
Monday ahead of being a tall task but one that
forced out of office, step- Democrats say isn’t impos-
ping down as Republicans sible in a highly-charged
went home to defend presidential year.
their vulnerable majority in Rather than waging parti-
2020 rather than try forcing san battles, a weakened
a late vote to save Gov. GOP majority instead
Greg Abbott’s nominee. poured an extra $4.6 bil-
Secretary of State David lion into classrooms and
Whitley never received a took measures to slow ris-
confirmation vote for his ing property taxes. Abbott
post before the Texas Leg- In this Feb. 7, 2019 file photo, Secretary of State David Whitley, left, arrives for his confirmation is also expected to sign
islature gaveled out for two hearing in Austin, Texas. Whitley, Texas embattled elections chief, is on the brink of losing his job $1.6 billion in teacher raises
years. It was a quiet end over wrongly questioning the U.S. citizenship of thousands of voters. in Texas, where teachers
to an unusually mild five Associated Press make about $7,000 below
months in the Capitol that office led a botched scour- state, especially concern- in days, Whitley’s office the national average.
for a decade has been a ing of voter rolls in January ing the issues the secretary began walking back the “Well, let me answer it this
battlefield of culture wars that misidentified scores of of state has to deal with as numbers. The ensuing up- way, I hope so, but that
and bare-knuckled conser- people as non-citizens, set it relates to voting, more roar threatened to cause wasn’t why we did what
vatism. Republicans in gun- off questions from Congress particularly as it relates to another heated legisla- we did,” Bonnen said. “I
friendly Texas even quietly and led to the state settling 2020. You’ve got to have a tive session on the heels think you saw an extraordi-
went around the National a federal lawsuit. secretary of state that will of passing some of the na- nary commitment from Re-
Rifle Association before go- Whitley did not address the be fair and balanced and tion’s toughest abortion publicans and Democrats
ing home, setting up a test flubbed voter search in his not pre-judge voters with restrictions, immigration working in such a harmoni-
for Abbott on whether he resignation letter to Abbott. suppression-type issues,” crackdowns and a failed ous respectful way on these
will veto a $1 million public “Working alongside the Democratic Sen. Royce effort in 2017 to pass a big issues. I think what it re-
safety campaign for gun employees in the secretary West said. Texas is one of “bathroom bill” targeting ally does though is it helps
storage. Abbott publicly of state’s office, county the nation’s biggest recur- transgender people. But every member of Texas
kept up hopes for Whitley elections officials, and rep- ring battlegrounds over the tone in the GOP-leg- House get re-elected.”q
until the end, refusing to resentatives of our #1 trad- voting rights. Those ten-
rule out just hours before ing partner, Mexico, has sions reignited as Whitley’s CAR RENTAL 5616944
Monday’s deadline that been my distinct honor and office claimed that 58,000 Address: Paramira #30 (Oranjestad) - Email: yessrentalcar@gmail.com - Website: www.yessrentalcar.com
his hand-picked elections privilege,” Whitley wrote, of the voters flagged were
chief might hang onto his according to a letter ob- shown to have voted in at We Rent:
job. He said the state Sen- tained by local media. least one election since Cars- Vans - SUV
ate had “fought hard” for Democrats for months 1996, prompting President
his nominee. But Whitley’s have said Whitley lost their Donald Trump to renew
fate had appeared all but trust and resisted appeals unsubstantiated claims of
sealed for months. Demo- to reconsider. rampant voter fraud.
crats blocked a vote on his “He seems like a great per- But the data used was
nomination after Whitley’s son. But not for secretary of deeply flawed and, with-