Texas House Democrat Joe Moody has been relieved of his duties as speaker pro tempore in a disciplinary act announced by Speaker Dade Phelan, a Republican, as a consequence of Moody’s participation in a Democrat walk-out that broke quorum and put a freeze on a GOP election reform bill.
Phelan, in a memo on Thursday, announced the removal of Moody from his position as speaker pro tempore, saying the change was effective immediately. The move represents the first major disciplinary action taken against one of the dozens of Texas House Democrats who left the state last week to break quorum and halt deliberations on a voting bill that Republicans say is needed to shore up election integrity but that Democrats argue amounts to voter suppression.
