(CNN) Texas House Democrats' historic quorum break unexpectedly ended Thursday evening when at least three new Democrats returned to the floor, paving the way for state Republicans to pass restrictive voting legislation. The surprise turn of events quickly led to public accusations of betrayal among Democrats, as the House now has the required two-thirds of members necessary for a quorum. The voting legislation, which had been recently passed in the state's Republican-controlled Senate, was among the bills quickly referred to committees for action. The current special session ends early next month, and a public House committee hearing on the voting bill has been scheduled for Saturday. The statement noted the need to manage the Covid-19 surge in the state as behind the decision.

Source: CNN August 19, 2021 23:57 UTC