Texas: Gallegos risks his life to stop voter I.D. bill
AP reports: Against his doctor's advice, a stooped and feeble Sen. Mario Gallegos arrives at the state Capitol each day, just to make sure the Senate does not take up a bill that would require voters to produce ID at the polls.
And when the rigors of the job start to wear on the Houston Democrat, whose body is trying to reject a liver transplanted four months ago, he retires to a hospital-style bed — donated by a Republican colleague — in a room next to the Senate chamber.
From there, he can be summoned at a moment's notice should his vote be needed to keep the bill from reaching the floor.
In a life-and-death drama playing out under the Capitol dome, Gallegos is putting his health at risk to block a measure he and others say could prevent many minorities and the elderly from taking part in elections in Texas. -- Ailing lawmaker makes bed at Capitol to block bill