Texas Legislative Session 2023: Dozens of election-related payments have already been launched

AUSTIN, Texas (KTRK) — The 88th Texas Legislature begins subsequent week, and election entry and integrity are among the many points in focus throughout the 140 days of the session. This legislative session already has greater than 1,000 payments to think about, and dozens of them straight have an effect on how, the place and once we vote.

Among the many 84 election-related payments we discovered filed within the Texas Home and Senate, the proposals run the gamut. These vary from digital voter registration, to coding polling locations, areas and occasions, to regulating voting machine software program, altering voter eligibility and ID necessities, rising penalties for unlawful voting, and even altering the way in which we vote. State Rep. John Busey, D-Cedar Park, launched about two dozen of them.

“What I am attempting to do is proceed to struggle to make elections as accessible as doable for Texans,” Rep. Busey informed ABC13. “What I actually need to see is that we again off among the laws that makes it more durable for folks to take part and vote by mail.”

State Sen. Paul Bettencourt, R-Houston, additionally launched a number of payments associated to election safety, as he did final session. This time round, lots of them are specializing in Harris County election points.

“There shall be many payments in my thoughts that can come up and be voted on,” Betancourt mentioned. “There is not any doubt that Harris County is the driving pressure behind many of those safety will increase. You possibly can’t let the third largest county within the nation not do its job.”

However will any of those payments change into legislation? Mark Jones is a analysis fellow in political science on the Baker Institute at Rice College. And regardless of no proof of widespread voter fraud, Jones sees the Republican majority catering to his base.

“We will divide this laws into two blocks. one is the Democratic laws, the opposite is the Republican laws,” Jones mentioned. “I’d anticipate a number of Republican objects designed to extend safety and scale back fraud to cross this session. Alternatively, I discover it unlikely that any of the Democratic payments are supposed to extend participation, be it absentee voting with out an excuse. or on-line registration or ex-felon voting, these are unlikely to cross.”

Can any of them get sufficient bipartisan assist to change into legislation? Busey is hopeful.

“I believe one space the place we might see some vital adjustments with the election is round folks with disabilities,” he mentioned. “There was some bipartisan assist.”

The session will start subsequent week and run by means of Might.

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