A Texas Senate committee on Friday passed an elections bill that would tighten the state’s voting rules by limiting extended early voting hours, requiring proof of disability to qualify for mail-in voting and prohibiting drive-thru voting. Senate Bill 7, sponsored by Sen. Bryan Hughes, R-Mineola, is one of Gov. Gregg Abbott’s legislative priorities this session.
During testimony Friday, the committee received opposition testimony from AARP, the League of Women Voters, NAACP and other groups. Hughes described his bill as attempting to strike a balance between “maintaining fair and honest elections with the opportunity to exercise one’s right to vote,” according to the Texas Tribune.
COVID-19 cases in Texas drop slightly
The number of new COVID-19 cases in Texas dropped to 27,185 last week, with 741 deaths reported. Both are down just slightly from the previous week, according to the Coronavirus Center at Johns Hopkins University. Hospitalizations of confirmed COVID-19 cases also showed a slight decrease to 3,308, according to DSHS.
Gary Borders is a veteran award-winning Texas journalist. He published a number of community newspapers in Texas during a 30-year span, including in Longview, Fort Stockton, Nacogdoches and Cedar Park.
