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   XPost: sac.politics   
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   Lawmakers in Texas have finalized writing a bill that would impose   
   some of the most restrictive voting measures in the United States.   
   The bill seems all but certain to pass the state’s House and Senate   
   before Gov. Greg Abbott, a staunch supporter of former President   
   Donald Trump, signs it into law. President Joe Biden harshly   
   criticized the bill Saturday, characterizing it as “part of an   
   assault on democracy” that has become evident in several states   
   since the 2020 elections. “It’s wrong and un-American. In the 21st   
   century, we should be making it easier, not harder, for every   
   eligible voter to vote,” Biden said in a statement.   
      
   The bill would have to be approved before midnight on Sunday, when   
   the Legislature is scheduled to end a session that has already seen   
   the Republicans that control the chambers pass several controversial   
   measures. But none of them has received as much opposition as Senate   
   Bill 7, which would fundamentally alter the rules to vote in Texas.   
   The measure would ban drive-through voting, 24-hour voting, and   
   severely limit voting on Sundays, which is when many Black   
   churchgoers cast their ballots.   
      
   The bill would also forbid election officials from sending absentee   
   ballots to all voters, ban temporary structures as polling   
   locations, severely limit who can cast absentee ballots, and put   
   forward more stringent identification requirements for those who   
   vote by mail. Some of the measures seem to specifically target   
   Harris County, which is home to Houston and is the state’s largest   
   Democratic stronghold. The measure would also empower partisan poll   
   watchers, and at the last minute, language was included that would   
   make it easier to overturn the results of an election.   
      
   Even though Texas officials have repeatedly said there were no   
   widespread problems in last year’s elections, Republican lawmakers   
   have been insisting that the legislation to restrict voting is   
   necessary. Voting rights groups have vowed to challenge the measure   
   in court once it’s approved.  The Texas bill demonstrates how many   
   GOP leaders are eager to appeal to supporters of former President   
   Donald Trump who continue to believe his lies that the election was   
   stolen. And this is hardly an isolated effort as several states,   
   including Florida and Georgia, have passed measures to severely   
   restrict voting access. At least 14 states have approved more   
   restrictive voting laws since the November election, according to   
   the Brennan Center for Justice.   
      
   The top two main proponents of the bill, State Representative   
   Briscoe Cain and State Senator Bryan Hughes, characterized the bill   
   as “one of the most comprehensive and sensible election reform   
   bills” in the history of the state. “Even as the national media   
   minimizes the importance of election integrity, the Texas   
   Legislature has not bent to headlines or corporate virtue   
   signaling.” The “corporate virtue signaling” refers to how several   
   major companies, including American Airlines and Dell, have pushed   
   back against the bill.   
      
   https://slate.com/news-and-politics/2021/05/biden-texas-voting-   
   restrictions-bill-assault-democracy.html   
      
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