Texas GOP renews push for new voting laws, unfinished agenda
Associated PressAUSTIN, Texas — Texas Republicans on Thursday brought back efforts to ban 24-hour polling places and drive-thru voting as Gov. Similar to the GOP’s the sweeping bill blocked in May, the revived version would also empower partisan poll watchers and ban drop boxes for mail-in ballots, making it what would be one of the most comprehensive reworking of a state’s voting and election system passed this year. Under the new voting legislation filed by both the House and Senate, GOP lawmakers continued a push to ban the soliciting of mail ballot applications by an election clerk — efforts that began in Harris County, which includes Houston and is the state’s largest Democratic stronghold. Republican state Rep. Briscoe Cain, the author of May’s blocked voting legislation, declined to comment on the special session’s approach to voting laws. Abbott is also demanding new border security measures, added restrictions over abortions done by medication and a law reaffirming existing prohibitions in Texas on transgender student athletes playing girls’ sports.