Governor Abbott Set To Sign Controversial Texas Elections Bill Into Law
TYLER (CBSDFW.COM) — Governor Greg Abbott plans to sign a hotly debated bill into law Tuesday. The governor's office says he will travel to Tyler to sign what some refer to as the election integrity bill.
The move comes after the Texas GOP has a months-long battle with Democrats over the controversial legislation.
Republicans say the bill makes it easier to vote - but harder to cheat. Democrats dispute that, saying the measure will disenfranchise some Texas voters and amounts to voter suppression.
SB 1 rolls back some accommodations put in place during the pandemic and before the 2020 election. A few of the most contested changes include putting new restrictions on the voting by mail process, banning drive-thru voting and 24-hour voting, setting new hours for early voting, and giving more power to poll watchers.
Democrats fiercely opposed the bill and walked out of the legislature twice -- in an attempt to stop it from passing. They say the law will make it more difficult for people to vote -- especially minorities and people who are disabled.
So far, there have been two lawsuits filed against the new law, and a move in Congress to pass voter protections on a national level, which would supersede any measure enacted in Texas.
