The Texas House passed its version of the omnibus elections bill on a party-line vote in a marathon session that wrapped up just after 3 a.m. on Friday.
The bill is part of a nationwide trend of new GOP-backed, state-level voter restrictions that Republican lawmakers say are designed to preserve election integrity, despite no evidence of the existence of widespread voter fraud.
What’s in the pared-down version just advanced by the Texas House, and what happens next in the legislative process?
What are the implications for Texas voters if Senate Bill 7 is signed into law? Who will be most affected?
Why are we now seeing a trend of new state-level voting restrictions? What problems do they purport to solve?
Do these changes violate federal voting rights and protections? What are the legal arguments for and against more restrictive voting laws?
Guests:
- Myrna Pérez, director of the Voting Rights and Elections Program at NYU Law's Brennan Center for Justice
- Scott Braddock, journalist and political analyst, editor of the Quorum Report and co-host of the Texas Take podcast
- Nina Perales, vice president of litigation for the Mexican American Legal Defense and Education Fund (MALDEF)
"The Source" is a live call-in program airing Mondays through Thursdays from 12-1 p.m. Leave a message before the program at (210) 615-8982. During the live show, call 833-877-8255, email thesource@tpr.org or tweet @TPRSource.
*This interview was recorded on Monday, May 10.