Texas SDEC Legislative Committee Updates
I have spent the last few months in Georgia for work. When COVID hit last year, my job in Texas ended up getting cut. I navigated the Texas Workforce Commission website to file unemployment claims and I waited until I couldn’t wait anymore and went to travel for work. Now that meetings have gone online, I want to talk about what we are discussing at the SDEC member committees that I am a part of. I am the second vice chair of the Legislative Committee and a member of the Campaign Committee. To see a complete list of committees and the SDEC members that are a part of each committee, please review them here!
It should not come as a surprise to anyone that our elections have become a high priority issue for both the Democratic and Republican Parties. For this year’s Legislative Committee our purpose is to review and make recommendations on legislation, rules, and regulations focused on issues connected with elections, party affairs, and voting rights at the state and county level. The 87th Texas State Legislative Session officially opens tomorrow, January 12th. Some of the bills filed so far for the upcoming session are included here!
Legislative Preview
As the 87th Legislative session draws near, members of the House and Senate have already begun filing bills to be heard. Listed below are the types of election bills that have already been filed or are likely to be filed that are either a TDP priority or likely to garner public support.
Filed:
Voter ID expansion (student IDs, tribal IDs, medicaid ID, etc)
VBM ballot acceptance deadline extension
Online VBM App
Joint VR and VBM app (two separate applications abled to be filed together)
VBM available for any voter who requests one
17 year olds can vote in primary, register at 17
Voting rights for formerly incarcerated persons
Online voter registration
Registering to vote when getting driver’s license (multiple bills, one is an opt-out bill which would automatically register voters with a state ID or TX driver’s license and allow them to opt out)
SOS distributing voter applications to high schools
Same day voter registration during early voting
Not yet filed:
Crystal Mason omnibus; another bill changing what counts as intent to defraud when voting provisionally
Extend VBM app hand delivery deadline from last day before Early Voting to the general vote by mail application deadline
VBM by email if out of county
VBM Cure options
VBM rejection notification requirement
Hand delivery of ballot to different locations; ability to hand deliver ballot prior to Election Day
2 year VBM App (instead of yearly application)
Statewide VBM Tracker
Statewide VDR certification; renewal of VDR certification without training
Caretaker/Occupational reason for VBM (trucker out of town, nurse, caretaker for their elderly parent)
This is not an exhaustive list of bills. When the final compilation is put together, I will be sending out a list of those bills and how we will be working on putting forth bills for public support.
