Sen. Hughes social media regulation bill approved in preliminary vote

AUSTIN, Texas (KLTV) - The social media regulation bill sponsored by Sen. Bryan Hughes and endorsed in Tyler by Gov. Greg Abbott has passed a Senate test following a preliminary vote on Tuesday.

SB 12 was approved with an 18-13 vote in the Senate following over an hour of testimony. Hughes’ (R-Mineola) bill was met by several dissenters, including Sen. Royce West (D-Dallas) and Sen. Sarah Eckhardt (D-Austin).

The bill, touted by Abbott when he and Hughes visited Tyler earlier this month, claims it will help prohibit social media companies from censoring Texans based on the viewpoints they express.

Lt. Governor Dan Patrick, who presides over the Senate, said the bill will go for a final vote on Wednesday.

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