Texas lawmakers discuss Senate Bill 1 in special session on Saturday

AUSTIN, Texas (KLTV) - Texas lawmakers met again on Saturday as the special session continues.

On Saturday, Senate Bill 1 was discussed by lawmakers, and many in attendance gave testimonies both for and against the bill. Senate Bill 1, which is authored by East Texas State Sen. Bryan Hughes (R-Mineola), deals with what he says are common-sense reforms to deal with election integrity.

“It is very similar to the election integrity bill from the regular session and it is common sense reforms to make it easier to vote and hard to cheat. Most folks are in favor of that,” Hughes said.

Some of those restrictions proposed in the bill are a ban on drive-thru voting, regulations on early voting hours, and restricting voting by mail rules. Many who testified against the bill on Saturday fear this could primarily impact voters of color and voters with disabilities. Sen. Hughes said on Friday when he spoke to East Texas Now that the feedback he has heard about the bill has been mainly positive.

“These are common-sense reforms that most people are in favor of based on folks we have heard from based on polling making sure the election works honestly and fairly and every vote is counted and counted accurately,” Hughes said.

In total, 11 items are included on the special session agenda, including bills on social media censorship, border security, and critical race theory.

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