Texas GOP renews its fight to overhaul voting rights with more restrictive measures

Republications across the state of Texas are adamant about their push to overhaul voting rights with more restrictive measures, which would ultimately make it more difficult for people to vote.

On Thursday, July 8, the Texas legislature began its special session; one that they are planning to use to renew their push to pass controversial, restrictive, and potentially harmful voting laws. The state's Senate and House lawmakers unveiled multiple proposed bills including, House Bill 3 and Senate Bill 1: two efforts which "would ban a spate of voting expansions made during the COVID-19 pandemic," according to HuffPost.

The publication also reports that it would "bar 24-hour and drive-through voting, ban election officials from sending absentee ballots to those who hadn't requested them, expand protections for partisan poll watchers and usher in new, harsher ID requirements for voting by mail."

HuffPost offered an example of how the proposed bills can be problematic for people of color as it pointed out what appears to be a "veiled" attempt to thwart Black voters. "One would have blocked voting on Sundays before 1 p.m., something critics called a veiled attempt to bar "souls to the polls" drives that are common in the Black community," the publication writes.

The latest push comes less than a month after Republicans' last failed effort to pass voting rights laws. At the time, Democratic lawmakers denied Republicans a full quorum by walking out.

According to CBS News, Abbott on Wednesday, July 9, released a statement about the latest special session.The 87th Legislative Session was a monumental success for the people of Texas, but we have unfinished business to ensure that Texas remains the most exceptional state in America," Abbott said in a statement.

While Democratic lawmakers managed to block Republicans' previous efforts, it's obvious they have no plans to stop until they receive what they want.