Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick wasted no time in appointing Senators to their committees for the 89th Legislative Session. His appointments are great news for election integrity advocates. The State Affairs Committee, where most election bills are assigned, is filled with champions for secure elections.
The Chairman of the Committee is Sen. Bryan Hughes who has authored and sponsored numerous pieces of legislation advancing the cause of securing our elections. From large omnibus legislation to a simple bill with a big impact, making election records available in 15 days for under $50, Hughes has filed countless election integrity bills throughout his years in the Senate.
The Vice-Chair is Sen. Angela Paxton, wife of Attorney General Ken Paxton who led the charge in election fraud prosecution until a court ruling removed his prosecutorial powers. Now he fights for election integrity in every other way available to his office. In her own right, Sen. Paxton also advocates for election integrity and was a coauthor or cosponsor on several pieces of priority legislation last session.
Other notable members are Sen. Mayes Middleton, Sen. Paul Bettencourt, and Sen. Bob Hall, all long-time champions of election integrity. Sen. Middleton has shown his support by making it one of his legislative priorities and authoring reforms like adding civil penalties and Election Marshals to the Election Code. Sen. Bettencourt is known for legislation that ensures the accuracy of our voter rolls, holds election officials accountable, and much more. Sen. Hall has been travelling the state speaking to groups and organizations about his plan to make elections more secure with hand-marked ballots, optical scanners, and the elimination of electronic poll books.
Rounding out the State Affairs Committee are Republican Senators Brian Birdwell, Adam Hinojosa, Tan Parker, Charles Perry, and Charles Schwertner. The lone Democrat on the committee, Judith Zaffirini, has also been known to support some bills that advance election integrity.
Lt. Gov. Patrick’s appointments indicate a clear path for election integrity legislation. If this session follows the tempo of previous sessions, Texans will likely see bills securing our elections pass quickly out of the Senate Chamber. Unfortunately, their journey could end in a House Elections Committee that is stacked against them.