Texas Gov.
Greg Abbott
he signed legislation on Monday stating that it clarifies unequivocally that only U.S. citizens can participate in voting for elections within his state.
“The governor stated in an X post that they had approved a joint resolution making it explicitly clear within the Texas Constitution that non-citizens of the United States of America are prohibited from voting in Texas,” as reported in the video clip.
Texas State
Senator
In January, Brian Birdwell, a member of the Republican Party, submitted Senate Joint Resolution (SJR) 37. This proposal aims to introduce an amendment to the constitution specifying that individuals voting in Texas elections should be citizens of the United States.
Before the amendment, the constitution barred individuals younger than 18 years old, as well as those deemed mentally incompetent by a court or those convicted of a felony, from participating in elections.
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However, the proposed amendment suggests including an additional category under those prohibited from voting in Texas: namely, “individuals who are not U.S. citizens.”
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Birdwell’s joint resolution was endorsed by the state senate in April, followed by approval from the state house in May.
On Monday, Abbott approved the joint resolution; however, an additional step remains. Indeed, in November, Texans will get the last word on determining whether the state constitution should be amended to incorporate this requirement into the state’s founding document.
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Fox News Digital has contacted Abbott’s and Birdwell’s offices seeking their input.
A federal judge halted an executive order issued last month by President Donald Trump that mandated presenting documentary evidence of citizenship prior to registering to vote.
Judge Colleen Kollar-Kotelly from the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia issued an order following lawsuits initiated by three distinct sets of plaintiffs concerning five specific provisions.
On March 25, Trump issued an executive order.
relating to election integrity. While Kollar-Kotelly dismissed requests to block three of the provisions, requests to block two other provisions pertaining to a proof of citizenship requirement for voters were granted.
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The initial restricted clause aimed to necessitate the Election Assistance Commission to revise uniform national voter registration documents to mandate verifiable evidence of citizenship. The subsequent clause was designed to oblige federal entities providing voter registration services to individuals receiving public aid to evaluate each person’s citizenship status prior to proceeding with the registration process.
The Constitution assigns Congress and the states—not the president—the responsibility for regulating federal elections. In line with this distribution of power,
Congress is
Currently involved in debates over legislation that could implement several of the alterations the President claims to direct,” Judge Kollar-Kotelly, who was appointed by Clinton, stated in her ruling. “There is no legal empowerment granted to the Executive Branch through statute that allows the President to bypass Congress’s deliberation process via an executive order.”
In the meantime, 25 states, such as Texas, are contemplating implementing some type of proof-of-citizenship laws, reports indicate.
Voting Rights Lab,
Which monitors this legislation. Altogether, 15 state constitutions include specific bans against non-citizen voting.
Alec Schemmel from Fox News Digital provided contributions for this report.
Original article source:
The Texas governor clarifies unequivocally that only U.S. citizens may participate in statewide voting procedures.
