On Wednesday, 666 new laws took effect in the state of Texas. Several of the hundreds of laws passed by Texas Legislature includes the new voting regulation laws that have been a hot topic.
One new voting law in particular bans Texas voters from registering to vote with a post office box. Another new voting law also gives the secretary of state the authorization to cut funds to registrars that do not properly track voters.
The third new voting law makes applying for a mail in ballot harder with stricter criteria for those with medical reasons. The changes come after voting laws were loosened last year due to the pandemic. Drive-through voting polls, temporary locations and 24-hour voting, is said to have angered the Republican dominated legislature who looked to enforce stricter voting regulations.
Additional voting law changes include tracking mail in ballots and who is permitted into voting poll locations. Aside from these newest changes to the laws, other controversial laws regarding abortion, police reform, emergency vehicles and more have also taken effect as of Sept. 1.
Police Chokeholds: Police are no longer allowed to use the choke hold or any form of neck restraint unless it is being used to save an officer’s life or prevent injury to an officer.
Active Shooter Alert System: The Leilah Hernandez Act is a law that was passed for the use of the Texas Active Shooter Alert System. The system alerts the public to an active shooter situation.
Texas Heartbeat Bill: Coined the Texas’ “Heartbeat Bill”, the bill bans abortions upon the detection of a fetal heartbeat. This is typically around the six week mark of a pregnancy. The law can only be enforced by private citizens via civil lawsuits, for example.
Blocking An Emergency Vehicle: Prevents an individual or group from blocking an emergency vehicle. Those found guilty can be charged with a felony or misdemeanor.
Beer & Wine Sales On Sundays: Beer and wine sales are now allowed on Sundays beginning at 10 a.m. Selling liquor on Sundays is still prohibited.
A list of the newly enforcing laws can be found here: https://capitol.texas.gov
