Browsing: State

Senate Bill IV was signed by Gov. Greg Abbott on Dec. 18, 2023. The new law clamps down on illegal immigration in various ways, but its largest impact is making illegal immigration a state crime in Texas. Two months before taking effect on March 5, the law has been met with opposition. The U.S. Department of Justice filed a lawsuit against the state of Texas on Jan. 3.

With the exception of a proposition to increase the mandatory retirement age for state judges, Texans passed all proposed constitutional amendments on the ballot into law Tuesday. According to McLennan County elections administrator Jared Goldsmith, 538 people voted at the Mark and Paula Hurd Welcome Center, which was a newly appointed voting site on Election Day.

The Texas “trigger law,” set to make abortion illegal in the state 30 days after the U.S. Supreme Court’s judgment overturning Roe v. Wade, will take effect Thursday. This law is called The Texas Human Life Protection Act.

Texas held the first primary election on March 1, allowing citizens to vote in either the Democratic primary or the Republican primary to choose who they would like to represent the party in the general election in November.

McLennan County primary election early voting will begin on Feb. 14, with over 35 separate elections forming the Democratic and Republican ballots. Voters will choose one of the parties’ ballots to vote on, choosing the candidates they wish to represent the party in the November general state election.