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Texas Senate backs election changes; critics suspect suppression

The Republican-majority state Senate voted Monday for a package of election law changes that opponents deride as a thinly-veiled effort to suppress turnout in Texas as it moves toward becoming the nation's biggest politically competitive state.

The bill would turn some election-related misdemeanors into felonies and end the requirement that such offenses be committed with fraudulent intent. It would also expand police powers to conduct sting investigations in political cases, make it tougher for seniors and the disabled to get help at polling places, and tighten the regulation of election volunteers. (To the delight of those advocating for more transparent elections, however, the measure would mandate all electronic voting machines produce a paper record.)


"There are no changes in this bill that are intended or would create a pitfall or a trap for the unwary or a 'gotcha' in elections," GOP state Sen. Bryan Hughes said. "Changes in this bill are to catch and punish cheaters."

"This legislation magnifies the voter suppression tactics that [Texas politicians] have been pursuing for the last couple of years," Zenén Jaimes Pérez, advocacy director for the Texas Civil Rights Project, countered to the San Antonio Current.

GOP Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick says the measure is one of his top priorities for a session that ends in six weeks. It now goes to the state House, where the Republican majority is a bit narrower than in the Senate.

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Trump Doubles Down on Maduro’s Arrest
File:Nicolás Maduro, president of Venezuela (2016) cropped.jpg ...

Trump Doubles Down on Maduro’s Arrest

In a dramatic escalation of U.S. pressure on Venezuela, President Donald Trump has doubled the reward for information leading to the arrest of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro—from $25 million to a staggering $50 million. The move, announced by Attorney General Pam Bondi, positions Maduro among the most-wanted fugitives in the world and intensifies Washington’s campaign to hold him accountable for alleged narco-terrorism.

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Evelyn Hockstein/For The Washington Post via Getty Images

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Founded as an independent national news outlet, The Fulcrum explores and advances solutions to the challenges facing our democratic republic—by amplifying diverse, civic-minded voices. We've long championed a new political paradigm rooted in civil discourse, civic integrity, and personal accountability while warning that hyper-partisan rhetoric and entrenched party lines threaten the very foundation of reasoned governance.

But in 2025, the threat has evolved. The content arriving in our newsroom, as well as the voices from the field, reflect not just frustration with gridlock, but growing alarm over the systematic dismantling of democratic institutions. From reform leaders to civic organizations to everyday citizens, we’re hearing the same refrain: The machinery of democracy is not merely stalled, but systematically being dismantled.

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A congressional resolution urges the House to designate July 13, the day that President Trump was shot in an assassination attempt, as an annual federal holiday.

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Congress Bill Spotlight: Making Trump Assassination Attempt a National Holiday

The Fulcrum introduces Congress Bill Spotlight, a report by Jesse Rifkin, focusing on the noteworthy legislation of the thousands introduced in Congress. Rifkin has written about Congress for years, and now he's dissecting the most interesting bills you need to know about but that often don't get the right news coverage.

No longer would July 13 only be known as National Beans ‘n’ Franks Day or National Barbershop Music Appreciation Day.

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