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Civil rights group tallies significant Texas voting problems

At least 278,000 Texas voters were impeded by election administration problems last fall, the Texas Civil Rights Project claims.

The group's study, unveiled Tuesday, was "based on public election information and data from the largest non-partisan election-protection effort in the state" the San Antonio Current reported. Among the problems documented were late poll openings, long lines, lack of polling places on college campuses, voting machine malfunctions, voter intimidation and noncompliance with the National Voter Registration Act.


The number of voters affected, the study noted, was greater than the margin separating the candidates in the state's marquee election, GOP Sen. Ted Cruz's re-election over Democrat Beto O'Rourke.

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From Nixon to Trump: A Blueprint for Restoring Congressional Authority
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From Nixon to Trump: A Blueprint for Restoring Congressional Authority

The unprecedented power grab by President Trump, in many cases, usurping the clear and Constitutional authority of the U.S. Congress, appears to leave our legislative branch helpless against executive branch encroachment. In fact, the opposite is true. Congress has ample authority to reassert its role in our democracy, and there is a precedent.

During the particularly notable episode of executive branch corruption during the Nixon years, Congress responded with a robust series of reforms. Campaign finance laws were dramatically overhauled and strengthened. Nixon’s overreach on congressionally authorized spending was corrected with the passage of the Impoundment Act. And egregious excesses by the military and intelligence community were blunted by the War Powers Act and the bipartisan investigation by Senator Frank Church (D-Idaho).

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In and Out: The Limits of Term Limits

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In and Out: The Limits of Term Limits

Nearly 14 years ago, after nearly 12 years of public service, my boss, Rep. Todd Platts, surprised many by announcing he was not running for reelection. He never term-limited himself, per se. Yet he had long supported legislation for 12-year term limits. Stepping aside at that point made sense—a Cincinnatus move, with Todd going back to the Pennsylvania Bar as a hometown judge.

Term limits are always a timely issue. Term limits may have died down as an issue in the halls of Congress, but I still hear it from people in my home area.

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