Texas Senate OKs revisions to Texas contentious voter ID law
AUSTIN, Texas (AP) - The Texas Senate has preliminarily approved key modifications to the state's hotly debated voter ID law, incorporating some temporary changes ordered after federal courts found the strict measure discriminatory.
Monday's 21-10 vote leaves the measure just a final, largely ceremonial vote away from being sent to the House. It doesn't ease requirements about what picture identifications are acceptable when voting, meaning gun licenses remain OK but college IDs aren't.
Federal courts have found that those rules disproportionately penalized poor and minority Texans, and ordered a workaround for November's presidential election. It let people without required ID vote in Texas by signing an affidavit.
The bill seeks makes permanent much of that workaround. It also creates a criminal penalty of up to 10 years in prison for lying on such affidavits.