Texas voters approved two state constitutional amendments in statewide votes, NBC News projects, part of a slew of state ballot measures voters around the country considered on Tuesday.
The ballot measures amend Texas’ constitution to clarify that only U.S. citizens can vote in the state and to enshrine parental rights.
Proponents of the ballot measure say that parental rights are already guaranteed in Texas because of existing case law, but a constitutional amendment will ensure parental rights are observed even if case law changes in the future.
“Over the last 100 years, federal case law has outlined specific areas in which parents have a constitutionally protected right to make decisions for their children. However, rights found in case law can change and disappear over time with the appointment of new judges. Placing the rights of parents in the Texas constitution would ensure the longevity of these rights for future generations,” GOP state Sen. Bryan Hughes, a sponsor of the measure, wrote as part of a bill analysis.
The measure approved on Tuesday will add language to the state constitution that says, “the people of Texas hereby affirm that a parent has the responsibility to nurture and protect the parent’s child and the corresponding fundamental right to exercise care, custody, and control of the parent’s child, including the right to make decisions concerning the child’s upbringing.”
Opponents of the ballot measure, including education and reproductive rights groups, have called the measure “unnecessary,” and “dangerous.” They say the constitutional language could later be used to justify restrictions on information children can access regarding mental health care and reproductive health care. Other opponents called the measure “vague.”
On the voting measure, even before its passage, only U.S. citizens could vote in the state of Texas, leading opponents of the measure to call it “redundant,” while proponents of the measure said it will ensure local municipalities cannot allow non-citizens to vote in local elections in the future.
The measure’s sponsor in the Texas legislature, GOP state Sen. Brian Birdwell, pointed to other states, like California, Maryland, New York, and Vermont, where non-citizen residents are authorized to vote in some local elections, like school board or city council elections.
“The right to vote is sacred, guaranteed by the United States Constitution. With other states allowing their local governments to implement a voting mechanism to allow non-citizens to vote, Texas should proactively amend the constitution to ensure that Texas municipalities cannot implement such policies should statute change,” Birdwell wrote as part of a bill analysis in the state Senate.
“In efforts to preserve the integrity of all elections, maintaining that only citizens have the right to vote will create additional safeguards to keep our Texas elections secure,” he added.
The measure won support from GOP Gov. Greg Abbott, who told voters in a post on X earlier this year that the ballot measure, “makes it crystal clear that if you are not a United States citizen, you’re not allowed to vote in Texas.”
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