Texas Legislature passes sweeping election bill and sends to Governor Greg Abbott for signature
CBSN
The Texas Legislature sent a sweeping Republican-backed election bill to Governor Greg Abbott's desk on Tuesday, ending a months-long standoff with Democrats, who tried to defeat the effort in two separate walkouts.
The Texas House passed the bill, SB 1, 80-41 last week and on Tuesday, the Texas Senate passed it 18-13. The votes were nearly along party lines. Abbott has said that he looks forward to signing the bill. "Senate Bill 1 will solidify trust and confidence in the outcome of our elections by making it easier to vote and harder to cheat. I look forward to signing Senate Bill 1 into law, ensuring election integrity in Texas," Abbott said in a statement.Ashley White received her earliest combat action badge from the United States Army soon after the first lieutenant arrived in Afghanistan. The silver military award, recognizing soldiers who've been personally engaged by an attacker during conflict, was considered an achievement in and of itself as well as an affirming rite of passage for the newly deployed. White had earned it for using her own body to shield a group of civilian women and children from gunfire that broke out in the midst of her third mission in Kandahar province. All of them survived. She never mentioned the badge to anyone in her battalion.