AUSTIN – On Thursday, the Texas House held a public hearing on HJR 161, a resolution seeking to amend the Texas Constitution to clarify that voters residing in the Lone Star State must be U.S. citizens.
The measure’s sponsor, Rep. Candy Noble, opened by pointing out that U.S. citizenship is not listed as one of the reasons a person can’t vote in the Texas constitution.
“While we are the most welcoming of states, our laws, elections and bond proposals should be decided by citizens,” Noble said, adding that protecting the sanctity of elections is a fundamental responsibility that voter confidence depends on.
She also said the bill is a protective measure that strengthens Texas’ electoral process, “ensuring that voting is a right maintained for U.S. citizens.”
The Elections Committee heard from several Texans supporting and opposing HJR 161. While some expressed that an amendment is necessary to keep municipalities from exploiting any possible loopholes, others argued that non-citizens are already prohibited from voting.
Kevin Hale of the Libertarian Party told legislators HJR 161 was making a mountain out of molehill.
“It’s redundant,” Hale said. “Why are we wasting time on this? We have better things to do.”
Conversely, Timothy McCain, speaking for Americans for Citizens Voting, urged lawmakers to pass the measure and protect the right that only citizens can vote.
A recent poll found that 88 percent of Texans believe only U.S. citizens should be able to vote in Texas elections.
Nearly two dozen cities across the country have allowed some form of non-citizen voting.
In closing, Noble stressed that there are cities in the country that have gone against their state laws and allowed non-citizens to vote in local elections.
“This is actually a problem,” Noble said, adding that HJR 161 will make sure that municipalities can’t “get around our law.”
A companion bill, SJR 37, already has passed the Senate. If the resolution clears both chambers, the issue would go before voters in November.
The proposal, which was left pending, would amend the state Constitution to add that persons who are not citizens of the United States shall not be allowed to vote in the state. It would be the fourth classification of people not allowed to vote. The other three are persons under 18 years of age, persons who have been determined mentally incompetent by a court and persons convicted of any felony.