Voter Suppression Bill
Representative Michelle Beckley
As your State Legislator, I have continuously fought for your rights, your freedoms, and your liberty.
House Bill 6 and Senate Bill 7 are the infamous voter suppression bills that I have been vigorously fighting over the course of this session. As a member of the Elections Committee, I have endured the brunt of the battle. Upon its initial introduction, these bills faced opposition by the public, major corporations, Texas Democrats, and the media. On May 6, Senate Bill 7 was heard in lieu of House Bill 6... which led to deliberations until the wee hours of night. Senate Bill 7 eventually passed the Texas House on third reading, with all Democratic Representatives voting against the bill.
This bill attempts to secure the ballot, and although it might, it may also have a detrimental impact towards certain communities. It is my hope that voters will not be intimidated by this bill and will continue to make their voice heard at the ballot box. I offered an amendment to HB 6, which would bring vote centers to Denton County. This amendment, previously referred to as HB 661, would allow Denton County residents to vote at any polling location on Election Day - which is currently not available.
HB 661 was voted out of committee on a 7-2 vote, but we were trying to get it into Local and Consent; Rep. Valoree Swanson [R] and Rep. Mike Schofield [R] blocked it. The House Local and Consent Calendar is the fastest way to get the bill with local impact to the House Floor.
Texas Democrats came to the table with the Republicans and told them what we needed on this bill, which is to expand access to the ballot box. HB 661 has been attached to Senate Bill 7 and House Bill 6, which gives House Bill 661 a greater chance of success. We had the debate on Thursday night, and my one amendment for the uniformity of the vote center was accepted. That was part of the negotiations between parties. It will now go into a conference committee.
Despite the changes made to the bill, Senate Bill 7 is an unnecessary piece of legislation that is bad for Texans. During our first meeting of the House Committee on Elections, the committee heard testimony from attorneys at the Election Fraud Section of Attorney General Ken Paxton’s office. We requested follow up data and information regarding the total number of convictions related to voter fraud cases dating back to 2015; my staff was provided this information through a Freedom of Information Act request filed by the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU). According to these records, the total number of convictions related to election fraud offenses since 2015 totals 29. There have been zero convicted cases of election fraud relating to the 2020 elections and zero cases called to trial (data received in March 2021). Ultimately, Senate Bill 7 is a “solution” for a non-existent problem.
House Bill 6/ Senate Bill 7 may be leaving the House Floor, but the fight against voter suppression is not over.
Sincerely,
State Representative Michelle Beckley
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The city council of Carrollton, Texas provided comments regarding House Bill 4072 , which was proposed during the 87th Texas Legislative Session. The city council of Carrollton, Texas expressed their opposition for HB 4072 . HB 4072 sought to simplify and clarify local sales and use tax administration by establishing as the state’s default sourcing method a destination-based method under which sales are sourced to the location where the item is shipped or delivered or where the purchaser takes possession. HB 4072 requires that local sales taxes be collected and reported based on an item’s final destination as opposed to the transaction location. The city council of Carrollton voiced that the proposed changes would have disproportionally impacted cities with large commercial bases, placed undue burden on businesses, and caused unintended consequences. Our office also reviewed the potential impact of HB 4072 on the City of Lewisville. If HB 4072 had been passed, the changes would have resulted in an annual loss of more than $10 million in sales tax for Lewisville. Lewisville would have likely faced reduced services and employee layoffs across all city departments, including police and fire departments. The Office of State Representative Beckley proudly represented the interests of Carrollton and Lewisville, by opposing this piece of legislation. HB 4072 intended to address a perceived inequity that results from the misuse of Chapter 380 agreements, but the Comptroller already has the authority to invalidate these types of agreements. Cities use Chapter 380 agreements to grow their economies and benefit their communities. HB 4072 was unsuccessful during the 87th Legislative Regular Session; it was voted out of the Ways & Means House Committee but did not make its way to the House Floor. HB 4072 was left pending in the Calendars Committee; the Calendars Committee has jurisdiction over the placement of bills and resolutions on appropriate calendars. The 87th Regular Session ended on May 31, 2021. Sincerely, State Representative Michelle Beckley
Are you or a loved one heading to college this Fall? Does he/she/they need financial help? The Office of Representative Michelle Beckley is asking for submissions for the Texas Armed Services Scholarship. The Texas Armed Services Scholarship (TASSP) has been created to assist promising students from the State of Texas who are committed to education and service. It encourages young leaders to participate in the Texas Army National Guard, the Texas Air National Guard, the Texas State Guard, the United States Coast Guard, the United States Merchant Marine, or to become commissioned officers in any branch of the armed services of the United States. Each year the governor and the lieutenant governor may each appoint two students, and each state senator and each state representative may appoint one student to receive an initial conditional scholarship award. The amount of the award will be up to $10,000 and cannot exceed the student’s cost of attendance. Eligibility for Nomination: Students selected must meet two of these four academic criteria: Be on track to graduate or have graduated high school with the Distinguished Achievement Program (DAP), the distinguished level of achievement under the Foundation High School program, or the International Baccalaureate (IB) Program Have a high school grade point average (GPA) of 3.0 or higher on a 4.0 scale Achieved a college readiness score on the SAT (1020) or ACT (23) Be ranked in the top one-third of the prospective high school graduating class Eligibility for Award: To receive a scholarship, an appointed student must: Be registered with Selective Service or be exempt Be enrolled an in good standing in a Reserve Officers’ Training Corps (ROTC) program or another undergraduate officer commissioning program as certified by the institution Maintain satisfactory academic progress (SAP) as indicated by the financial aid office at the recipient’s institution of higher education Enter into a written agreement with the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board (THECB) Complete school-initiated Texas Armed Services Scholarship Program application by October 15, 2021 Repay the scholarship if requirements are not met If you’re interested in the Texas Armed Services Scholarship Program, please send your resume and a short essay (300-500 words) explaining your interest in the program to Michelle.Beckley@house.texas.gov . You will receive an update to your nomination status by July 9, 2021. Feel free to reach out to our District Director , Ariana Johnson, if you have any questions about the Texas Armed Services Scholarship Program. Thanks and good luck! Please note: The scholarship applicant should be a House District 65 constituent. If you are unsure of who represents you in Texas, find out here . Best wishes, State Representative Michelle Beckley