Corporate criticism of GOP-led voting bills spreads to Texas

AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — The ranks of big corporations now criticizing GOP efforts to restrict voting access spread Thursday to Texas as measures that would reduce options to cast ballots and limit polling hours advanced in the state Capitol.

American Airlines, which is based in Fort Worth, came out against restrictive voting measures that have a favorable path to reaching Republican Gov. Greg Abbott's desk in the coming weeks.

The opposition came the same day a package of sweeping elections changes cleared the GOP-controlled Senate and, notably, a day after some of Georgia’s most prominent corporate leaders came out publicly against a new election law after civil rights activists criticized their silence.

“To make American’s stance clear: We are strongly opposed to this bill and others like it,” the airline said in a statement.

Unlike in Georgia, the corporate criticism in Texas to the election bills comes before they have been signed into law. Corporate interests carry big clout in the Texas Capitol, but Abbott and other Republicans have given no indication of wavering in their pursuit of passing the measures before the session ends in May.

The passage of Senate Bill 7 along party lines after midnight early Thursday was a key marker in the GOP's campaign to impose new restrictive voting rules in America's biggest red state.

Hours later, House Republicans began efforts to move a similar bill, known as House Bill 6, to the floor with nearly 200 people signed up to testify.

Billionaire Michael Dell, whose tech company is headquartered in suburban Austin, tweeted Thursday, “Governments should ensure citizens have their voices heard. HB6 does the opposite, and we are opposed to it."

Critics of the Texas legislation say the efforts particularly target expanded...