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Federal court reinstates Texas voter law through Oct. 10

A ruling had found the law's restrictions on assistance with absentee ballots to be unconstitutional, but Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton requested a stay of the ruling.

  • A federal appeals court has paused a ruling that found parts of a Texas voter security law unconstitutional. A federal judge ruled last week that a key part of the 2021 voter legislation law (Senate Bill 1) was confusing, vague, and overly broad. The court referred to the state’s attempt to block assistance with absentee ballots. The court ruled the state could no longer investigate voter assistance efforts as a criminal act. Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton cited this law when his office raided the homes of voting rights activists and a Democratic candidate for the Texas House searching for evidence of alleged voter fraud. Paxton immediately appealed the decision and requested a stay. The U.S. 5th Circuit Court of Appeals granted a temporary stay until October 10.
  • As reported yesterday on KETR, Texas A&M University-Commerce President Dr. Mark Rudin has announced his intention to propose to a name change for the university for the second time this year. This time, the proposed name is East Texas A&M University. Rudin says he’ll ask the Texas A&M University System Board of Regents to add the change to the agenda of its next regular meeting, Nov. 6-8 in College Station. If the proposal makes it onto the agenda, a vote would occur on Nov. 7. Earlier this year, a proposal to rename the university Texas A&M University-Dallas was leaked in June and was acknowledged by the university in July. Public response was mostly negative and led to the idea being dropped in August.
Mark Haslett served as KETR's News Director from February 2013 to June 2025. During his tenure the station's news operation enjoyed an increase in listener engagement and audience metrics, as well recognition in the Texas AP Broadcasters awards and a National Edward R. Murrow award.