A sweeping border security bill that would accelerate the hiring of state troopers along the Texas-Mexico bill is set to clear a major hurdle in the Capitol.
The House on Wednesday is expected to give preliminary approval to the measure that would put retired troopers back on duty and explore putting more southbound checkpoints in the Rio Grande Valley.
Some Democrats had expressed concerns that the original proposal contained anti-immigrant language. Republicans say the wording has been tweaked to allay those worries.
Gov. Greg Abbott has made border security one of his priorities in his first legislative session. He has called for hiring an additional 500 troopers in Texas and pulling the National Guard off the border.
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