Election integrity and border security topped the list of topics highlighted by State Sen. Bryan Hughes of Mineola in an address to the Mineola Rotary Club Monday.

Hughes noted that Texas ranks among the best states for secure elections and will continue to stress making it easy to vote but difficult to cheat.

He gave statistics demonstrating the current administration’s stance concerning immigration compared to the prior one and outlined the steps the state is taking to help secure the border, which he said should be a federal responsibility.

He also spent time talking about some of the things going on in Texas schools, in response to an audience question, noting that things are being done right in local districts.

Hughes is serving his second term representing Senate District One after 14 years in the house of representatives.

While noting the partisan divide at the national level, he said of the 1,200 or so bills passed by the legislature in 2021, only 25 passed the senate on a party-line vote. Eighteen of the 31 senators are Republicans and 13 Democrats.

Hughes explained that most of the cheating during elections involves ballot harvesters, who target principally the elderly, disabled and non-English speakers by assisting them with their mail-in ballots in violation of the rules.

Having a paper trail backup for electronic voting machines is also key, he said.

Turning to the border, he said that Texas Dept. of Public Safety troopers and the National Guard are helping to stem the tide of those who would try to enter the country illegally.

He said it is an insult for those who came here by following the rules to see others try to circumvent them.

He said the reversal of the Remain in Mexico policy has seen large numbers of those seeking asylum disappear prior to their court hearings.

There were 139,000 arrests at the border in May compared to 12,500 in May 2020 when the policy was in place, keeping those seeking asylum from entering the country until their court hearings.

Of those arrests, 17,000 were criminals, he said.

Enough of the drug fentanyl was seized to kill 300 million people, he added.

The state is also working with landowners to build additional miles of wall in high traffic areas, as part of the state’s $4 billion spending on border security.

Among the school issues he addressed were sex education, which is determined by local districts.

He also noted that some districts are reviewing library materials that are considered inappropriate, and gave an explanation of the teaching of history that includes all the bad parts but avoids the theory that claims some citizens are victims and others are oppressors under the guise of critical race theory.