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House debates restoring subpoena power for Secretary of State and data-sharing changes
Summary
House members debated HB2125, which would codify citizenship-status data sharing between agencies, extend a secretary-of-state technology fee, and reinstate a subpoena authority for election investigations. Sponsors emphasized narrow use for credible complaints; some members warned of potential abuse and sought judicial safeguards.
Representative Franklin (S27) presented House Bill 2125, which has three main components: put citizenship-status exchange into statute for voter-registration verification, renew a technology fee used by the Secretary of State, and restore an investigatory subpoena power (previously subject to a five-year sunset) that the Secretary of State may use in credible election-related investigations. The sponsor said the subpoena authority was used twice since 2020 and described it as a tool for gathering evidence to determine probable cause.
Opponents and inquirers on the floor asked how complaints enter the process, what initial intake and credibility screening looks like, whether the secretary acts unilaterally to issue subpoenas, and whether judicial oversight is required. Representative Clay and others asked if subpoenas are issued by court order or directly; the sponsor described a front-end screening, investigation and then a probable-cause referral to local prosecutors—"Once again, this is the process internally with our chief election officer to investigate a potential 1," the sponsor said.
Members acknowledged the limited use of the authority over the last five years but urged caution given national rhetoric about election fraud and the potential for politically motivated or sham investigations. The House ultimately adopted the committee substitute as presented following floor discussion.
