DES MOINES An Iowa lawmaker used the debunked claim of widespread election fraud to explain his support Wednesday for a sweeping election bill that would reduce the early voting period by more than a third and limit the ways voters receive and submit early ballots.
Public hearings were held on the new bill, Senate Study Bill 1199, which was introduced just 24 hours earlier by statehouse Republicans.
After hearing public input, most of which was in opposition, Sen. Jason Schultz, R-Schleswig, said he supports the proposal because “it addresses the controversy that the country is going through right now.”
Schultz was referring to doubt in the 2020 presidential election results falsely sowed by Republican former President Donald Trump, who lost.