Gov. Greg Abbott's decision to appoint former state Rep. Nate Schatzline as a senior adviser on election policy says as much about the direction of Texas Republican politics as it does about the state's lack of seriousness about free and fair elections.

Schatzline last week joined Abbott's office, where he'll work on what the governor describes as "election integrity" policy.

Sign up The appointment drops one of the Legislature's most outspoken far-right culture warriors as well as an outspoken Christian Nationalist into a position that's likely to play a major role in shaping future election legislation.