HEARING IS APRIL 29 ISSUE Voters are still under attack by leaders of the Legislature who continue to push bills that take votes away from people of color and with disabilities, punish voters and people who try to help them, and take authority away from local elected officials. Most of the bills to be heard […]
Push to Pass Good Criminal Justice Bills (HBs 829, 830, and 834)
FLOOR VOTE IS ON THURSDAY, APRIL 29 ISSUE While the overarching George Floyd Act (House Bill 88) will not make it through this session, three key parts of it have a chance of passing, one of them being the Sandra Bland Act (HB 830). We need all hands on deck to make sure these three […]
Pro-Voter Bills to Support!
HEARING IS THURSDAY, APRIL 29 ISSUE Among the bills that will be heard before the House Elections Committee on April 29, 2021, we like the following pro-voter bills and think they deserve our support. (It’s a House hearing where several Senate bills will also be included.) HB 32 would allow a parent or legal guardian […]
Ensure Redistricting is Transparent (HB 3112)
ISSUE Texans must trust that the maps drawn to designate who represents them in government are drawn fairly and transparently. House Bill 3112 would bring transparency to the entire process of redistricting in Texas. It would: Require development of a website that would include public notices of hearings, provide data used in redistricting, and be […]
Limit PreK Class Size to Improve Education Quality (HB 41)
ISSUE In order for our youngest learners to receive all the benefits of preK instruction, we must limit teacher/student ratios in classes. The Texas Education Agency (TEA) recommends that there be at least 1 teacher or teacher’s aid per 11 students in every prekindergarten classroom throughout Texas. This ratio helps ensure that children who have […]
Save Power and Money for Texans! (SB 243, HB 4556)
HOUSE AND SENATE HEARINGS ON APRIL 20 ISSUE The Texas Legislature needs to scale up goals for energy efficiency. These two bills (Senate Bill 243 and its companion House Bill 4556) would raise energy efficiency standards, invest in energy efficiency programs, and help weatherize homes and businesses. This would reduce the ever-growing demand on the […]
Protect Your Right to Choose Your Representatives (Redistricting)
ACT BY TUESDAY, APRIL 20 ISSUE The Texas House will hear three sets of bills on Tuesday, April 20, each of which would create a new, non-partisan Texas Redistricting Commission. The three sets each include a bill that determines the rules for creating and governing the Commission’s work and a Joint Resolution to amend the […]
Stop Anti-Abortion Bills in the House (HBs 1515, 3218, 3760, 2313, 2337)
ISSUE Five really bad bills are in the House Calendars Committee, which schedules when bills will be heard on the House floor. We want them to stay there and not come to floor for a vote. HB 1515 would ban all abortions after a “heartbeat” is detectable. This would be at about 6 weeks, before […]
Axe the Tampon Tax! (Approve HB 321)
COMMITTEE HEARING IS MONDAY, APRIL 19 AT 10 AM ISSUE Period poverty is when menstruators cannot afford or access menstrual hygiene products such as pads and tampons. Currently, these products are taxed as if they are luxury items, when in fact they are necessary healthcare products. The “tampon tax” unfairly burdens Texans in period poverty […]
Support a Statewide Trail Network for Biking and Walking! (HCR 65)
ISSUE H.C.R. 65, filed in the House by Representative Lynn Stucky (Dist 64), is a resolution supporting a statewide trail network for bicycling and walking. It has been reported favorably by the House Transportation Committee. The resolution encourages the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDoT) to develop and support multi-use pathway network projects and directs TxDoT […]
Address Students’ Mental Health Needs (HBs 2465 and 2954)
ISSUE Texas statistics tell us that more than 6 million people have been diagnosed with mental health issues across the state and at least 19% of children have suicidal ideations at some point during their formative years. The likelihood of a child facing these struggles or knowing someone who does increases every day. Currently, mental […]
Support Expanding Medicaid in Texas (HBs 1741 and 3871)
ACT FROM NOW THROUGH MAY ISSUE The Texas budget would get a boost by expanding Medicaid in Texas. Expanding Medicaid would save the Texas budget $100 million while providing comprehensive healthcare to 1.2 million adult Texans who earn less than $17,000 a year. Expanding Medicaid would also save county budgets the property tax dollars currently […]
More Attacks on Transgender Youth and Those Who Care for Them (SBs 1311/1646, HBs 1399/1424)
ISSUE Quick Take: There will be hearings this week (week of April 12) on several bills that would limit healthcare access for transgender children. Senate, Monday, April 12, 9 AM Senate State Affairs Committee hearing on SBs 1311 and 1646. SB 1311 would ban healthcare providers from providing gender-affirming care to transgender children. SB 1646 […]
Support Charter School Accountability (HB 97, 450, 1249)
ISSUE Traditional public schools lose millions of dollars each year to charter schools, which don’t have the same accountability and aren’t held to the same standards. Charter schools can selectively admit students, don’t have to notify residents of an area about a planned new school, and are not required to make their financial reports available […]
Show You Oppose Anti-Abortion Bills That Take Away Texan’s Rights!
Important: The hearing on these bills is Wednesday, April 7 ISSUE A group of highly restrictive anti-abortion bills, including the 6-week fetal heartbeat bill, have already passed the Texas Senate and are scheduled to sail through a hearing in the House Public Health Committee beginning at 8:00 AM on Wednesday, April 7th. If these bills […]