ISSUE Note: Updated to reflect that HB 141 has been referred to the House Public Education Committee. The Texas GOP is trying to put into law Greg Abbott’s current executive order regarding mask mandates. This bill is fodder for the far, far right-wing base. The data is clear–masks help stop the spread of COVID-19–and schools […]
Masks Save Lives; Protect Our Kids!
ISSUE COVID-19 infection and hospitalization rates in Texas continue to skyrocket, yet Governor Greg Abbott refuses to protect our children by requiring masks be worn on public school campuses. Worse, he has said that no jurisdiction in Texas can pass a mask mandate…including schools! Right now less than 15% of kids 12-17 years old are […]
Keep Control of School Districts in Local Hands (SB 1365)
ISSUE Democratically elected school boards are essential because they know best when it comes to managing local education efforts. They are responsible to the communities they serve. But the authority of those elected positions is under attack. Senate Bill 1365 would disenfranchise voters by allowing the appointed commissioner of the Texas Education Agency (TEA) to […]
Say NO to an Appointed Official Being in Charge of Elections (SB 1340)
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 […]
Keep Local Control of Charter School Expansions (SB 28)
COMMITTEE HEARING ON WEDNESDAY, APRIL 28 ISSUE Senate Bill 28, which will be heard in House Public Education Committee on Wednesday, April 28, would remove the power of local governments and the State Board of Education (SBOE) to limit the expansion of charter schools. It would allow all charter school operators to site campuses wherever […]
Care About Homelessness? Oppose HB 1925!
ACT BY APRIL 1 ISSUE House Bill 1925 makes it a Class C misdemeanor to be sheltered in a “tent, tarpaulin, lean-to, sleeping bag, bedroll, blankets, or any form of shelter, other than clothing, designed to protect a person from weather conditions” in a public place. In effect, HB 1925 would criminalize sleeping or camping […]
Electric or Natural Gas Appliances? Let Local Governments Decide!
ACT ON THURSDAY, MARCH 18 ISSUE “The natural gas industry just made tens of billions of dollars while Texans sat shivering in their homes. So, naturally, Texas lawmakers are fast tracking a bill to reward the industry for bad behavior. House Bill 17 (HB 17) would prevent local governments from taking any action that encourages […]
HB 631 Would Take Away Local Control of Landfill Siting!
ACT BY 2 PM MONDAY, MARCH 15 ISSUE If HB 631 passes, cities and other local authorities will no longer be able to regulate where a landfill is placed. This bill states that an “applicant for a permit under this sub-chapter is not required to obtain a permit for the siting, construction, or operation of […]