Political Update: A Good, Bad and Ugly Day at the Capitol

 

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Monday: Bills to Watch

Texas House Committee on International Relations & Economic Development
Monday, April 15 — 8 a.m. | Texas Capitol, Room E2.014

Paid Sick
HB 3728 by Rep. Bernal — Support
Would provide Texas worker the opportunity to earn paid sick time

 

Wednesday: Bills to Watch

Texas House Committee on State Affairs Hearing
Wednesday, April 17 — 10:30 a.m. | Texas Capitol, Room E2.014

LGBTQ Equality

HB 244 by Rep. Farrar — Support
Extends nondiscrimination protections to LGBTQ Texans

HB 1035 by Rep. Zedler — Oppose
A sweeping religious exemptions bill that would allow public officials to discriminate and use religion as the justification

HB 1347 by Rep. Bell — Oppose
The so-called “Texas Sovereignty Act” calls for the state to ignore federal laws and court rulings like the Supreme Court decision legalizing same-sex marriage

HB 3172 by Rep. Krause — Oppose
Would allow public officials to exempt themselves from their duties by using religion as the justification

HB 4041 by Rep. Toth — Oppose
A religious exemptions bills that would allow state officials to ignore federal laws and ruling

 

Church and State

HCR 17 by Rep. Stephenson — Oppose
Would encourage the posting of the Ten Commandments and government-endorsed prayer in public schools and government buildings

 

Reproductive Justice

HB 2434 by Rep. Schaefer — Oppose
Would eliminate the fetal anomaly exception for abortions after 20 weeks

 

Education

HB 1183 by Rep. Jarvis Johnson — Support
Would abolish Confederate Heroes Day as a state holiday

 

Immigration

HB 35 by Rep. Romero — Support
Would allow undocumented immigrants to obtain conditional diver’s permits

HB 445 by Rep. Mary Gonzalez — Support
Would bar certain entities, like medical facilities and public universities, from assisting with the enforcement of federal laws

HB 652 by Rep. Neave — Support
Would bar certain entities, like domestic violence shelters and public universities, from assisting with the enforcement of federal laws

HB 2266 by Rep. Anchia — Support
Would repeal provisions of Senate Bill 4, which was passed in the 2017 legislative session an opened the door to profiling of immigrant communities

 

Economic Justice

HB 328 by Rep. Ortega — Support
Would allow local governments from setting a minimum wage that is greater than the state-mandated minimum wage

HB 761 by Rep. Wu — Support
Would establish a task force to study the gender and race wage gaps