It was a hectic Sunday at the Texas Legislature. Thank you to tall who took action and contacted your reps during the holiday weekend.

Here’s what happened on what turned out to be not much of a holiday for legislators.

Sanford’s anti-LGBT amendment State Rep. Scott Sanford, R-McKinney, did not get an opportunity to offer an amendment allowing discrimination against LGBT people who want to provide loving homes to children. The amendment may be offered again as early as Tuesday when the House debates Senate Bill 206. Here’s some background on Sanford’s proposal. And you can tell legislators you oppose the amendment by going here.

Cruel anti-abortion amendment State Rep. Jonathan Stickland. R-Bedford, pulled down an amendment that would force a pregnant person to carry a nonviable fetus to term. Stickland did so in lieu of another anti-abortion measure, SB 575, which almost died last night before being revived at the last minute. This late move, by the way, involves Rep. Stickland reportedly almost getting into a physical altercation with a Republican colleague.

HB 3994 HB 3994 was not heard in the Senate as was expected Sunday. The bill would… Read More

While over in the Texas House of Representatives many, many bills met their fate when a key deadline passed Thursday night, lawmakers in the lower chamber did accomplish a few things, including, unfortunately, passing even more abortion restrictions.

And with those bills now approved in the House, the debate over that legislation now shifts to the Senate, and we need your help to fight back against these proposals by coming to the Capitol on Monday.

One bill, HB 3994 by state Rep. Geanie Morrison, R-Victoria, makes it harder for minors seeking an abortion to obtain what’s know as a judicial bypass. This, from the Texas Observer:

A parental notification law requires that Texans under the age of 18 get their parents’ consent before having an abortion. However, minors can turn to the courts to seek a legal, confidential judicial bypass when they fear they’ll be abused at home because of their pregnancy, or don’t have a parent to consent.

HB 3994 by state Rep. Geanie Morrison (R-Victoria), among many things, increases the burden of proof on the minor from a “preponderance of evidence” to “clear and convincing” evidence, a change House Democrats took issue with early in… Read More

Click below for contact information of committee members.

Tuesday, April 14 House State Affairs Committee

Wednesday, April 15 House Judiciary & Civil Jurisprudence Committee

Even after passing the most restrictive laws in the country, anti-abortion zealots in the Texas Legislature are back at it, trying to pass laws further squeezing access. They won’t stop until they’ve ended access to safe, legal abortion care for all women in Texas. Three bills with that goal will be heard this week in two separate committees:

HB 723 by state Rep. Phil King, R-Weatherford, would prohibit a court from appointing an attorney for a minor seeking an order authorizing consent for an abortion.

HB 3446 by state Rep. Jodie Laubenberg, R-Parker, forces abortion providers to post signs with state-mandated language about the prohibition against forcing a woman to undergo an abortion, an abuse hotline number, and other information.

HB 3765 by state Rep. Jodie Laubenberg, R-Parker, adds even more rules dealing with parental consent for minors seeking an abortion.… Read More

Too often the only faith voices heard on the issue of reproductive rights are those who seek to limit or end altogether access to abortion and other family planning services. But that monologue from the religious right is coming to an end. Faith leaders from across the state are now joining together to support the right to safe, legal abortion care and affordable family planning for all Texans. We sent out this press release Tuesday evening announcing a new campaign — Just Texas: Faith Voices for Reproductive Justice:

FAITH LEADERS LAUNCH CAMPAIGN TO SUPPORT REPRODUCTIVE JUSTICE

‘Just Texas: Faith Voices for Reproductive Justice’ Focuses on Organizing People of Faith in Support of Access to Abortion, Family Planning Services

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE March 10, 2015

Clergy and other people of faith gathered in Austin Tuesday evening at a special service launching a new campaign focused on countering the continued political attacks on reproductive health care and access to abortion and family planning services for all Texans.

The multifaith event at Temple Beth Shalom launching “Just Texas: Faith Voices for Reproductive Justice” featured a talk by Dr. Willie Parker, who shared the story of… Read More

Anti-abortion extremists in Texas are pushing new legislation that would make it even more difficult, if not impossible, for millions of Texans to have access to safe, legal and affordable abortion care. This time they’re doing so by attacking private health insurance offered through the federal Affordable Care Act (ACA), or “Obamacare.”

Extremists have long attacked the the ACA for allegedly forcing federal taxpayers to “subsidize” abortions. But they haven’t been telling the truth.

Since the passage of the so-called Hyde Amendment in the late 1970s, federal law has barred the use of federal funds to pay for abortion except in the cases of rape or incest and if the life of the mother is endangered. The ACA doesn’t change that. From the Henry K. Kaiser Family Foundation’s excellent website detailing the provisions of the ACA:

The ACA reinforces the current Hyde Amendment restrictions, continuing to limit federal funds to pay for pregnancy terminations that endanger the life of the woman or that are a result of rape or incest. State Medicaid programs continue to have the option to cover abortions in other circumstances using only state funds and no federal funds. President Obama issued an executive order as part of health reform that restated the federal limits specifically… Read More