Texas legislators this year claim they finally want to do a better job making sure public schools have the funds they need to educate our state's schoolchildren. Well, the House Public Education Committee isn't helping after last week approving a bill on posting the Ten Commandments in public school classrooms. In fact, that bill is a church-state train wreck that could tie up school districts in expensive lawsuits for years. Read More

Our fight to stop the legislative onslaught on LGBTQ Texans moved to the state House today. TFN helped organize a Capitol press conference calling on legislators to reject a new package of discrimination bills. Check out our press release. Read More

The Texas Senate gave preliminary approval today to SB9, a voter suppression bill designed to keep turnout low in Texas. We just sent out the following press release. Read More

State Rep. Jeff Leach has brought up one inflammatory anti-abortion bill after another as chair of the Texas House Judiciary and Civil Jurisprudence Committee this session. This past week's hearing drew testimony from hundreds anti-abortion extremists, many celebrating the possibility of executing a woman who ends her pregnancy early for any reason. Enough is enough. Today we joined with partner organizations to call out Chairman Leach for abusing his position of authority to bully, denigrate and shame women who have an abortion. Read More

While Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick and some of his Senate cronies seem hellbent on passing anti-LGBT discrimination laws, House members have a chance to take a different direction this week.

On Tuesday the House Business and Industry Committee will consider HB850 , which updates the state’s employment nondiscrimination laws to include protections for LGBT Texans.

It’s rare when a Texas legislative committee considers such a positive, pro-equality bill. So it’s critical that we show committee members that there is broad support for equality for all Texans regardless of sexual orientation or gender identity or expression.

You can support Rep. Eric Johnson’s HB850 in two ways:

Sign up to testify at the committee hearing on Tuesday. The committee will meet at 10:30 a.m. or on adjournment of the House in E2.016 in the Capitol extension. Place a call to members of the House Business and Industry Committee to express your support for HB850 (contact info provided below).

To support HB850, tell committee members:… Read More