The April Lege Lowdown

We’re a little over three months into the legislative session. Lord willing and if the creek don’t rise, we’ll make it to Sine Die on June 2!

We wouldn’t pull your leg—April at the Texas Capitol has been a doozy.

Just when we thought some rural Republicans might stick up for their constituents and say no to vouchers, ole’ Greg Abbott brought in his buddy Donald Trump, who rang up our lawmakers and told ’em they better vote yes on that doggone voucher scheme, Senate Bill 2.

Unlike the leaders of our state and nation, Texas Freedom Network gives a darn that Texans want public dollars to stay with public schools. So we rallied hard the morning of the debate, joining forces with Texas Impact, Austin Council of PTAs, Save Texas Schools, Pastors for Texas Children, SEAT, and legislative allies to mobilize hundreds of Texans to the Capitol and holler out our support for students, teachers, and the lifeblood of our communities—public schools.

The debate in the Texas Senate lasted until about 2 AM on Thursday, April 17, but by the time that rooster crowed, Texas Republicans had passed school vouchers after more than 30 years of successful community pushback. 

Right-wing legislators were so scaredy pants, they wouldn’t even vote on the 44 amendments introduced by folks trying to save our public schools. In fact, they were so lily-livered they wouldn’t even consider an amendment brought by Rep. Talarico that would’ve allowed Texas voters to decide the fate of vouchers at the ballot box in November.

We won’t sugarcoat it: This is a huge blow to Texas public schools—but this is just the beginning of our new fight. Texas Freedom Network and allies will never let Texans forget who failed our kids and sold their education to the highest bidder.

We’ll make sure there’s hell to pay at the ballot box and beyond for lawmakers who chose to steal funds from kids in our public schools.

Without further ado, here’s your April overview of the key bills we’re focusing on related to our issue areas: public education, religious freedom, LGBTQIA+ equality, reproductive rights, and any big happenings in immigration and voting rights.

HB 1106 would amend the family code to say that refusing to affirm your child’s gender identity or sexual orientation is not child abuse.

Texas Freedom Network advocates testified against this bill, which we believe puts LGBTQIA+ children in Texas in grave danger:

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HB 229 is a blatant attack on our trans community, attempting to force a narrow, unchangeable, and exclusive definition of “sex,” “male,” “female,” “man,” and “woman” into every government usage of the terms. In addition to restricting access to crucial resources, HB 229 would block queer and transgender Texans from updating their identity documents with gender markers that reflect who they truly are.

HB 3990 would ban Pride flags, as well as any other flag that does not represent a branch of the government, in all government-owned buildings. 

SB 406 would block queer and transgender Texans from updating their birth certificates with gender markers that reflect who they truly are. 

This bill attacks LGBTQIA+ kids in our public schools yet again by allowing public school employees to openly misgender our students and choose not to use their correct pronouns in public schools.

This bill would require that every public school classroom display a “durable” poster of the Ten Commandments that’s at least 16 inches wide and 20 inches tall. 

Almost identical to SB 10, this bill would require that every public school classroom display a poster of the Ten Commandments that’s visible from “anywhere in the classroom.”

This bill, which establishes “prayer time” in schools, is a solution in search of a problem. Students and school employees already have and exercise the constitutionally protected right to pray and to read the Bible or other religious texts while at school. Rather than trying to fuel the culture wars, lawmakers should focus on providing the state’s schools with the resources they need to ensure students get a quality education.

HB 178 would allow students to use an ethnic studies course for their social studies credits, instead of just taking it as an elective. This legislation would be a huge win in creating accurate, honest curriculums for our public schools that teach the truth and tell the story of our diverse communities.

This legislation would ban books by forcing vendors to “rate books for sexually explicit content,” create an unnecessary “catalog” of library materials, and require school districts to establish “library advisory councils” that could easily be infiltrated by bad actors seeking to censor materials about LGBTQIA+, Black, and brown people. This advisory board would then have the power to approve or deny all library material purchases. Parents already have the right to choose what their kids read in school—this bill is book banning, plain and simple. 

This bill takes aim at DEI initiatives and “instruction” in K-12 public schools. While most Texas public schools do not have DEI offices, this bill features “Don’t Say Gay” language banning instruction about sexual orientation and gender identity, effectively erasing LGBTQIA+ Texans from public school curriculums and classrooms. It’s worth noting that during his State of the State, Gov. Abbott threatened to fire “on the spot” any teachers who affirm their LGBTQIA+ students.

SB 2101 would ban “sexually explicit material” in municipal libraries for minors, opening the door to vague and discriminatory policies that bar kids from accessing their freedom to read and stories that reflect their experience and expand their worldview. This legislation could easily be weaponized by bad actors seeking to censor materials about LGBTQIA+, Black, and brown people.

HB 5510 criminalizes all forms of support for abortion care, including sharing information, providing travel assistance, or financial support, even if the abortion is conducted in a state where this healthcare is legal. 

SB 2880 is an identical companion to HB 5510. It criminalizes all forms of support for abortion care, including sharing information, providing travel assistance, or financial support, even if the abortion is conducted in a state where this healthcare is legal. 

SB 33 would further erode local control by prohibiting municipalities and counties from using public funds for practical support services related to abortion, even when such support does not directly fund abortion procedures. This includes essential services such as travel, lodging, meals, and childcare. These are critical resources that help individuals access reproductive healthcare outside of Texas. Given that abortion is now completely banned in the state, SB 33 serves as an additional barrier, targeting Texans who must leave the state for legal medical care.

SB 31 aims to provide clarification for doctors in emergencies, something pregnant people and doctors have been asking for since Texas banned abortion. However, SB 31 does not go far enough to protect people needing abortions, according to our partners in the reproductive rights movement. Advocates worry it could worsen access to abortion by allowing a hundred-year-old law to again be in effect, create more confusion for Texans, and add to the disinformation Texans face about abortion access.

HB 2442 is a GOOD bill that would allow voters to receive a ballot by mail for runoff elections.

This bill would require proof of citizenship to vote, creating more barriers for Texas voters and encouraging racial profiling at the polls.

The identical companion to HB 5337, this bill would require proof of citizenship to vote, creating more barriers for Texas voters and encouraging racial profiling at the polls.

SB 76 would eliminate countywide polling places, making it even more difficult for Texas voters to make time to vote and causing even more confusion for folks about where and when they can cast their ballots. 

We’ll be back next month to give you The Lege Lowdown, but until then, make sure you’re following Texas Freedom Network on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn to stay informed on how you can take action for your fellow Texans!