ACTION ALERT FOR THURSDAY 2/27/25

The Senate Education Committee will meet TOMORROW, 2/27/25 to take testimony on several important education/health bills that could use our support.  In addition, the Senate State Affairs Committee will meet the same day to hear testimony on my personal top legislative priority (ban taxpayer funded lobbying) 

I am not able to travel to Austin tomorrow to testify, and probably many of you can't either on such short notice.  The notices were just posted yesterday, which is unfortunate because it really limits citizen participation.  However - we can still weigh in on these bills and urge passage out of committee by contacting the committee members by phone or email or written card.

If you happen to be in Austin tomorrow, or live close enough please go to the hearing and testify in support.  If you can do this and need talking points, just email me, I'll help!

Education Committee:

SB12 - Creighton:  Relating to parental rights in public education and to certain public school requirements and prohibitions regarding instruction and diversity,
equity, and inclusion duties and the loss of funding for public schools
that fail to comply with those provisions.

• Parents have a clear right to direct the moral, religious, and educational upbringing of their children. 
• Parents must be promptly notified when a criminal offense has been committed against their child, with exceptions for suspected abuse cases.
• Parents have the right to select an educational setting and access all student records, including medical records.
• Eliminating Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) in Public Schools
• Reforming Student Transfers

SB371 - Campbell:  Relating to parental approval for a student's participation in human sexuality instruction in public schools.

• This bill requires that public schools must obtain written parental consent before a student can participate in human sexuality instruction. The bill enhances parental oversight by ensuring explicit approval is granted before students receive any form of sex education.

SB400 - Kolkhorst:  Relating to requiring parental consent for psychological or psychiatric examination, testing, or treatment conducted by a school district
employee.

• Amends current law to require parental consent for psychological or psychiatric examination, testing, or treatment conducted by a school district employee.

State Affairs Committee

SB19 - Middleton:  Relating to the use by a political subdivision of public funds for lobbying and certain other uses.

• There are concerns that the use of public funds by political subdivisions for lobbying activities is an improper use of taxpayer funds and that there is a general lack of transparency regarding public spending on lobbying activities.
• S.B. 19 seeks to address these concerns by prohibiting the use of public funds by political subdivisions for hiring or contracting with a person required to register as a lobbyist under Chapter 305, Government Code.
• Additionally, S.B. 19 prohibits the use of public funds to pay dues or fees to a non-profit statewide association that primarily represents political subdivisions and hires or contracts with a person required to register as a lobbyist under Chapter 305, Government Code.
• Note:  Mike Olcott has filed the identical bill in the House, as HB3257.  It has not yet been assigned to a committee.  You could ask your own representatives to sign on as a co-author.

ACTION:

Please contact the members of both committees to urge support of these bills, and favorable passage out of committee.  If you live in one of their districts, be sure to tell them that!

Education Committee:

Email:

[email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected].

Phone Calls:

Brandon Creighton - 512-463-0104

Donna Campbell - 512-463-0125

Paul Bettencourt - 512-463-0107

Brent Hagenbuch - 512-463-0130

Adam Hinojosa - 512-463-0127

Phil King - 512-43-0110

Jose Menendez - 512-463-0126

Mayes Middleton - 512-463-0111

Tan Parker - 512-463-0112

Angela Paxton - 512-463-0108

Royce West - 512-463-0123

State Affairs Committee:

Email:  

[email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected]

Phone Calls:

Angela Paxton - 512-463-0108

Paul Bettencourt - 512-463-0107

Brian Birdwell - 512-463-0122

Bob Hall - 512-463-0102

Adam Hinojosa - 512-463-0127

Mayes Middleton - 512-463-0111

Tan Parker - 512-463-0112

Charles Perry - 512-463-0128

Charles Schwertner - 512-463-0105

Judith Zaffirini - 512-463-0121

I know this is a lot to ask with very little notice.  If you can contact the committee anytime today or tomorrow, it will be helpful.  You can copy & Paste the emails straight into the "to" field and do them all at once.  Phone calls are more effective, but manage what you can.

Thanks guys!  I appreciate you.

Fran