From helping constituents after drastic storms earlier this month to celebrating Black History Month, state lawmakers...

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Six from SiX is your monthly dose of state news that otherwise didn't make it to your inbox.


** Texas Storm: Prioritizing Profits Over Safety
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As Texas reels from a winter storm that left more than 4 million without power, the state is experiencing the extreme impacts of years of deregulation. Despite almost comically false rumors, it is the lack of oversight and deregulation ([link removed]) that prioritized profits over safety and allowed the system to fail. Some progressive Texas state legislators are speaking up—they know this failure is a direct result of abandoning good governance in order to gain profits. Meanwhile, former state representative and current Houston Mayor, Sylvester Turner, is pushing for state lawmakers to consider legislation he filed in 2011 that would require the Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT) to have adequate reserve power in order to prevent blackout conditions. ([link removed])


** Fighting Back Against Asian American Hate Crimes
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Asian American communities have reported an alarming rise in racially-motivated attacks since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, and experts say many incidents have gone unreported. No one should have to live in fear of being attacked for who they are. States are responding: New York ([link removed]) has a new hotline for reporting hate crimes; Michigan ([link removed]) has a new hotline and email reporting system; and the New Jersey legislature introduced a resolution ([link removed]) denouncing hate crimes and calling for the governor and AG to provide victims' assistance and enhance security at targeted institutions.


** States Must Make Vaccine Distribution More Equitable
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Although minority communities are disproportionately affected by the pandemic, Black and Latino Americans are struggling to get vaccinated against Covid-19 ([link removed]) . These racial gaps in vaccine distributions are further exposing the inequities in our health care system, and additional hurdles like the lack of information in languages other than English or a lack of health care providers ([link removed]) are making it exceptionally difficult for Black and Brown communities to access vaccines at the same rate as white Americans. Georgia ([link removed]) and New York ([link removed]) are working to ensure equitable vaccination distribution
by setting up sites that purposely target underserved communities and partnering with charities, local officials, and churches.


** States Address Broadband Disparities
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The pandemic has exacerbated the urgent need for widespread and equitable access to broadband. Instead of waiting for a federal solution, states are expanding programs and opportunities to address broadband access. Virginia ([link removed]) recently advanced legislation to allow municipalities and utilities to help increase broadband access, and Nebraska ([link removed]) is exploring a grant program to bring broadband to rural areas of the state. Georgia, Pennsylvania, and Maine ([link removed]) are innovating in various ways when it comes to making broadband an accessible public good.


** Teaching Black History in Schools
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State laws regarding curriculum content made headlines earlier this month after a Utah school reversed its decision to allow parents to opt students out of its Black History Month curriculum ([link removed]) . In Illinois, public schools will implement new culturally responsive rules for teachers ([link removed]) to support inclusion and equity. The Illinois rule will allow students to learn about more than just race in America, but also discuss matters of gender and sexual orientation. The first in the country, Connecticut’s new Black and Latino studies curriculum ([link removed]) will require all public high schools to offer a year-long course in African American, Black, Latino, and
Puerto Rican studies.


** "This Moment Calls for Bold and Audacious Leadership"
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Black legislators in the SiX network took to Twitter earlier this month to answer questions through our Black History Month Tweet Chat. We asked them about their public service, what motivated them to run for office, their legislative initiatives, and more. See what legislators had to say ([link removed]) .


** Across the Country, State Lawmakers Push for Clean Water
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Large scale factory farms are some of the biggest contributors of waste that adversely affects water quality, increasing the levels of nitrogen and phosphorus in nearby water supplies. Lawmakers in several states are addressing the impacts of excessive waste by sponsoring moratoriums on farms with a certain amount of livestock and limitations on waste application in months when the ground is softer ([link removed]) . Industry groups are staunchly against any additional regulations or moratoriums as lawmakers join the movement to protect their states’ water.
These Three States: The Battleground for Voting Rights

Disappointed by the outcomes of the November election, some legislators in Georgia, Pennsylvania, and Arizona ([link removed]) are determined to silence the voters with whom they disagree. These three states will be intense battlegrounds for voting rights and may provide some insight for other states and the voter suppression tactics they may see this session as well.
Black Women State Legislators Fight Back

“Abortion advocates understand the violent connection between the attacks at the U.S. Capitol and the attacks we witness daily at clinics across this country,” said Jennifer Driver, SiX reproductive rights senior director ([link removed]) . “These attacks are rooted in white supremacist ideology driven by the desire for power and control.” See more at sixrepro.org.

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The State Innovation Exchange (SiX) is a national resource and strategy center that supports state legislators who seek to strengthen our democracy, fight for working families, defend civil rights and liberties, and protect the environment. We do this by providing training, emphasizing leadership development, amplifying legislators’ voices, and forging strategic alliances between our legislative network and grassroots movements.

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