Six from SiX: Texas, Black History Month, & More

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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

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 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.

Fighting Back Against Asian American Hate Crimes

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 has a new hotline for reporting hate crimes; Michigan has a new hotline and email reporting system; and the New Jersey legislature introduced a resolution 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

Although minority communities are disproportionately affected by the pandemic, Black and Latino Americans are struggling to get vaccinated against Covid-19. 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 are making it exceptionally difficult for Black and Brown communities to access vaccines at the same rate as white Americans. Georgia and New York 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

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 recently advanced legislation to allow municipalities and utilities to help increase broadband access, and Nebraska is exploring a grant program to bring broadband to rural areas of the state. Georgia, Pennsylvania, and Maine are innovating in various ways when it comes to making broadband an accessible public good.

Teaching Black History in Schools

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. In Illinois, public schools will implement new culturally responsive rules for teachers 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 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"

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.

Across the Country, State Lawmakers Push for Clean Water

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. 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 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. “These attacks are rooted in white supremacist ideology driven by the desire for power and control.” See more at sixrepro.org.

stateinnovation.org

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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