[[link removed]] John,

The rush to file legislation at the Capitol before Friday’s deadline confirmed what we’ve been warning about: the priorities of Republican lawmakers who control the Texas Legislature are just screwed up.

Taking Texas Backward
We’re still reviewing the torrent of right-wing legislation filed for the session, but we have already identified dozens of misguided and hateful bills that will take Texas backward. They include bills that would:

*
open
the
door
to
and
in
some
cases
even
require
discrimination
against
LGBTQ
Texans,
*
further
limit
access
to
abortion
care
or
ban
it
altogether,
*
make
it
even
harder
to
vote,
especially
in
communities
of
color,
and
*
undermine
the
ability
of
local
governments
to
take
action
on
critical
issues
like
police
reform
and
paid
sick
leave
for
workers.

It’s as if Republican lawmakers didn’t know that COVID has killed more than 45,000 Texans over the past year and that millions of Texans were left to shiver -- or die -- in the dark during a deadly winter storm just weeks ago. No, Gov. Abbott, Lt. Gov. Patrick and other Republican leaders at the Capitol are intensely focused on fighting the culture wars, suppressing the vote and leaving working Texans struggling to take care of their families in moments of crisis.

The Texas Freedom Network is already mobilizing activists, educating the news media and lobbying hard at the Capitol to stop these bills. And we are demanding that state leaders focus on measures to protect Texans from COVID and prevent future catastrophic power failures.

Moving Texas Forward
But we are not just playing defense anymore. TFN is also working with coalition partners to champion important legislation that would move Texas forward. Some key examples:

*
HB88
[[link removed]]
/
SB161
[[link removed]]
,
the
George
Floyd
Act,
a
first
step
toward
holding
police
officers
accountable
for
their
behavior,
save
lives
and
improve
policing
in
Texas
*
HB3860
[[link removed]]
/
SB1540
[[link removed]]
,
which
would
update
the
state’s
nondiscrimination
laws
to
include
protections
for
LGBTQ
Texans
*
HB4389
[[link removed]]
,
the
Abortion
Is
Health
Care
Act,
which
would
repeal
numerous
laws
passed
in
the
last
40
years
making
abortion
access
difficult
or
even
impossible
for
many
Texans
*
HB2679
[[link removed]]
,
which
would
require
school
districts
to
offer
medically
accurate,
comprehensive
sex
education
for
Texas
students

We’re not naive. We know passing this legislation will be very hard. But the close 2018 and 2020 elections showed that the Republican hold on Texas over the past three decades has never been weaker. So now is the time to show Texans that they have a real choice in this state -- a choice between a proactive, progressive agenda that addresses the needs of all Texans and the divisive, hateful and misguided agenda that failed Republican leaders continue to push.

Working with a growing coalition of progressive partners and legislators, TFN is building a movement to move Texas forward.

In the fight,

[[link removed]]
Val Benavidez
TFN President

P.S. Events at the Capitol move quickly. Your urgently needed gift to our Rapid Response Fund will help us respond at a moment’s notice with everything we have. So please, take a moment to support this critical work by making a generous donation today. [[link removed]]

--------
Texas Freedom Network
P.O. Box 1624
Austin, TX 78767
United States
Phone: (512) 322-0545

TFN is a statewide non-partisan, grassroots organization that is building an informed and effective movement working toward equality and social justice.

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