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/SB161, the George Floyd Act, a first step toward holding police officers accountable for their behavior, save lives and improve policing in Texas
• HB3860/SB1540, which would update the state’s nondiscrimination laws to include protections for LGBTQ Texans
• HB4389, 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, 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,

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.