John,

We're concluding a difficult week in which the right's divisive and hateful agenda kicked into overdrive at the Texas Legislature, with voter suppression bills leading the way.

Here's what happened.

The Old Jim Crow Playbook
Two of the most dangerous bills this legislative session, House Bill 6 and Senate Bill 7, had their first committee hearings this week. This legislation represents an outrageous attack on voting rights and democracy in Texas -- right out of the old Jim Crow playbook for suppressing the votes of Texans of color.

The bills include restrictions or bans on early and mail-in absentee voting and large and secure voting centers like the ones that kept Texans safer in the pandemic during the last election. They would also restrict or eliminate drive-thru and outdoor voting. And they would throw open the door to right-wing extremists masquerading as "poll watchers" who want to intimidate voters -- like racist Proud Boys descending on polling locations in communities of color to challenge the eligibility of voters who show up to cast a ballot. Outrageously, the bills even make it harder for volunteers to help the elderly get to a polling location or for Texans with disabilities to get assistance when voting. These and other measures will make lines longer and shut people out, especially in large urban areas where many Texans of color live.

Members of our team took every possible health precaution in the middle of a pandemic to be at the Capitol to carry this message to lawmakers with misplaced priorities: Suppress the virus, not the vote.

But in the case of HB 6, the Elections Committee chair and author of the bill, Rep. Briscoe Cain, abruptly ended the hearing before a single testifier could be heard. That was right after Cain refused to allow the chair of the Legislative Black Caucus the opportunity to ask questions about the bill and how it undermines the right of Texans of color to vote. Frankly, it wasn't surprising to see Cain shut out the voices of hundreds of testifiers on a bill that seeks to silence their voices at the ballot box. The contempt Cain and his fellow Republicans have for democracy couldn't have been clearer. And today the Senate State Affairs Committee considered its own voter suppression bill.

All of this is happening because the Texas electorate has been voting in record numbers, getting younger, and becoming more ethnically and racially diverse. It's what you and I call democracy and what Republicans behind these suppression efforts see as a threat to their hold on power.

We'll fight these bills with everything we've got -- it's simply too important -- and we could use your help. We launched this online action to help you speak out agains these bills, virtually and safely.

Attacks on Transgender Student Athletes
Also today, a Senate committee heard testimony on Senate Bill 29, a priority of Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, who continues with his cruel campaign to demonize and discriminate against transgender people. In this case, SB 29 would ban transgender youth from participating in school sports.

Transgender kids, like other students, deserve the same chance to learn important values like sportsmanship, self-discipline and teamwork and to build a sense of belonging with their peers through sports. We shouldn’t ban kids from participating in sports simply because of who they are. But that's what Dan Patrick wants the Senate to do.

This, again, is another bill we will fight throughout the session. Please stay tuned for opportunities to join us in being all in for equality and take action against this bill.

More Abortion Restrictions
Dan Patrick is also leading the Senate's charge against reproductive freedom for all Texans. We expect a number of bills designed to further limit Texans' access to abortion care or ban it altogether to make it to the Senate floor as soon as next week. That's on top of many other restrictions lawmakers have put in place over the years.

We are working hard with a broad coalition to stop these bills. Instead of doubling down on the abortion wars and further limiting access to essential health care, our state's failed leaders should be focused on helping Texans deal with the COVID pandemic and prevent yet another catastrophic power outage like the one that left Texans freezing in the dark just last month.

Stay Involved
That's just one week in a legislaitive session that has two months to go, but the TFN team isn't slowing down. Please stay involved and help us defend democracy, equality and reproductive freedom. Texas deserves better.

Val Benavidez
TFN President