There’s no other way to put it -- this was the strangest legislative session in recent memory. 

Between a global pandemic, a devastating ice storm and an intense sense of partisan divide, we knew we were in for a tough time and tried to mitigate our expectations. Aware that this session would concentrate on other objectives, we wanted to ensure we didn’t go backwards with adolescent reproductive health. 

The legislature will return next month for a special session. While we don’t anticipate reproductive health issues playing a role in the special session, we’ll stay vigilant and look for ways to support or defend our issues. In the meantime, here is a recap of the Good, the Bad, and the Ugly during the regular session. 

The Good
The Texas Campaign led a coalition of public health groups to block or amend several harmful bills that would have attacked the process by which Texas school districts adopt sex education. One of the bills would have even turned parent volunteer committees into governmental entities. On another sex ed bill, we worked closely with the author to make significant revisions, resulting in a bill draft that meets the needs of key stakeholders. 

In a partisan session, we turned to deeply wonky budget strategy, and working with partners, were able to secure a budget rider (instructions in the appropriations bill) that will improve continuity of care for young people aging out of programs like CHIP or Medicaid. 

The Bad
It’s been a tough session for many advocates in the reproductive health space. The bad news is that two of our top priorities -- closing the gap in birth control coverage in the Children’s Health Insurance Program, and allowing teen parents to consent to birth control and postpartum care -- failed to meet early legislative deadlines, despite our best efforts. These common sense policies would have made a real difference for young Texans trying to prevent unintended pregnancy -- and we’re committed to continuing work on these priorities.  

The Ugly
As a nonpartisan organization, it is disheartening when elected officials can’t reach across the aisle and find common ground to meet the needs of the community. In a deeply divisive session, there wasn’t a lot of room for the data to speak for itself. Supporting adolescent health shouldn’t be a partisan issue.   

With that in mind, legislative strategy is a long game, and we’re here for it. We will keep working to advocate for our community and we appreciate your support over the last several months. Thank you for sharing our values and helping us achieve our mutual goals!