No images? Click here
March 26, 2023
NEWS DIGEST
by Brandon Waltens
Good morning,
Now that we are past the halfway mark of Texas' legislative session, things are starting to pick up a bit.
Last week, Texas Scorecard covered a number of committee hearings in the House and Senate on a variety of topics including:
- Sexually Explicit Books
- School Choice
- Banning Drag Shows for Children
- Expanding Gambling and Casinos
- Banning TikTok in Texas
- Defunding DEI in Universities
- Ending COVID-Era Mandates
- Removing Rogue District Attorneys
Even more committee hearings are set to take place this week, and we'll continue covering them as the clock ticks down on the session.
When they meet tomorrow, we will be on the 77th day of the 140-day session.
This week...
- The Texas Senate is scheduled to return on Monday Mar 27, 2:00 pm.
- The Texas House is scheduled to return on Monday Mar 27, 2:00 pm.
- The Texas House has finally set its first bills for consideration on the calendar. They aren't priorities of the Republican Party of Texas. They aren't priorities of Gov. Greg Abbott. Instead, the first bills prioritized by House leadership are the following:
- House Bill 446 Replacing the phrase "mentally retarded" with "severe intellectual disability" in state law
- House Bill 300 Removing sales tax for tampons and diapers
- House Bill 590 Regulating the use of the phrase "Texas honey"
- House Bill 608 Allowing firework sales on the Hindu holiday of Diwali
Upcoming Committee Hearings...
Featured
by Brandon Waltens
With the Legislature now past the halfway mark of its 140-day session—the halfway mark—Texas Scorecard asked conservative leaders and organizations for their thoughts on what has been accomplished so far.
State
Will House Border Security Legislation Negate an Invasion?
“We have some serious concerns that the bill’s language may serve to undermine its purpose.”
Libs of TikTok Exposes Woke Texas Pastors Group
Anti-school choice group Pastors for Texas Children claims there is no wokeness in rural Texas.
Texans Rally for School Choice Outside Capitol
Hundreds gathered at the Capitol in support of school choice legislation.
Local
North Texas ISD Would Be First to Ditch ‘Divisive’ School Board Association
Carroll ISD will consider exiting the Texas Association of School Boards at a March 27 board meeting.
Austin ISD Hosts LGBTQ Celebration Week
District officials have already been warned that the activities violate state law.
Dallas Bar Cancels All-ages Drag Event
Grassroots activists’ “perfect operation” forced the bar to cancel the event entirely, not just change the “encouraged” age to 18+.
Federal
4 Texas Republicans Vote to Support Federal Education BureaucracyU.S. Reps. Tony Gonzales (San Antonio), John Carter (Round Rock), Michael McCaul (Austin), and Kay Granger (Fort Worth) sided with Democrats.
Ronny Jackson Wants To End Taxpayer-Funded ‘Fake News’
Legislation would defund NPR and PBS.
Texas ‘Trump Train’ Defendants Ask Court to Dismiss Democrats’ Attack on Free Speech
“This lawsuit is an attempt to silence political opposition by intimidation through the court system.” — Jerad Najvar
Texas Scorecard TV App!
Have you checked out Texas Scorecard's streaming video apps for Roku and Apple TV?
In addition to our growing library of shows and video content, the Texas Scorecard TV app also includes gavel-to-gavel live coverage of the Senate and House chambers.
The app is available for free right now: simply go to the Roku or Apple TV app store, and search for "Texas Scorecard."
Quoting...
"Truth will ultimately prevail where there is pains taken to bring it to light."
- George Washington
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Join the conversation with Texas Scorecard on any or all of our social media accounts!
The Texas Scorecard Journalism Fellowship is a comprehensive program designed for conservative Texans under the age of 25 with an interest in public policy, effective civic engagement, political accountability, and Texas history.
