Yesterday the Texas House debated the budget for nearly 12 hours, eventually approving the $251 billion that will fund numerous programs and agencies. This budget came to the floor with many key Democratic priorities. We owe a big ‘thank you’ to the Democrats on the Appropriations Committee who helped shape this bill. In several ways,…
Today is the 70th day of the 86th Legislature, the halfway point in our 140-day regular session. Of course, in many ways, the session is just beginning – but will ramp up very quickly in the days and weeks ahead. Tomorrow, the House will consider legislation on the floor for the first time this session. Today, the…
Friday marked the last day for members to file non-local bills this legislative session. As of the close of business Friday, more than 4,600 bills were filed, with House Democrats filing nearly half of all bills. Now, the real challenge begins — getting those bills a committee hearing and onto the House floor for a…
As the session heats up and bills are being heard in committees, this is a great time to check in on where things stand on several issues Texans greatly care about, including expanding health care access to uninsured people, local control of communities, rising property taxes and long-overdue criminal justice reforms to name a few….
Last week on Thursday, Texas House Democrats rolled out their ‘Texas Kids First Plan,” an ambitious agenda that tackles several key public education issues. The agenda has gained attention these last few days with several media outlets picking up the plan. Below are just a couple of the notable quotes: The Democrats’ plan is composed of…
On Friday, President Trump declared a “national emergency” to build a wall on the US – Mexico border. This lawless act undermines the will of the people and their elected representatives in Congress. For those of us in Texas, Trump’s rhetoric and actions are an insult – whether he is denigrating Texas’ border communities with false immigration and crime…
Last week, the Texas Senate Committee on Nominations heard testimony from David Whitley, Governor Abbott’s nominee for Secretary of State. During the hearing, Whitely claimed that the definition of voter suppression was “irrelevant” and admitted that the voter list his office released may in fact have contained flawed data. Democrats want to protect the integrity of our election system — and that means we call out voter intimidation…
Texas Republicans Lay Groundwork for Voter Purge w/o Evidence
Late last Friday, Sec. of State David Whitley and Attorney General Ken Paxton announced, without evidence, that tens of thousands of non-citizens in Texas — at some point after having requested a driver’s license — voted. In the statement, Whitley issued a request to county election officials to review these voters as “WEAK” matches [all-caps by…
Today we celebrate and remember Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., whose remarkable life changed the trajectory of America for the better. Dr. King devoted his life’s work to taking on the evils of racism and poverty, challenging us to build a better country in which every American has an equal opportunity. Today is a day…
Texas House Democrats are already making their presence known
With the start of the 86th Legislative Session last Tuesday, House Democrats have already begun to make their presence known at the Capitol: Wednesday, the Texas House voted for a bipartisan effort to strengthen sexual harassment policies. Reps. Donna Howard and Nicole Collier played a major role in crafting the policy, along with other…
