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…
Earlier today, Texas Comptroller Glenn Hegar released the state’s biennial revenue estimate. Based on projections for the state’s economy, Comptroller Hegar certified $119 billion in state funds available for the coming biennium and budget cycle. He noted that the number could shift some before the end of session. Today’s revenue estimate shows that the…
With 5 weeks until session, Texas House Democrats continue to file substantial bills
With only five weeks until session, the HDC wants to continue highlighting some of the important bills that Caucus members have filed: HB 56 by Rep. Armando Martinez – Cost-of-Living Increases for Retired Teachers Rep. Martinez’s legislation would require the Teacher Retirement System to meet the last week of October and increase benefit rates…
Texas House Democrats filed 2/3 of all bills as of Nov. 26th
Bill filing is well underway, and House Democrats are actively preparing legislation that will provide real solutions for Texas families. The HDC ran the numbers, and of the 436 House Bills and House Joint Resolutions filed as of today, 287 of them — nearly two-thirds — have been filed by House Democrats. We’re off and…
With election wins, Texas House Democrats become central factor in Speaker’s race
“The Democrats are shopping. They’re buyers in this market, and they’re going to be empowered to find somebody who’s going to give them a good deal,” said Brandon Rottinghaus, a political science professor and analyst from the University of Houston. — “Democrat wins will shift the race for Texas House speaker,” Houston Chronicle This…
Today, as we begin early voting in Texas, we are reminded of just what’s at stake in the coming election. A ruling late Thursday from a 3-judge panel of the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals upheld that Texas’ foster care system, as managed by the Texas Department of Family Protective Services (DFPS), remains…
Tomorrow, Oct. 9th — Deadline to register to vote!
Tomorrow, October 9th, is the deadline to register to vote, and we encourage everyone to do all they can to spread that information far and wide. Click here to find the best website to push people to in order for them to get registered. As of a few weeks ago, more than 15.6 million…
Last week’s U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee hearings with Dr. Christine Blasey Ford and Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh were at times inspiring and at times infuriating. Dr. Ford was credible and confident when recounting the trauma she lived through and has carried for decades. Meanwhile, Judge Kavanaugh’s irate and dishonest testimony made it clear he…
A few months ago, the House Democratic Caucus learned about a proposed rule on “public charges” as it pertains to immigration. We also helped convene a meeting with legislative offices to learn more from stakeholders about how the law would work. Now that there is a formal rule to consider, we have a better understanding…
