AUSTIN, TEXAS — Today, House Democrats announced Safer & Stronger Texas, a comprehensive public safety plan featuring 25 bipartisan bills designed to keep violent criminals off the streets while addressing critical failures in Texas’ criminal justice system. From the North Steps of the Texas Capitol, Democratic members outlined their evidence-based approach to public safety that responds to years of requests from law enforcement, prosecutors, judges, and victims.
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[WATCH THE FULL PRESS CONFERENCE HERE]
[LEARN MORE ABOUT SAFER & STRONGER TEXAS]
The Safer & Stronger Texas plan focuses on detaining violent offenders, upgrading crime labs, strengthening courts, and supporting survivors of violent crime. House Democrats emphasized the need for a smarter approach to public safety that addresses the root causes of crime instead of politically-motivated “solutions” that overcrowd jails while making our communities no safer.
Rep. Ann Johnson: "As Democrats, we too have a no-bond provision that is narrowly tailored: to address the most violent offenders of murder, of aggravated robbery with a gun, of assault on a police officer and violent sexual assault, the tenuous human trafficking, and trying to shoot somebody and kill them. … As Texas Democrats, we are here to hold the most violent offenders accountable in a jail. We are here to upgrade our systems and make the court system more efficient and effective for both the accused and the victims."
**Rep. Donna Howard: **"Perpetrators of sexual violence are not held accountable for their actions in Texas because our laws are vague and do not adequately reflect the experiences of crime victims. Current law does not provide a clear definition of consent with respect to sexual violence...As a result, prosecutors are left to tell survivors that unfortunately, they cannot fit the facts of their assault into the current statute."
**Rep. Rhetta Bowers: **"[My bill] is not only a tribute to Sharon, I too am a survivor of domestic violence. … Survivors should not have to live in fear. They should not have to wonder if today is the day their abuser will show up at their job, their home, or their child's school. They should not have to hear ‘there is nothing we can do until it hurts you again,’ or much less, they don’t survive. We must take action swiftly, seriously, and with the force of the law.”
Pro Tempore Joe Moody: "No one in the Democratic caucus has ever been opposed to giving judges the tools to keep the most violent people behind bars. We've always been for that. How you do that matters, though...We have to be smart about bail. We have to take a streamlined approach to the violent felons, and we need to look at those who are nonviolent and make sure that they get back out."
The press conference comes as Republicans push for changes to bail that would overcrowd jails with non-violent offenders while failing to address the court backlogs and evidence processing delays that allow dangerous offenders to await trial in the community. The Safer & Stronger Texas plan offers practical solutions that respect constitutional rights while putting public safety first.