Category Archives for Texas Legislature

It’s Time to #FightBackTX

It’s hard to believe it’s been a year since thousands of orange-clad Texans made the walls of the Capitol rumble with our protests against politicians forcing their ideological agendas on the women of Texas. History has now proven that, despite what those politicians said, their efforts sought to do only one thing: close abortion clinics. […]

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Week Ends with Big Wins for Public Education, Family Planning, LGBT Texans at the Capitol

This week began with the Texas Freedom Network mobilizing supporters of public education, family planning, LGBT rights and religious freedom for big battles at the Texas Capitol. We’re happy to report good news on a number of fronts, but hard work remains ahead of us. Public Education On Thursday the Texas House voted overwhelmingly, 103-43, […]

Also posted in birth control, Islam, LGBT issues, public education, religious freedom, TFN, vouchers | 2 Comments

Budget Update: Apparent Truce Called in Family Planning Debate

The Austin American-Statesman’s Chuck Lindell is reporting that we are not going to see a repeat of the fight on the House floor from two years ago that resulted in massive cuts to the state’s family planning budget: A brokered agreement will remove about a dozen family planning and abortion-related amendments from the state budget debate […]

Also posted in birth control, TFN | 3 Comments

Resolved: Texas Doesn’t Care about the Constitution

Moses State Rep. Phil Stephenson, R-Wharton In week full of religious liberty skirmishes at the Texas Capitol, we would be remiss if we did not flag the most ridiculous church-state proposal we’ve seen this session: HCR 58 by state Rep. Phil Stephenson, R-Wharton — a publicity stunt masquerading as a House Concurrent Resolution. The resolution concludes: […]

Also posted in Ten Commandments, TFN | 21 Comments

This Is a Big Week in the Texas Legislature

The Texas Freedom Network will be busy, busy, busy at the Legislature this week. Sex education, religious freedom, LGBT rights, and family planning funding are on legislative calendars. Click on the links in the Take Action box on the right to help our efforts at the Capitol. Sex Education The Texas House Committee on Public […]

Also posted in birth control, Islam, LGBT issues, religious freedom, sex education, TFN, vouchers, war on Christmas nonsense | 2 Comments

Earth to Texas Legislators: Sex Education Isn’t Controversial for Most Texans

As Texas lawmakers consider legislation — Senate Bill 521 — that would make it harder for public schools to teach responsible sex education, we thought it was worth pointing out what Texans think. After all, this is an important issue in a state with the fourth-highest teen birth rate in the nation. The Texas Freedom […]

Also posted in sex education, TFN | 7 Comments

TFN President Testifies on Anti-Sex Ed Legislation

As we reported earlier this week, Senate Bill 521 was passed out of state Sen. Dan Patrick’s Education Committee and is on its way to the full Senate. While we wait for any new developments on this bill, here’s video of TFN President Kathy Miller testifying against this reckless anti-sex ed legislation earlier this month […]

Also posted in sex education, TFN | 12 Comments

Texas Senate Committee Passes Anti-Sex Education Bill

The Texas Senate Education Committee this morning approved Senate Bill 521, a measure that — if passed by the Legislature — would undermine the ability of school districts across the state to offer sex education. We reported about the Senate hearing on SB 521 last week here. Click here for a fact sheet on SB […]

Also posted in TFN | 9 Comments

Anti-Sex Ed and Anti-Birth Control Bills on the Move in the Texas Legislature

4:30 p.m., March 12, UPDATE: We just got word that HB 649 has been removed from the House State Affairs Committee’ s Wednesday meeting agenda. *** The right’s war on sex education and women’s access to birth control continues at the Texas Legislature. Two key bills on those issues face important steps in the legislative […]

Also posted in birth control, sex education, TFN | 6 Comments

Not with a Bang, But with a Whimper

The wait is finally over. After months of promises and grandstanding, Sen. Dan Patrick, R-Houston, with only hours remaining before the bill-filing deadline, finally fulfilled his pledge to file a school voucher bill. If you’ve been listening to Sen. Patrick since last August, you would think that this moment would be met with fanfare and […]

Also posted in Dan Patrick, TFN, vouchers | 5 Comments