Capitol Action Report- 5/9/23
Joleen E Smith | Published on 5/9/2023
 |
It is unconscionable that we are mourning the victims of yet another mass shooting in Texas. It was just over a week ago that we mourned the victims of a mass shooting in Cleveland, Texas and less than a year ago that we mourned the death of the victims of a mass shooting at Robb Elementary in Uvalde. In all three cases, the victims included children and the weapon was an assault rifle.
The response from our elected officials has been predictable: prayers for victims and calls to harden targets. Not good enough. It is up to our elected representatives to address this crisis and how does the Legislature propose to harden shopping centers,
grocery stores, houses of worship, schools, and even back yards?
The legislature is in Austin right now and right now there is something practical they can do.
The Senate can stop House Bill 863 which would allow election judges to bring guns to polling places from becoming law. The House can pass House Bill 2744 which prevents the sale of high-capacity assault rifles to anyone under the age of 21. We can help by continuing to send messages to the House and Senate on these two bills.
Please see the public statement from Joyce LeBombard here. The more we can engage the media, the more pressure to at least do these two small things.
In League, |
 |
Voting Rights and Election Law
Stephanie Swanson
Before we go into the details about which bills advanced out of the House Elections Committee last week, we wanted to take a moment to discuss our deep concerns at the wholly inadequate public process being used by various legislative committees this session. There have been multiple instances where testimony has been cut off, hearing notices have posted with shorter notice than is required, and bills have been completely changed through committee substitutes after public testimony has been heard.
A case in point is SB 1933. Originally, this bill would have simply allowed the Secretary of State (SOS) to add more counties to their audit list in a 2 year period if the Audit Division were to finish their work early. Public testimony was taken on that version of the bill on the Senate side, and then after that hearing, the bill author substituted in a significant portion of an unrelated bill, SB 823, without giving the public a chance to provide input on the new version of the bill. SB 823 grants the SOS the ability to take administrative control over an entire county's election process. After the substituted version of SB 1933 passed out of the Senate, the House Elections Committee voted the bill out of committee without taking any public testimony. That means the new version of the bill has not been subject to any public scrutiny.
This shameful attempt to prevent public input in the legislative process is unacceptable. Lawmakers are waiving legislative norms because they know their proposals are unpopular with many Texas voters. The public has the right to be a part of the legislative process and to provide input on how these bills will impact their communities.
To read the full update, click here.
|
Women's Healthcare Update
Catherine Maxwell
LWVTX put out an action alert last week on SB 1195 that gives the Attorney General authority to require local prosecutors to report on their investigations under the Election and Health and Safety codes. If no charges are filed within six months, the AG is required to step in to the local jurisdiction and proceed with the prosecution. The Health and Safety Code includes abortion as a crime. The bill flew through the Senate and is now in committee in the House. LWVTX opposes SB 1195, because we believe local decisions should be left to local officials.
To read the full update, click here.
|
*UPDATED* Thoughts and Prayers are Not Enough!
HB 2744 is a response to the shooting in Uvalde and other mass killings by shooters under the age of 21; it would increase the minimum age to obtain weapons that accept high-capacity magazines. Use our Action Center to write a letter to your legislators and ask them to support HB 2744.
|
*UPDATED* Do Not Arm Election Judges at Polling Places!
Polling places need to be safe for all voters. Allowing election judges to carry handguns in polling places does not ensure safety, it intimidates voters. Use our Action Center to write a letter to your legislators and ask them to oppose HB 636.
|
*UPDATED* There is No Need For A Statewide Court of Appeals
Oppose SB 1045! Proposals in the House and Senate to create a statewide court of appeals to hear cases in which the State of Texas is a party is wasteful and a violation of minority rights. Use our Action Center to write a letter to your legislators and ask them to oppose SB 1045.
|
*UPDATED* Don't Withdraw From ERIC!
SB 1070 would withdraw Texas from a 34-state information sharing programs that allow states to obtain accurate information on voters who have died or moved out of state. Use our Action Center to write a letter to your legislators to oppose SB 1070.
|
*UPDATED* Protect Local Control of Ballot Initiatives
SB 221 allows a single voter to force a review of proposed ballot language by the Secretary of State or court. This is a heckler’s veto designed to intimidate city officials. Use our Action Center to write a letter to your legislators and ask them to oppose SB 221.
|
*UPDATED* Keep Voted Ballots Safe from Tampering
HB 5180 allows the public to access voted ballots 61 days following an election. The bill does not provide any protection for election records required to be preserved for 22 months by federal law. Use our Action Center to write a letter to your legislators and ask them to oppose HB 5180.
|
Protect Voting Rights! Don't Make Registration Harder
SB 1600 would require documentary proof of citizenship for voter registration, which is unnecessary since the counties already run their lists against driver's license records, and the Real ID law already requires anyone in Texas to present proof of citizenship when obtaining a driver's license or ID card. Use our Action Center to write a letter to your legislators to oppose SB 1600.
|
|
League of Women Voters of Texas
1212 Guadalupe St. #107
Austin Texas, 78701
(512) 472-1100
lwvtexas@lwvtexas.org
lwvtexas.org
|