1st, some background. Texas is one of only eight states that still does not have online voter registration. That means every single registration at the county voter registration office on paper, usually handwritten, and is manually entered into the voter rolls by a person.
(There is a limited exception to this now for people renewing drivers licenses online to comply with the federal Motor Voter Law, but those registrations are outliers.)
Earlier this week the Texas Legislature approved a property tax relief plan that will increase the state's homestead exemption to $100,000, provide across the board rate relief, and add a temporary cap on appraisal increases for some non-homesteaded properties.
During the 88th Legislative Session, I filed HB 3205 to raise the homestead exemption. I’m grateful the majority is running with my idea, which will directly reduce the tax bills of Hays County homeowners by over $600. Compression will provide additional relief as well.
While the passage of SB 2 will mean relief for homeowners, it does nothing for our teachers, renters, or our public schools. It’s embarrassing that with a historic budget surplus Texas Republicans are leaving them out.
I’ve spent about half my day talking Texas State students through how to cast a limited ballot. It’s a confusing process that would be mostly unnecessary if we had online voter registration or completely unneeded if we had same-day voter registration. 🧵
These students have to drive or get a ride to a government building well away from campus to cast a “limited ballot” (generally just for the statewide races, not locals) instead of being able to vote right on campus with the other students.
This is because they didn’t get their address updated to Hays County 30 days before the election.
Today I spoke to students who tried to update their address at the TX Secretary of State website only to realize they had to mail a form at the last minute.
People getting so worked up over drag shows that are much less sexy than a dance number from Grease.
There are different standards for what constitutes “explicit” for LGBTQ folks and straight cisfolks. The standards are even more disparate when the LGBTQ folks aren’t white.
When you see outrage about drag queen performances, ask yourself, what would their reaction be if you subbed in Olivia Newton John? If it’s fine for Olivia, it’s fine for everyone.
The outrage isn’t about LGBTQ people being too sexual. It’s about them just *being*.
They’re afraid that if children see LGBTQ people living out and proud that those kids may: 1. If cishet, grow up to treat LGBTQ folks like human beings worthy of respect, or 2. If LGBTQ, feel safe and supported enough to come out themselves.
I am wearing Orange—the color hunters wear to tell people not to shoot—to honor the victims of gun violence and to demand bold action. The boldest action we could take is to elect @BetoORourke as Texas Governor. #EndGunViolenceNow
People keep asking me if X or Y policy to fight gun violence is possible.
The answer is short: Nothing is possible without dedicated and determined organization and action. Everything is possible with it. Gov. Abbott has made his stance clear. He’ll deflect and then do nothing.
During the last legislative session Democrats worked hard to build bipartisan support for common sense gun protections only to have careful months of negotiations disregarded when the time came to act.
Good article, but it’s missing one piece of the problem. SB 6, which banned most use of medication abortion in Texas, doesn’t even have an exception for when the pregnant person’s life is in danger.
It means if they present at the hospital with ruptured membranes (broken water) too early to deliver safely, their fetus has no chance of survival. If the miscarriage doesn’t progress on it’s own, they’re at risk of sepsis and death. The standard treatment is medication abortion.
Medication is preferable to surgical abortion, because surgical can spread the sepsis-causing bacteria.
But if the fetus (which, remember, has 0 chance of survival at this point) hasn’t “died” yet, then it’s a felony for a medical provider to dispense those medications.