Weekly Legislative Update
CSHB 15 - Access to Sonogram Bill- Passes Out Of Senate Committee and is on Senate Intent Calendar
We are very pleased that the Senate State Affairs Committee passed CSHB 15, a committee substitute of HB 15, and that is now on the Senate Intent Calendar. CSHB 15 is a compromise bill that we are supporting, you can read our support testimony here. CSHB 15 will ensure that the 24 hour waiting period covers 93% of the abortions that take place in Texas. We recognize the hard work of many in the House and Senate to reach an agreement on these principles and allow the bill to move forward.
 Last week several Texas Catholic Bishops came to the capitol for the Catholic Faith in Action Advocacy Day and met personally with a number of members of the House and Senate to express their support of the compromise. The efforts of our advocacy day were critical to the movement on this bill, so we especially thank all those involved in supporting the day. We expect it to be heard before the entire Senate soon. Please see the action alert below for information on contacting your Texas Senator to ask for his or her support for the bill. Click here to find out who is your Texas Senator and how to contact him or her.
Sample Message: “Hello, my name is NAME and I am a Catholic in CITY, Texas. I am calling to ask that you support CSHB 15. This bill would require a physician to review a woman's ultrasound with her prior to her having an abortion. The woman is not required to view the ultrasound. I support this bill because it provides the mother with more information about her unborn child and may help the mother realize the humanity of her unborn child and choose life. For more information you can contact the Texas Catholic Conference at 512-339-9882. Thank you for your time." Please act by April 20, 2011.
HB 2353 creates the Texas Corporate Tax Credit Scholarship Program that provides a tax credit for corporations and insurance companies that contribute money to scholarship-granting organizations award PreK-12 scholarships to students from families with limited financial resources. The TCC supports this bill to increase educational choices and opportunities for working families. This bill will be heard in the House Ways and Means committee next week, and we urge you to contact the committee to ask for their support of this bill. See below for a sample message and a list of the committee members.
Sample Message: “Hello, my name is <<First Name>> and I am a Catholic in CITY, Texas. I am calling to ask that you support HB 2353, which will be in the House Ways and Means committee on Monday, April 18. This bill will allow corporations and insurance companies to receive a tax credit for giving money to scholarship-granting organizations. I support this bill because it will increase the educational choices and opportunities for working families. For more information you can contact the Texas Catholic Conference at 512-339-9882. Thank you for your time."
Please act by 1pm on April 18, 2011. We welcome you to contact TCC with feedback from your calls here.
Support A Smoke-Free Texas Secondhand smoke exposure is the third leading cause of preventable death in the U.S. Thousands of Texans suffer each year because they are exposed to the more than 4,000 harmful chemicals in secondhand smoke. Additionally, exposure can cause or worsen many health problems such as lung cancer, heart disease, low birth weight births and chronic lung illnesses such as bronchitis and asthma. The Texas Catholic Conference supports legislation that would establishes a statewide ban on smoking in the workplace (HB 670, SB 355) in order to encourage healthy lifestyles and cancer prevention. Click here to advocate on this issue through an online action alert from Smoke free Texas.
Federal Action Alert Update
On Thursday, April 14, both the U.S. House of Representatives and the U.S. Senate voted on the proposal (H. Con. Res. 36) to deny federal funding to Planned Parenthood. The House approved the measure, 241-yes, 185-no, but the Senate rejected it, 42-yes, 58-no. Click here for more information. (Update provided by NCHLA).
Bills in Committee Next Week
- HB 122 - Access to identification documents (support)
- HB 2711 - Human trafficking (support)
- HB 2353 - Education tax credit (support)
- SB 35 - Student with disabilities (support)
- HB 17 - Enforcement of federal immigration law (oppose)
- HB 818 - Reduce dropout rate and increase access to to quality, affordable child care (support)
- HB 1831 - Decreases access to affordable child care (oppose)
Bills Voted out of Committee This Week
- HB 36 - Human Trafficking (support)
- HB 329 – Access to aging and disability long-term services
- HB 1078 - Judicial Bypass of Parental Consent (support)
- HB 2077 - Nonprofit and Church environmental impact (support)
- HB 2080 - Parking privileges for people with disabilities (support)
- HB 2828 - Preventing coerced abortions (support)
- SB 220 - Protection of aging Texans (support)
- SB 260 - Access to quality, affordable child care (support)
- SB 420 - Decreases access to health care (oppose)
- SB 423 - Increases access to health care (support)
- SB 1014 - Re-entry of ex-offenders into society (support)
- SB 1862 - Close the CSO loophole (support)
Engrossed Bills - Bills passed from their originating chamber
- HB 3000 - Human Trafficking (support)
Enrolled and Sent to the Governor:
- SB 24 - Human Trafficking (support)
Read this entire Voice e-newsletter online here. You can sign up to get the Voice here.
|
This week we also testified on several issues including 