There's only one more full week in the 82nd regular legislative session! This week was an eventful one - Governor Perry signed the Choose Life License Plate Bill (SB 257), the Sonogram Bill (HB 15), and a bill that improves access to quality, affordable child care (SB 265) into law, and Bishop Vásquez, Bishop of the Catholic Diocese of Austin, opened the Senate in prayer on Thursday. 

Budget Update
This week the legislature has been consumed with budget negotiations and drama. The Conferees approved all of the budget articles except education and general provisions, and they are getting closer to agreement these articles as well. The House has postponed the key fiscal matters bills (SB 1811, SB 1851, and SB 23) repeatedly this week. These fiscal matters bills must be passed in order to balance the state budget; a balanced state budget is a constitutional requirement.  SB 23 was passed on second reading yesterday.  The education fiscal matters bill (SB 1581) was brought down in the House on a point of order because it contained a concealed handgun amendment that wasn’t germane (relevant)  to the bill. That problem may be resolved today to clear the way to debate on that bill. Several news sources have reported that the House and Senate have come to a budget agreement that will allow the House to finally take-up the fiscal matters bill (SB 1811) today. A part of the ongoing drama includes the 200+ amendments to SB 1811 that have been pre-filed, many of which are controversial and difficult votes for members. We have reviewed all of these amendments and there are several that we support or oppose.  A component of the deal that cleared the way for today’s debate was a request that House members strip their amendments off the bill so that it can move forward. At this point, it’s unclear if all House members will comply with that request so we have posted our positions on the pre-filed amendments here in the event that any of them are actually debated.  Click here to read our policy paper on the budget.

Action Alert: Ask your State Senator and the Lieutenant Governor to Oppose Enforcement of Federal Immigration Law by Local and State Law Enforcement
On Wednesday, the Senate Transportation and Homeland Security Committee held a hearing to debate and vote on HB 12, the “sanctuary cities” bill. The committee passed a committee substitute to replace the text of HB 12 bill with that of SB 9, another anti-immigrant bill that would enable local and state law enforcement to enforce federal immigration law. Update: On Friday, May 20, however, the committee passed out the bill with the original text as they received it, with no amendment. Please contact your State Senator and the Lt. Governor to ask them to oppose any version of HB 12 or SB 9 (see contact information and sample message below). We will continue to monitor the status of this bill as well as amendments to other bills that would affect the protection of Texas' immigrants.Click here to read our testimony on the bill. 

Find out who your Senator is here.
Lieutenant Governor David Dewhurst, (512) 463-0001,  This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

Sample Message: "Hello, my name is Name and I am a Catholic in City ,  Texas. As a Catholic I believe in promoting the life and dignity of all human life, including the lives of immigrants in our communities. Therefore, I am asking you to oppose all versions of HB 12 and SB 9, primarily because it is not the role of local and state law enforcement to enforce federal immigration law. These bills could encourage discrimination, co-opt local law enforcement, and scapegoat immigrants who are valuable contributors to our society and our state. Solutions to our nation's broken immigration system must be implemented through federal comprehensive immigration reform. Piecemeal policies such as HB 12 and SB 9 only serve to separate and weaken the communities in our state. Thank you for your time. For more information you can contact the Texas Catholic Conference at 512-339-9882."

Please act by May 24, 2011. If you contact the office and this alert has already expired, you may ask for your legislator's position and thank him or her or express your disappointment accordingly.Please feel free to write to us at  This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it  to let us know about your advocacy experience and about any responses you receive. 

Action Alert: Oppose Expansion of the Use of the Death Penalty
Unfortunately, SB 377, which expands the use of the death penalty, has been set on the House Calendar for Saturday, May 21, 2011. Please contact your Representative and ask him/her to oppose this bill. See below for a sample message and contact information.

• SB 89, which expands access to the Summer Nutrition program for poor children, has been voted out of committee and recommended for the local and consent calendar, which is where noncontroversial bills and bills that don't have any expected opposition go. Please see our action alert above on contacting the local and consent calendars committee to print the bill on the calendar. Thanks again for everyone who advocated on this vital issue.
• SB 1631, which we oppose because it would limit access to education for children, is still pending in committee. 
• SB 1014, regarding the safe release of inmates, is still in the House Calendars committee, we encourage you to continue calling the committee to ask that they set this bill. See our action alert on this bill here.Please act by  May 22, 2011. 
• SB 377 has been set on the House Calendar. Please see the alert above and contact your Representative to oppose this bill which expands the use of the death penalty.

• HB 59 - Affordable housing (support)

• HB 12 - Local Law Enforcement of Federal Immigration Law (oppose)
• HB 710 - Improve eligibility system (support)
• HB 2889 - Re-entry and rehabilitation (support)
• SB 35 - Students with disabilities (support)
• SB 224 - Public health (support)
• SB 288 - Border protection/Impede Drug Cartels and Gangs (support)
• SB 377 - Expansion of the use of the death penalty (oppose)
• SB 876 - Access to ID Documents for people who are homeless (support)
• SB 975 - Dropout prevention (support)
• SB 1014 - Re-entry of ex-offenders into society (support)
• SB 1214 - Access to UIL for private and parochial schools (support)

• HB 27 - Indigent Defense (support)
• HB 824 - Promote fathers' involvement with children before birth (support)
• HB 1481 - Person-first, respectful language for people with disabilities (support)
• HB 1567 - Increased access to health care for the incarcerated (support)
• HB 1965 - Improved coordination between the state and faith and community based organizations (support)
• HB 2014 - Human Trafficking (support)
• HB 3000 - Human Trafficking (support)
• SB 61 – Juvenile Justice reform (support)
• SB 260 - Access to quality, affordable child care (support)

• HB 457 - Charitable Raffles (support)
• SB 420 - Decreases access to health care (oppose)

• SB 537 - Choose Life License Plate Bill (support)
• HB 15 - Access to Sonogram Bill (support)
• SB 265 - Increase access to quality, affordable child care (support)