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Below is a listing of bills in upcoming hearings, along with an action alert that you can use to advocate for the bills. If you call after a vote, you are welcome to inquire as to the legislator's vote and either thank him/her or express your disappointment. You can learn more about the bills on our Bill Reports page. To get action alerts immediately as we send them, subscribe for the Texas Catholic Voice here, and select the areas in which you'd like to receive news. If you are already subscribed to the Voice, you can update your subscription to add or remove alert areas using the "update" link found at the bottom of the Voice emails.
You can watch video of the Senate and House chambers and public committee hearings online. Click here for a listing of Senate live broadcasts, and here for a listing of House live broadcasts. Please note: You will need RealPlayer installed to watch the broadcasts, information on how to obtain Realplayer is available on the broadcast sites.
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Senate Intent Calendar
Bills on the Senate Intent Calendar can be called up before the entire Senate at any time.
Please contact your Senator and ask him/her to support CSHB 15.
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."
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Click here to find out who represents you.
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House Calendars Committee
Ask Calendars Committee to Set "No Taxpayer Funding for Abortion" Bill (HB 561), and Other Bills
HB 561 prohibits a hospital district from using tax revenue of the district to finance the performance of an abortion. The Texas Catholic Conference supports this bill to stop public funding of abortion in Texas. Click here to view testimony of Marie Seale, Director of the Office of Pro-Life Activities and Chaste Living for the Diocese of Austin, on this bill.
This bill has passed from its committee and is "stuck" in the Calendars committee. Additional bills that are stuck in this committee are:
- HB 670 (Ban on Smoking in Workplace)
- HB 816 (Ban on Abortion Coverage in a Health Care Exchange)
- HB 2828 (Ban on Abortion Coercion)
If the Committee does not set these bills on the House Calendar by May 10, then they are effectively dead. Calls are needed to committee members to ensure that these vital bills continue to move through the Texas legislature. Please call today, and follow up your call with an mail. See a sample message below and the committee member's contact information in the column to the right.
Sample Message: "Hello, my name is Name and I am a Catholic in City, Texas. I am contacting you to urge you to set House Bill 561 on the House Calendar. This bill will ensure that Texas taxpayer dollars are not used to fund abortion. Abortion takes the life of an innocent human being, and using public funding for abortion violates the consciences of taxpayers in Texas. Additional bills that I support being set are the Ban on Smoking in Workplaces bill (HB 670), the Ban on Abortion Coverage in a Health Care Exchange bill (HB 816), and the Ban on Abortion Coercion bill (HB 2828). Please set these bills as soon as possible and encourage your colleagues on the Calendars committee to do so as well. Thank you for your time. For more information you can contact the Texas Catholic Conference at 512-339-9882."
Please act by May 7, 2011.
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Action Alert Committees
Calendars Committee
| Member | Phone | Email Address |
| Garnet Coleman |
(512) 463-0524 |
This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
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| Lois Kolkhorst |
(512) 463-0600 |
This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
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| Byron Cook |
(512) 463-0730 |
This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
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| Charlie Geren |
(512) 463-0610 |
This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
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| Todd Hunter |
(512) 463-0672 |
This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
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| Jim Keffer |
(512) 463-0656 |
This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
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| Tracy King |
(512) 463-0194 |
This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
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| Allan Ritter |
(512) 463-0706 |
This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
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| Eddie Rodriguez |
(512) 463-0674 |
This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
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| Burt Solomons |
(512) 463-0478 |
This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
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| Vicki Truitt |
(512) 463-0690 |
This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
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| Dennis Bonnen |
(512) 463-0564 |
This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
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| Dan Branch |
(512) 463-0367 |
This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
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| Eddie Lucio III |
(512) 463-0606 |
This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
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| John Zerwas |
(512) 463-0657 |
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Senate Criminal Justice
TUESDAY - 5/03/11
1:30 p.m. or Adj., E1.016
Please contact the members on the Committee and ask them to support HB 27, HB 350, HB 3000, HB 1567, and HB 2014.
Sample message: "Hello, my name is Name and I am a Catholic in City, Texas. I am calling to ask that you support HB 27, HB 350, HB 3000, HB 1567, and HB 2014. My faith teaches that all human life has God-given dignity and should be respected. We also teach that our criminal justice system must be rehabilitative and respect that dignity. Finally, a preferential concern for the poor must be maintained. HB 27 assists indigent defendants in repaying their fines and court costs. HB 350 assists in rehabilitating juvenile offenders. HB 1567 expands access to health care for the incarcerated. House Bills 3000 and 2014 are also vital because they will help end the travesty of human trafficking that occurs in our state.
For more information you can contact the Texas Catholic Conference at 512-339-9882. Thank you for your time."
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See below for our Action Alert archive. If you are responding to an Action Alert, please verify that you are responding before the "act by" date to ensure that your advocacy is timely. You can sign up to receive our Texas Catholic Voice and Action Alerts here.
See previously sent action alerts below:
Click here to see previous action alerts.
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Public Policy 
