Week of March 15, 2021
Top Priority: Voting Rights
Support
Ballot Tracking: HB 1382 by Bucy
A top priority issue for Texas Impact, HB1382 would create an electronic tracking system so a voter would be able to track the status of their application to vote by mail, as well as the status of their mail-in ballot. Ballot tracking already is available to overseas voters like military and diplomatic personnel—this bill would simply expand that routine tracking to voters casting mail-in ballots within the United States.
House Elections Committee hearing Thursday, March 18
House Elections Committee: Members, Chair: Rep. Briscoe Cain: (877) 355-0549, Vice Chair: Jessica Gonzalez: (877) 317-4168
Oppose
Prohibits in-person delivery of mail-in ballot: HB 1725 by Paul
This bill would prohibit a voter from delivering in-person that voter’s mail-in ballot to the early voting clerk. The voter would have to use a mail service. Currently, a voter must show a photo ID to hand-deliver an absentee ballot. HB 1725’s prohibition would not increase the integrity of the election and would suppress a currently valid method for casting an early-voting ballot.
House Elections Committee hearing Thursday, March 18
House Elections Committee: Members, Chair: Rep. Briscoe Cain: (877) 355-0549, Vice Chair: Jessica Gonzalez: (877) 317-4168
Omnibus Elections Bill: SB 7 by Hughes
This large bill has a number of provisions that voting rights advocates are still examining. The bill should not be heard in committee until stakeholders have had a chance to understand its sweeping implications. Texas Impact is particularly concerned that SB7 would require a voter to obtain a doctor’s certification of disability in order to vote by mail. The right to vote safely should not be contingent upon a voter’s access to and approval by a doctor, nor should a voter’s private medical history be accessible to state or local election administrators.
Call Senate State Affairs and ask that the bill NOT be heard in committee until further stakeholder processes can take place
Senate Committee on State Affairs Members, Chair Bryan Hughes: (877) 207-1495, Vice Chair Brian Birdwell: (877) 544-8074
Other Bills with Hearings in Committee
Support Removing Racist and Unconstitutional Deed Restrictions: SB 30 by West
This bill would provide a process for removing unconstitutional restrictive covenants from deeds for real property, such as prohibitions on selling property to a person on the basis of race.
Senate State Affairs Committee hearing Monday, March 15
Senate Committee on State Affairs Members, Chair Bryan Hughes: (877) 207-1495, Vice Chair Brian Birdwell: (877) 544-8074
Support Providing Notice of a Floodplain to a Renter:
HB 531 by Walle
This bill would require landlords to provide notice to prospective tenants if a dwelling is located in a floodplain.
House Business & Industry Committee: Members, Chair Chris Turner: (877) 827-1922, Vice-Chair Cole Hefner: (877) 495-5085
Support Providing Notice of a Floodplain to a Purchaser of Real Property without a Dwelling: HB 1059 by Stephenson
This bill would require a seller to provide notice to a buyer of a property of less than 15 acres that is currently without a dwelling (but could be built on in the future) if the property is located in a floodplain.
House Business & Industry Committee hearing Tuesday, March 16
House Business & Industry Committee: Members, Chair Chris Turner: (877) 827-1922, Vice-Chair Cole Hefner: (877) 495-5085
Support Expedited Death Certificates for Religious Purposes:
HB 1011 by J. Turner
This bill would provide a process for expediting a death certificate when the decedent is to be laid to rest in a foreign country for religious purposes.
House Public Health Committee hearing Wednesday, March 17
House Public Health Committee: Members, Chair Stephanie Klick, (877) 609-1595, Vice Chair Bobby Guerra, (877) 341-1796
Support Weatherization of Electric Generation: HB 11 by Paddie
This bill would prepare electric generation facilities for extreme weather events.
House State Affairs hearing Thursday, March 18
House State Affairs Committee: Members, Chair Chris Paddie, (877) 257-1147, Vice Chair Ana Hernandez, (877) 512-2166
Support a Statewide Disaster and Extended Power Outage Alert System: HB 12 by Raymond
This bill would require the Texas Division of Emergency Management to study and, if it is found feasible, to create and implement a statewide disaster and extended power outage alert system.
House State Affairs hearing Thursday, March 18
House State Affairs Committee: Members, Chair Chris Paddie, (877) 257-1147, Vice Chair Ana Hernandez, (877) 512-2166
Support a Texas Energy Disaster Reliability Council: HB 13 by Paddie
This bill would create a council consisting of the Public Utility Commission, the Railroad Commission, and the Texas Division on Emergency Management to coordinate during future disasters.
House State Affairs hearing Thursday, March 18
House State Affairs Committee: Members, Chair Chris Paddie, (877) 257-1147, Vice Chair Ana Hernandez, (877) 512-2166
Support Prohibiting Wholesale Indexed Electric Rate Plans by Retail Electric Providers: HB 16 by Hernandez
This bill would prohibit the sale of variable rate plans from being sold to residential ratepayers in the investor-owned utility market.
House State Affairs hearing Thursday, March 18
House State Affairs Committee: Members, Chair Chris Paddie, (877) 257-1147, Vice Chair Ana Hernandez, (877) 512-2166
TAKE ACTION!
NOTE: We have set up toll-free numbers for all members of the Texas House and Senate. We ask that you use those numbers and save them in your phones. Dialing this number allows us to track the volume of calls to each office. If the number stops working, please let us know so we can set up a new number.
Find toll free numbers at https://texasimpact.org/texas-legislative-contact-information-2021/
Find your elected officials via the “Who Represents Me” page at http://www.fyi.legis.state.tx.us/Home.aspx
Weekly Witness Action Alert Sample Script
See the list of toll free numbers (https://texasimpact.org/texas-legislative-contact-information-2021/) for each member of the Texas Legislature and save the number. Using the toll free number allows Texas Impact staff to track how many calls are going in to each office.
Sample Script
Hello, my name is _________________and I live in ___________. I am calling to thank Representative/Senator _____________________for his/her service this Legislative Session.
As a person of faith (or clergy) I want to be constructive in working with Representative/Senator _______________ and hope they will support/oppose Bill number.
Feel free to use any of the bullet points in the Action Alert above. If your congregation has a special connection to the issue area you are referencing, feel free to briefly reference that connection. Don’t forget to thank the staff member you are talking to at the end of the call, even if you disagree with their boss on the issue or bill—they are working hard and appreciate being appreciated!
In the past, legislative offices occasionally have blocked our toll free number because of high call volume from people of faith. If you call twice and receive busy signals, email engagement@texasimpact.org and we will update the number.
For updated information, visit www.texasimpact.org, follow us on Facebook or Twitter or contact engagement@texasimpact.org To join the Texas Impact Rapid Response Team and receive updated Texas Impact Action Alerts or a Legislative Engagement Group to be connected with other members in your district, visit: https://texasimpact.org/action-center/
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