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Dear {name},
This week, just as early voting was starting, the Texas House Criminal Jurisprudence Committee held an unprecedented hearing on the case of Robert Roberson, who was scheduled to be executed last week. Roberson was convicted of murdering his 2-year-old daughter, but in the 20 years since his conviction, scientific and medical analysis have called Roberson’s guilt into serious question.
I’ve written a blog post about the case, which raises a number of important issues for Texas—but in many ways the most important thing isn’t the case or the issues, so much as the hearing. A bipartisan group of lawmakers had a tough conversation in public. They said things like “I completely disagree with you but I respect you.”
We used to hear that kind of talk all the time in legislative hearings, but lately it’s been pretty muted. Constituents often hear lawmakers refer to each other as “my good friend” in one moment, and trash each other on social media in the next. But at Monday’s hearing, from one end of the dais to the other the committee members were civil, collegial, and engaged.
If you are feeling discouraged about political polarization, consider taking a minute to thank the members of the committee for their commitment to public service. It doesn’t mean you agree with all their positions or even that you agree with their decision to hold a hearing on the Roberson case. It just means you agree with Rep. Jeff Leach: “Republicans and Democrats can work together.”
Love, |
