fbpx

Action Alert: Week of May 3

May 3, 2021 | Action Alerts, Latest Posts

Week of May 3, 2021

With less than 28 days to go, the focus on the House Calendars Committee continues. The House Calendars Committee is the gatekeeper determining which bills make it to the House floor for consideration. 

Call the House Calendars Committee 

Chair

Rep. Burrows, Dustin

(877) 203-6192

Vice Chair

Rep. Moody, Joe

(877) 503-5072

Rep. Craddick, Tom

(877) 533-4215

Rep. Harris, Cody

(877) 455-6147

Rep. Hefner, Cole

(877) 495-5085

Rep. Hernandez, Ana

(877) 512-2166

Rep. Leman, Ben

(877) 827-1951

Rep. Patterson, Jared

(877) 293-4957

Rep. Rose, Toni

(877) 831-7122

Rep. Slawson, Shelby

(877) 237-5792

Rep. Talarico, James

(877) 511-3814

Omnibus Elections Bill: HB 6 by Cain & SB 7 by Hughes

SB 7 passed out of the House Elections Committee late last week. The Committee substituted the language from HB 6 into SB 7. However, should SB 7 pass, a conference committee could put the provisions that passed the Senate back into the bill. Put simply, HB 6 is SB 7. HB 6 contains many of the provisions of SB 7 which would empower disruptive poll watchers and disempower election judges. HB 6 also contains provisions from SB 7 which would prohibit counties from distributing applications for mail ballots to nonprofits, including churches. SB 7 would affect your voting rights in the following ways: 

  • Counties would be prohibited from providing nonprofits – including churches – applications for mail-in ballots.
  • If a voter applied but never received a mail ballot, that voter would be required to vote provisionally—diminishing the likelihood that the voter’s ballot would count.
  • A doctor would be in the position of practicing law without a license in determining whether a voter is “disabled” and thus eligible to vote by mail. 
  • Voters would be required to submit a “doctor’s note” to obtain a mail ballot, which requires access to a doctor. 
  • A voter’s “doctor’s note” would be a public record, which could be used by employers or insurance companies to discriminate.
  •  Signature verification committees would be able to use “any known signature” to reject a mail ballot, which means a 25 year old driver’s license signature could be used to reject the ballot of an elderly person whose signature is evolving due to age, medical condition, or medication.
  • Neutrally written formulas prescribed in the bill would have the effect of limiting the number of voting machines in minority and low-income urban areas which would increase the length of the lines. 
  • Election judges would be subject to criminal penalties and civil lawsuits for the removal of disruptive partisan poll watchers.
  • Partisan poll watchers would be allowed to engage in disputes with the election judge causing even longer lines, which disenfranchise people with jobs and childcare constraints. 
  • Partisan poll watchers would be authorized to record practically anything in a polling location, including sensitive personal information.
  • Partisan poll watchers would be authorized to record inside your car if you are voting curbside. 
  • Partisan poll watchers would face no penalties for violating the secrecy of your ballot by recording it.
  • Partisan poll watchers would be free to edit any video, and face no penalties for editing and publishing the video in misleading ways. 
  • The Secretary of State would be given broad new powers to fine local election officials even if there is a good faith dispute over whether a voter is eligible like during the attempted and erroneous voting purge in 2019. 
  • Voting in a temporary structure, parking lot, parking garage, or motor vehicle (other than curbside) would be prohibited even in the event of a disaster.
  •  Would create new causes of action for disgruntled candidates to allege fraud in court after an election. 

Oppose Restrictions to Voting By Mail

Numerous bills propose changes to how Texans vote by mail. Most are more draconian than the law passed in Georgia, and have nothing to do with security, but only restrict the voting rights of elderly and disabled Texans. While many provisions of the Georgia law are bad, not all of them are. One provision that makes sense for Texas would be to require a handwritten driver’s license, state ID, or social security number to be written inside the carrier envelope, and then abolish the junk science that is signature verification. HB 2478 by Rep. Cody Harris and SB 1509 by Sen. Creighton would require handwriting this number, but does not abolish signature verification. The following bills, however, suppress the vote and the members of House Calendars should oppose them: 

Oppose HB 1725 by Rep. Paul

HB 1725 would prohibit the hand delivery of a mail-in ballot and increase the rejection rates of otherwise valid votes that would arrive after the ballot receipt deadline.

Oppose HB 2320 by Rep. Jetton

HB 2320 would make it a felony if a person pre-filled the excuse box on an application to vote by mail. This bill is an unnecessary landmine. Providing false information is already illegal. In a real example, a member of a congregation would be a felon if she wanted to provide an application to vote by mail to everyone 65+ in her Sunday school class, obtain an application, checked the 65+ box, made copies, and gave them to her friends in her Sunday school class. 

Oppose HB 2321 by Rep. Jetton

HB 2321 would require signature verification committees to look at signatures the Department of Public Safety obtained through driver’s license data, which would increase the rates of rejection by looking at decades-old signature data. Signatures are known to change over time due to age, medical conditions, and medication.

Oppose HB 3080 by Rep. Oliverson

HB 3080 would make it a crime for a person to distribute an application to vote by mail—something 25 of our member congregations did during the last election cycle.

Oppose HB 3281 by Rep. Paul

HB 3281 would shorten the ballot receipt deadline for a mail-in ballot leading to higher rates of rejection. The overwhelming majority—85% of mail in ballots—are rejected because they arrive after the ballot receipt deadline. Shortening the deadline means less time for the post office to deliver mail-in ballots. 

Oppose HB 3920 by Rep. Dean

HB 3920 would make a confusing definition of “disability” even more confusing. Right now, the Supreme Court of Texas has clarified that it is up to the voter to decide if he or she is disabled. HB 3920 would further restrict the definition of disabled with vague language requiring a voter to be unable to leave their residence to qualify. 

Oppose HB 4331 by Rep. Jetton

HB 4331 would make it a felony to distribute applications for ballots by mail and take a position on a ballot measure—something many nonprofits, including churches, routinely do.

Oppose Bullying Children that Identify as Transgender

Oppose HB 1399 by Rep. Krause

HB 1399 would prohibit the doctors from performing gender transitioning or gender reassignment medical procedures and treatments, and those taking medications would immediately lose access.

Support Criminal Justice Reform

Support HB 831 by Rep. Senfronia Thompson

HB 831 would place limits on the use of uses of force when making an arrest.

Support HB 492 by Rep. Wu & HB 1272 by Rep. Crockett

HB 1272 would regulate the use of “no-knock warrants.”

Electric Market Legislation in House State Affairs

Oppose SB 3 by Sen. Schwertner & SB 1278 by Sen. Hancock

SB 1278 would instruct the PUC to assign a cost and charge renewable energy producers for when the wind is not blowing to subsidize the oil and gas industry — the folks actually responsible for the winter blackouts due to their failure to winterize.

Call the House State Affairs Committee and instruct them to pull the anti-renewables provision out of SB 3 and do not pass SB 1278.

Chair

Rep. Paddie, Chris

(877) 257-1147

Vice Chair

Rep. Hernandez, Ana

(877) 512-2166

Rep. Deshotel, Joe

(877) 741-2061

Rep. Harless, E. Sam

(877) 455-6141

Rep. Howard, Donna

(877) 211-3251

Rep. Hunter, Todd

(877) 281-8912

Rep. King, Phil

(877) 415-5501

Rep. Lucio III, Eddie

(877) 231-0081

Rep. Metcalf, Will

(877) 382-1102

Rep. Raymond, Richard

(877) 516-1087

Rep. Shaheen, Matt

(877) 208-0117

Rep. Slawson, Shelby

(877) 237-5792

Rep. Smithee, John

(877) 369-8518

Pass Two Good Healthcare Bills for Moms & Children

Support HB 133 by Rep. Rose

HB 133 would provide twelve months of health coverage after pregnancy.

HB 133 passed the House on 4/15. It was referred to the Senate Health & Human Services Committee on 4/19. Call the Senate Health & Human Services Committee and ask them to set a hearing for HB 133.

Chair

Sen. Kolkhorst, Lois

(877) 801-0551

Vice Chair

Sen. Perry, Charles

(877) 649-1015

Sen. Blanco, Cesar

(877) 751-9042

Sen. Buckingham, Dawn

(877) 612-2212

Sen. Campbell, Donna

(877) 649-0965

Sen. Hall, Bob

(877) 209-4797

Sen. Miles, Borris

(877) 399-9590

Sen. Powell, Beverly

(877) 314-4951

Sen. Seliger, Kel

(877) 857-0758

Support HB 290 by Rep. Cortez

HB 290 would provide twelve months of continuous health coverage for children as opposed to making parents reapply every six months.

HB 290 passed the House on 4/15, but has not been referred to a committee. Call the Lieutenant Governor and ask him to refer the bill to a committee so that it can have a hearing. 

Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick

(877) 251-9546

Call Your State Senator

Oppose HB 1927 by Rep. Schaefer

HB 1927 would allow for the unlicensed carry of handguns. Texas would more tightly regulate the driving of a motor vehicle than the carrying of handguns. 

Oppose SB 1089 by Sen. Buckingham

SB 1089 would allow regulated payday lenders under Chapter 342, Finance Code, to as much as double the cost of loan.

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/

Texas Impact is a membership organization. Join Texas Impact and be part of Texas’ oldest and largest interfaith action network! For more information, visit: https://texasimpact.org/join