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LEGISLATURE CONVENES ON TUESDAY EQUALITY TEXAS' STRATEGIC PLAN EQUALITY TEXAS' LEGISLATIVE AGENDA LEGISLATURE CONVENES ON TUESDAY
At Equality Texas, we envision a state where all 23.5 million Texans are treated equally, with dignity and respect. During session, and as we do every single day, Equality Texas will aggressively advocate and lobby for the elimination of discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity/expression. We must, however, be realistic in our expectations and strategic in our actions. As we reported to you last week, Rep. Joe Straus of San Antonio is expected to replace Rep. Tom Craddick as Speaker of the House. While it is not possible to predict what a Straus-led House will do, we are cautiously optimistic that the new leadership will move away from divisive, wedge-issue, "culture war" politics. We are hopeful that representatives will have to demonstrate support for their bills in order to get them through the committee process and on to the floor. With a 76-74 Republican-Democrat split, we expect that whip counts will be more important than in the past to show support for legislation. Both conservative and progressive legislation may have more of an opportunity for consideration if the new speaker allows more delegation of authority to the committee process. The upcoming assignments of committee chairs and committee members will be critical to all the work that happens in the House. Generally, the Appropriations and Calendars committees are the most important as they affect legislation across the board. Committees with specific relevance to Equality Texas issues include Public Education, State Affairs, Government Reform, and Human Services.
EQUALITY TEXAS' STRATEGIC PLAN
In the fourth quarter of 2008, Equality Texas began implementation of this comprehensive strategic plan. Goal #1: Engage and activate Texans in support of equality for Texans of all sexual orientations and gender identities/expressions. Equality Texas will demonstrate that its pro-equality values and vision are shared by the people of Texas and will continue to measure support for its organizations' goals. Equality Texas will implement programs that engage and activate Texans and partner organizations to achieve these goals.
Goal #2: Achieve equality under the law for Texans of all sexual orientations and gender identities/expressions. Equality Texas advocates and lobbies for nondiscrimination, safe schools, relationship recognition, and family & child welfare through legislative initiatives in odd-numbered years and regulatory/administrative initiatives in even-numbered years.
EQUALITY TEXAS' LEGISLATIVE AGENDA
Equality Texas is working with our legislative allies to draft and file specific bills that are important to our members and that address issues with specific language that we have researched and proposed. Three (3) bills were pre-filed and two (2) bills have been filed since the session convened. Additional bills have been drafted and submitted for review by Legislative Council, and others are waiting to be filed once House committee assignments have been announced.
Bills Pre-Filed Relationship Recognition:
Author: Rep. Eddie Rodriguez (D-Austin) Would establish authority for domestic partners in medical decision making. Provisions of this comprehensive medical decision making bill include:
Nondiscrimination:
Author: Rep. Roberto Alonzo (D-Dallas) Currently, insurers cannot discriminate based on race, color,
religion, national origin, age, gender, marital status,
geographic location, disability or partial disability. HB 197
would expand the prohibition of discrimination to include sexual
orientation and gender identity/expression.
Nondiscrimination:
Author: Rep. Michael Villarreal (D-San Antonio) Equality Texas worked with Rep. Villarreal's office to draft language which would prohibit discrimination in employment based on sexual orientation and gender identity/expression. In 2007, Rep. Villarreal filed an omnibus nondiscrimination bill, HB 900. The 2009 bill takes an assertive new approach which would incorporate sexual orientation and gender identity/expression into all existing labor code sections dealing with nondiscrimination, treating them equally with race, color, disability, religion, sex, national origin, or age. Bills Filed Hate Crimes/James Byrd Jr. Hate Crimes Act:
Author: Rep. Marc Veasey (D-Fort Worth) Equality Texas worked with Rep. Veasey's office to draft language which would require the Texas Attorney General to conduct a study to examine the success of the James Byrd Jr. Hate Crimes Act and identify barriers to the effective use of, and prosecution under, the Act. Similar legislation was filed by Rep. Veasey in the 2007 session [HB 2612]. In 2007, the bill obtained two (2) additional authors and six (6) co-authors; it was left pending in the Criminal Jurisprudence Committee. Relationship Recognition:
Author: Rep. Elliott Naishtat (D-Austin) Equality Texas worked with Rep. Naishtat's office to draft language which would expand access to insurance/health benefits for employees and faculty of the University of Texas and Texas A&M University systems by adding a new category of dependent that includes "qualified other individual". Bills To Be Filed Safe Schools for All Youth:
Author: Rep. Mark Strama (D-Austin) Equality Texas worked with Rep. Strama's office to draft language which would establish reporting standards for school districts to report incidents of bullying/harassment to the Texas Education Agency. Relationship Recognition:
Author: Rep. Donna Howard (D-Austin) Equality Texas worked with Rep. Howard's office to draft language on end of life decision making and enforcement of advanced directives. This language has been submitted to Legislative Council by Rep. Howard. The language has been separated into two (2) bills: one governing end of life decisions, including those made by a "long-term intimate partner", and one to make advance directives more enforceable. Other Bills Equality Texas is working with other legislators on additional pieces of legislation in the areas of school safety, family & child welfare, relationship recognition, gender identity/expression, nondiscrimination, and hate crimes. These efforts include additional allies, including Representative Garnet Coleman. Efforts to defeat discriminatory bills and amendments will remain one of Equality Texas' highest priorities. After passage of a ballot initiative in Arkansas prohibiting adoption and foster care by single people, Equality Texas will dedicate resources to defeat similar efforts in Texas.
There are several things that representatives understand - one of the most powerful is the understanding of what their constituents want passed. Over the next 140 days, there will be multiple opportunities for you to let your state representative and your state senator know what you want passed. Please don't miss a single opportunity to communicate what you want.
Lobbying & Advocacy Public Education
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The 81st Regular Session
of the Texas Legislature convenes at noon on Tuesday, January
13th. For the next 140 days, the 31 members of the Texas Senate
and the 150 members of the Texas House of Representatives will
consider legislation that has a direct impact on the lives of
23.5 million Texans.
In February 2008,
Equality Texas began a member-driven strategic planning process
to set the goals and objectives of the organization for the next
five (5) years. Through surveys, interviews and focus
groups with members, donors, collaborators, faith leaders,
heterosexual allies, elected officials and other stakeholders,
an assessment was undertaken to (i) gather the data needed to
understand the current organizational operations, (ii) assess
the knowledge and attitudes of stakeholders, and (iii)
identify the perceived role of Equality Texas in the social and
political landscape of civil rights advocacy on behalf of
lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender Texans.
HB 353 -
HB 197 -
HB xxx - Relating to the
reporting of incidents of bullying/harassment at public schools
and at public school activities.
HB xxx - Relating
to end of life decision making. 
To be
successful, Equality Texas' professional lobbying
efforts must be backed up by popular support.
