P.S. The League of Women Voters of Texas is working tirelessly to advocate for all Texans this legislative session and beyond. Donate today to support our mission of empowering voters and defending democracy!

There may be a vote as early as next week in the Senate on SB 2, which creates Educational Savings Accounts for 10,000 students to use public money to pay for private school. Texas has enough school choice and needs to protect and fully fund its public schools. Call your state senators and tell them to vote no on SB2!

Click here to take action in our Action Alert Center, which will provide you with your senator's phone number and a phone script to use. Simply enter your address, and follow the instructions. *Please note that you will most likely either be talking to a legislative staff member or leaving a message. We understand that making phone calls is difficult for many people. However, our phone script makes it easier, and phone calls can make a big impact!

The House and Senate introduced the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility (SAVE) Act, which would require citizenship documentation to register to vote even though voters in every state are already required to affirm or verify their citizenship status when registering. The SAVE Act would create one more barrier to the voting process, as many eligible voters do not have easy access to the necessary documents.

Tell your members of Congress to oppose the SAVE Act.

By Elisabeth MacNamara, LWVTX Vice President of Advocacy

The 89th Legislature is in session, and we have a new Speaker of the House, Dustin Burrows from Lubbock. Hearings have begun in the Senate, where we are currently following SB 2, which creates Educational Savings Accounts (vouchers). The bill is essentially the same as the bill that passed the Senate in 2023, but with twice the budget ($1 billion), allowing for $10,000 vouchers for 10,000 students to attend private school at public expense. The League opposed this bill in 2023 and opposes it now.

SB 2 is moving fast in the Senate, which we expected. What we are watching is whether the House has an appetite to slow down the bill after the election last year. There are many new members in the House, and the Governor believes he has the votes to get ESAs over the finish line this time.

Click here to take action and tell your senators to oppose SB 2!

On the voting rights front, there have been many bills filed, including a bill to eliminate countywide polling. However, the most concerning bill so far is SB 309, which calls for the Secretary of State to make new rules that would require people to show official documents proving they're citizens (consistent with the NVRA) before they can register to vote.

SB 309 raises several concerns:

1. NVRA compliance issue: To require proof of citizenship in line with the National Voter Registration Act (NVRA), the state would need to create two separate voter registration lists - one for federal elections and another for state elections.
2. Vague language: The language of the bill is so vague that it can be interpreted in any way needed to get it passed.
3. Impact on voter registration efforts: If passed, the requirement could make it impossible for groups like the League of Women Voters to register voters.

These factors combined make SB 309 a troubling piece of proposed legislation.

Our Making Democracy Work® Dinner will be held on Monday, February 24th,2025from 6:00 - 9:00 p.m. at the Central Branch of the Austin Public Library, located at 710 West Cesar Chavez Street in Austin, Texas.

Our keynote speaker will be Texas Secretary of State, Jane Nelson! Our honorees are NALEO Educational Fund, Texas NAACP State Conference, and Texas Classroom Teachers Association (TCTA).

To buy tickets and/or sponsor this exciting event, visit the dinner registration page. There are limited numbers of tickets left!

LWV Texas will host Lobby Days on February 24th and 25th, which includes training and visits to legislators at the Capitol to advocate for our priority issues. LWVTX Lobby Days is for League members only, so the perfect time to join us is now!

LWV Tarrant County was pleased to provide provide financial resources for the marker at the dedication of the Texas State Historical Marker for the Boykin House on Jan. 25th. Clota Boykin was an early suffragist and president of the League of Women Voters. Read more here.

Some members of LWV Wichita Falls

attended the Martin Luther King Jr. (MLK) Sashing Ceremony to recognize their own Diann Taylor as last year’s Grand Marshal. They also attended the MLK Scholarship and Prayer Breakfast and the MLK. Parade on Jan. 18th. Read more here, here, and here.

LWV Brazos Valley invited5 local School Board Trustees to speak at their January meeting about the "Role of a School Board Trustee & the Basics of School Finance." Read more here.

Comal County Elections set up a special training for LWV Comal Area, and 19 members completed their Volunteer Deputy Registrar (VDR) training! Read more here.

LWV Texas is proud to be a sponsor of The Texas Tribune's "2025Texas Legislature Series: State Sen. Charles Perry."

Join The Texas Tribune in Austin or online Thursday, Feb. 13th,at 8 a.m. CST when Texas Tribune Editor-in-Chief Matthew Watkins sits down with Perry to discuss water infrastructure and other legislative priorities for2025.RSVP here.

State Sen. Charles Perry, R-Lubbock, has been at the forefront of addressing one of Texas’ most pressing challenges: the future of our water resources. As chair of the Senate Committee on Water, Agriculture, and Rural Affairs, Senator Perry has dedicated recent months to rallying support and sparking action to secure solutions for the state’s growing water needs.

LWV Texas has defended our environment for decades! Join the effort to mobilize for sustainable water policy by donating today!

While misinformation refers to the accidental spread of inaccurate information, disinformation is not only inaccurate, but intends to deceive and is spread in order to do serious harm.

Don't help spread mis and disinformation! Double check your sources, read past the headline, and question emotionally charged content. Focus on providing the correct information and, if possible, include trustworthy sources for where to learn more. And remember, do NOT repeat, share, or quote bad information! Learn more about mis and disinformation here.

The UN General Assembly has expressed concern over the proliferation of disinformation and has welcomed the efforts of the Secretary-General to promote international cooperation in countering disinformation. In response to that, the Secretary-General has submitted a report based on information and best practices shared by States, UN entities, and others on countering disinformation.

Learn more about disinformation, what to do about it, and the UN's report here.

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