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March 15, 2021 - News, Updates & Action

Voting Rights ACTION ALERT! Fight for Democracy - Reject Senate Bill 7! Women's Health ACTION ALERT! Let Women Decide What is Best for Them! Healthcare for Older Texans ACTION A LERT! Texas Needs to Improve the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) 2021 LWVTX " We Support" Here is a summary of all the League Positions! Donate Now!Support LeagueAction! Empowering Voters. Defending Democracy. Take Action on SB 7 today! Lege Leaders Offer Solutions in Search of Problems Cinde Weatherby, Voting & Elections Issue Chair A high percentage of election bills filed would create bigger burdens on our heroic election officials, and the priority bills would likely make it harder for EVERY voter -- though they affect certain groups more than others.This includes special impacts on voters with disabilities, older voters relying on the mail ballot, and shift workers like the medical personnel trying to keep us safe. This is certainly true of the Lt. Gov’s top priority election billSB 7(by State Affairs Ch. Bryan Hughes) combining lots of the unneeded actions offered in numerous other bills already filed into one omnibus bill. For details see Cinde's Voting & Election Law blog. The League at the Capitol Janet Imhoff, Vice President Advocacy Health Care in Texas is an Urgent Issue! Social services are not a high priority in Texas, and the health of Texans is at stake: We have the highest rate of uninsured persons in the nation. We are one of only 12 states that have not expanded Medicaid. Many seniors are at risk for food insecurity, which risks their health. The rights of women and girls are being attacked with many bills. We have four terrific Issue Chairs who follow theHealth Care Area:Louise Hytken(LWV Dallas) coversWomen’s Health,Andrea Roa, (LWV Collin County) coversHealthcare for Older Texans,Celia Kaye, MD(LWV Dallas) coversChild Health,andAlissa Sughrue(LWV Austin Area) coversBehavioral Health.Read their Issue Updates underAll Issues. What you can do: Take action onSB 7Action Alerttoday! Send theAction AlertonWomen's Healthtoday! Respond to the newAction AlertonImproving the SNAPprogram certification. Send theAction AlertonMedicaid Expansionif you have not yet (900 letters to legislators have been sent so far.) Send aLetter to the Editorof your local newspaper!We have suggested letters on SNAP certification and Medicaid expansion. After you send the Action Alert letter to your legislators, you will see an option of sending aLetter to the Editor!Follow the links for a pre-written letter. See all theAction Alerts. Update on the Legislature: A flurry of bills were filed by the March 12th deadline last week.With priorities being released by the Governor, Lt. Governor, and Speaker of the House, the legislature has its direction.Bills to update our power generation responsibilities were among the most popular. Committee hearings are starting in earnest now, and our Issue Chairs are filing testimony:Cinde Weatherby(LWV Austin Area) onVoting Rights, andAimee Turney(LWV Houston Area) onTexas Active Shooter Alert System.

League in the News

Houston Chronicle Editorial,March 14, 2021: Stop the steal of Texans' election rights “Almost all of the improvements in voting that were offered to try to deal with the pandemic are now being seen as things that shouldn’t go forward,”Cinde Weatherbywith the Texas League of Women Voters told the editorial board.“If there was anything that made it easier to vote there are people out there who are writing bills to take that away.” Click here to see the full editorial.