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February 2021 Action News!

LWV Texas | Published on 2/1/2021
February 2021 Action News!
President's Message: A True Democracy
Grace Chimene

Great things are happening on the national front. There is positive movement onLeague prioritiesat the national level. There is already good news on health care with aspecial open enrollment period for the ACAand action onclimate change.We are hopeful for the passage of much-needed voting reforms inHR 1, the For the People Act bill, restoring theVoting Rights Act, and fair redistricting with theJohn R. Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act.

In Texas, Governor Abbot will unveil his emergency priorities in hisState of the State address tonightand I’m worried. Or will the governor focus on solutions to the overwhelming current emergencies- the pandemic, improving the COVID19vaccine distribution system, the recession, racial justice, and police reform?Will the governor attempt to appease folks who are concerned about unsubstantiated voter fraud by clamping down on voting rights here in Texas.

Actions at the Capitol speak louder than words. The Senate and the House have limited public input on bills in committee hearings.The League will have limited access to influence legislation by providing testimony on bills.

Voters, on the other hand, still have a huge influence over their elected officials! We are counting on YOU to influence legislation with ourTake Action Center!Check out “Bills” for voting and election legislation. Then take action on expanding Medicaid and redistricting or write a letter to the editor of your local newspaper.
I hope you will join us onFebruary 6th for our Lobby Day!

Thank you for standing with the League to empower voters and defend democracy!
Your Texas League in Action!
LWVTX Lobby Day

Learn more about our priority issues and influencing your legislators! Join us this comingSaturday, February 6th from 10 am to 1 pmfor the League of Women Voters of TexasLobby Day!In addition to our own issue experts and lead policy folks, we have three very special invited guest speakers:


The agenda will cover:
  1. Voting Rights & Redistricting-a National Perspective(Michael Li)
  2. Voting Rights & Redistricting -Impact on Communities of Color in Texas(Dr. Victoria M. Defrancesco Soto & Dr. Melanye Price)
  3. You Can Take Action at the Texas Capitol(League Issue ChairsStephanie SwansonandCinde Weatherby, and LWVTX Vice President of AdvocacyJanet Imhoff)

And, it's free!Register here now!
At the Capitol
Janet Imhoff, Vice President Advocacy

The Texas Legislature came back into session this week, and bills are still coming in.We are still investigating the finer points of the rules on testimony so we are prepared when hearings start.Watch for the League's Capitol Action Report every Monday during the Texas Legislative session except for the first Monday, when the LeagueAction News!comes out.
Kudos to Lt. Governor Patrick for his remarks delivered on January 27:"Because of the unprecedented speed and scope of this vaccination effort, Patrick asked Texans not to point fingers. “It’s not the mayor’s fault, it’s not the county judge’s fault, it’s not the state’s fault, it’s not the federal government’s fault in terms of the number of vaccines that we have,”he said. “The fact is the manufacturers are doing everything they can to send as many vaccines out to the country.”

Discover bills your elected officials filed with theJanuary Advisors Map!Stay informed onIssues important to youwith the League. Then call, email, or virtually meet with your elected officials to tell your story.
Voting Rights and Election Law Update
Cinde Weatherby, Issue Chair

We now find both houses of the Texas Legislature in recess.Both chambers are set to return to the Capitol on February 9th. During the hiatus, two Senate Committees are meeting: the Senate Special Committee on Redistricting and the Finance Committee. Those committeehearings are available online. Recordings ofprevious hearingsare also available.

LWVTX’s voting rights and election law team has also been organizing. We can now point you to the fruit of our labors: a brand new bill tracking program! We removed the bill tracking spreadsheet link just above this blog and replaced it with a much more robust, always updated tracking system you can check into.

It’s as easy as 1 - 2 - 3, letting us all follow bills throughout the session. Look at them all, or choose topics most aligned with your greatest voting/election passions.
Redistricting Update
Stephanie Swanson, Issue Chair

The Senate Redistricting Committee started holding virtual, public input hearings this week, and many Texans showed up to demand that afair and open processbe implemented for the next round of redistricting.Texans are tired of the closed-door process that lets politiciansput partisan interests ahead of the interests of their constituents.The public deserves to have the opportunity to have meaningful dialogue with the Committee throughout the entire map-making process since these maps will have a huge impact on our lives for the next decade.

The Senate will beholdingmore virtual hearingsin February.

To register to provide testimony, please refer tothe Senate Redistricting Committee'shearing notifications.Remember, registration ends 24 hours before the hearings begin.

For help preparing testimony, please refer to thesetestimony guides.You can also include therecommendations found in theFair & Open Campaignin your testimony.

And be sure to use ourAction Alertto send the Fair & Open recommendations directly to the Redistricting Committee members.
2021 League Action Papers

2020-2021 We Support(A summary of the Texas League positions.)
2021 Priority IssuesNew!(A summary of our priority issues.)
LWVTX Take Action Center

Check out theTexas League Action Center. Please take action on the two current Action Alerts:
  1. We Want Fair and Open Redistricting
  2. Texas Leaders: Time to Expand Medicaid

Don't forget to sign up for text notices of League Action Alerts by texting ACTION to 80123. This will be for last-minute priorities.
Donate Now to Support the League in Action!
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