Legislative Handbook

E-mail your request for a copy of our Texas Legislative Handbook and send $5 by snail mail to PO Box 795354, Dallas, TX 75379.

Contact your State Legislator

Capitol switchboard: 512-463-4630

The most likely pro-life bill to pass this session is SB 30. The Senate Human Services Committee will host a public hearing on it Wednesday, March 10 at 8:30 AM in the Senate Chambers of the Capitol in Austin. If you plan to attend the hearing, you can sign a “witness card” in support of SB 30 without actually testifying before the committee. As a matter of fact, it would be much better to have a LARGE turnout without testimony.

Budget

The governor has proposed a state spending growth of about 10.7%: education would get $4.8 billion, transportation (highways) and health and human services would receive $2.1 billion each. General government is proposed to grow 8.3% not including Attorney General Cornyn’s request for help in child support collection. This isn’t good news since state government has already grown about 65% this decade. Eagle Pat Carlson is monitoring the Appropriations Committee focusing on deleting the “government nanny” program called Healthy Start.

Compulsory School Attendance

House Bill 1849 by Lengefeld attempts to lower the children’s age for compulsory attendance from 6 years of age to 5 by June 1 of the preceding school year. TEF opposes lowering the compulsory attendance age for school children.

Constitution

The Senate State Affairs Committee has set a hearing on the revision of the state constitution, SJR 1, for Tuesday, March 2nd at 11:00 AM in Room E1.012. “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.”

HATE Crimes

Several bills use the words “bias or prejudice” to enhance affirmative action of penalties for crimes: Hochberg’s HB 271, HB 938 by Thompson and SB 275 by Ellis, SB 49 by West. The godless slaying of the black man in Jasper, Texas yielded a swift and due punishment to the guilty—without “hate crimes” laws. They are UNNECESSARY! Should a crime against homosexuals be punished differently from one against other Americans? NO, ALL crime is a hate crime. TEF opposes enhancing the existing Texas “hate crime” law.

Insidiously, HB 363 by Ehrhardt seeks to prevent “discrimination” based on sexual orientation by school districts. In other words, homosexual teachers would be given special protection with this law. Other laws seeking to grant special “rights” to homosexuals are HB 475 by Maxey, HB 909 by Coleman, HB 913 by Thompson and

HB 1181 by Danburg. TEF opposes ALL bills attempting to give special rights to homosexuals.

“Hillarycare”: Texas Healthy Kids Corp./Federal Children’s Health Insurance Program

The $2.1 billion budget increase for Health and Human Services is largely due to the Medicaid “spillover” as a result of surveying children for THKC/CHIP coverage.

Much of the discussion in Austin surrounds the federal poverty level of families to be given socialized health insurance. Currently Texas covers children:
   * from birth to one year in families with incomes up to 185% of the federal poverty level;
   * ages 1-5 up to 133% of poverty;
   * ages 6-14 up to 100% of poverty; and
   * ages 15-19 up to 47% of poverty.

Some Representatives want to change the levels of poverty to: 200% up to 7 years of age, 185% up to 14 years of age and 150% up to 19 years of age. Ask your legislators to oppose HB 1487 by Averitt.

Homosexual Agenda

Texas Legislators MUST pass a defense of marriage act that refuses to recognize “same-sex marriages.” Another state may allow such “marriages,” then Texas would be forced to recognize them unless HB 383 by Chisum is passed.

Sen. West (SB 439) and Rep. Wilson (HB 868) want to create the Texas Human Rights Protection Act.  The U.S. Civil Rights Act is adequate; we oppose these bills.

Immunizations

Rep. Salinas filed HB 1725 that would require “each student who resides in a county any part of which is located within 60 miles from the international border with the United Mexican States shall be fully immunized against hepatitis A…. [Also]…each child from two to seven years of age would be required to be immunized against hepatitis A.” TEF believes that PARENTS—NOT the State should decide what immunizations and when they are given to their children.

Privacy of Personal Information

Senator Corona has filed SB 46 that would make it an offense to fraudulently use an individual’s “name, social security number, date of birth, and government-issued identification number, unique biometric data, including the individual’s fingerprint, voice print, and retina or iris image, unique electronic identification number, address and routing code and telecommunciation identifying information or access device…to obtain money, goods, services or other thing of value…without the other person’s consent and with intent to harm or defraud another.” TEF supports privacy legislation.

Social Promotion

After the Senate’s unanimous approval of SB 1, it has been referred to the House Public Education Committee and has a public hearing already on Monday, March 1st. TEF is concerned that a near unanimous opinion that students should achieve academically before passing to the next grade could be co-opted by BIG government interests that want to remove rule-making authority from the elected State Board of Education and give it to the Commissioner of Education.

Christian Heritage Week, February 28 - March 6, 1999