Action News- June 2023
Joyce LeBombard | Published on 6/6/2023
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Dear Joleen,
The 88th Legislative Regular Session came to a close on Memorial Day. Governor Abbott then called an immediate special session to focus on property. He also indicated that multiple special sessions would be required to address critical issues such as property taxes.
Only the governor can call a special legislative session and determine its topics. Legislators can only pass bills related to the agenda set by the governor. So, it is unclear, at this time, if the session will include any of the many voting and election bills left by the wayside during the regular session.
Elisabeth MacNamara, VP of Advocacy, summarizes the four priority legislative areas we focused on in the session below. She and her advocacy team are working with our coalition partners to track and strategize for the special sessions.
While there is still more work to do, please join me in thanking Elisabeth, our four legislative priority issue chairs (Stephanie Swanson, Aimee Turney, Dianne Andy, and Catherine Maxwell), and all the issue chairs for all their hard work during the regular sessions. They spent countless hours tracking bills, writing testimony and Action Alerts, and working with collaboration partners. Please also join me in thanking our Capitol Corps, Technology, Communications teams, and local Leagues, our many voting rights coalition partners, and you!
Despite having a steep learning curve in some areas and creating new processes, we were able to impact this legislative session. Together, we contacted our legislators over 123,000 times through our Take Action Center!
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Map of LWVTX's Take Action Center's active user distribution throughout Texas, 2023
Thank you all on behalf of LWV Texas.
While it may seem like a long time before the November Constitutional Amendment election, our first-rate Voter Education team is already working on the Voters Guide for the known amendments.
Respectfully, |
| Your Texas League in Action |
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Capitol Action Report
by Elisabeth MacNamara
The regular session is behind us. The first of what promises to be a series of special sessions is underway. Many thanks to everyone who responded to our Action Alerts. We were joined by many coalition partners in opposing a lot of legislation this session and while direct cause and effect if difficult to measure, the effort clearly made a difference. It is sad to measure success in terms of what didn’t happen in the session, but that is the world we live in right now.
Of the bills we opposed despite a strong response to League and partner alerts, many passed in this session, including SB 1070 (withdrawing from ERIC),SB 1750 (eliminating the Election Administrator position in Harris County), and SB 1933 (allowing the SOS to assume administrative oversight of elections in Harris County), as well as HB 5127, SB 14, SB 1045, HB 17, and SB 5180.
On a more positive note, HB 12, which extends postpartum Medicaid Coverage from 2 to 12 months, passed, and SB 477, which makes curbside voting more accessible, also passed. For a full list of bills in our priority areas that passed this session, click here.
We will be watching this summer and fall as the Governor calls more special sessions. We fully expect that vouchers will be the subject of at least one session. It remains to be seen as legislative leaders continue to negotiate where any of the failed election bills make another appearance. Please watch for our Action Alerts in our Take Action Center, because even when it’s over these days, it’s not over.
Read the full update here.
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LWVTX Summer Trainings: Building League Power
Throughout the summer, LWVTX will be offering "Building League Power" training sessions to our local Leagues. These sessions are only open to League members. The first session, "Membership: Recruitment, Engagement & Retention," will be held on June 15th. The Building League Power series is scheduled to continue on the third Thursdays in July and August, and plans are in the works for a program on Mis/Dis Information and an 88th Texas Legislative Update - what happened & what's next, respectively.
To join the League of Women Voters of Texas, click here.
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LWVUS Council 2023: Framing the Future
In odd numbered years, the national League, LWVUS, holds a business meeting with state League leaders. LWV Texas will participate in this year’s Council at the end of June. This year's meeting is focused on our ongoing work to make it easier and more inclusive to become a League member and also the League’s "moonshot" goal: abolishing the Electoral College. The League has long supported this goal due to the Electoral College's many shortcomings and racist history. Dr. Turner, LWV President, has said the “direct popular vote for electing the president and vice president is essential to representative government,” and that the Electoral College has been a “vehicle to weaken democracy.”
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Congratulations and Welcome to New Local League Leaders!
Last month, LWVTX local Leagues held annual meetings to elect new board members and pass and approve their budgets and programs. We'd like to offer our congratulations to new and continuing board members alike! Also, thank you to the local leaders who gave of their time and resources to serve our mission of empowering voters and defending democracy. Your service is valued and appreciated!
To join the League of Women Voters of Texas or learn more, click here.
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League of Women Voters Corpus Christi elects first Black president
Alexis Scott, KRIS 6 News | Published on 5/24/23
The League of Women Voters Corpus Christi has elected the organization's first Black president in chapter history.
Alice Upshaw-Hawkins has made a name for herself in the Corpus Christi community. Starting out in education, she credits her desire to pursue teaching to her mother and sister.
Read the full article here.
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The fight for voting rights: Has the US actually made progress when it comes to equity in voting?
Rosie Nguyen, ABC13, KTRK | Published on 5/27/23
(This video/article features interviews with LWVTX board member Pamiel Gaskin and LWV Houston president Dr. Annie Johnson Benifield.)
Pamiel Gaskin remembers when the Voting Rights Act of 1965 was signed into law. She was just a freshman at the University of Texas at Austin and couldn't vote yet because the minimum age required to cast your ballot at the time was 21 years old.
Watch/read the full video/article here.
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Our America: Hidden Stories - The 1619 Project | Watch the Full Episode
Nikole Hannah-Jones, ABC | Published on 5/27/23
(This episode features an interview with LWVTX board member Pamiel Gaskin.)
We begin in Houston, Texas, to explore the centuries-long fight to democratize America. Reporter Rosie Nguyen takes a close look at the Voting Rights Act of 1965.
The fight for voting rights is not a thing of the past, unfortunately. To this day, there are still policies in place that make it difficult for communities of color, particularly Black and Latino populations, to cast their ballots. Texas is a prime example of a state with controversial legislation on voting.
Watch the full episode here.
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LWV Williamson County
Photo credit: League of Women Voters Williamson County Facebook page. Members of LWV Williamson County helped register students to vote at Rouse High School and Tom Glenn High School in Leander. Read more here and here.
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LWV El Paso
Photo credit: League of Women Voters of El Paso Facebook page. At their annual meeting, LWV El Paso recognized Student Voter Registration Champs Mr. Dungan of Mission Early College High & Principal Marioni of San Eli High, as their schools were amongst the top schools in El Paso County in student voter registrations. Read more here.
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LWV Collin County
Photo credit:League of Women Voters of Collin County Facebook page. LWV Collin County Volunteer Deputy Registrars registered new voters at Plano's Asiafest on May 6th. Read more here.
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LWV Cy-Fair
Photo credit: LWV-Cy-Fair Facebook page. Members of LWV Cy-Fair registered high school voters at Cypress Woods High School on May 12th. Read more here.
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| Your Texas League in the News |
Is Texas next up? Lawmakers clear the way for the state to leave voter data group ERIC
Ashley Lopez, NPR | Published on 5/30/23
Joyce LeBombard, president of the League of Women Voters of Texas, says her main concern is that the state will not immediately have another system to use to cross check its voter rolls.
"There is no other system to replace ERIC at this point," she said.
Read the full article here.
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Texas is set to make illegal voting a felony again. This is how some voters could be at risk.
Natalia Contreras, Votebeat | Published on 5/24/23
Some voting rights advocates say that given the lack of evidence of widespread voter fraud, the bill’s purpose is to intimidate voters — especially voters who have been previously incarcerated.
“Why increase the penalty? Why this, why now?” said Joyce LeBombard, president of the League of Women Voters of Texas. “This will impact people that are already unsure about whether they should go or vote. They’re potentially not going to vote because of a concern that they might make a mistake.”
Read the full article here.
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LeBombard: Legislators, pass sensible gun laws that majority of Texans want and need
Joyce LeBombard (guest columnist), Rio Grande Guardian | Published on 5/9/23
It is unconscionable that we are mourning the victims of yet another mass shooting, this time in Allen, Texas. It was just over a week ago that we mourned the victims of a mass shooting in Cleveland, Texas, and less than a year after we mourned the death of the victims of a mass shooting at Robb Elementary in Uvalde. In all three cases, the victims included children and the weapon was an assault rifle.
Read the full article here.
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Board Nominations: We're Looking for Leaders!
Would you or someone you know make an excellent League of Women Voters of Texas board member? There are also many off-board projects and activities to empower voters and defend democracy. Please let us know how you can help!
Ideal candidates are committed to the League’s Mission of empowering voters and defending democracy. We are looking for committed candidates who have experience in leadership, advocacy, business, government, philanthropy or nonprofit work, etc. Creative visionaries and hard workers should apply!
LWV is an organization fully committed to Nonpartisanship as well as Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in principle and in practice. Diversity, equity, and inclusion are central to the organization’s current and future success in engaging individuals, households, communities, and policymakers when empowering voters and defending democracy.
This is a working board. Currently, the Board meets monthly for 2 hours via Zoom. The Board will also meet at least twice a year in person over a long weekend. Between meetings, each board member assumes responsibilities for specific tasks such as voter education, advocacy, growing strong and healthy Leagues, and fundraising.
Board nominations are open through the end of October 2023. Learn more here.
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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!
Donate Today!
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League of Women Voters of Texas
1212 Guadalupe St. #107
Austin Texas, 78701
(512) 472-1100
lwvtexas@lwvtexas.org
lwvtexas.org
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