Press Release from the Texas Democratic Party
Texans Are The Casualty As GOP Celebrates ‘Most Conservative Texas Legislature’
AUSTIN, Texas — After Texas House Republicans passed Senate Bill 7 Friday — a racist, anti-voter bill whose original text contained a literal Jim Crow era slogan — the Texas GOP has been quick to claim that the current Texas legislature is the most conservative one in recent state history. By definition, this means the Republican-controlled legislature is the most inclined in recent history to roll back the clock on progress, turn away from tackling the most pressing issues facing Texans, and dig in their heels instead of helping Texas move forward. As has been amply reported on, Republicans’ race to the right leaves the already-fractured party even more splintered. However, the Texas GOP seems to have decided that it’s taking the rest of the state with it if it’s going down.
One would think that in a state whose hands-off approach to governance left nearly 200 people dead only a few months ago during a winter storm, no politician would ever want to claim credit for “the most conservative 48 hours in the history of the Texas House.” However, that’s exactly what Texas House Republicans are doing. Republicans are now openly bragging about the ways they are throwing Texans under the bus this session. For those who need a refresher, here are just a few of the ways Republicans are putting the lives, rights, and future of Texans in jeopardy:
[mepr-hide] https://pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/js/adsbygoogle.js (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); [/mepr-hide]- Attempting to resurrect Jim Crow via voter suppression targeting Texans of color, with 80+ Republican anti-voter bills filed this session
- Further gutting abortion rights — disproportionately affecting the most vulnerable Texans — in a state that already has some of the most extreme abortion restrictions
- Trying to stop kids from playing sports, getting lifesaving health care, and being able to stay with their families
- Standing in the way of nearly one million Texans getting health care in the middle of a pandemic
- Passing permitless carry to remove all gun safety requirements for people carrying handguns in public
- Failing Texans during the winter storm where nearly 200 people died, and then failing to pass any legislation requiring electric companies to weatherize to prevent future disasters
Texas Democratic Party Chair Gilberto Hinojosa issued the following statement:
“All weekend, Texas Republicans have been bragging about how far to the right they’re going. However, their egregious actions leave nothing to brag about. Are Texas Republicans really proud that they are stopping a million people from getting health care? Are Republicans proud to be bringing Jim Crow back to life in our voting laws, or rolling back decades of hard-fought progress on Texans’ right to make decisions about their own bodies?
“Here’s how our democracy is supposed to work: Texans are supposed to choose leaders who will fight for our best interest and tackle our biggest challenges. Instead, the entire Texas GOP is using its platform to make life as hard as it possibly can for Texans. With a track record this abysmal, it’s no wonder Texas Republicans have turned to voter suppression as their only hope of staying in power. We won’t let them. Democrats will keep fighting for Texans, keep pushing to defeat Republicans, and keep working to build a government that puts people first.”
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