AAUW TCB Public Policy Report (06/11/2021)
The following link opens the latest lobbyist report from Austin.
Lobbyist Information from 87th Texas Legislative Session Jan 5 – May 31, 2021
AAUW TCB Public Policy Report May 5 Board Meeting
President Orlew Lauger mailed letters to the following nine Texas Legislators laying out AAUW TCB’s public policy priorities for the current Texas legislative session:
Texas Representatives: Nicole Collier (District 95); David Cook (District 96), Charlie Geren (District 99), Craig Goldman (District 97), Matt Krause (District 93), Ramon Romero, Jr. (District 90), Tony Tinderholt (District 94), and Chris Turner (District 101).
Texas Senator Beverly Powell (District 10).
Breaking News from the 87th Texas Legislature (03/22/2021)
Interviews of Tarrant County State Legislators (01/10/2021)
In the last couple of months, a team of Tarrant County Branch members interviewed four State Legislators in advance of the 87th Texas Legislature Session that began January 12. We interviewed; State Senator Beverly Powell (D) and Representatives David Cook (R), Matt Krause (R), and Ramon Romero, Jr. (D). Our legislators and their staffs were very cooperative and encouraged us to reach out with our opinions on upcoming legislation. A full report will be sent to the board and the AAUW State Public Policy Chair. The following are some highlights:
Texas AAUW priority legislative issues are Healthcare and Education which absorb some 75% of the Texas Budget. Our state consistently ranks low in the 30s out of 50 states in both of these important areas. When we asked why, the legislators had no ready answers but one blamed it on the size of the state, and others mentioned the State’s refusal to expand Medicaid.
There are serious concerns on both sides of the aisle with the apparent unintended consequences of the Medicaid decision including that Texas lost the highest number of rural hospitals in the country since 2010. But Texas also has the highest number of uninsured, the highest prices (before insurance) for hospital care, and high maternity and infant mortality rates. All situations not helpful when the pandemic hit last year.
Why not expand Medicaid? We were told because Federal funding might someday decline and also there is a concern that illegal immigrants (est. 1.7 million) might somehow get a healthcare benefit illegally. Our state is losing billions of federal dollars annually! Just asking: Is that a business decision our former President Trump would recommend?
All of our interviewees supported the overhaul of education funding accomplished in the 2017 Legislative session and support maintaining that planned funding for the 2021-2022 budget. It seems on line shopping has benefited the state coffers.
In the county, public education is still under serious threat. The pandemic has disadvantaged children who do not have internet access. FWISD has a high percentage of students who can’t read by the third grade. One legislator pointed out that hunger, lack of healthcare, and homelessness contribute to our education attainment failures. In addition, there are concerns about students’ mental health. There is a serious need for mental health counselors and a bill has been proposed. We were advised: FWISD needs a lot of help from everyone.
Our thanks to team members Rebecca Green, Lorraine Levine, Brittnee Thomas, and Gloria Long. Thanks to All, Dawn Ellison, Public Policy Chair
Message from Dawn Ellison, Public Policy Chair:
AAUW Texas has establish our public policy advocacy priorities for the 2021 Texas Legislative session. Those are to support legislation that enhances the education and well-being of women and girls. There is no better time than now with the pandemic to advocate for public policy to advance the equities of Texas women and children. The session begins in early January.
Before our state legislators depart for Austin, we plan to contact them via Zoom for conversations about their priorities and our priorities for this coming session. To conduct the interviews, we are forming teams of three members for each interview. Each teams’ responsibilities will include reviewing a legislator profile, contacting the legislator’s office and scheduling an interview date and time, conducting the interview and taking notes, and reporting back to membership. In addition, during the legislative session our teams will track their legislators’ votes on legislation that involves our priority issues.
Public Policy advocacy is how we can make a difference. Interested? Contact Dawn Ellison at dellison321@gmail.com to volunteer for one of the 3 member teams and get more information. The plan is to complete all interviews in November.
The AAUW TCB Public Policy Group is for all who are passionate about cultural issues that impact women and girls, are excited about stepping up our presence in the community, and want to share their light. Contact Dawn Ellison to be involved.
Since AAUW’s founding our members and supporters have spoken out about policies important to women and girls. Without their voices, invaluable legislation would have never been passed. In recent years, such legislation included the Family and Medical Leave Act, the Matthew Shepard and James Byrd Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act, and the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act.
AAUW’s policy work connects and rallies advocates at the local, state, national, and global levels to advance our work to empower women and girls. With the member-endorsed Public Policy Priorities as our guide, AAUW uses lobbying and grassroots efforts to push forward policies that break through educational and economic barriers for women.
The AAUW Public Policy and Government Relations Department, with input from the member leaders of the AAUW Public Policy Committee, leads AAUW’s lobbying and grassroots efforts. However, AAUW member advocates across the country who give their time, energy, and voice to AAUW issues deserve the credit for truly advancing women.
We have many resources available in the AAUW Policy Center.
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