Down to the wire: Texas lawmakers tackled communism, school prayer, squatters Thursday
The Texas House voted overwhelmingly to require public school students to learn about 'historical events and atrocities' that took place under communist regimes, putting Texas in line with Florida and other states that have adopted similar policies.
Senate Bill 24 by Sen. Donna Campbell, R-New Braunfels, mandates the state to develop curriculum for fourth- through 12th-grade social studies classes that include 'the oppression and suffering experienced by people living under communist regimes, including mass murder, violent land seizures, show trials, concentration camps, forced labor, poverty, and general economic deterioration.' It would also mandate teaching about the history of communist movements in the U.S.
Democratic state Rep. Gene Wu of Houston expressed concern that the bill could give a false impression about the prevalence of the ideology in U.S. history, saying that in the past, people who fought for worker's rights were often accused of being communists.
More: Bipartisan contingent of Texas senators advance bill to teach 'horrors of communism'
Austin Democratic Reps. Vikki Goodwin and Gina Hinojosa sought unsuccessfully to require students to learn about fascist regimes in addition to communist ones. A proposed amendment from Rep. Jon Rosenthal, D-Houston, to add education on Nazism and its 'resurgence in the United States and Europe in the present day' also failed to stick.
Republican Rep. Stan Kitzman of Pattison, an army veteran who represents a large, rural area west of Houston, made a rare appearance at the back mic to defend the legislation.
'Communism is responsible for more misery and murder around the planet in the 20th century than any other form of government,' he said Thursday to applause from members.
Rep. Mihaela Plesa, D-Dallas, gave an emotional address about her family's experience fleeing the communist regime of former Romanian dictator Nicolae Ceaușescu.
'When my parents grew up, when the government killed a member of your family, they would send you the bill for the bullet,' Plesa told the lower chamber. 'By passing Senate Bill 24 … we are giving children like the one I once was a chance to see their family's truth reflected in the history we teach.'
The bill passed in a 119-13 vote with five members abstaining. It now heads to Gov. Greg Abbott.
A bill that would remove sodas from being eligible for purchase under the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program initially passed the House on Thursday.
The lower chamber voted 88-47 to advance Senate Bill 379 by Sen. Mayes Middleton, R-Galveston. It would prohibit the use of SNAP benefits, formerly known as food stamps, from purchasing carbonated, sweetened soft drinks, which proponents of the bill say are contributing to an obesity epidemic in Texas. The Senate passed the measure by a 24-6 vote in late March.
More: Greg Abbott moves to block Texans from using food stamps for soda and candy
Critics have said the legislation could lead to a reduced availability of food for SNAP recipients, causing some small vendors to choose to stop accepting benefits altogether rather than sort through regulatory guidelines.
Abbott last week formally requested a waiver from the Trump administration to prohibit the purchase of 'unhealthy, highly processed food' using SNAP benefits. Although it's not yet entirely clear, the waiver might be required for the state to legally implement Middleton's bill if it becomes law.
The bill is part of a recent conservative movement to "Make Texas Healthy Again," which Republican lawmakers hope will lead the way in a wider movement championed by U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy Jr.
The House must vote one more time, and the Senate will need to accept minor House tweaks to the bill, before it will head to the governor's desk for a signature.
The House gave its blessing Thursday to Senate Bill 31, which aims to clarify the medical exception to the state's near-total abortion ban and educate doctors on when they can legally terminate pregnancies.
The bill's House sponsor, Republican state Rep. Charlie Geren of Fort Worth, said the proposal aims to prevent maternal deaths that have occurred since Texas outlawed nearly all abortions in 2022.
"We know women have died after care was delayed or denied,' said Geren, who authored the House companion for SB 31. "We know women have left Texas for lifesaving care. We know women have been horribly injured because doctors have refused to provide abortions that could save their bodies. Doctors and hospitals need the clarity that SB 31 can provide."
More: Texas House passes bill clarifying medical exceptions in state abortion ban
Lawmakers in the lower chamber also voted to bar cities like Austin from funding out-of-state abortion travel with Senate Bill 33, authored by Campbell.
That bill's House sponsor, state Rep. Candy Noble, R-Lucas, said the legislation will ensure public money isn't "spent on an activity that is illegal in Texas."
'We don't want to be litigious, but when a city decides to clearly circumvent the intent of a law passed by the Texas Legislature, it's time for us to get stern,' she said.
Several attempts from Democratic lawmakers to kill a bill to expand prayer in public schools failed Thursday when the House initially passed the measure 88-57.
Senate Bill 11 by Galveston Republican Sen. Mayes Middleton would allow a school district or charter school's board to set aside time for "prayer and reading of the Bible or other religious text" each day.
Students and school employees would be required to provide consent forms for participation in the prayer period, and the bill would prohibit prayer or reading of religious texts over a loudspeaker. Furthermore, districts would not be required to adopt the policy.
The bill, however, also strikes a provision in Texas law that prohibits educators from encouraging students to pray — a point some opponents of the measure took issue with.
The House passed legislation to give more protections to homeowners whose property is being occupied by anyone who is not invited to be there.
Provisions of SB 1333 include allowing an owner to submit a complaint to the local sheriff or constable of the county in which the property is located, and it requires that complaint to be made under oath. The sheriff or constable upon verifying the complaint, must "without delay to serve notice to immediately vacate on the person occupying the dwelling without the owner's consent and put the owner in possession of the dwelling."
The House made changes to the version passed by the Senate, so the measure will go back to the upper chamber for further consideration. The Senate can accept the changes or request a conference committee to iron out the differences.
At least one chamber, the House, has been advised that floor sessions will be held Saturday and Sunday, notwithstanding the Memorial Day weekend.
That's because scores of bills are backed up, and the Legislature is entering its final full week ahead of the session's must-end date of June 2. No firm word yet from the Senate on its weekend plans, or whether Monday, the actual federal holiday, will be a workday in the Capitol.
This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: Texas lawmakers tackled communism, school prayer, squatters Thursday
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
22 minutes ago
Murkowski worries Trump administration's $6B funding freeze could result in 'closing schools'
Alaska Republican Sen. Lisa Murkowski said she's worried the Trump administration's federal education funding freeze could mean "closing schools" in her home state. "Many of our school districts have already made really hard decisions about closing schools," Murkowski said in the wake of three of Alaska's school districts suing the Trump administration for freezing more than roughly $6 billion dollars in congressionally authorized federal education funding nationwide. "Both in Fairbanks and Anchorage, we've seen layoffs," Murkowski said. Earlier this month, the Anchorage School District announced in a letter to the community that the district had already begun laying off some staff members after $46 million was impacted by the pause. The district receives about a third of the state's federal education funds, according to Superintendent Jharrett Bryantt. "I wish I could say that we were really solid on the state level, but we're not. And now there's questions on the federal level as well," Murkowski added. Murkowski and nine other Republican senators signed onto a letter last week requesting the Trump administration reverse the funding pause, which they said prompted the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) to unfreeze more than $1 billion in after-school and summer learning funding. However, OMB did not indicate whether it would be unfreezing the rest of the roughly $6 billion in federal funds for programs, such as English language learning, educator development and adult education, among others. Sen. Shelley Moore Capito, led the group of 10 senators signing on to the letter. She told ABC News that she hopes the administration can successfully restore all education funding to states by time school starts. "I'd like to see some of the other programs released, but, you know, we haven't heard one way or the other," Moore Capito told ABC News. School district leaders are now scrambling due to the uncertainty, according to state officials who've spoken to ABC News. At least two dozen states, several school districts and education advocacy groups have now sued the administration over the funding freeze. An OMB spokesman said the funds are under review for "grossly" misusing programs that promote "radial leftwing agendas." But Murkowski slammed the administration for contending that districts in Alaska pushed programs with radical ideology. She said the programs are not "woke or ideologically out of line." Murkowski fears the programmatic review from the OMB -- the stated reason for the freeze -- could stretch into the school year, suggesting it would harm adult and English language learners the most. The delayed funding could in turn impact the workforce, according to Murkowski. "If your literacy skills are weak, if you're working on your English skills, I mean, these are all things that are keeping people out of the workforce at a time when we're trying to get people into it," Murkowski said, adding "So I am very worried." Since the funding pause ensued on July 1, North Dakota Republican Sen. John Hoeven said he has been hearing from concerned educators in his state as well. Hoeven was relieved when the after-school and summer learning grants were unfrozen because they, too, help the workforce, he said. With funding for those programs secured, parents won't have to make other arrangements for their children, potentially missing work to do so, Hoeven told ABC News. "That was the one that was most timely." Hoeven and Murkowski said they're reaching out to Education Secretary Linda McMahon, hoping she can help release the additional funding to schools. OMB hasn't made a decision yet on how long its review will take. ABC News has reached out to the Education Department for comment. Meanwhile, Arkansas Republican Sen. John Boozman said at this point unfreezing any aid is a positive first step. "The good news is that we are moving in the right direction," Boozman told ABC News. "Hopefully we can get them [the rest of funding] restored as soon as possible." As the school year approaches, Murkowski stressed that the administration must move quickly. "I don't want to call it cuts yet, because my hope is that they're just unpaused and that they are going to materialize," she said. The senator, who grew up in Alaska and raised her children there, told ABC News that she is hopeful McMahon understands that rural communities will suffer without critical education programs.
Indianapolis Star
22 minutes ago
- Indianapolis Star
Todd Young's political survival means never fully crossing Trump
Sen. Todd Young has been one of the most outspoken Republican critics of President Trump's tariff rollercoaster — within limits. "What I've been pushing for is more clarity so that our investors and businesses know when they can deploy capital and what return on investments they can project and all the rest of it," Young told NPR in April. Three months later, economic uncertainty reigns. Trump is still trying on new tariffs as casually as red ties and he's floating the idea of firing Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell over interest rates that are likely stuck in place because of the president's tariffs. Young's professed quest for clarity has stopped short of concrete action — even though he's the Republican senator you might most expect it from. Young opposed Trump's nomination for president, signed onto a bill to reassert congressional authority over tariffs and is a longtime advocate for congressional independence. Yet, when the Senate has taken up resolutions to push back against the president's tariff power, Young has voted with Trump. So far, Young's approach has turned out … fine. Tariffs are beginning to push prices up, but the overall effects have fallen far short of the worst-case scenarios that I and others have warned about. The economy's steady hum has justified Young's measured approach. Therein lies Young's tightrope act. He is balancing career aspirations against statesmanship, with no margin for error. He is betting on his own effectiveness, his reelection and America's resiliency under an erratic president. For Young to survive, all three elements must remain in equilibrium. Young's tolerance for the president's chaos is most maddening to Democrats and Never Trump Republicans who want to see Young use his power. Young is one of 53 Republican senators, a narrow majority that gives him an often consequential vote. He could pose a serious threat to Trump's agenda. He'd also be burning down his Senate career. Young almost certainly will face a Trump-friendly Republican primary challenge in 2028 when he'll make his case to Indiana voters who have overwhelmingly supported the president. MAGA Republicans will seize on Young's history of disloyalty, even though he has more recently positioned himself as a "team player" for Trump. With every Trump act that Young might oppose, the senator has to weigh the short-term efficacy of standing up to the president against the long-term gains he believes he can make as a behind-the-scenes policy grinder in the Senate. Young is focused on preserving and implementing the CHIPS and Science Act, a crucial Biden-era law to bring microchip manufacturing to the U.S. He wants to build more ships in America. He's warning that the U.S. is at risk of losing a biotechnology race with China and urging his colleagues to make it a higher priority. Briggs: Jim Banks would let Trump commit any crime you can imagine As I've written before, these are not the types of issues that land politicians on cable news, but it is the work that drives Young to keep going — presumably beyond 2028. "I'm motivated to try and get more big things done and inclined to keep trying to do that for a while," Young told me during a recent conversation. If Young directly challenges Trump on tariffs, or pretty much anything else, he could lose allies and become less productive on policy work. He'd also give fuel to Republican adversaries who'd like to further weaken his already damaged reelection prospects. If you view Young from outside the confines of MAGA, you can argue that principles should drive him toward courageous self-inflicted obsolescence. But you can just as easily argue that something would be lost if Young went down. Briggs: Mike Braun's tuition freeze for Indiana colleges is a marketing gimmick Young is navigating a political movement that has claimed the careers of so many other moderate Republicans. If he outlasts Trump, he could be the sole survivor in the tradition of former Sen. Richard Lugar. Young has sacrificed neither his conscience nor his influence. Would Young throw away his career, his future, to take a stand against Trump? What line would Trump have to cross? Young has maneuvered through six months of Trump's second term without showing his cards on those questions. Unlike so many other Republicans, Young remains upright, still keeping his balance.
Politico
23 minutes ago
- Politico
The Virginia Governor's Race Has Republicans Reeling
The Virginia race is also Example A of how Elon Musk walking away from electoral politics, at least for now, could have down-ballot repercussions. Democrats in the commonwealth earlier this year were bracing for an influx of the tech billionaire's money into Virginia, where there are no caps on giving, but the Musk moolah has yet to appear. Just as significant, Youngkin, a multi-millionaire, has yet to infuse the Virginia ticket with significant personal money or contributions from his political action committee. 'He's got to win something,' said Delegate Terry Kilgore, the House GOP Leader, of the governor's legacy leaving office after his single term. Youngkin already lost control of the Virginia House of Delegates and failed to flip the state senate two years ago. And he was unable to find a top-tier candidate to take on Senator Tim Kaine (D-Va.) last year and will almost certainly not run himself next year against Virginia's senior senator, Mark Warner (D). That's because the governor seems to be preparing for a future presidential bid. He courted business moguls earlier this month at Allen and Company's annual retreat in Sun Valley, Idaho — where he appeared with Maryland's Democratic Gov. Wes Moore in a discussion moderated by CNN's Anderson Cooper, I'm told. Last week, Youngkin attended a GOP fundraising dinner in first-in-the-nation Iowa, and next month he'll travel to South Carolina, traditionally the first presidential primary in the South. But he could leave behind a political mess for his own party in Virginia. Youngkin all but assured Sears' nomination for governor, even though it was widely known she was a weak fundraiser and mercurial figure, and then attempted to torpedo the candidacy of her successor as lieutenant governor, John Reid, after it was alleged earlier this year that he had posted sexually explicit images online. Now, Virginia Republicans — who were already swimming against the tide in a blue-tinted state Trump has never won that tends to punish the party in power in Washington — are alarmed their entire statewide ticket may lose and could deepen the party's minority in the House of Delegates. Private polling from both parties has Spanberger leading outside margin of error. Democrats have her up 10 points, while Republicans project her to win by mid-single-digits, I'm told. And Republicans are worried their entire ticket may go down if she loses by more than five.
