TCAN

Bills We Support in Texas’s 80th Legislature

Note: This is an evolving list that we update as new bills are filed and amendments or substitutes are submitted. Email us at info@TrueCourageAction.net to let us know what you think!

Campaign Finance Reform

HB 110 (Rep. Mark Strama, D-Austin, and Rep. Elliott Naishtat, D-Austin)
—limits on political contributions and expenditures in connection with certain
legislative and executive offices; providing civil and criminal penalties

HB 111 (Rep. Mike Villareal, D-San Antonio, and Rep. Mark Strama, D-Austin)
—limits on political contributions and direct campaign expenditures by individuals, partnerships, partners, and limited liability companies; providing civil and criminal penalties

HB 647 (Rep. Brian McCall, R-Plano; Rep. Mark Strama, D-Austin; Rep. Yvonne Gonzalez Toureilles, D-Alice; Rep. Leo Berman, R-Tyler; and Rep. Dwayne Bohac, R-Houston)
—prohibiting political contributions to and acceptance of political contributions by statewide officers and members of the legislature before and during a special session of the legislature; providing a criminal penalty

HB 1085 (Rep. Todd Smith, R-Euless)
—relating to political contributions and expenditures by corporations and labor unions, coordinated expenditures and expenditures for political purposes; providing civil and criminal penalties

SB 64 (Sen. Judith Zaffirini, D-Laredo)
—reporting of political contributions accepted or political expenditures made near an election; providing a civil penalty

Reporting of Cash Value/Fair Market Value of Gifts to Public Officials

These are all identical or nearly identical, requiring that the value of gifts to public officials be reported to the Texas Ethics Commission.

HB 64 (David Leibowitz, D-San Antonio)

HB 72 (Reps. Fred Hill, R-Richardson, and Elliott Naishtat, D-Austin)

HB 158 (Reps. Elliott Naishtat, D-Austin, and Fred Hill, R-Richardson)

HB 255 (Rep. Todd Smith, R-Euless)

SB 129 (Sen. Royce West, D-Dallas)

SB 558 (Sen. Rodney Ellis, D-Houston)

Ethics and Lobbying Reform

HB 602 (Rep. Donna Howard, D-Austin)
—relating to certain activities by, employment of, and contracts of former members of the legislature; creating offenses (“Closing the Revolving Door”)

HB 1073 (Rep. Veronica Gonzales, D-McAllen, and Rep. Rafael Anchía, D-Dallas)
—requiring ethics training for legislators and other state officers and state employees

Redistricting Reform

HJR 31 (Rep. Allan Ritter, D-Nederland, and Rep. Elliott Naishtat, D-Austin)
—constitutional amendment to limit redistricting of state legislative and congressional districts to every 10 years (corresponding to release of new census figures)

HB 112 (Rep. Mark Strama, D-Austin, and Rep. Elliott Naishtat, D-Austin)
—reapportionment of state legislative, congressional, and judicial districts and the creation, function, and duties of the Texas Redistricting Commission
[TCAN is considering offering some modifications to this bill.]

HJR 22 (Rep. Mark Strama-D, Austin, and Rep. Elliott Naishtat, D-Austin)
—constitutional amendment to establish a Texas Redistricting Commission for state legislative and congressional districts and revising redistricting procedures
[See comment on HB 112, above.]

Government Transparency

All of the bills we’ve listed in this category call for recording all votes (except ceremonial votes) of both houses and any committee of the legislature, and publication of each member’s votes, immediately or very quickly making them accessible to citizens through the internet.

HB 132 (Rep. Brian McCall, R-Plano; Rep. Dianne Delisi, R-Temple; and Rep. David Farabee, D-Wichita Falls)

HB 666 & HJR 17 (Rep. Elliott Naishtat, D-Austin)

SB 102 & SJR 7 (Sen. John Carona, R-Dallas)

Election Security and Accuracy

HB 65 (Rep. David Leibowitz, D-San Antonio)
—requiring a voter-verified paper record on electronic voting machines

HB 384 (Rep. Lois Kolkhorst, R-Brenham; Rep. Patrick Rose, D-Dripping Springs; and Rep. Dwayne Bohac, R-Houston)
—requiring a voter-verified paper record on electronic voting machines

HB 1364 (Rep. Rafael Anchía, D-Dallas)
—provisions for the accuracy, security, and reliability of certain electronic voting machines

Voter Access

HB 186 (Rep. Scott Hochberg, D-Houston)
—requiring that an election worker who determines not to accept a voter shall provide the voter with a signed statement listing all reasons why the voter was not accepted; the statement shall be on a form prescribed by the secretary of state and indicate whether that voter was offered a provisional ballot

HB 243 (Rep. Roberto Alonzo, D-Dallas)
—relating to allowing certain early voting polling places to serve as election day polling places

HB 265 (Rep. Rafael Anchía, D-Dallas)
—same-day voter registration at polling place

HB 266 (Rep. Rafael Anchía, D-Dallas)
—declaring certain election days as state holidays

SB 90 (Sen. Leticia Van de Putte, D-San Antonio)
—establishing a pilot program to provide a ballot by electronic mail to military personnel serving overseas (committee substitute clarifies that the blank ballot can be delivered to the voter by email to save time, but the voter must return the marked ballot by mail)

SB 694 (Sen. Rodney Ellis, D-Houston)
—same-day voter registration at polling place

SB 695 (Sen. Rodney Ellis, D-Houston)
—declaring certain election days as state holidays