On May 24, on the one-year anniversary of the mass shooting at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, TX on May 24, 2022, Congresswoman Jasmine Crockett (TX-30) spoke on the House Floor honoring the 21 victims and calling upon her colleagues to pass meaningful gun reform to stop the surge of gun violence in America.
On May 22, Congresswoman Jasmine Crockett (TX-30), Congressman Lance Gooden (TX-05), and 31 bipartisan cosponsors introduced the Bipartisan Secure Testing Resources Instead of Prosecuting (STRIP) Act. This legislation would exempt the possession, sale, or purchase of fentanyl testing equipment, including test strips, from the federal drug paraphernalia law.
On May 18, Congresswoman Jasmine Crockett (TX-30) joined House Agriculture Committee Ranking Member David Scott in denouncing the announcement of a bill by Republicans on the House Appropriations Committee that would make devastating cuts to the United States Department of Agriculture and the programs it administers.
A North Texas public school district will once again look for a new superintendent after the sole finalist for the office backed out of the opportunity.
This week, Representatives Marc Veasey (TX-33) and Jake Ellzey (TX-06) introduced the Creating Opportunity for Athletic Coaches to Help Educate Students (COACHES) Act to extend the educator Expense Tax Deduction to K-12 athletic coaches and administrators. This bipartisan bill will amend the tax code to allow K-12 coaches to be classified as "eligible educators" in order to be eligible for tax deductions for out-of-pocket expenses relating to instructional expenses.
U.S. Congressman Marc Veasey, along with key members of the Texas State House of Representatives and the Tarrant County Commissioners Court, sent a letter to Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke requesting the U.S. Department of Justice investigate Tarrant County Judge Tim O’Hare’s actions to undermine minority voters in Tarrant County and led to the resignation of County Elections Administrator Heider Garcia. The letter specifically calls on Assistant Attorney General Clarke to examine the considerations and purpose behind the creation of a county-level “election integrity” task force in Tarrant County.
On May 11, Congresswoman Jasmine Crockett (TX-30) celebrated the FDA's decision to end the outdated and discriminatory time-based deferral for gay and bisexual men seeking to donate blood. Updated guidance would screen all potential donors through individual donor assessment, a stringent screening process that is part of a multi-step process designed to uphold the safety of the blood supply.
On May 11, a coalition of 18 Texas congressional members led by Congresswoman Jasmine Crockett (TX-30) and Chairwoman Kay Granger (TX-12) sent a letter to Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra expressing support in the selection of Texas as ARPA-H’s customer experience hub, with Pegasus Park in Dallas serving as the hub location, with spokes located in Austin, Dallas, Fort Worth, San Antonio, East and West Texas, and other numerous partners across the state.
Whether a special session on school vouchers is necessary remains to be seen as the ongoing 88th session of the Texas Legislature moves toward its slated conclusion.
Congressman Marc Veasey (TX-33), co-founder of the Congressional Voting Rights Caucus, joined his colleagues to introduce the Protecting Election Administration from Interference Act of 2023. This bill would strengthen our democracy by establishing greater safeguards against potential election subversion efforts. It would ensure elections and vote counting are performed fairly, transparently, and without partisan influence. The bill expands existing protections against election interference to include the vote counting and certification process and creates stronger standards for preserving election records.
Texas State Sen. Brandon Creighton said he remains confident in a bill he sponsored to create Educations Savings Accounts was revised by a Texas House of Representatives Committee.