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2017 Legislative Report & Scorecard
Posted on June 22, 2017 at 3:47 pm

During what is now being called the “session of oppression”, the Equality Texas team and its members have been on the ground fighting for the very heart of our mission and guiding principles. This session, over two dozen bills targeting LGBTQ people were filed. Many of these bills targeted our most vulnerable and marginalized communities.

Despite the historic number of anti-LGBT bills this session, a record 40 bills were filed this session by our allies in the legislature that sought to end discrimination and create safe communities for LGBTQ Texans. Three of these bills that relate to expanding nondiscrimination protections for LGBTQ people were voted out of committee, a historic first for this type of legislation in Texas.

This session has also been marked with the increased activation of our membership. Over 10,000 members have taken over 20,000 actions this session. This includes emails to legislative offices, calls to lawmakers and visits to Capitol offices. These efforts are not going unnoticed. Legislators are noticing our presence and are paying attention.

This report and scorecard are a snapshot of the bills, both good and bad, that were filed this session and their status when the session was concluded. You will also be able to look at how your local state representative and state senator fared this session. If they received a failing grade, make sure to give their office a call and tell them as their constituent, you expect better.

We hope reading this report will make you more informed and armed with the information you need to continue to stay engaged in the future of our state.

Click below to view the full report.

2017LegislativeReport&Scorecard