ACTION ALERT – IMMEDIATE ACTION NEEDED

Friend,

On Tuesday, March 31st, the Texas House will consider HB 1 – the General Appropriations Bill. HB 1 creates the budget for the state for the next two years. Rep. Drew Springer has proposed an amendment to the budget that seeks to hurt LGBT families.

Use our ACTION CENTER to contact your State Representative and tell them to oppose the Springer Amendment on page 151 of their amendment packet.

The Springer Amendment ceases all state funding for a school district that, in the opinion of the Attorney General, has taken an action in violation of the State Constitution, giving new powers to the Attorney General not granted by statute. The school district would have 60 days to come into compliance. The amendment is targeted at Pflugerville ISD and Austin ISD, two school districts that have instituted “+1” benefit programs that are inclusive of same-gender partners of school employees. The benefit programs allow an employee to name a second person who is financially interdependent with them and co-resides with them to receive benefits. The programs were constructed to comply with Attorney General guidance. Although Rep. Springer believes these programs to be in violation of the state constitution, absent additional Attorney General opinions, they would not be affected by the new level of bureaucracy his amendment attempts to create.

Enter your address in our ACTION CENTER to look up the phone number and e-mail of your state representative and to generate a sample e-mail to send them.