TSHA Capitol Watch

October 30, 2023

Capitol Watch is the TSHA Legislative Team’s vehicle for keeping members informed of activity at the state capitol and in other state regulatory meetings.

If you have questions regarding this or other Capitol Watch postings, please contact a member of the TSHA Legislative Team:

• Bobbie Kay Turkett, VP for Advocacy (government@txsha.org)
• Larry Higdon, Director of Governmental Relations (lwhtsha@gmail.com)
• Mark Hanna, Legal and Legislative Counsel

Legislative Information

Anything that you want to know about the legislative process can be found online at Texas Legislature Online.

Please act now.

Contact your legislators now and ask them to:

1. Oppose all voucher bills.
2. Support teacher pay raise legislation and specifically include speech-language pathologists and audiologists in any pay raise legislation.

Even if you have already contacted your state legislators, please contact them again and let them know you are monitoring how they vote. Remember to request legislators vote no to any voucher legislation by any name (i.e., education saving accounts, etc.), as funding for public schools is more important.

Important Voting Dates and Information

• Early voting is now open.
• Election Day is November 7.

On the November 7th Ballot:

• Vote "Yes" for Proposition 4, provides property tax relief
• Vote "Yes" for Proposition 5, expands investments in research and educates a broader range of students
• Vote "Yes" for Proposition 9, provides a pension increase for Texas Public School retirees, who have not received a cost-of-living increase since 2004

Please get on the voter rolls. Legislators do check to see if you vote, which makes a difference when you contact them.

Thank you for your help and support! Please support the TSHA PAC.

Your TSHA Legislative Team: Bobbie Kay, Larry, and Mark