On the first day of the 2025 Special Session of the Texas Legislature, the Senate State Affairs Committee, chaired by Sen. Bryan Hughes (R-Mineola), posted a notice for a hearing, July 22, at 9 a.m. in the Senate Chamber. One of the bills on the agenda is SB 12, relating to the use by a political subdivision of public funds for lobbying activities, by Sen. Mayes Middleton (R-Galveston).
There are important considerations that go with legislation that attempts to codify community censorship. Please consider these points when speaking with your legislators or others in your school communities about this issue.
Also, please note:
- TASA’s advocacy efforts include both community advocacy and policy advocacy. As advocacy is such a large part of our organization’s mission (equal to our efforts in providing professional learning and member support) any legislation that prevents those efforts is detrimental to our mission.
- TASA’s Executive Committee members, who are elected by their fellow school administrators in their respective regions of the state, approve TASA’s legislative priorities, which guide the TASA Governmental Relations staff’s efforts in Austin.
- Governing bodies across the state continue to support the advocacy of organizations and are elected to represent their constituents just like legislators. We believe these decisions can be made at the local level, and the fact that associations continue to exist is because people understand groups like TASA have a role to play in helping legislators and rule-makers understand the ramifications of their decisions on different communities.
- More often than not, TASA Governmental Relations staff, as policy experts, simply inform legislators of the potential ramifications of bills rather than state their positions on legislation; however, the fact that we are paid to do so forces us to register as lobbyists.
- Legislators frequently ask our Governmental Relations staff to weigh in on policy matters, given their combined experience on various policy issues, and can use their guidance in perfecting legislation. Our advocates provide a valuable source of information. By ending our ability to provide information, legislators and staff who have never been in the classroom will not be able to benefit from this resource.
Please contact your legislators during this special session to let them know how community censorship would negatively affect your school communities.
Watch the hearing live at 9 a.m.
