Too often, suicide is met with silence, stigma or shame. You don’t have to struggle in silence. Call, text, or chat 988 to speak to a trained crisis counselor offering support 24/7/365. Learn more at 988Lifeline.org and nami.org/988. #SuicidePreventionMonth

Yesterday, I had the honor of attending the Dallas AFL-CIO annual Labor Day celebration. It was a powerful reminder of the importance of the labor movement and of the critical work being done by our local leaders to secure good jobs and fair pay. Happy Labor Day!

Texas Democrats broke quorum because doing nothing wasn’t an option. Abbott says he’ll remove us from our seats. Well I say, come and take them. #TxLege

#IfYouCantBeatThemCheatThem #TxLege

Republicans have either forgotten or are ignoring the foundational principles of our country—government by the people and for the people. Redistricting after each census ensures fair and equal representation.

Over a hundred family members are still unaccounted for from the Fourth of July flood. Instead of prioritizing flood recovery and future prevention, Republican leaders are focusing their energy on supporting Trump's power grab.

Henderson County Democrats work to uplift rural voices, champion Democratic values, and ensure equal opportunity for all through grassroots advocacy and legislative accountability. Thank you Henderson County Texas Democrats for inviting me to speak at your 2025 Quarter 2 Luncheon.

Today marks 10 years of marriage equality. A significant milestone in civil rights, and one we look forward to building on in the years ahead. But that progress is under threat, as Republican leaders continue pushing efforts to roll back these hard-won protections. Equality isn’t negotiable.

The Ten Commandments will now be required in every public school classroom under a new law passed by Republican lawmakers. Supporters claim this is about teaching children the history of our state and nation, but the irony is stunning.

Thank you to @Friends of Willis Winters Park and our Dallas Parks Board member Rudy Karimi for your vision land determination in turning our park into one of the jewels of our city parks.

The author of HB 24 argues that this bill is about expanding access to affordable housing by limiting public protest of zoning changes. But in reality, this bill doesn’t guarantee a single unit of affordable housing.

Thank you Texas AFT for honoring the members of the Texas Progressive Caucus with the Acts of Courage Award.

HB 796 sought to overstep the foundational principles of our Constitution by establishing the Joint Legislative Committee on Constitutional Enforcement, a committee with the power to declare federal legislation unconstitutional without the judicial process.

Republicans in the Texas House passed a bill to put the Ten Commandments in every public school classroom, even though not everyone is Christian or Jewish. The question this bill poses is, are we building a nation or are we trying to dominate each other?

Republicans in the Texas House passed a bill to put the Ten Commandments in every public school classroom, even though not everyone is Christian or Jewish. The question this bill poses is, are we building a nation or are we trying to dominate each other?

In a rushed effort to do the Governor’s bidding, the TX House passed his priority private school voucher bill. The same day, it passed the pub. school finance bill that included a long-overdue & still inadequate $395 increase to the basic allotment, the main source of state funding for pub. schools.

HB 24 was presented as encouraging affordable housing. But this bill doesn’t guarantee a single unit of affordable housing. It removesp the protections homeowners have from industrial and commercial properties being built right next door.

Today is election day for our local officials. Did you cast your vote? Find a voting center near you at: www.dallascountyvotes.org/vote-centers/ Find out whos running in your county at: www.dallascountyvotes.org/voters/ballo...

Every religion at one point or another has been subjected to discrimination and abuse. The current school bullying statute is secular in nature, focusing on the actions of students not their religious belief or non-belief in religion.

While our leaders boast about the wealth of our state, schools in their communities are closing. Without a change in leadership, we will continue to have the same results.

Since the session began, Caytlin Handley’s has been advocating for special education students to make sure families receive the guidance and support they need early on, opening doors to life-changing opportunities.

The Dallas polls are open for early voting to elect your city council members, Dallas ISD board of trustees, and other local leaders. Make sure to research your candidates and vote for Dallas leaders that have your best interest in mind. Every vote is crucial, and every election shapes our future.

The basic allotment (BA) is the core funding source for public schools, providing a fixed amount of money for each student. Tying an increase to the BA with anything other than inflation ignores the real & growing needs of our schools. Public ed. in TX urgently needs consistent & adequate funding.

School employees and teachers are the backbone of Texas' education system, but support staff remain among the lowest paid. Lawmakers are currently debating HB 2, a bill to raise school staff pay. Watch @repjohnbryant.bsky.social lay out an amendment to boost support staff wages. #txlege

“The surplus that we boast about so much is not the result of careful management of our resources. It’s not even the result of good luck. It’s the result of underfunding public education relative to the rest of the nation.” - @repjohnbryant.bsky.social #txlege

Thank you @repjohnbryant.bsky.social for offering an important amendment to HB 2 that would require charter schools to hire certified teachers. 49% of charter teachers were uncertified last school year - a devastating failed policy for our students.

The State Compensatory Education (SCE) allotment provides additional funding to school districts to support students who are economically disadvantaged in an effort to reduce disparities in achievement and graduation rates between disadvantaged students and other students.

Parents, educators, and voters have made it clear, they do not want Governor Abbott's voucher scam. Our tax dollars have no business subsidizing wealthy families already sending their children to private schools.

Last storm season, more than 500,000 homes and businesses lost power in Dallas due to severe storms, tornados, flash floods and extreme winds.

“One catfish does not make a creek, nor one hero a nation.” William Cowper, American poet & abolitionist in the 18th century Last Friday, was Dallas County Democrats Fish Fry, where I got to enjoy delicious catfish & catch up with good friends Thank you @dallasdemocrats for putting this together

Currently, approximately 95,000 of the 130,000 inmates in our state prisons, and the staff monitoring them are in units without air conditioning. During the hot summers these temperatures can reach as high as 135°F.

Today, we heard the first legislative proposal for this session, HJR 4, a constitutional amendment to provide tax cuts for corporations and the ultra-wealthy. Meanwhile, 77% of Texans report they are struggling to afford groceries.

For over 2 decades, Republicans have maintained control of both the House & Senate, using their majority to systematically undermine support for public education in a deliberate effort to privatize education.

Dallas area high school students have the opportunity to join the Student Voter Empowerment Clubs (SVEC), which provides education on the importance of voting and civic engagement.

62% percent of students in TX are economically disadvantaged, yet we are considering giving $1 billion to private schools though a voucher program. Vouchers have proven to primarily benefit families who already send their children to private schools.

It was a pleasure to meet with the Lake Highlands White Rock Democrats and Preston Hollow Democrats during their visit to the Capitol. We had the opportunity to discuss the progress of the 89th legislative session and provide updates on the key issues we’re tackling.

Legislation passed in 2023 in response to the school shooting in Uvalde required school districts to have an armed security officer on every school campus and to upgrade security features of their buildings. But the Republican majority has refused to provide enough money to the district to do this.

Governor Abbot continues to point to Arizona as a successful model for vouchers, yet Arizona is currently facing a $1.4 billion budget deficit. The costs of their voucher program has increased from an initial estimate of under $65 million to over $864 million.

Yesterday, I had the pleasure of being interviewed by Elena Pena, a journalist for Mule Time Media. Mule Time Media is a student run news organization for Alamo Heights Junior School.

Salvador Cavazos, Valere Charter School’s Superintendent, is being paid $870,000 annually—making him one of the highest paid public superintendents in the country.

Today, hundreds of public school employees and retirees united at the Texas Capitol for Public Education Advocacy Day. These educators serve over 5 million students in Texas, and they need our support.

Vouchers aren’t about supporting parental choice—they’re about funding private schools with taxpayer money. While Republicans try to frame this as a pro-parent initiative, we know it is the private schools who ultimately get to pick the children they want to teach.

After 23 hours of hearing testimony. I would like to thank all the people that waited hours to express their concerns on HB3. We will continue to fight for public education and fully fund public schools.

17 hours later, and there are still hundreds of people waiting to testify. Thank you to all that have waited hours, and still are waiting, to stand up & voice their concerns against vouchers. I will stick around as long as you will. #txlege #publiceducation #studentsoverbillionaires #saynotovouchers

Texas Democrats are united in opposition to the Republican school voucher scam. We are fighting to stop the privatization of public schools. #txlege #studentsoverbillionaires #publicfundsforpublicschools #democrats

Jeffrey Yass, an out-of-state billionaire, has poured $12 million to support Governor Abbott’s private school voucher scam, in funding efforts to oust legislators who opposed vouchers during the 88th legislative session.

This week we discussed HB 2 during the Committee hearing on Public Education.Stay tuned for more updates #texaslege #publiceducation #fundpublicschiols

Despite all the pressure from wealthy backers, the support for vouchers is far from overwhelming. There are many representatives concerned that they’re hurting their school district by supporting vouchers because they will defund their already underfunded local schools.