This Week In The Texas Legislature

This week, the Texas Legislature saw important developments across multiple committees—some raising serious concern, while others offered hope for families and parental rights.

Texas House Public Health Committee Targets Midwifery

In a move that has drawn alarm from those who value medical freedom and traditional birthing options, the Texas House Public Health Committee voted in favor of House Bill 4553. While this bill is deceptively marketed as a data collection initiative, its real impact could be devastating to the midwifery profession in Texas.

Let’s be clear: this bill poses a dangerous threat to how midwifery is regulated. It risks painting midwifery as unsafe or untrustworthy, undermining a long-standing and respected practice that has served families with excellence and personal care. Texans deserve healthcare choices, not backdoor efforts to regulate certain practices out of existence.

Texas House Public Education Committee Stands Up for Families

Meanwhile, the Texas House Public Education Committee held hearings on several critical pieces of legislation that would prioritize parents, protect children, and take a stand against the radical indoctrination happening in too many classrooms.

One such bill was House Bill 1655 by Representative Nate Schatzline (R-Fort Worth). This vital legislation would make it illegal for teachers and school administrators to engage in “social transitioning” of students behind parents’ backs. If passed, there would be no more secret name changes, pronoun switching, or efforts to undermine a child’s identity at school without parental consent.

Our team was present during the hearing, and we witnessed firsthand the aggressive protests by transgender activists who oppose this common-sense measure. Their disruptive presence only underscored how essential this bill truly is. On multiple occasions throughout the hearing, the committee staff had to quiet down the crowd. Schools should be places of learning—not ideological battlegrounds.

Another important proposal heard was Senate Bill 13 (SB 13) by Senator Angela Paxton (R-McKinney). This bill aims to clean up Texas school libraries, finally addressing the flood of inappropriate and sexually explicit books being made available to children. SB 13 empowers parents with a greater role in determining what belongs in school libraries and removes materials that have no place in a learning environment.

It’s not censorship, it’s common sense! Parents, not bureaucrats or political activists, should have the final say when it comes to the content of which their children are exposed.

As of now, the pace of the Texas House has been historically slow which makes it very likely that none of the legislation still being heard in committee will pass. Many Texans are extremely disappointed in Texas House leadership for dragging their feet on key pro-family legislation, a disappointment shared by Texas Family Project. In the final weeks of session, it will become clearer if Governor Greg Abbott plans to call a special session to demand the legislators come back to Austin to protect kids and parental rights. 

This week made it clear: the fight for parental rights, medical freedom, and the moral foundation of our education system is far from over. We must continue to support lawmakers who are willing to take bold stands for truth, family values, and the well-being of Texas children. Let’s hold the line and keep Texas strong.