Progress Texas Institute

May 1, 2012

Ed. note : This content is re-purposed from Think Progress. Last month, Republican Fifth Circuit Judge Jerry Smith pitched a tantrum in open court , demanding that the Department of Justice respond to some imprecise political rhetoric by President Obama...

April 27, 2012

FCC Rules TV Stations Must Disclose Political Ad Buys Online

Accountability

Hot Topics

The Federal Communications Commission ruled that local TV stations in the country's top 50 markets will have to start disclosing who purchases political ads online. From The Wrap : Under the rules, TV stations affiliated with the four top TV networks in...

March 29, 2012

ALEC's Stand Your Ground Law Passed in Texas in 2007

Hot Topics

You can take action on this critical issue now by sending a letter to ALEC companies and asking them to withdraw their membership from ALEC. In 2007, Texas passed Senate Bill 378 , better known as the “Castle Doctrine” or “Stand-Your-Ground” bill...

March 27, 2012

Texas Groups Intervene in Photo ID Case to Defend Voting Rights

Justice

In recent weeks, a large number of organizations have spoken out on behalf of Texas' voting rights. The organizations have issued statements and filed motions to intervene in Texas' photo ID case. These organizations are standing up for Texans' voting...

March 20, 2012

Bad Budget Proposals Come In Pairs

Hot Topics

I guess bad budget proposals come in pairs. On the same day that Congressman Paul Ryan and his fellow House Republicans rolled out their disastrous budget proposal , the Texans for a Conservative Budget Coalition have released their own for Texas. Here is...

March 12, 2012

Reid Will File To End Seventeen GOP Filibusters Of President Obama’s Judicial Nominees

Justice

Originally posted on Think Progress . Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) announced this afternoon that he will file cloture — the Senate procedure to break a filibuster — on seventeen judicial nominees currently being blocked by Republican...

March 12, 2012

U.S. Department of Justice Strikes Down Texas' Photo ID Law

Justice

The United States Department of Justice (DOJ) rejected Texas' photo ID bill (SB 14) today , explaining that the state of Texas did not met the burden of proof in showing that the law would not have a "disparate effect" on minority voters. The full letter...

March 7, 2012

Good news on the quest to end judicial emergencies

Justice

Good news on the quest to end judicial emergencies and other judicial vacancies in Texas and across the nation. According to Think Progress , the U.S. Senate is about to focus in on filling these essential positions. The U.S. Senate will turn its...

February 7, 2012

TFJ: Senators Leahy, Blumenthal Fight to Fill Texas Emergency Judicial Districts

Justice

Today, Senators from other states fought for Texas judges while Senators John Cornyn and Kay Bailey Hutchison sat on the sidelines. Senators Pat Leahy and Richard Blumenthal stood up on the Senate floor today and talked about the need to fill critical...

January 25, 2012

President Obama Calls for Up-or-Down Vote on Judges

Justice

During his State of the Union address , President Obama called on the Senate to cease their unprecedented obstruction of judicial nominees. With 32 judicial emergencies across the country, including 5 here at home, the time has come to put the qualified,...

January 19, 2012

Rick Perry’s Taxpayer-Funded Security Costs

Accountability

MEMO: Rick Perry’s Taxpayer-Funded Security Costs SUMMARY: Estimates show Governor Perry owes $2,651,429.14 to Texas taxpayers for security-related travel costs incurred during his 160-day presidential run. With $2.47 million in his state account as of...

January 13, 2012

Who Will Republicans Choose When It Comes to the Nation's Courts?

Justice

While President Obama was wrestling Richard Cordray's nomination from the graveyard of filibustered nominees, Senate Republicans continued to choose Wall Street over Main Street -- this time blocking judges from hearing the people's claims in courtrooms...

December 13, 2011

TX Organizations Call on U.S. AG Holder for Strong Enforcement of Voting Rights

Hot Topics

U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder will be in Austin today to give a speech at the LBJ Presidential Library. Progress Texas is proud to have joined with leading Texas civil rights, voter rights and fair redistricting organizations including MALDEF, ACLU of...

November 21, 2011

Texas Freedom Network report reveals 600% growth in abstinence-plus and evidence-based sex education

Hot Topics

A recent report on sex education released by the Texas Freedom Network found that abstinence-plus and evidence-based sex education approaches have gained significant ground on the abstinence-only approach most commonly taught in Texas schools. The number...

November 8, 2011

Student Loan Debt Approaches $1 Trillion

Hot Topics

This year, student loan debt will top credit card debt at $1 trillion, according to the Federal Reserve. Students took out a record-breaking $100 billion in loans in 2008. Adjusted for inflation, they are now borrowing twice as much as they did just a...

October 26, 2011

Progress Texas Voter Guide On Proposed Texas Constitutional Amendments

Hot Topics

Early voting is underway for the November 8, 2011 general election. There are 10 proposed constitutional amendments. Progress Texas supports the passage of all 10 of the propositions.

October 11, 2011

Help Preserve Your Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid Benefits

Health Care

The National Committee to Preserve Social Security and Medicare has released new video in part of a multi-million dollar campaign to stop the Congressional Super Committee from proposing cuts to Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid, programs.

September 29, 2011

Supreme Court Denies Greg Abbott's Emergency Application

Abortion Access

Justice

Yesterday evening, AG Greg Abbott submitted an emergency application to Supreme Court Justice Scalia to stay the preliminary injunction of the Texas sonogram law. Today we heard from The Center of Reproductive Rights that the request has been denied.

August 13, 2011

Voter ID Submitted to the DOJ

Hot Topics

The discriminatory Voter ID law passed this session by the Texas Legislature has been submitted to the DOJ for preclearance. This is the final step before the law can be enforced across the state.