Erin Zwiener
@ErinForYall
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State Representative for Texas House District 45 - Hays County. Working to ensure government better serves all Texans. #txlege
Joined March 2017
Since word got out about the quorum break, folks have asked whether or not I brought Lark. The answer is yes. It won’t be easy, especially since her dad has to stay in Texas to pay the bills, but with childcare concerns and the length of the trip, it was the right call for us.
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@JanuaryEmily Team British rule, but I will abide by the American rule when necessary. Putting punctuation marks that aren’t part of the quoted material inside the quotation marks hurts my soul.
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This thing where it’s cool to trash talk Beto and Stacy Abrams is just so misguided. Neither are perfect humans, but both took giant risks in tough years TWICE to help the cause in their states. If their brands are damaged, they’re damaged because they took hits for all of us.
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We did our part to stop SB 7. Now we need Congress to do their part by passing HR 1 and the John Lewis Voting Rights Act. #txlege.
BREAKING: Texas House Democrats break quorum and kill SB 7. "We had no choice but to take extraordinary measures to protect our constituents and their right to vote." @ChrisGTurner . #txlege.
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The more you try to push down protestors, the more they protest. The militarization of campuses is *building* the protests, not diminishing them. University of Texas is radicalizing students at a record rate right now and making sure that these protests get more press coverage.
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Remember 5 years ago when the GOP made free speech on university campuses a political talking point?. Apparently that was just for white nationalists like Richard Spencer and not for folks they disagree with. Free speech is for everyone, y’all.
Good for UT. Either they comply and disperse or they should be suspended and any scholarships rescinded. #txlege.
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Imagine if we focused on this instead of permitless carry and picking on trans kids?.
Texas’ power grid operator is warning that the state is at risk of another crisis this summer. Electricity outages could occur again if the state experiences a severe heat wave or drought combined with high demand for power.
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Hot tip:. If you’re not from Texas, see something bad happening in Texas, and want to tweet something snarky about how we should let Texas secede…. Stop typing and go make a donation to a group that’s working to make long-term change in Texas instead.
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I’m at the UT campus today, so I walked down to the protests. Still distilling my feelings, but one of the most chilling things is seeing how many people are taking pleasure in young adults being arrested. If this is joyful to you, ask yourself why. Nothing about this is joyful.
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Since AG Paxton is promoting voter registration conspiracies, let’s talk voter registration. I’m a volunteer deputy registrar who has helped hundreds of voters directly or indirectly register. Paxton claims it’s suspicious anyone would register voters outside DPS. It’s not.
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First. County. In. America. Congrats y’all! Keep it up!.
It happened: Hays Co., TX just became the first county in America - to my knowledge - to surpass its total 2016 turnout. Four years ago, it cast 72,164 total votes. With more than a week left, 73,277 people there have already early voted.
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The Texas House just killed Governor Abbott’s voucher scam again, y’all!. Our bipartisan coalition remains strong and united. No vouchers. No bribes. No deals.
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It’s September 1 in Texas. A rape survivor can’t get an abortion. Her rapist can carry a handgun in public w/o any safety training or permit. Educators can’t teach about lynching w/o teaching “all viewpoints”. And today, #txlege may overturn local protections for LGBTQ folks.
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This is the happy face of blockwalkers who registered a new @BetoORourke voter, engaged a pair of unlikely voters, and persuaded a Republican voter to give Beto and me a chance—all on the same street!
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The freedom to vote, a sacred right guaranteed to us by the US Constitution, is under attack in Texas. Today, I made the difficult decision to leave the state in order to protect this right. Read my full statement below:
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Governor Abbott and the rest of Texas GOP don’t want solutions. They want problems that they can use to their political profit. Remember who blew up the last immigration deal?. Ted Cruz. We need electeds who try to solve problems, not profit off of them. Vote @ColinAllredTX.
In CNN interview, Greg Abbott wouldn't commit to working with Kamala Harris on immigration reform
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There’s been a lot of talk about Paxton running, but let’s talk about what he was running from. He was running from a subpoena to testify in lawsuit trying to protect basic freedom of speech and movement as they relate to abortion in Texas.
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Ma’am, two years ago today, over 50 of my #txlege colleagues and I were in DC begging you to pass legislation to stop voter suppression. You didn’t even meet with us and were the key obstacle to that legislation passing. I am not here for your cute memes.
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A couple blockwalking convos from tonight:. Voter: I don’t know if I’ll vote. Me: Are you concerned about gun safety? If we elect @BetoORourke, we can pass common sense gun safety measures like background checks?.V: Really?! I’ll definitely vote then. Tel me when and where. 1/2
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I was born here. My family’s been here since the 1850s. I am so tired of people who moved to Texas because they see it as a conservative fantasy land telling people born here we don’t belong. And I’m so tired of the rest of country seeing people like this as the face of Texas.
If we lose the culture, we lose jobs and our economy. If you don’t like how we do things in Texas, leave. Quickly. #StandUpForTexas.
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As we become “old news”, I just want to remind folks that just because Texas has power back doesn’t mean the humanitarian crisis is over. 7 million Texans are under a boil water notice. Goodness knows how many just don’t have any water at all. There’s no more snow to boil. 1/x.
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Overheard at UT Law while students prepare for finals:. “How are we supposed to focus on studying when the university is having our fellow students beaten?”. If the goal is to protect education, picking a fight isn’t helping. It’s making the demonstrations more disruptive.
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This is the same person who was silent when the Biden Bus was almost run off the road in San Marcos and the same person who egged people on to storm the US Capitol. Hypocrite and coward. Vote @RochelleMGarza.
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College students, the Texas GOP is absolutely terrified of you voting in large numbers. They know you are powerful. Remember that and show them exactly how powerful you are this November. You have the power to fire Ted Cruz and elect @ColinAllredTX.
The left wing media will stop at NOTHING in an attempt to attack conservatives, including encouraging voter suppression of elderly and disabled individuals in Tarrant County. Today I spoke in support of lowering the number of College campus voting sites to focus on senior
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.@GregCasar and I hosted an impromptu town hall this evening on the #TXST campus in San Marcos. For all those asking, “Can Texas go blue?” Here is all the proof you need that Texans are ready for change, y’all!
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And Beto’s presence on the ballot certainly helped local Democrats in my part of the state. We won every countywide race in Hays. We certainly wouldn’t have won all of them without Beto’s work, and we might not have won any of them. Thank you, thank you; thank you @BetoORourke.
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Breaking: @TXAG Ken Paxton is still:. 🔹Indicted. 🔹An adulterer who pressured a donor to provide a job for his mistress. 🔹Breaking key functions of the AG’s office like investigating Medicaid fraud and compensating crime victims. 🔹Trying to distract from his own incompetence.
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This fifth generation Texan is really over people who weren’t born here trying to force some hyperconservative fantasy land mold onto our state. I’m going to keep working to do the right thing for Texans, not prop up a fantasy.
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Wow. The Speaker just asked us to not use the word “racism” during debate today. SB 1 will harm the freedom to vote for all Texans, but it will disproportionately impact people of color. That’s racist, no matter how you dress it up. Period. #txlege.
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This is why they’re trying to pass voter suppression legislation. They’re afraid of Texas voters.
“In Texas, we are the last man standing… If we fall, America falls. The electoral votes of NY, CA… combined together means we could never elect a conservative. to the WH ever again. I can tell you as the Lt. Gov. of this great state. we’re not going to ever let that happen”
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Let’s be clear. Chip Roy is talking about his own constituents and neighbors here. He reps a district with a lot of progressive Dems! (I know, because I rep them too!). Wild that anyone would talk about their constituents this way. Even more wild b/c Chip is from Maryland.
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I’m listening to the bill layout for the Texas House’s priority book banning bill, and the author just claimed most YA novels don’t have educational value…. Turning kids & teens into lifelong readers IS an educational value. We give them books enjoy reading OR THEY DON’T READ.
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An often overlooked aspect of these voucher scams is they end up being education discrimination programs. Vouchers don’t change the fact that private schools can turn students away for any reason. This session I am saying NO to voucher scams and YES to protecting TX children.
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On Wednesday, Governor Abbott sunk to a new low, y’all. Abbott claimed — without proof — that the costs of educating the children of undocumented immigrants are an undue burden on the state.
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What’s the saying? If you can’t handle me at my worst, you don’t deserve me at my best. You abandoned Texas in the middle of a disaster. Sit down, Ted. The people who give a shit will take it from here.
As Texas thankfully starts to come out of these storms, we need to carefully answer the most important Q: How do we make sure this never happens again? How do we make sure the TX grid can handle demand & 4mm people aren’t left w/o power? Good read on this:.
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Today I sent @BetoORourke this picture from a year ago. It’s such an embodiment of who he is that he immediately responded, “Red, White, and Buda!”. This man who campaigned all across the state remembered what town he was in a year ago and their cute name for their celebration.
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Reminder: If we flip the Texas House and elect a pro choice speaker, no more bills attacking reproductive health care will pass and end up in the Supreme Court. Spend this last week volunteering for Texas House candidates.
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Registered 8 new voters, most of them excited to vote for @BetoORourke, at this apartment complex today!. Issue of the day? Gun and schools safety. To a person, these folks were concerned about the safety of their schools.
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Y’all, the voter suppression bill is getting the most attention, but by leaving we are also killing:. 1. The bail bill that will keep folks locked up for being poor. 2. The bill that would effectively ban medicated abortion.3. The history teacher gag bill.4. The anti-trans bill.
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We don’t need to repeat this in Texas.
Arizona’s school voucher experiment has led to a budget meltdown. The state this year faced a $1.4 billion budget shortfall, much of which was a result of the new voucher spending.
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Regardless of what he decides to pursue next, Texas Democrats are stronger for Beto’s runs. I imagine the same is true in Georgia for Abrams. Campaign post mortems are necessary but dunking isn’t. Save your dunks for Rs, and thank Beto and Abrams for their gifts to us.
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Instead of a wasteful voucher scam, we should be providing a pay raise for teachers and giving our schools the funds they need to keep up with inflation and give every child a great education. I’ll be here fighting for our public schools for as long as it takes, y’all!
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ERCOT has issued a Conservation Alert, and Texans are being asked to safely reduce their electric use due to increased demand because of the historically high temperatures impacting most of our state.
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A bipartisan majority in the Texas House has successfully defeated Greg Abbott’s voucher scam. But Abbott and his billionaire mega-donors are about to call lawmakers back to the Capitol to try again. We will always stand for Texas public schools.
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Having to wait in line for hours for either is a policy failure. This is a really bad look, y’all. #txlege.
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Today, I filed HB 118, which would allow Texas college students to vote using their student IDs. This is the 3rd time I've filed this bill--earlier this year, it was voted out of the elections committee and set on the last day of the calendar, but it never made it to the floor.
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🧵 “If you like masks, then nothing’s stop you from wearing one. Just don’t make anyone else.”. What’s wrong with this argument?. Well let’s think about it in terms of an earlier, much simpler and now universally respected public health measure. Designated latrines.
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Wild to quote Maya Angelou, one of the most banned authors, while announcing you’re joining the party of book banners.
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Thank you to everyone who is offering help. Y’all are so generous!. We have lodging arranged. The best way to support our efforts is to give directly to the Texas House Democratic Caucus: Give to me (swing district) directly here:
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This is one of the things I come back to about Beto. When the winter storm hit, his massive volunteer network turned to doing wellness checks on Texans. I got a call from asking me to help find oxygen for someone who was running out. A few more calls and we got that person help.
When Abbott couldn't keep the lights on and Cruz was in Cancun, the people of Texas brought one another through this deadly crisis. Now we must unite once more, vote for change, and fix the grid so it never fails us again.
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@BriscoeCain Hey, other Texas rep here. This is a bold-faced lie. There’s nothing in Texas code that allows us to prosecute someone for dispensing a pill across state lines and certainly no way justifiably make it murder. He’s literally trying to bully providers and patients.
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🧵There's a lie going around right now that unless Texas House Democrats go to the floor and pass a bill, funding for virtual learning can't be available to school districts.
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Current list of kids Gov Abbott is attacking:. Trans kids (banning to access to health care).Immigrant kids (attacking their access to school and infant formula).Rural kids (wants to raid their school funding for vouchers for wealthy urban and suburban kids). Who am I missing?.
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We need to celebrate every one of these brave school board members. In the face of rampant misinformation and a governor who’s playing roulette with our children’s health and education, they’re choosing to put their kids first. “Do right and risk the consequences.” ~ Sam Houston.
Over 50 Texas school districts are taking action to keep children from getting sick and dying from COVID. Thanks to all the parents, teachers and organizers who are pushing their school district to do the right thing.
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When you say, “Just let Texas secede”, Texans fighting for change hear, “Your work doesn’t matter.”. Support us instead. We’re here. We’re fighting. And most Texans agree with us.
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This week the Texas House has passed at least four bills (there are probably more) to better protect GUNS in Texas. Legislation to raise the age to purchase an AR hasn’t even gotten a vote. This is a sickness. We all know it’s a sickness. I wish I knew the cure.
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The number of Texas women I’ve met who don’t understand how far reaching the abortion ban is astounding. A mom posted (anonymously) about needing medication abortion in a local mom’s group recently, and half the responders didn’t know. We have to keep talking about it.
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Most candidates at any level help the ticket. More people campaigning is good for the entire ticket. But Beto isn’t ordinary. He’s a fundraising machine, a gifted off-the-cuff speaker whose earnestness connected with young voters & volunteers, and a tireless workhorse.
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You can’t support the LGBTQ community without supporting the transgender community. Yes, this is a #txlege subtweet.
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(To be clear, I’m talking about Dems trash talking them, not Rs.). I know TX & Beto much better than I know GA & Abrams. I am disappointed by the results. I also don’t have any idea who would have done better. If they exist, they sure didn’t raise their hand to run.
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Our race has been called and the voters of House District 45 in Hays County have overwhelmingly sent me back to the Texas Capitol!
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Does this logic apply to Gov. Abbott and Lt. Gov. Patrick?. Because parents sending their kids back to school this week and realizing their school has had to cut services due to underfunding would like to have a chat.
The only correct response when Kamala Harris makes a campaign promise is:. Why don’t you just do it right now?. Don’t let anyone forget that this wildly unpopular administration and their wildly unpopular policies ARE HERS TO OWN.
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Hey y’all. I know you’re mad, and I’m mad too. We have another ERCOT conservation notice starting at 4pm today. The heat we’re seeing used to be unusual in June, but now it’s too common. I’m mad that just two days ago the governor vetoed legislation to improve energy efficiency.
#TXANS Update—6/20/2023: ERCOT has issued a Voluntary Conservation Notice for today from 4–8 p.m. due to extreme heat & forecasted record demand. Texans are asked to voluntarily reduce electric use, if safe to do so. ERCOT is not in emergency operations.
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There is nothing special about this special session!. While ostensibly about property tax relief, this session is also about robbing our public schools of resources and our kids of a quality education. I’ll be here fighting for our public schools for as long as it takes, y’all!
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I am joining my colleagues in requesting an investigation by @TheJusticeDept into Governor Abbott’s Operation Lone Star.
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Not a single woman legislator was consulted on the school reopening plan. Not a single nonwhite legislator was consulted. Not a single Democratic legislator was consulted. Maybe the gov isn’t making these decisions in isolation, but he sure doesn’t have all voices at the table.
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Today, I filed HB 1950 that would allow college student to vote using their student ID. When young Texans engage in the electoral process, they stay engaged for the rest of their lives. #txlege #Democracy
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Governor Abbott is calling a special session to try and force a dangerous and expensive voucher program through the Texas House. A strong bipartisan majority has stood against vouchers and for our public schools for years. We need to stand together again. #txlege
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I want to draw attention to this. The Texas AG’s office is arguing that this woman, whose fertility is diminished because of the cruel abortion bans, doesn’t have standing to challenge the bans…because she’s less likely to get pregnant now.
Outrageous: To add insult to injury, Texas is claiming that Amanda Zurawski doesn't have grounds to sue because her fertility has been compromised as a result of being denied an abortion and now she doesn't have to worry about the bans because she might not get pregnant again.
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Book banning in Texas 😢. Note: This wasn’t a mandatory event. These folks lying about this book got a voluntary event cancelled and the book removed from libraries. Whitewashing our history and our literature. Will your favorite book be next? #txlege.
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I could use some good thoughts friends. My 94-year-old grandmother is being admitted to the hospital with COVID.
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My constituents don't want a voucher scam, but they do want well-funded public schools, common sense water conservation measures, fair treatment for Texas workers, and to be able to send their kids to college.
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Abortion is illegal in Texas at any time in pregnancy. It’s illegal for survivors of rape and incest. It’s illegal for parents who’ve received devastating fetal diagnoses and who can never expect to bring a living baby home. The abortion ban is cruel.
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Get ready for this narrative. However many deaths we have in Texas following reopening, they will be described as inevitable. The health workers who die will be heroes. I want y’all to remember this: Nothing about this outcome was inevitable. It’s the result of choices. #txlege.
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🧵 I’m going to give y’all more details about all the reasons this is disastrous, but first I need to calm down. I. Am. Furious. This is bad and directly deviates from some of the CDC recommendations. #txlege.
On Thursday, the Texas Education Agency released new guidance for schools on how to handle positive COVID-19 cases. More:
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East Texas district choosing to protect their students. 🙌🏻🙌🏻🙌🏻.
#BREAKING Paris ISD (Texas) will require masks as a part of their dress code after a Board of Trustees decision tonight. Are they the first to find a loophole in @GovAbbott's order about mask mandates?
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True election integrity is not having your elected officials bought and paid for by billionaires who profit off a deadly crisis. #suppressionsession #txlege.
Energy Transfer Partners raked in $2.4b off the deadly TX winter grid collapse, more than any other energy company. And after @GregAbbott_TX & co let the nat gas industry off the hook again, CEO Kelcy Warren gave $1m to Abbott—the megadonor's biggest contribution ever in TX.
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I’m noticing the same playbook going on with anti-vaxxers and people who oppose trans-affirming care. 1. Make unsubstantiated claim.2. Act surprised that people are outraged by them “just asking questions”.3. Claim they’re being silenced.4. Pretend that there’s a coverup.
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I am so grateful for the civil disobedience on display from school district leaders across the state. Masking limits spread, saves lives/health, and gives our kids a chance a school year without disruptions. Defying @GovAbbott shouldn’t be needed. But it is. Thank you. #txlege.
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@JanuaryEmily An example:. “The sign said “No Running,” but she sprinted through anyways. The sign said “No Running”, but she sprinted through anyways. The first is objectively terrible 😂.
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Honored to have the support of the next governor of Texas. Thank you @betoorourke for all you've done and continue to do to get more Texans engaged in the political process. It's a honor to work alongside you to turn Texas blue!
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I was so excited when Krysten Sinema won her seat. A bisexual woman flipping a seat in my mom’s home state and where I went to school. I told this to an AZ friend in 2018. She said, “She’s going to be hard to hold accountable.”. Well here we are. Nothing but disappointment.
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Finished my blockwalking today knocking student apartments with Chloe, one of @BetoORourke’s student fellows at #txst. Students love Beto, and they are more energized than ever!
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While we are debating Ken Paxton’s impeachment for, among other things, misuse of state resources, he is misusing his state Twitter account to attack the proceedings.
.@VoteAnnJohnson and @RepLongoria, please tell the truth. The internal report has never been removed from the Office of the Attorney General’s website. Here’s the link since you can’t find it:.
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I’ve got great great great grandparents buried in Sweden, Colorado, Switzerland, Poland, and Columbus, Texas. I’ve never moved to any of those places and told folks to do things my way or get out. So maybe stop trying to kick people out of a state that welcomed you.
My great-great-great grandparents are buried in the district in Texas you abandoned to fly to DC to cede Texas authority to Washington leftists - but sure, pander to them instead of protecting a living being with a heartbeat.
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Remember when the Texas GOP was supposedly business friendly?. Y’all, I have heard from businesses and medical residency programs, and universities that they’re struggling to recruit people to come to Texas because of exactly this sort of posturing.
TX AG Ken Paxton says he is looking at prosecuting Texas companies that provide benefits for employees to travel out of state for abortions.
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It’s official! I’m running for re-election in House District 45!. I’ve fought for our communities every single day since I was elected, and I’m not done yet.
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I move to postpone Mother’s Day to June 6 when I and other mothers in the legislature might be able to actually enjoy it. It’s been a rough week y’all. There’s no “Happy Mother’s Day” in my house while I’m this anxious about transkids, women’s health care, and voting rights.
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Thank you Judge Becerra for protecting Hays County kids!.
Mask Mandate for Hays County Schools goes into effect tonight at midnight.
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Real talk: Every Democratic member who isn’t on the floor of the Texas House is helping kill this voter suppression bill. None of us have any obligation to be Greg Abbott’s hostages. Republicans are trying to erode the freedom to vote. Everything else is a distraction. #txlege.
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Hays County GOP (@HaysRepublican) candidates are refusing across the board to show up for the local League of Women Voters forum. If they’re afraid to show up and share their policies in a neutral forum, voters should be more afraid to vote for them.
An email I received from the League of Women Voters today. How disappointing.
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