Issues and Links

What We Fight For

Improving Education

Opportunity starts with education, and it is our responsibility to ensure every Texas child has the teachers, textbooks and technology they need to be successful.

While the Republican controlled Legislature has repeatedly tried to dismantle our public school system through private school vouchers programs, cutting teacher health insurance and failure to buy up-to-date textbooks – Texas Democrats developed the only education plan that earned bi-partisan support. The Democratic plan put more money inside the classroom and raised teacher pay while tripling the homestead exemption and lowering property tax rates for all homeowners.

Children's Health Care

House Democrats fought against the GOP leadership's misguided  plan to cut 256,000 needy kids from the state's Childrens' Health Insurance Program.  This vital program saves Texas money in the long run because it promotes preventive care.

Property Tax Relief

House Democrats fought for better, more effective property tax relief through increasing the homestead exemption.  Voted to stop homeowners' property taxes from skyrocketing.  Supported an amendment to limit the amount appraisals could rise to 5% for any one year.  Owning a home is everyone's American dream; but soaring insurance rates and skyrocketing taxes threaten to make that dream too expensive for many families.

Jobs & Economic Development

House Democrats successfully supported new economic development program which supports community development and job training programs and authorizes incentives for attracting new businesses.

Insurance Reform

House Democrats successfully fought for passage of Insurance Reform Law which gives the Texas Insurance Commissioner the power to reject unfair insurance rates and make insurance companies give refunds to customers.  Big insurance companies were taking advantage of loopholes in the law to avoid regulation.  The new law closes those loopholes.

Links

Statewide Organizations
Texas Democratic Party	http://www.txdemocrats.org
Take Back Texas	http://www.takebacktexas.org
Coalition of Black Democrats	http://www.TCBD.org
Texas Democratic Women	http://www.tdw.org/
Texas Young Democrats	http://www.texasyds.org/main.html
Asian American Democrats of Texas	http://www.aadt.org/
Stonewall Democrats of Texas	www.stonewalldemocrats.org/texas
Tejano Democrats	http://www.tejanodemocrats.org/
Black Dems.com	http://www.blackdems.com
National Democratic Party
Democratic National Committee	http://www.democrats.org/
Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee	http://www.democraticaction.org/
The Democratic Leadership Council	http://www.ndol.org/
Democratic Legislative Campaign Committee	http://www.dlcc.org/
Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee	http://www.dscc.org/
Democratic Organizations
2020 Democrats	http://www.2020democrats.org/
21st Century Democrats	http://www.21stcenturydems.org/
Democrats.Com	http://www.democrats.com/
New Democrat Network	http://www.newdem.org/
Young Democrats of America	http://www.yda.org/
MoveOn.org	http://www.moveon.org/front/
Emily's List	http://www.emilyslist.org/
College Democrats of America	http://www.collegedems.com/
The Emerging Democratic Majority	http://www.emergingdemocraticmajorityweblog.com
Blogs & Independent Sites
The Burnt Orange Report	http://www.burntorangereport.com
Off the Kuff	http://offthekuff.com/mt/
Yellow Dog Blog	http://www.yellowdogblog.com/mt/
DCCC Blog	http://blog.dccc.org/
The Emerging Democrat Majority	http://www.emergingdemocraticmajorityweblog.com/
The Campaign Desk	http://www.campaigndesk.org/
Watch Blog	http://www.watchblog.com/
Eschaton Blog	http://atrios.blogspot.com/
Polling Report	http://www.pollingreport.com/