Stories we're following this morning at Progress Texas:

What appears to be a win for Texas Republicans in their push for unpopular private school vouchers appears likely to be a burden in the 2026 mid-term elections: https://www.austinchronicle.com/news/2025-04-25/the-vouchers-battle-is-decided-but-what-about-the-future-of-texas-politics/

...Add to the draining of funds to subsize private school families, a likely dwindling of federal school funding in Trump's "DOGE" era: https://www.keranews.org/education/2025-04-24/department-of-education-closure-texas-schools-impact

...Speaking of "DOGE", we now have our own version in Texas as Governor Abbott signs his first bill of the 89th Lege into law: https://www.kxii.com/2025/04/24/texas-governor-greg-abbott-signs-bill-creates-texas-doge/

The Texas Senate passed a bill that would forbid local Texas cities from putting controlled substance decriminalization bills up for public vote - with the help of three Democrats: https://www.marijuanamoment.net/texas-senate-passes-bill-to-ban-cities-from-putting-marijuana-decriminalization-initiatives-on-local-ballots/

Taking school library book bans to a frightening new level, new legislation seeks to police "obscene" content at retail bookstores as well: https://www.chron.com/politics/article/texas-bookstores-obscene-books-20290932.php

Progress Texas Advocacy Manager Reagan Stone is moderating a panel this afternoon at the EarthX2025 conference in Dallas: https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1ENq1kXGmg/

Early voting is underway in the May 3 election - see your local county website for a sample ballot to study beforehand, and get your questions about voting answered at ⁠⁠GoVoteTexas.org⁠⁠.

Progress Texas is proud to join several of our esteemed advocacy allies in supporting the Barbara Jordan Voting Rights Act: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://progresstexas.org/release-voting-rights-advocates-cheer-barbara-jordan-texas-voting-rights-act⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

We're proud to welcome Mayor Ron Nirenberg as our guest for a live podcast taping in San Antonio on May 6! Please join us for a fun fundraising gathering of progressives at our Party For Progress - tickets are here: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://act.progresstexas.org/a/sanantonio_mixer⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

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