The Texas Values team has been instrumental in the achievement of successes for pro-family and traditional values causes throughout Texas. Through voter education, legal analysis, policy research, grassroots mobilization, and public testimony, our team’s expertise has played a vital role in these successes:
Religious Liberty
The Schoolchildren’s Religious Liberties Act – This law ensures that over 4 million students in Texas cannot be discriminated against when using religious speech on public school grounds.
Bible Curriculum Course & Teaching in Public School – This law requires public schools to include teaching on religious literature including the Old and New Testament and its impact on history and literature. The law and a subsequent agreement by the ACLU make it clear that the Bible itself can be used as a textbook for such teaching in public schools.
Defending “Under God” – A new specialty license plate with the phrase “One State Under God” was approved in 2011 with reliance on our legal expertise, as well as the phrase “Under God” being added to the pledge to our state in 2007.
Marriage and Family
The Texas Marriage Amendment – This amendment to the state Constitution declares that:
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- Marriage in this state shall consist only of the union of one man and one woman.
- This state or a political subdivision of this state may not create or recognize any legal status identical or similar to marriage.
History and Social Studies Teaching Standards – In 2010, the Texas State Board of Education approved new curriculum standards that protect the teaching of our religious heritage, the U.S. Constitution and our Founding Fathers, in addition to promoting the belief in American Exceptionalism. This measure defeated liberal efforts to censor the social studies classroom and promote socialist radicals as role models, for the benefit of nearly 5 million public school students in the state of Texas.
Pro-Life
Defunding Planned Parenthood – In 2011, legislation was passed that effectively defunded Planned Parenthood in Texas, making ours the seventh state to cut off the abortion provider from state allocated funds. The Texas legislature redirected tens of millions in taxpayer funds to other organizations that provide medical services to poor women, and bans hospital districts from allocating taxpayer funds for abortion (Travis County and others had previously used public revenue to fund abortion services).
Sonogram Law – This bill protects the rights of women and the unborn by requiring abortion providers to provide a sonogram before performing an abortion. A woman seeking an abortion can choose whether to view the sonogram images and whether to hear the fetal heartbeat. She is required to hear the medical explanation of the sonogram at least 24 hours before the abortion. There are strict penalties in place for abortion providers who violate this law.
Choose-Life License Plate – In 2011, legislation was passed that created a specialty license plate with the message “Choose Life”. Proceeds from the sale of the plates will be distributed to pro-life non-profit organizations that provide for the needs of pregnant women who are considering adoption.