For Immediate Release!\tMay 18, 2009<\/p>\n
TEXAS ROCKS! TEXAS HOUSE BILL (HB) 978, THE TEXANS WITH DISABILITIES
\nACT, PASSES HOUSE WITH BI-PARTISAN SUPPORT AND IS NOW IN THE SENATE
\nCOMMITTEE ON BUSINESS AND COMMERCE.<\/p>\n
HB 978 still needs your help to become law: We just learned today
\nthat HB 978 is scheduled for reading tomorrow, Tuesday, May 19, 2009,
\nin the Senate Committee on Business and Commerce. We learned that
\nCoalition for Texans with Disabilities (CTD) met with every member of
\nthe Senate Committee on Business and Commerce last week to push HB 978
\nto be heard in Committee. Many bills die for lack of a hearing. The
\ngood news is all efforts to move HB 978 through the legislative
\nprocess are working. The bad news is we are not out of the woods yet.
\nWe can\u2019t stop or slow down now.<\/p>\n
This has been an education for us. We learned that the Chair of a
\ncommittee without question or explanation could eliminate a bill. That
\nanything can happen in a committee, which may keep a bill from
\nreaching the Senate floor and becoming law. This is why your help is
\nneeded to contact Senators on the Business and Commerce Committee and
\nyour Senate District Representatives. They need to hear from you. The
\nmore our representatives hear from us, the more they will realize how
\nimportant HB 978 is to Texans with disabilities.<\/p>\n
For HB 978 to be signed into law by Governor Rick Perry this
\nlegislative session, it needs to be voted out of the Senate Committee
\non Business and Commerce onto the Senate floor to be voted on by the
\nentire Senate. Please contact members of the Senate Business and
\nCommerce Committee, and ask them to support Texans with disabilities
\nand HB 978.<\/p>\n
We are down to the wire with the 81st Legislature ending this month.
\nHB 978 passed the House on May 8 and was referred to the Senate
\nBusiness and Commerce Committee on May 11. We need your help today.
\nCall and email your Texas State Senate Representatives and the Senate
\nBusiness and Commerce Committee members today beginning with:<\/p>\n
Senator Troy Fraser – District 24 Abilene – Chair<\/p>\n
Troy.Fraser@senate.state.tx.us and (512) 463-0124<\/p>\n
Senator Chris Harris \u2013 District 9 Arlington – Vice Chair <\/p>\n
Chris.Harris@senate.state.tx.us and (512) 463-0109<\/p>\n
Senator Kip Averitt \u2013 District 22 Waco<\/p>\n
Kip.Averitt@senate.state.tx.us and (512) 463-0112<\/p>\n
Senator Kevin Eltife \u2013 District 1 Tyler<\/p>\n
Kevin.Eltife@senate.state.tx.us and (512) 463-0101<\/p>\n
Senator Craig Estes \u2013 District 30 Wichita Falls<\/p>\n
Craig.Estes@senate.state.tx.us and (512) 463-0130<\/p>\n
Senator Mike Jackson \u2013 District 11 Pasadena<\/p>\n
Mike.Jackson@senate.state.tx.us and (512) 463-0111<\/p>\n
Senator Eddie Lucio, Jr. \u2013 District 27 Brownsville<\/p>\n
Eddie.Lucio@senate.state.tx.us and (512) 463-0127<\/p>\n
Senator Leticia Van de Putte \u2013 District 26 San Antonio<\/p>\n
Leticia.Vandeputte@senate.state.tx.us and (512) 463-0126<\/p>\n
Senator Kirk Watson \u2013 District 14 Austin<\/p>\n
Kirk.Watson@senate.state.tx.us and (512) 463- 0114<\/p>\n
Senate Business and Commerce Committee members can also be reached
\nthrough:
\nhttp:\/\/www.senate.state.tx.us\/75r\/senate\/commit\/c510\/c510.htm.<\/p>\n
A sample letter follows for your convenience:<\/p>\n
Dear Texas State Senator ____<\/p>\n
I write to ask that you support and co-sponsor HB 978, which passed
\nthe House on May 8 and is now under consideration in the Texas Senate.
\nPlease vote HB 978 out of the Texas Senate Business and Commerce
\nCommittee and out of the Texas Senate for the Governor’s signature.<\/p>\n
HB 978 would bring the same protections in the workplace for the
\ndisabled under Texas law that President Bush signed into law on a
\nfederal level in 2008. HB 978 has bi-partisan support and was
\nunanimously voted out of the House Business and Industry Committee.<\/p>\n
Unfortunately, disabled Texans still experience discrimination on the
\njob. Some employees who are great at their job are fired merely
\nbecause they have cancer, diabetes, back injury or some other
\ndisability. HB 978 protects disabled employees, and their employers
\nwho enjoy the fruits of their God given talents. Under this law,
\nemployers can still terminate a disabled person, or anyone else, who
\ndoes not or cannot do their job.<\/p>\n
HB 978 also protects our disabled veterans seeking employment in the
\nprivate sector as they return home from Iraq and Afganistan. This bill
\nencourages the disabled to work, thus lessening the burden on public
\nassistance.<\/p>\n
Finally, there is no fiscal impact if HB 978 is enacted. However,
\ncontracts Texas has with the Federal government would be threatened if
\nHB 978 is not passed. The Texas Workforce Commission has indicated
\nthat there would be an undetermined cost associated with not passing
\nHB 978.<\/p>\n
Please vote to give disabled Texans the protections under Texas law,
\nwhich was signed into law by President Bush last year.<\/p>\n
Thank you,<\/p>\n
(Your Name)<\/p>\n
(Your Address<\/p>\n
(Your Telephone Number)<\/p>\n
HB 978 Passed the Texas House!<\/p>\n
Many thanks to those Texas State Representatives who voted to support
\nTexans with disabilities and voted yes to pass HB 978. To see the
\nnames of the Texas State Representatives who voted yes on HB 978 and
\nthose who voted no, go to: <\/p>\n
http:\/\/yourvotecountsp2.wordpress.com\/hb-978\/texas-state-legislators-state-representatives\/the-house-voted\/<\/p>\n
For more information on HB 978, visit
\nhttp:\/\/yourvotecountsp2.wordpress.com to see additional links. Thanks
\nfor all your help. We appreciate your support.<\/p>\n
Tracey Michol
\nTracey and Friends
\nTAF003@gmail.com
\nhttp:\/\/yourvotecountsp2.wordpress.com<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
For Immediate Release! May 18, 2009 TEXAS ROCKS! TEXAS HOUSE BILL (HB) 978, THE TEXANS WITH DISABILITIES ACT, PASSES HOUSE WITH BI-PARTISAN SUPPORT AND IS NOW IN THE SENATE COMMITTEE ON BUSINESS AND COMMERCE. HB 978 still needs your help…<\/p>\n