Roadmap urges action on voter protection, Medicaid expansion, and restoring local control 

HOUSTON, TX – Chris Hollins urged state lawmakers to act on his newly released legislative roadmap today that highlights recommendations in a range of policy areas to move Houston forward. The roadmap counters many of the extreme far-right proposals outlined in Gov. Abbott’s latest State of the State address. 

“Houston is a major driver of the Texas economy, yet our city continues to face urgent challenges that require broad partnership and leadership from state lawmakers,” said Hollins. “The recommendations outlined in our 2023 Texas Legislative Roadmap are essential to meeting the urgent needs of Houstonians. Rather than promote hateful policies that divide and oppress, we must be intentional about fostering a legislative environment that brings progress and prosperity to all.”

Hollins is the only Houston mayoral candidate to take a stand against Abbott and win, and he’s the only candidate to offer a comprehensive legislative agenda addressing the everyday concerns of Houstonians. 

Here are some key recommendations outlined in the roadmap:

Protect the right to free, quality, public education for Houston schoolchildren:

• Remove TEA’s power to take over HISD
• Fully fund public education
• Raise the salaries of public school teachers

Stop Abbott’s war against Houston by restoring local control to Texas cities/counties:

• Repeal the state revenue cap, or at a minimum pass a public safety exception to state and local property tax revenue caps so Houston can invest in keeping our communities safe without defunding other critical government services
• Repeal the SB1 voter suppression law to allow Houston and Harris County to expand voting rights through innovative programs like drive-thru voting, 24-hour voting, expanded mail-ballot voting, and more
• Require a proportional allocation of Hurricane Harvey and other flood recovery and mitigation funds so that Houston gets our fair share

Honor victims of the Uvalde shooting by passing common sense gun reforms:

• Repeal Texas’s permitless carry law
• Require universal background checks
• Pass red flag / extreme risk protection order law to prevent individuals who show signs of being a threat to themselves or others from purchasing or possessing a firearm
• Raise the minimum age to purchase a firearm
• Require safe storage of firearms to keep children safe from guns at home

Click here to learn more about the agenda. The deadline for filing bills this legislative session is March 10. 

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