FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
July 8, 2021
Contact: Juan Ramiro Sarmiento
(785) 760-6567 | JuanRamiro.Sarmiento@younginvincibles.org

Abbott Uses Taxpayer Dollars to Wage Culture War, Ignores Pressing State Issues

The State’s Electric Grid Remains Deeply Vulnerable As Summer Heat Slams Region

(Houston, TX) — Today, Texas lawmakers will reconvene in Austin after Governor Greg Abbott (R-TX) called for a Special Session to address outstanding priorities for his governing majority, including voting restrictions, limits on women’s health care, education censorship on matters of race, and a continued assault on transgender young people. Major areas of concern for everyday Texans – health care coverage, education investments, and economic opportunity – were noticeably absent from the special legislative session agenda.

In response, Aurora Harris, Southern Region Director for Young Invincibles issued the following statement.

“Over the course of Texas’ 87th Legislative Session, the ruling majority aggressively pursued its priorities and made clear what they value above all else: cementing their hold on power by restricting the vote, controlling women’s bodies, and protecting — energy, health care, retail, manufacturing, finance, and educational service industry — corporations and their profits.

Despite the arduous pace, Governor Abbott and his legislative allies have unfinished business. These priorities, unfortunately, do not include the most pressing concerns for the state.

At a time when Texans have lost over 52,000 people to a global pandemic, the governing majority has failed to prioritize Medicaid coverage expansion.

While young adults confront a historic economic downturn, the governing majority has failed to invest in workforce development and education.

As the state contends with an electric grid teetering on collapse, the governing majority has failed to provide one of the most basic utility services in the 10th largest economy in the world, hurting vulnerable communities and small businesses.

Governor Abbott and the governing majority prefer to wage a culture war – including an all-out assault on transgender youth across all levels of education and the forceful censorship of any mention of racism in an effort to rewrite history – for short-term political gain instead of prioritizing the welfare of their constituents. All bankrolled by Texas taxpayers.

Put simply, the governing majority has failed Texas.

Despite the challenging Special Session ahead, Young Invincibles remains committed to advocating for health care, education, economic opportunity, and above all, democracy.”