In a race to see who could pass as much legislation restricting minority populations in one go, Texas and Florida are toe-to-toe to see who can get there first.
It’s either this or legislators are sharing notes across state lines. The general lack in considering the communities of these states has become increasingly worrisome and scarily similar with both abortion and gender-affirming health care in jeopardy.
It’s odd that the bills being drafted are targeting their own populations, too. It is no secret that Texas is a Republican state, but what’s sad is to see them project guns over gender-affirming health care.
Unfortunately, Texan leaders like Gov. Greg Abbott do not have their citizens in mind. It’s likely they push these extreme ideas to stay in office or somehow they really believe what they are doing is for the good of Texas.
Texans deserve a state government who can at least attempt to care about their human rights.
Right now, we are at a point in history where children are becoming familiar with lockdown practices and learn to expect the worst in school. Women have to decide what risks they are willing to take to have some autonomy over their bodies, and people who no longer want to hide their gender identity face a world that struggles to accept that.
If the conversation for these things could at least be open, it can make a difference. But the problem with Texas and Florida legislators is that the conservative pride of these Southern states have taken any chance for progress and flushed it down the toilet.
Where do legislators think these bills will take their citizens? Because the way it looks, they’re turning to other states for help. Being able to live in Texas shouldn’t mean joining one large, controlling Bible study.
Texas is large enough to house plenty of people, and it does. There are people of so many different backgrounds that it may be hard to cover all the bases in the Texas government, but supporting regulations that are clearly in favor of one group cannot be good for a state’s health.
This begs the question, of course, how many people are affected by these bills in Texas? The answer is, enough of them are.
It is enough that the first thing that shows up when Uvalde is searched is the shooting at Robb Elementary School. When victims’ families are calling for justice and tighter gun laws, they should be heard. Uvalde residents should never have had this moment. It should not define them.
When 50.9% of the Texas population has a uterus, according to the 2020 Census, and must plan a road trip if they come across a pregnancy they cannot support, how can they say their government supports them?
Of course, the job of being in government is not easy and walking into an office every day to make decisions for an entire state is presumably hard. The government should listen to people instead of leaving them in the dark.
Texas’ actions are always going to be watched. There is a standard set. It’s the responsibility of the state to pass legislation supported by the people.
