Daily Dispatch 3/20/25: Bills To Clarify Texas Abortion Ban Exceptions In Play At The Lege, and More

Stories we're following this morning at Progress Texas:An anonymous tip in January led to a weeks-long investigation of the clinics in the Houston area, resulting in the arrests of midwife Maria Margarita Rojas and two of her colleagues: https://www.khou.com/article/news/local/texas/houston-texas-midwife-arrested-abortions-clinics/285-b028b728-0db8-4e4f-9255-7f6f11c77f47Rare bipartisan cooperation on clarifying medical exceptions to Texas' abortion ban is in play at the Capitol: https://www.houstonchronicle.com/politics/texas/article/abortion-ban-emergency-access-20228656.phpThe Texas Senate has passed "the toughest THC ban in the nation", and Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick is advising retailers to close up shop ahead of its eventual signing into law: https://www.dallasnews.com/news/politics/2025/03/19/texas-thc-retailers-should-close-as-proposed-ban-looms-lt-gov-patrick-warns/In addition to bills designed to give landlords more leeway in evicting their tenants, two more Republican bills would allow tenants to be kicked out while their eviction proceedings are under appeal: https://legiscan.com/TX/bill/SB1904/2025And another Republican bill would allow Texas employers to provide their employees with benefits packages that exclude basic, state mandated services like cancer screenings and coverage for children: https://www.statesman.com/story/news/healthcare/2025/03/20/employer-health-insurance-texas-house-bill-139-reduce-coverage-mandates-requirements/82516916007/On March 29th, the State Democratic Executive Committee will choose a new chair for the Texas Democratic Party - while you don't get to vote in this very important election, you have a representative on that committee, and you should let them know your preferences: ⁠⁠https://progresstexas.org/blog/most-important-election-you-don%E2%80%99t-know-about⁠⁠Women's History Month, being observed throughout March across Texas, serves both as a celebration of the history of breakthroughs for women, and a reminder that Texas is the worst state for them: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://progresstexas.org/blog/celebrating-women%E2%80%99s-history-month-worst-state-women⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠San Antonio listeners! Progress Texas will visit the Alamo City for the first time in far too long on May 6! Please join us for a fun fundraising gathering of progressives and a LIVE podcast taping. RSVP here: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://act.progresstexas.org/a/sanantonio_mixer⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠The merch to match your progressive values awaits at our web store! Goodies at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://store.progresstexas.org/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.We're loving the troll-free environment at BlueSky! Follow us there at⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ https://bsky.app/profile/progresstexas.bsky.social⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.Thanks for listening! Find our web store and other ways to support our important work at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ https://progresstexas.org⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.