Daily Dispatch 5/21/24: Texas Medical Board Forum On Abortion Rules Solves Nothing, and More

Stories we're following this morning at Progress Texas: The anticipated public forum held by the Texas Medical Board seeking to clarify rules governing abortion access exceptions in Texas did little but increase confusion: https://www.texastribune.org/2024/05/20/texas-medical-board-abortion-guidance/ ...Among those testifying was Kate Cox: https://www.wfaa.com/article/news/politics/kate-cox-tells-texas-medical-board-newly-proposed-rules-wont-help-clarify-abortion-law/287-4d342554-38fc-4e5c-a425-8e494289de39 ...And Progress Texas staffers Tatum Owens and Reagan Stone: https://progresstexas.org/blog/lack-guidance-medical-emergencies-puts-texan-lives-line Texas A&M's administrator of Title IX finds himself suspended for the offense of speaking in compliance with new federal guidelines, while his bosses plan to defy the feds: https://theeagle.com/news/a_m/tamu-system-title-ix-director-suspended-investigated/article_a75aa62c-146c-11ef-9617-eb4a3d655faf.html Cypress Fairfield school board members have voted to redact science textbook content that hurts their feelings: https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/article/2024/may/19/us-public-schools-texas-book-bans As another historically hot summer builds, so do risks of an "avoidable blackout" in Texas: https://www.forbes.com/sites/arielcohen/2024/05/19/texas-is-heading-towards-an-avoidable-blackoutagain/ Texas provides an early example of the overall erosion of American democracy: https://www.inquirer.com/opinion/commentary/texas-abbott-pardon-murderer-blm-protester-20240519.html Early voting starts TODAY and continues through Friday in the primary runoff: https://govotetexas.org/ Progress Texas could use your help in funding our trip to June's Texas Democratic Convention in El Paso - thanks in advance! https://progresstexas.org/donate Progress Texas invites progressive candidates to share their views with us - which we'll then share with our statewide audience - via our Certified Progressive questionnaire: https://progresstexas.org/blog/progress-texas-certified-progressives-2024-progressive-values-questionnaire Instagram users: be sure to enable political content on that platform, which has begun opting users out: https://x.com/ProgressTX/status/1771276124498100667?s=20 Thanks for listening! Find our web store and other ways to support our important work this election year at https://progresstexas.org/.