Daily Dispatch 9/30/24: Ken Paxton's Voter Suppression Efforts Hit Legal Snag, and More

Stories we're following this morning at Progress Texas: A federal judge has found that the parts of the 2021 Senate Bill 1, imposing wide ranging new restrictions on voting access, are unconstitutional - bringing Ken Paxton's efforts against voting access advocates in South Texas to a halt: https://www.texastribune.org/2024/09/28/texas-vote-harvesting-law-unconstitutional/ Another lawsuit from Paxton - this time against the City of Austin over their abortion travel fund: https://www.statesman.com/story/news/state/2024/09/27/texas-ag-ken-paxton-sues-austin-over-abortion-help-fund/75393130007/ The Texas Maternal Mortality and Morbidity Review Committee wants to be able to review abortion related deaths - currently inaccessible to them by state law - and also wants a reversal of changes that limited the voices of rural Texans on that committee: https://www.texastribune.org/2024/09/27/Texas-maternal-mortality-abortion-deaths/ The Trevor Project finds that states like Texas that have passed laws targeting transgender youth have seen a massive jump in suicide attempts among that group: https://www.chron.com/culture/article/texas-anti-trans-laws-19798019.php ...While Ted Cruz goes all in on anti-trans hate in his most recent TV ads: https://www.houstonchronicle.com/news/houston-texas/article/ted-cruz-colin-allred-transgender-athletes-19797497.php ...And in his mailers as well: https://www.houstonchronicle.com/politics/texas/article/colin-allred-trans-sports-19798080.php See Progress Texas' guide to fun events happening across the state during National Hispanic Heritage Month, which continues through October 15: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://progresstexas.org/blog/celebrating-texas-culture-national-hispanic-heritage-month⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ See Progress Texas' analysis of Project 2025, and what it will mean for Texas should it be enacted: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://progresstexas.org/blog/project-2025-vs-progress-2025⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ...And a complete guide to Project 2025 from Media Matters: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.mediamatters.org/heritage-foundation/guide-project-2025-extreme-right-wing-agenda-next-republican-administration⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ The deadline to register for the November election is October 7. Are you registered? Are you sure? ALL Texas voters should confirm their registration, right now: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://govotetexas.org/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ...Please pitch in to help fund our recent expansion of that important voting resource with Hindi, Mandarin Chinese and Vietnamese translation: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://progresstexas.org/blog/coming-soon-govotetexasorg-adds-commonly-spoken-languages-increase-ballot-access⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Today is the last day of our September membership drive! We want to add 50 new members to the Progress Texas family in the form of regular monthly supporters at the $10, $25 or $50 level - if you join the team before the end of September, we'll hook you up with an exclusive invitation to our Holiday Party this December! ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://progresstexas.org/donate⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Thanks for listening! Find our web store and other ways to support our important work this election year at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://progresstexas.org⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.