Texas CROWN Act passes in Senate, headed to Governor Abbott's desk

Crown Act moving forward following passage in House of Representatives

FOX 26 Reporter Gabby Hart spoke with some Houstonians who shared their feelings about the Crown Act being passed in the U.S. House of Representatives.

HOUSTON - The Texas CROWN Act, also known as House Bill 567 was successfully voted on in the Texas Senate with 29-1 votes and is heading to the Governor’s desk.

The CROWN Act, which stands for Creating a Respectful and Open World for Natural Hair, would prohibit discrimination on the basis of hair texture or protective hairstyle associated with race.

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State officials associated with the bill give these statements:

Representative Rhetta Bowers, Author of the bill, had the following to say: "I am incredibly thankful to Lt. Governor Dan Patrick and Chairman Bryan Hughes for swiftly advancing The CROWN Act. I also owe a great deal of gratitude to Senator Borris L. Miles, our Senate Sponsor, for shepherding the bill through the Senate. I must express my gratitude for CROWN Coalition Co-Creator Adjoa B. Asamoah, for all of her hard work and support, here on the ground and from afar. And, as always, I am thankful for all of the supporters and advocates that have come to their State Capitol to testify for the bill! "I appreciate the vast bipartisan support shown by the Texas Legislature, and I respectfully ask that Governor Abbott signs this great piece of legislation."

Teen who inspired CROWN Act testifies in Austin

The teen whose suspension from school inspired the CROWN Act testified in Austin today in support of the bill. DeAndre Arnold and Rep. Ron Reynolds, who wrote the legislation, join The Factor to talk about the bill and what is next for DeAndre’s life.

Senator Borris L. Miles, Senate Sponsor of the bill, added the following: "I am pleased that we successfully passed the CROWN Act out of the Senate Chamber with bipartisan support. I want to personally thank the CROWN Act Champ, Adjoa B. Asamoah, the architect of this bill for leading the charge, not just in Texas, but the nation, to protect Texans of color from discrimination. I also want to thank Representative Rhetta Andrews Bowers, the author of the CROWN Act, for bringing a supermajority of bipartisan support in the Texas House. This bill would not have been possible without these two outstanding and outspoken Black women. I look forward to the governor signing this bill into law to protect against race-based hair discrimination in the workplace, in our schools and housing."

Adjoa B. Asamoah, CROWN Coalition Co-Creator, added the following: "As a policy architect who conceptualized changing the law in 2018, subsequently developed the legislative and social impact strategies for the CROWN Act, and leads the nationwide movement to outlaw race-based hair discrimination, I am overjoyed by the full passage in the Texas legislature! I’m forever grateful for the servant leadership of Representative Bowers and Senator Miles. They both embody what it means to lead boldly and commit to ushering a bill across the finish line. "The partnership between the three of us has been invaluable as we have worked collaboratively, strategically, and tirelessly to accomplish a goal set back in 2019."