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Action at Texas Capitol: Lawmakers discuss gender-affirming healthcare, more
At the Texas Capitol, it's been another day of heavy lifting for Texas lawmakers covering topics from controversial new limits on gender-affirming healthcare to reversing the exodus of public school teachers. FOX 26 Political Reporter Greg Groogan gives an update on some of the high-interest topics.
HOUSTON - A bid to ease the worsening teacher shortage has earned overwhelming approval in the Texas House.
HB-11 authorizes nearly a half billion dollars to raise the pay of teachers who've achieved advanced certifications.
The measure also provides substantial resources for new teacher mentoring while also funding no-cost Pre-K care for the children of classroom instructors.
"It ultimately provides an opportunity to five million students in Texas to get a better quality education because we are going to start with a better quality teacher," said State Representative Harold Dutton, who is a Houston Democrat and the bill's sponsor.
SUGGESTED: Texas House passes school safety bills in response to Uvalde shooting
Meantime, gender-affirming health care came under heavy attack in the Texas Senate with the passage of SB 1029 - a measure that bans the use of public funds for transition medical treatment while also making physicians and insurers financially liable for any complications developing over the course of a trans-patients' lifetime.
"This bill is simply is to protect those children when they encounter problems as a result of these mutilations when they were coerced at 13 or 14 or 15 years old," said State Senator Bob Hall, a Republican from Edgewood.
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Opponents contend SB-1029 will inhibit the ability of physicians providing transition care to obtain malpractice coverage and could prompt health insurers to exclude gender-affirming treatment from policies.
"Now we go after physicians hired by informed adults consenting to care that every major medical association in the United States recognizes as appropriate and even necessary," said State Senator Sarah Eckhart, an Austin Democrat.
"How is that we can sit here today and we want to say that we want to protect Texas adults by taking away their freedom to choose a type of medical care, but last week we were touting the freedom to not take a vaccine. Where is the freedom and the liberty in this bill? Why are you today deciding what is in the best interest of grown, adult, consenting Texans?" said State Senator Jose Menendez, a San Antonio Democrat.
There are 32 days remaining in the 88th Regular Session of the Texas Legislature.