Texas Legislative Session: Democrats Johnson, Morales talk challenges and prospects

AUSTIN, Texas - Reeling from yet another statewide electoral shellacking and once again in the minority at the Texas Legislature, Democratic lawmakers are gearing up once again to wage war against school vouchers and for reproductive rights.

When the gavel falls to launch the 89th Legislative session, Houston Democrat Ann Johnson is hoping colleagues, on both sides of the aisle, will heed polls indicating a majority of Texans believe the State’s abortion ban is far too harsh, especially when a mother’s health is in jeopardy.

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"We have heard the situation where individuals go in with a pregnancy complication that risks their life, their fertility, that is the life of the mother. We ought to allow medical professionals to get back to making that determination around health care in a pregnancy complication. These are not elective abortions. These are individuals who show up at the hospital in crisis," said Johnson.

And then there’s the bellwether issue of what Governor Greg Abbott labels "school choice" - a multibillion-dollar proposal to allow public education funds to follow the child, even to a private campus.

If approved, Houston Democrat Christina Morales believes it will devastate cash strapped public school districts.

"We are certainly going to fight back. We don’t want it at all, and I think most Texans won't want it if they understand what this bill does- taking taxpayer dollars and funding private schools. Most Texans won’t want that, but because we are worried the Governor could be right,  that he has the votes, we are going to try and make sure it’s the most watered-down piece of legislation we can get," said Morales. 

Democrats are also poised to weigh in heavily on the spending of billions of surplus dollars and play a critical role in the selection of a new House Speaker.