Democrats in Texas have started work on a progressive agenda in the state following their success in this month’s elections.
Whilst James Talarico’s US Senate victory grabbed the headlines at last week’s midterms, there was only part of a blue wave that swept over the traditionally Republican state.
Democrats gained control of the Texas House of Representatives, winning 79 of the chamber’s 150 seats, with Democratic candidate Gina Hinojosa also winning the governor’s election.
This week, Democrat lawmakers unveiled an aggressive agenda of progressive policies as bill filing opened for the 2027 session of the Texas Legislature.
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This included an omnibus bill filed by state Rep. Donna Howard to repeal Texas’ abortion ban.
Currently, Texas bans almost all abortions, with no exceptions for rape or incest. The only exception covers cases when a pregnant person’s life is in danger, though doctors say the language is vague and hard to interpret.
Speaking about her bill, Howard said: “The purpose here was to say, OK, we’ve had over a decade of restrictions on access to abortion healthcare, now we need to look at a reset.
“Take it out. Let’s reset. Let’s talk about what can we do here that we can find some common ground on that makes more sense now that allows women to get the healthcare that they need.”
The Texas Senate is still controlled by Republicans, so it remains uncertain if Democrats will be able to enact any major changes.
However, Democrat Nathan Johnson, the Attorney General-elect for Texas, has said he will stop using Texas abortion laws as “an instrument of persecution and intimidation, harassment and political showboating,”