CWA of Texas was honored to participate in the June 11 , 2020, White House Roundtable on Transition to Greatness: Restoring, Rebuilding, and Renewing in Dallas, Texas. Read more here.
Read CWA of Texas State Director Ann Hettinger’s letter to Gov. Greg Abbott on the concerns on contact tracing.
Concerned Women for America of Texas sent thank you letters to Gov. Greg Abbott and Attorney General Ken Paxton thanking them for leadership during the coronavirus pandemic.
Letter to Attorney General Paxton
Background
Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS) are the standards adopted by the State Board of Education (SBOE) to guide what our children need to accomplish in a given discipline at each grade level. Textbooks are then written to conform to these standards. Every ten years, the TEKS are revised for a given discipline. You the public have the opportunity to shape the standards by providing feedback on the standards to your elected State Board of Education member. This year, the Health Education TEKS are being revised. Textbooks will also be revised in the coming months.
Health Education TEKS – Drafts Available for Review
The Health Education TEKS Work Groups proposals are posted online here. Work Group E is currently working on merging the six proposals from the four workgroups. Once that is completed, the final draft will be posted in May. As soon as the Work Group E drafts are posted and the May SBOE Meeting details are announced, we will provide those links and details.
Several of Concerned Women for America’s (CWA) core issues are impacted by the current revisions (these are noted and addressed below the signature line.*) This is why CWA of Texas is encouraging you to review the draft proposals of the standards and then write a letter to your elected State Board of Education member with any concerns you have on the standards.
Immediate Action Needed
- Please review the proposed standards.
- Write a letter to your member of the State Board of Education, addressing any of your concerns on the proposed standards. Click here to find your State Board of Education member. Be sure to let him/her know that you are a member of Concerned Women for America of Texas.
- Enlist parents and grandparents to review the standards and voice their concerns.
Please Pray
Our Heavenly Father, You have gifted parents in Texas with 5,431,910 precious children who are now enrolled in Texas public schools. The future of our nation and, more importantly, Your Kingdom depends on their training. Your word says in Psalm 172:3-5:
“Behold, children are a gift of the LORD, the fruit of the womb is a reward.
Like arrows in the hand of a warrior, so are the children of one’s youth.
How blessed is the man whose quiver is full of them; they shall not be ashamed when they speak with their enemies in the gate.”
We understand that You have entrusted this gift to us, and You have instructed us how to care for them:
“These words, which I am commanding you today, shall be on your heart.
You shall teach them diligently to your sons and shall talk of them when you sit in your house and when you walk by the way and when you lie down and when you rise up.” Deuteronomy 6:6.
Please guide us and help us be energetic and unwavering in protecting these children from a secular world that aims to remove their innocence. Help us raise them up to be clean vessels for your kingdom.
Ann Hettinger
State Director
*Suggestions related to CWA’s core issues:
SE – Student Expectations
Students should learn to respect the Sanctity of Life by recognizing that the baby in the womb is a life and that the baby is created through the natural and beautiful act of the marital embrace between a man and woman. Therefore, SEs that address fetal development should include information similar to the Women’s Right to Know booklet published by Texas Health and Human Services. SEs on life stages of a human being should include more than just birth, dying, and death. Pregnancy should not be listed as a “consequence” of sexual activity as if that is the worst thing that can happen while sexually transmitted diseases (STD) are presented as normal and treatable at such young ages. Skin to skin, oral sex, and vaginal sex are listed as modes of STD/STI transmission for 7-8 graders as if the three sexual activities are equal. We support sexual risk avoidance (SRA) as an optimal primary health prevention strategy. This teaches that students should reserve intimate sexual activity until they are married. The secondary intervention strategy, sexual risk reduction (SRR) moderates that by teaching about the use of contraceptives.
In Defense of the Family, we are encouraged that the workgroup in charge of revising that section, includes a SE stating that the “process of fertilization occurs between a man and a woman through sexual intercourse.” Texas TEKS should reflect the expectations of abstinence outside of marriage promoting lifelong fidelity and healthy family formation. When students learn about the different body systems, the reproductive system is the only system in which each human being has only half of the system. The other half of the system is required to complete the reproductive system, a natural truth of the complementarity of the male and female bodies.
Protecting children’s natural innocence is an important part of fighting Sexual Exploitation. When a young child is introduced to mature subjects on abuse, trafficking, human sexuality, and sexting, they are being groomed for early sexual initiation, risky sexual activity, and sexual exploitation. SEs should instill their personal value and worth as human beings to protect them against all destructive future risky behaviors.
CWA believes that authority should be returned to parents for all areas of their child’s Education, including Health education. In the workgroup drafts, “parent” is mentioned 59 times while “trusted adult” is included 53 times. SEs should always be written to refer children to their parents and legal guardians rather than the public school recognized trusted adult, nurse, or physician. Fundamentally, human sexuality instruction should be a subject taught by parents so that the parent can customize the message to the individual child’s cognitive ability and maturity level.
Dear Friend,
Concerned Women for America (CWA) of Texas is so grateful for Gov. Greg Abbott and Attorney General Ken Paxton’s solid understanding of religious liberty according to our state and national constitutions and the law. Their reasonable approach and guidance is appreciated. As we see mini-tyrants rear their despotic heads all over the country, it’s a relief to know that Texas is, so far, in rational, capable, wise, and temperate hands.
As always, it is important to get the story straight from the horse’s mouth and so here is Attorney General Paxton’s Guidance for Houses of Worship During the COVID-19 Crisis.
Please note these items in regard to the current church service guidance recommendations for Texas churches:
- The First Amendment, Texas Constitution, Art. 1, and the Religious Freedom Restoration Act protect Americans’ free exercise of religion and must not be violated by state or local governments.
- Church is an “essential service.”
- If possible, churches should conduct services through audio and video services that can be accessed remotely from members’ homes.
- If churches do not have the capability to provide remote services, then these guidelines should be practiced per the White House and Centers for Disease Control (CDC) guidelines:
*Anyone sick should stay home.
*Social distancing should be exercised.
*Good hygiene (handwashing, not touching your face, covering coughs) should be personally implemented.
*Common areas and surfaces should be cleaned and sanitized frequently.
- Be mindful of your community and county status of COVID-19 infection and spread rates, and honor local governance in regard to specific local recommendations.
Again, for more details on these guidelines, please peruse the original document which can be accessed here.
Take Action:
#1. Contact Gov. Greg Abbott and Attorney General Ken Paxton. Thank them for their commonsense leadership during this time. And make sure to let them know that you are a member of Concerned Women for America of Texas and that you are praying for them.
Gov. Abbott — Phone: 512-463-2000 |Online form
Attorney General Paxton — 512-463-2100 |Online form
#2. Be sure your pastor is aware of the latest guidance for churches and be an encouragement to him.
#3. Forward this information to friends and family.
Please Pray
#1. Pray that the church will continue to put on its creative hat as we seek to find ways to not “forsake the assembling of ourselves together” during this unique and historic time.
- Try Drive-In church services if your church size, parking lot, and technological capacity can accommodate such a function.
- Host church fellowship time on Zoom (make sure you enable a password for security purposes).
#2. Pray that remote online services will continue to reach around the globe and draw many to the saving, redemptive work of Christ and an eternal residence in Heaven with God.
#3. Please continue to pray for our elected and appointed officials who are making very challenging decisions during this pandemic.
With you all, we look forward soon to …
“Day by day continuing with one mind in the temple,
and breaking bread from house to house,
… taking [our] meals together with gladness and sincerity of heart,
praising God and having favor with all the people.”
Acts 2:46-47, NASB
For now, we pray this last sentence of the above passage:
“And the Lord was adding to their number day by day those who were being saved.”
Ann Hettinger
State Director
Did you know that Texas is just one of a few states that have declared abortion a non-essential service during this global pandemic? Concerned Women for America of Texas is grateful for Gov. Greg Abbott’s directive to ban the opening of abortion clinics in Texas during this crisis. If Americans are being told to keep their elective surgeries on hold (some of which have the prospect of being lifesaving), then certainly “elective” abortions fall into the non-essential category.
True to form, abortion providers acted quickly and filed a lawsuit against the ban. A lower court judge provided a temporary restraining order blocking the state from enforcing the ban. The 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals blocked the lower court judge’s order, and at this time, abortion facilities remain closed. CWA of Texas is grateful for the work of Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton as he represents our state in this ongoing lawsuit.
It is a blessing to know that in such a trying and difficult time, at least unborn babies have a chance at life in the state of Texas.
Take Action
#1. Contact Gov. Greg Abbott and thank him for his commonsense mandate shutting down non-essential medical procedures, including abortion during this time. Let him know that you are a member of Concerned Women for America of Texas.
Phone: 512-463-2000 |Online form
#2. Contact Attorney General Ken Paxton and thank him for his strong posture in reinforcing Gov. Abbott’s order. Let him know that you are a member of Concerned Women for America of Texas.
Call 512-463-2100 |Online form
#3. Forward this information to family and friends.
Please Pray
- Please continue to pray for our elected and appointed officials who are making very challenging decisions during this pandemic.
- Pray for your neighbors, friends, fellow Americans, and our global neighbors who are struggling with quarantine guidelines and especially those who are sick and who have lost loved ones to COVID-19.
- And pray for every woman currently in a crisis pregnancy — that this pause in abortion services will enable her to embrace the precious little person in her womb and that she will find deep, satisfying hope and be empowered to choose life for her baby and herself.
“Therefore encourage one another and build up one another, just as you also are doing. But we request of you, brethren, that you appreciate those who diligently labor among you … and that you esteem them very highly in love because of their work.” 1 Thessalonians 5:11-13
Ann Hettinger
State Director
It’s election season! Early voting has already begun across Texas as we head toward the March 3 primary election.
Concerned Women for America of Texas says it’s “game on” to get conservative women and men to the polls in the primary and general elections! We have put together a list of helpful sites to guide you through the election season, including a voter score guide link.
Who is on my ballot and where do I vote?
You can preview your ballot by typing in your county election office in your browser (example: Dallas County Elections Office.) Then put in your information and to pull up a sample ballot for your precinct. You may print it out and take it with you to vote. Polling sites are also posted there.
Is there a guide for voting?
For statewide and federal primary candidates, CWA has partnered with ivoterguide.com to offer an excellent resource where you can find the candidates who will appear on your ballot and where the candidates stand on the issues. Click here and type in your zip code and view how the evaluation panelists scored the candidates based on their survey answers, their campaign websites, etc.
No local races have been evaluated at ivoterguide.com, but for state legislator information, you may consider checking with your trusted friends or elected officials to offer wisdom on the candidates in the local races.
We urge you to do your homework and vote wisely. Please pray diligently for the upcoming elections. Please forward this to friends, family, and acquaintances.
Psalm 33:11-12: “The counsel of the Lord stands forever, The plans of His heart from generation to generation. Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord.” Through our efforts may our children and grandchildren enjoy the blessings God has granted us in the United States of America.
For Truth and Righteousness,
Ann Hettinger
State Director
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE February 3, 2020
Contact: Toni DeLancey, Ph.D. | Direct Line: (202) 266-4816 | Mobile: (202) 527-3434
Concerned Women for America Legislative Action Committee (CWALAC), the nation’s largest public policy women’s organization, has endorsed Kathaleen Wall for U.S. House of Representatives for the 22nd District of Texas.
Penny Nance, CEO and President of CWALAC, said:
“The 2020 election will be a defining moment in American history at the pinnacle of intense political division. The choice before voters is clear: support the bedrock freedoms of our Constitution and conservative values that make America great or threaten our future with a bankrupt leftist agenda that undermines religious freedom, denies life, erases female dignity, and embraces government socialism that will lead to economic and social collapse.
“Conservative women will not concede the fundamental values that strengthen families and promote individual flourishing to the left’s destructive agenda. That is why Concerned Women for America Legislative Action Committee is proud today to endorse Kathaleen Wall for U.S. House of Representatives for the 22nd District of Texas.
“Kathaleen is a champion of the pro-family conservative values that make Texas and America great. Kathaleen will bring her passion for religious freedom, the dignity of women, and the sanctity of human life to Congress and fight to preserve American sovereignty at our borders and abroad.
“Our members are honored to stand with Kathaleen Wall in this election, confident that she will stand up for conservative values and American families with courage and integrity.”
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“Take no part in the worthless deeds of evil and darkness; instead, rebuke and expose them.” Ephesians 5:11 (NLT)
We watched social media in horror as the Austin Independent School District defied parents in the district by adopting K-12 sex-ed materials that offend the dignities of conservative families. I have been asked repeatedly what can be done. It will require all of us to be diligent in watching our own local school district meetings. The local advisory board charged with the responsibility of determining community standards is referred to as the “SHAC.” The official name for the body is School Health Advisory Council. It is mandated in Sec. 28.004 of the Texas Education Code as amended by the last session of the Texas Legislature and effective on December 1, 2019. Click here to read the text of the state code that establishes the advisory councils.
Whether you are currently a parent of a public-school student or not, it’s time for us, as CWA leaders, to step up and hold our ground in defense of our children. If not us, then who? See action items 1-4 below.
On a different, but similar note, the Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS) health standards, which includes sex education standards, are currently being reviewed and edited by a committee appointed by the State Board of Education (SBOE). CWA of Texas is very concerned that there will be an aggressive push to move Texas away from abstinence-based standards to comprehensive sex ed standards.
Once the draft of the standards is completed, there will be an open comment period where the public can provide feedback on the standards, which should be sometime in 2020. Once the standards are approved, textbook companies will write the textbooks and develop the health education curriculum and present to the SBOE for final approval.
Action Items:
- Volunteer to serve on the SHAC as a parent or community representative. It is critical that Christian conservatives be appointed to local school district SHACs. These Councils will be filled by parents and community members, so why not you? To begin the process of applying, call your local school district and ask to speak to the person who oversees health education for the district. Then inquire about their process of selecting parents and community representatives to serve on the Council. Make every effort to get yourself on the Council.
- Recruit parents or others to serve on the Council.
- At the very least, call your local school district to find out who is serving on the SHAC, when the meetings are held, and then be sure to attend the meetings. These are public meetings, so you have every right to be there. Your presence will make a difference.
- Review the proposed health education curriculum for your child’s (grandchild’s) grade level and provide substantive feedback and concerns.
- Know who represents you on the State Board of Education. Your SBOE district number is on your voter registration card. Several members have chosen not to seek reelection in 2020; therefore, it is important that you participate in choosing someone to represent you who represents your standards.
Pray: Psalm 127:3 says, “Behold, children are a gift of the LORD, The fruit of the womb is a reward.” It is a reprehensible desecration of that gift to submit them to a morally corrupt curriculum, to undermine their innocence, and pervert their future. Pray that God will lead you to impact this issue in the way He has designed you and given you access.
Ann Hettinger
State Director
CWA of Texas
Concerned Women for America Needs Your Help!
The 86th Legislative Session, proclaimed by Texas state officials to be the “Super Bowl” of sessions, was anything but that when considering very important conservative concerns/issues that were ignored or not addressed during the 2019 session. As a result, CWA of Texas has joined forces with a group of conservative leaders from over 200 organizations in Texas to urge Gov. Greg Abbott to call a special session of the state legislature BEFORE the March 3, 2020, primary election to address the groups’ “Lone Star Agenda.”
Click here to review The Lone Star Agenda. The red text following each agenda item is CWA of Texas’s efforts to pass or oppose the legislation during the 2019 session.
Time-Sensitive Action Item
- Please email or write your state senator and your state representative and ask them to request Gov. Abbott to call a special session BEFORE the March 3 primary. Find your state and representative here. Emphasize the issues from the list below that are important to you and your family. Keep your letter short and to the point.
- If you mail your legislator, please send me a copy of your letter either by mail (P.O. Box 541, Rockwall, Texas 75087) or to my email address: [email protected]. If you email your legislators, will you please forward me a copy of the emails to [email protected].
I will compile the letters and emails and present them to Gov. Abbott or Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick. I need your correspondence by November 1, to make it reasonable for the session call to be made for January or February. If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to contact me at 972-658-4204.
Pray that the Lord will move on the heart of Gov. Abbott on our behalf and call a special session before the March 3 primary. Pray Psalm 40:8 on behalf of Gov. Abbott. “I desire to do your will, O my God; your law is within my heart.”
Ann Hettinger
State Director
Are you ready to take your knowledge and put it into action? If so, a CWA Prayer/Action Chapter is the perfect place to do so.
“What does it profit, my brethren, if someone says he has faith but does not have works?” James 2:14
First: Find out what a Prayer/Action Chapter is as well as what a typical one looks like.
Second: Click here to find a Prayer/Action Chapter in your area and learn more.
Concerned Women for America of Texas urges Gov. Abbott to veto the just passed mental health bill. Read their open letter to Gov. Abbott.
HB 18 attempts to solve the problem of school violence by creating a state bureaucracy – a coalition of psychiatric and psychological experts in medical schools – to STUDY the problem. This involves multiple assessments of all school children with invasive questions about children and their homes and families. We believe that mental health care must remain in the control of parents and that if tax dollars are appropriated for this purpose, they must be distributed at the request of families.
Take action:
- Call Gov. Abbott at (512) 463-2000 or contact him here and say this:
- Please veto HB18.
- While we recognize the mental stability of each child contributes to their learning capacity; and
- Recognize that the disruptive antics of disturbed children affect, and in cases endanger, entire classrooms,
- We, however, object to turning our schools into mental health clinics using assessments by mental health researchers to label ALL children on some researcher’s “mental health scale.”
- We object to using vital funds for this experimental study when those funds can actually remedy some of the frustrations in classrooms and schools by making low cost/no-cost mental health centers immediately accessible in local communities.
- This is a huge misdirection of tax-payer funds to solve a problem that it is incapable of solving.
Pray that the voice of reason from citizens of Texas will be heard by the Texas governor. Remember that a portion of Proverbs 24:6 says, “In a multitude of counselors there is safety.”
Thank you,
Ann Hettinger
State Director
CWA of Texas
We need you to act immediately to save our children and families from the invasion of the overreaching arm of our state government.
Last night, SB11 was subversively reconsidered for a 2nd reading in the Texas House of Representatives. The reason for this was so that they could add language via the Zerwas amendment, which is the whole of SB10. SB10 was defeated on a Point of Order earlier in the evening. (You can read about SB 11 and SB 10 in a previous alert here.)
Assuming SB11 passes third reading in the Texas House of Representatives today, it will then return to the Senate to concur on the amendments. The Senate is not expected to concur. Therefore, it will be assigned to a conference committee (five members from each chamber to work out a compromise bill). It then goes back to both chambers for an up or down vote.
It is imperative for Concerned Women for America of Texas to stop this encroachment into the homes and families by the provisions of these two allegedly mental health mandates.
Act:
- Call your state senator and state representative immediately and firmly, but respectfully, ask them to:
- Please oppose SB11.
- SB11 is a huge expansion of a dangerous and expensive new bureaucracy complicit with the pharmaceutical companies and progressive groups.
- All children, including home and private schoolers, will be screened by physicians and caregivers in the name of “safety.”
- This bill establishes mental health telemedicine screening programs for “at risk” children. There is no definition for “at risk.” In this day, any child can be considered “at risk” and in need of assessment.
2. Click here to find your legislators. Be sure to let them know that you are a member of Concerned Women for America of Texas.
Pray for legislators to listen to their constituency and ignore the intimidating threats of the establishment no matter who is making the threats.
Thank you for your diligence and faithfulness,
Ann Hettinger
State Director
CWA of Texas
Calls needed for SB 1978, the “Save Chick-fil-A” Religious Freedom Bill
Sine Die, the last day of the 2019 Texas legislative session is Monday, May 27. This means that SB 1978, the Religious Freedom bill, must pass the Texas House this week! Religious freedoms of Americans are being attacked more than ever. It is time to protect Texas from this onslaught.
Take Action:
- Call your state representative and respectfully and prayerfully urge him or her to vote “Yes” on SB 1978. Find your Representative here. Be sure to tell them you are a member of Concerned Women for America of Texas.
- Share this alert with like-minded friends and family.
Pray that the members of our state legislature will recognize our religious heritage and restrain government entities from prohibiting the exercise of our faith. “Blessed is the nation whose God is the LORD; and the people whom he hath chosen for his own inheritance.” Psalm 33:12
Talking Points
- SB 1978 tells local governments, like the San Antonio City Council, that they cannot punish businesses, like Chick-fil-A, simply for donating to or associating with religious organizations.
- SB 1978 prevents state and local governments from discriminating against entities that associate or donate to religious groups.
- SB 1978 ensures businesses and organizations are able to operate consistent with their beliefs without fear of government punishment.
- SB 1978 prohibits government authorities from denying government grants, contracts, licenses, tax benefits, and access to other programs because of being associated with or donating to a religious organization.
- Government should never punish Texans for operating according to their religious beliefs.
Examples of Protections under SB 1978
Faith-based Businesses and Charities
SB 1978 protects Chick-fil-A, The Salvation Army, local faith-based substance-abuse recovery programs, Catholic charities, and many other faith-based social service agencies serving the poor and disabled. The bill ensures that those groups do not lose government funding and contracts because of their association or donations to these religious groups.Educational Institutions
SB 1978 protects religiously affiliated preschools, elementary schools, and high schools in the state. It also protects those schools’ tax-exempt status under state law and ensures that they can continue to serve their students without being penalized.
Faith-based Businesses and Charities
SB 1978 protects Chick-fil-A, The Salvation Army, local faith-based substance-abuse recovery programs, Catholic charities, and many other faith-based social service agencies serving the poor and disabled. The bill ensures that those groups do not lose government funding and contracts because of their association or donations to these religious groups.Educational Institutions
SB 1978 protects religiously affiliated preschools, elementary schools, and high schools in the state. It also protects those schools’ tax-exempt status under state law and ensures that they can continue to serve their students without being penalized.
Texans
SB 1978 ensures that Texans who serve their communities, contract with the state, take out a loan, or apply for benefits will not be denied simply because of their association or donations to a religious organization.
SB 1978 is Supported by:
Concerned Women of America of Texas | Texas Values Action | Republican Party of Texas | First Liberty Institute |Texas Young Republicans | Family Policy Alliance| Texas Pastor Council | Southern Baptists of Texas Convention | Texas Eagle Forum| Grassroots for America We the People| American Family Association | Celebration Church| Coming Out, Inc. | Fredericksburg Tea Party | NE Tarrant Tea Party| Texas Leadership Institute for Public Advocacy | San Antonio Family Association| Texas Republican Party of Bexar County |Faith Outreach Center, International| Iglesia Cristiana Aposento Alto| Laredo Prayer Task Force | Texas Right To Know | Texas Leadership Institute for Public Advocacy | First Baptist Church Pflugerville | Stand for Fort Worth
Concerned Women of America of Texas | Texas Values Action | Republican Party of Texas | First Liberty Institute |Texas Young Republicans | Family Policy Alliance| Texas Pastor Council | Southern Baptists of Texas Convention | Texas Eagle Forum| Grassroots for America We the People| American Family Association | Celebration Church| Coming Out, Inc. | Fredericksburg Tea Party | NE Tarrant Tea Party| Texas Leadership Institute for Public Advocacy | San Antonio Family Association| Texas Republican Party of Bexar County |Faith Outreach Center, International| Iglesia Cristiana Aposento Alto| Laredo Prayer Task Force | Texas Right To Know | Texas Leadership Institute for Public Advocacy | First Baptist Church Pflugerville | Stand for Fort Worth
Senate Bill 10 and Senate Bill 11 are up for a floor vote in the Texas House tomorrow, Tuesday, May 21. Tuesday is the deadline for bills to be debated on the House Floor so calls on the two bills are needed immediately!
Concerned Women for America (CWA) of Texas opposes both bills for the following reasons:
Senate Bill 10:
- Establishes mental health “telemedicine” screening programs for “at risk” children.
- Does not inform parents who consent to mental health screening for their children that these screenings have high rates of false positives. Unreliable mental health screenings for depression in children can lead to overdiagnosis or wrong diagnosis and medication.
- As a result of SB10’s attempt to assess all school children, it is not unlikely that more psychotropic drugs will be administered/prescribed to kids. These drugs have led many perpetrators to increased violence including – Devin Patrick Kelley (Sutherland Springs), Stephen Paddock (Las Vegas), Kendrex White (University of Texas stabber), James Holmes (Aurora Colorado), Erick Harris (Columbine), and many others.
- Medical school psychiatry departments have been enlisted (at the cost of millions) to access your children and use their experimental therapies to reduce “school violence.”
Senate Bill 11:
- Creates Threat Assessment Teams to question/assess your school-aged children. Although children will be questioned by Threat Assessment Teams, SB11 has no Miranda warning.
- Investigates children they think may be potentially violent and gives them psychological evaluations. Will parents be warned that their child could be labeled and institutionalized as a result of such evaluations?
- Adds this language to the education code: “Appropriate grade levels and methods of instruction for human sexuality instruction and healthy relationships education”. This language is being defined contemporaneously. Do we really want today’s culture defining sexuality and healthy relationships for our children?
Act quickly. Time is ticking!
- Call your State Representative and respectfully and prayerfully tell him or her to vote on Senate Bill 10 and Senate Bill 11. Find your Representative here. Be sure to tell them you are a member of Concerned Women for America of Texas.
- Share this alert with likeminded friends and family.
Please Pray!
- Pray for the protection of Texas school children from the overreaching arm of the state.
- Pray that our elected public servants will pause, think, and stop expanding government to the harm of our children. Pray that they will recognize the stewardship they hold, and the accountability required of them by God for the decisions they make that affect innocent children.
- Pray that families will remain intact and parents will be intimately engaged with the hearts of their children.
With such gratefulness for you,
Ann Hettinger
State Director
CWA of Texas
SB-2089, a bill relating to advance directives, has been placed on the intent calendar and is expected to be debated in the Texas Senate in the next few days. This pro-life bill respects the wishes of the patient and patient’s family when advanced directives for end of life care have been made. Currently, if a dispute arises between the hospital, the doctors, and the family about life-sustaining measures, the hospital and doctors convene an ethics committee. If the committee decides in opposition to the family, the family has ten days to seek medical care for the patient in another facility before the hospital and doctors can remove life-sustaining care. This bill expands the transfer time until another facility can be arranged. Here is a portion of the bill:
SECTION 2.The purpose of this Act is to protect the right of patients and their families to decide whether and under what circumstances to choose or reject life-sustaining treatment. This Act amends the applicable provisions of the Advance Directives Act
(Chapter 166, Health and Safety Code) to ensure that, when an attending physician is unwilling to respect a patient’s advance directive or a patient’s or family’s decision to choose the treatment necessary to prevent the patient’s death, life-sustaining medical treatment will be provided until the patient can be transferred to a health care provider willing to honor the directive or treatment decision.
Take Action!
- Please call your state Senator and ask him or her to vote FOR SB 2089. Your Senator’s telephone number is 512-463-01xx. The two x’s are your Texas Senate District’s number. For example: Sen. Hughes number is: 512-463-0101. Click here to locate your state senator. Type in your address, press Find, and then look for Texas Senate District in the left panel. Be sure to let them know you are a member of Concerned Women for America of Texas.
- Please send this alert to family and friends.
Pray that those who care for our citizens in end-of-life situations will recognize the sanctity of life and honor the plans and wishes of the patient as they face their eternal home. Psalm 116:15 says, “Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of His Godly ones.”
Ann Hettinger
State Director
CWA of Texas
[email protected]
tx.cwfa.org
On Wednesday morning, May 1, the Texas House Culture, Recreation, & Tourism Committee took testimony from witnesses on HB 3730. The bill requires vendors to filter pornography from materials made available to school districts for web access by students. In failing to do this, students, working on homework assignments using computers at home with parental guards, have still accessed pornographic materials through the school district portals. A portion of the bill is copied here:
Sec. 441.231. ONLINE LIBRARY RESOURCES FOR SCHOOL DISTRICTS. (a) The commission shall use funds appropriated to the commission or consortium services fees under Section 441.224(b) collected from school districts to purchase online library resources for primary and secondary schools that have adopted Internet safety policies and technology protection measures meeting the requirements for certification under 47 U.S.C. Sections 254(h)(5)(B) and (C).
(b) The commission may purchase online library resources under Subsection (a) only if the vendor providing the resources certifies that the resources comply with 47 U.S.C. Section 254(h)(5).
Immediate Action Needed TODAY:
Please contact members of Texas House Culture, Recreation, & Tourism Committee and ask them to pass this bill out of committee:
- John Cyrier, Chairman, (R-District 17) Phone: (512) 463-0682
- Mando Martinez (D-District 39) Phone: (512) 463-0530
- John Bucy (D-District 136) Phone: (512) 463-0696
- Barbara Gervin-Hawkins (D-District 120) Phone: (512) 463-0708
- Justin Holland (R-District 33) Phone: (512) 463-0484
- Jarvis Johnson (D-District 139) Phone: (512) 463-0554
- Kyle Kacal (R-District 12) Phone: (512) 463-0412
- Geanie Morrison (R-District 30) Phone: (512) 463-0456
- Steve Toth (R-District 15) Phone: (512) 463-0797
Please pray that legislators will understand the threat to the innocent minds of our children and prioritize this need. In Psalm101:3 David says: “I will set no worthless thing before my eyes…”
Ann Hettinger
State Director
CWA of Texas
[email protected]
tx.cwfa.org
Currently, there are multiple bills filed for consideration by the legislature this session which address mental health issues as they relate to school violence. Concerned Women for America of Texas has deep concerns about the approach that has been taken.
- Creation of a new bureaucracy (identified by several different names in the various bills) that will dramatically expand the Texas budget (see footnote on budget requirements).
- Provisions provide for research data retrieval through invasive student assessments for ALL students, and by insinuation, all families. That data is supposedly restricted to the use of the new bureaucracy (made up of university research teams), and there is no provision for its eventual destruction.
- The prime source of the mental evaluation of a student is the classroom teacher who is to receive approximately sixteen hours of continuing education. This is in addition to their primary assignment of meeting Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills standards for all twenty-plus students. So now they must be para-psychologists.
- The most egregious, however, is the absence of parental involvement. Texas families provide young citizens with remarkable capabilities. In a minority of cases, there are families who are dysfunctional to the degree that they produce children with extraordinary needs. Evaluating ALL students is a waste of resources and serves only to dilute attention to those with urgent needs.
- The evaluation standards being proposed are, at best, in a development stage with no universal agreement on definitions, yet they are being institutionalized in legislation. What is “trauma-informed care?” What are “adverse childhood experiences?” What is the definition of “social-emotional learning?”
- The religious beliefs taught in homes must be respected by public schools and are not subject to “culturally defined norms” established by public education. Questioning the mental health or viability of those families is not the prerogative of a teacher, mental health advocate, or psychiatric evaluator.
Concerned Women for America of Texas recognizes that school safety is a necessary issue for this session. We feel, however, that these measures violate conservative standards and fail to place optimum resources in critical venues at expeditious times. Measures that afford free access to mental health professionals by families in crisis would cost a fraction of this expense to the State, be more alert to actual, active circumstances, and provide more relevant services in a crisis. We are ready to work together with any legislator willing to address our concerns.
Footnote on budget requirements:
Quoting from the Budget analysis for SB 10: “The cost, timing, and institutional recipients of the funding authorized by the bill are not known. Costs of the funding may vary depending on the size, infrastructure, and existing resources of the member institutions.
For illustrative purposes, the University of North Texas Health Science Center at Fort Worth estimated they would need approximately $1.8 million per fiscal year to implement the provisions of the bill related to access centers and workforce expansion. Their estimate includes costs related to hiring providers (including behavioral health specialists and a pharmacist) and staff members, two psychiatry residents, telemedicine units for each provider and resident, and other ongoing annual costs related to running a residency program.”
From the Budget analysis for SB 11: “The bill would direct each local mental health authority (LMHA) to employ a non-physician mental health professional to serve as a mental health and substance use resource for school districts, in conjunction with each education service center (ESC) served by an LMHA”…This analysis assumes that each of the 37 LMHAs and the two Local Behavioral Health Authorities would hire one additional non-physician mental health professional at an average salary of approximately $74,000. This analysis assumes that the cost of these additional employees would be appropriated to HHSC and then distributed to the local entities. The cost of these employees including benefit costs would be approximately $2.9 million per fiscal year. Additional costs would likely result from employee benefits, as well as rent, supplies, and technology costs… School districts are likely to see increased costs resulting from several of the bill’s provisions, including the bill’s requirements that districts comply with TSSC noncompliance findings. These include the following requirements: – Adoption of trauma-informed care policies and training …”
From HB 10 the bill fiscal analysis says: “The cost, timing, and institutional recipients of the grants authorized by the bill are not known. Costs of the grants may vary depending on the size, infrastructure, and existing resources of the member institutions.”
For the ninth time during a session of the Texas Legislature, Concerned Women for America of Texas hosted “Dinner with Texas Legislators.” This year, seventeen Texas legislators participated in the program on Tuesday evening, March 12, at the DoubleTree Hotel in Austin.
Each legislator had a moment at the mic to speak to the gathering about issues important in the current session. Several spoke of CWA’s current prayer campaign to encourage legislators during the session.
Rep. Bill Zedler, long-time advocate for life and family values in the Texas Legislature, was awarded the 2019 CWA Family Advocate Award. Mrs. Pat Hanson, who was the South Texas Area Director was commended for many years of service before her retirement. Lastly, Dr. Shea Garrison, Vice President of International Affairs for CWA, was the dinner’s keynote speaker and addressed gender identity issues confronting women and their families in the current culture.
Several young women who are part of Young Women for America’s leadership on Texas college campuses were present. The dinner preceded the subsequent day’s rally at the capitol, where several hundred participated in visiting with legislators about Faith-and-Family issues.
