House the Homeless, Inc., the National Coalition for the Homeless, the Texas Homeless Network, the Texas Civil Rights Project, the NAACP, and 22 folks experiencing homelessness went to a hearing in the Texas Senate on Tuesday. Senator Royce West championed our bill to protect “homeless people” against violence.
In a 5-0 vote, the bill was “voted out of committee” and sent to the floor of the Texas Senate. There it will be debated on Monday or Tuesday next week and then voted upon by the entire Senate.
If you are from Texas, click on this link:
http://www.senate.state.tx.us/75r/Senate/senmem.htm
Locate your senator, then call and say- (substituting your personal information):
“Hello, this is . I’m from the city of , Texas. My zip code is . Please ask the Senator to vote FOR SB 536 to protect Homeless people against violence. Thank You.”
You can also email your Senator, if that’s easier. Go to http://www.senate.state.tx.us/75r/senate/Members.htm, find your SENATOR, click on his/her name, then scroll down to their email form. If you’re not sure who you Senator is, scroll down to “Who Represents Me” on the first page (http://www.senate.state.tx.us/75r/senate/Members.htm) and fill it out.
Adding homelessness to the Texas hate crimes bill with NOT be easy. It will at the very least however, require that you and I take this definitive, yet simple action. Time is about to run out. We anticipate a vote as early as Monday at 11:00 am. Thank you.
In Unity There is Strength,
Richard R. Troxell