Latest news with #GovAbbott
Bloomberg
a day ago
- Business
- Bloomberg
Doritos, M&Ms Could Be Forced to Include Warning Labels in Texas
A Texas bill on the verge of becoming law would require labels on packaged food from Skittles to Mountain Dew that warn about ingredients 'not recommended for human consumption' by other countries. Texas Senate Bill 25, backed by Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy Jr., is now awaiting the signature of Gov. Greg Abbott. Foods containing certain ingredients would require warning labels on new packaging beginning in 2027 in order to be sold in Texas, which is the second-most populous US state with 31 million residents.
Associated Press
a day ago
- Business
- Associated Press
Texas is poised to become the latest GOP state to exert control over university curriculum
The gubernatorially appointed boards that oversee Texas universities soon could have new powers to control the curriculum required of students and eliminate degree programs. The legislation sent Monday to Texas Gov. Greg Abbott marks the latest effort among Republican-led states to reshape higher education institutions that they assert have been promoting liberal ideology. It follows similar moves in Florida and Ohio. The state actions come as President Donald Trump's administration also has injected itself into higher education, leveraging federal funding and its student visa authority to clamp down on campus activism and stamp out diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives. Some professors contend the moves violate the principles of academic freedom that many universities have followed for decades. 'Political operatives have basically used their positions of power — political power, economic power — to demand that the institutions conform to their ideas,' said Isaac Kamola, director of the Center for the Defense of Academic Freedom at the American Association of University Professors. 'It's an existential attack on higher education that we're facing,' added Kamola, a political science professor at Trinity College in Hartford, Connecticut. A Texas effort to shape general education requirements Under the Texas legislation, governing boards at higher education institutions will be tasked with reviewing — and potentially overturning — general education curriculum requirements to ensure courses are necessary to prepare students for civic and professional life, equip them for the workforce and are worth the cost to students. Governing boards also will gain greater power over faculty councils, the employment of academic administrators and decisions to eliminate minor degree or certificate programs that have low enrollment. The bill also creates a state ombudsman's office to investigate complaints against institutions, including alleged violations of restrictions against diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives. 'The objective of this legislation is to provide consistency with respect to our curriculum and the degrees we're offering our students,' Republican state Rep. Matt Shaheen, co-sponsor of the legislation, said during House floor debate. Ray Bonilla, an attorney for the Texas A&M University System, one of the state's largest higher education institutions, said the legislation formalizes decisions already being made at the university and wouldn't create an 'undue workload.' But Democratic state Rep. Donna Howard said during a May committee hearing that the legislation 'appears to be extreme micromanagement on the part of the Legislature.' 'The bill is not about improving education, it is about increasing control,' Howard said during the debate. An Ohio law requires mandates specific curriculum In Ohio, a new law bans DEI programs at public colleges and universities, strips faculty of certain collective bargaining and tenure protections and mandates a civil literacy course in order to graduate. In addition to covering the Constitution and Declaration of Independence, the three-credit-hour course must include a least five essays from the Federalist Papers, the 'Letter from Birmingham Jail' by Martin Luther King Jr. and a study of the principles of Adam Smith's 'The Wealth of Nations,' among other things. The law also places restrictions on the handling of 'controversial beliefs or policies,' defined to include climate, immigration or foreign policy, electoral politics, DEI programs, marriage and abortion. While testifying for his bill, Republican state Sen. Jerry Cirino cited John Dewey -- one of the fathers of progressive education and liberalism -- to condemn what he believes to be a hard tack in the other direction at colleges and universities. 'He believed that all theories should be examined and debated,' Cirino told fellow lawmakers. 'He would certainly have been against the woke conformity we see on so many campuses and the clearly demonstrated liberal leanings of faculty and staff who will not tolerate alternative views.' Christopher McKnight Nichols, an Ohio State University history professor, said the law has already driven some faculty members to sanitize their websites of 'controversial' content, alter course descriptions and, in some cases, cancel courses altogether. He said it's never been proven that faculty members are systematically punishing students who don't share their political beliefs. Nichols is among a coalition of Ohio educators, students and administrators fighting back against the new law. Opponents face a late June deadline to collect enough signatures to place a referendum overturning it on the November ballot. A movement with roots in a Trump order and Florida In some ways, the efforts to exert greater state control over college faculty and curriculums are moving higher education closer to a governing model generally seen in K-12 education, said Alec Thomson, president of the National Council for Higher Education at the National Education Association. 'It's a concerning change in the sense that you would expect the institutions to have a fair amount of autonomy to make these decisions about curriculum,' added Thomson, a professor of political science and history at Schoolcraft College in Livonia, Michigan. During his first term in 2020, Trump issued an executive order 'combating race and sex stereotyping' in federal agencies and contracting that forbid the promotion of 'divisive concepts,' including that one race or sex is 'inherently superior' to another, that individuals should feel guilty because of their race or sex and that merit-based systems are racist or sexist. Similar prohibitions on divisive concepts soon appeared in model bills backed by conservative think tanks and in state higher education laws, including in Florida in 2022. The next year, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis initiated a makeover of the New College of Florida — a small liberal arts school once known as the state's most progressive — by appointing a group of conservatives to its governing board. DeSantis then traveled to the campus to sign a law barring public funds from going to DEI activities in higher education or promoting political or social activism. Governors and lawmakers this year have taken about twice as many actions targeting DEI initiatives as last year, according to an Associated Press analysis aided by the bill-tracking software Plural. Among those is a new Idaho law that not only bans DEI offices and programs in higher education but also addresses what's taught in the classroom. It prohibits colleges and universities from requiring students to take DEI-related courses to meet graduation requirements, unless they're pursuing degrees in race or gender studies. ___ Lathan is a corps member for the Associated Press/Report for America Statehouse News Initiative. Report for America is a nonprofit national service program that places journalists in local newsrooms to report on undercovered issues.
Yahoo
2 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
Texas ‘Parent's Bill of Rights' targets LGBTQ+ clubs, DEI programs in schools
AUSTIN (Nexstar) — On Saturday night, the Texas Legislature sent Senate Bill 12 — unofficially titled the Parent's Bill of Rights — to Gov. Greg Abbott's desk. If signed, the bill would ban diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) efforts from the Texas public schools, including banning DEI student groups. When the Texas House first heard SB 12 on May 24, the bill's sponsor State Rep. Jeff Leach, R-McKinney, added what's commonly-known as a 'perfecting amendment.' The term is typically used for amendments the bill's author puts forward at the beginning of the floor debate to address any late concerns they have with the bill. Like most perfecting amendments, Leach's passed overwhelmingly with only two votes against. Leach said his amendment was to clarify language after a similar bill in Florida led to a lawsuit. Both sides reached a settlement, which reinstated the rights of teachers to talk about LGBTQ+ issues in the classroom and protected LGBTQ+ student organizations. ''Classroom instruction' means the provision of information as part of a curriculum by a teacher, or other person designated by a school district to serve in the role of a teacher, in an academic instructional setting,' the amendment says. 'The term does not include… the sponsorship of or participation in a club or other extracurricular activity.' However, the language defining classroom instruction was removed from the bill during conference committee — a process where five members of each chamber meet to hash out the differences between their versions of a passed bill. 'Does this bill, or does it not, now have language to explicitly deny students from being able to organize Gay-Straight Alliance clubs?,' State Rep. Erin Zwiener, D-Hays County, asked Leach. Zwiener is openly bisexual. 'Our bill does put a ban in that would prevent a — let's say a fourth grader or an eighth grader from joining a club that is sexual in nature,' Leach responded. 'I'm sorry Representative Leach, are you saying the fact that sexual orientation exists is more sexual than straight people existing?' Zwiener responded. 'If a student is struggling with their sexuality or their identity and they want to talk to their friends at school about it or talk to a teacher or talk to a counselor, that's fine if they have the parent's consent,' Leach said. 'But we do not need to have school-sponsored and school-sanctioned sex clubs, period.' 'I don't know what you all think happens in [LGBTQ+ student organizations], but for them to be described as sex clubs is astonishing to me,' State. Rep. Rafael Anchía, D-Dallas, said. 'It equates a child's orientation or identity with sex. Let me tell you, these clubs are no more about sex that 4-H or ROTC (Reserve Officers' Training Corps) or the basketball team.' 'Would you call a homecoming king and a homecoming queen a heterosexual couple? Would you call that a sex act? No. What about a prom king and a prom queen? No. So why is it that when there are gay kids that get together to form a club that's called a sex club,' State Rep. James Talarico, D-Austin, rhetorically asked Anchía. 'Because it's a freaking double standard,' Anchía replied. 'And the fact that grown-ass people on this House floor will say (LGBTQ+ organizations are sex clubs) is a problem, and that's not okay.' When Leach got the chance to respond, he apologized for his characterization. 'Especially to you Representative Anchía,' Leach said. 'I misspoke and I apologize for that word blunder.' On social media, Zwiener pointed out that Leach personally apologized to Anchía, a straight man, and not her. 'The tone on the House Floor has gotten more and more callous this session. Texas deserves better. Texas kids deserve better,' she said in a following post. 'Instead of a bunch of overgrown frat boys looking to score a point on the microphone, we should be able to have robust debates on the House Floor.' In addition to banning student clubs based around sexual orientation, the final version of SB 12 removes a House protection to ban targeted recruitment to encourage a diverse applicant pool, includes a House provision banning public schools from helping with social transitioning and allows parents to inspect what library books their children have signed out. 'SB 12 imposes a 'Don't Say LGBTQIA+' rule that mimics Florida's widely criticized law. It also requires school districts to adopt policies that could 'out' transgender students to unsupportive parents or guardians, putting them at risk of abuse or homelessness,' Ash Hall with the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) of Texas, said. 'Our students and educators deserve so much better.' Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
3 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
‘Classrooms into closets': LGBTQ student club ban clears Texas Legislature
Texas Legislation billed as empowering parents will harm LGBTQ public school students, Democratic lawmakers said during a May 31 debate. The wide-ranging education bill, Senate Bill 12, cleared its final hurdles before heading to Gov. Greg Abbott's desk, after the latest version of legislation, crafted in a conference committee of House and Senate members, advanced from both chambers on Saturday. 'SB 12 isn't about protecting children or parental rights,' said Rep. Jessica González, a Dallas Democrat who serves as vice-chair of the Texas House LGBTQ+ Caucus. 'It's about silencing them. It's about erasing families, banning truth and turning our classrooms into closets.' Democrats called particular attention to a portion of the bill banning LGBTQ clubs at public schools. The bill, called the 'Texas Parent Bill of Rights' by supporters, says student clubs cannot be 'based on sexual orientation or gender identity.' Public schools also cannot provide instruction on sexual orientation or gender identity, the bill says. The measure sparked a tense exchange between Rep. Erin Zwiener, a Driftwood Democrat, and the bill's House sponsor Rep. Jeff Leach, a Plano Republican. Zwiener asked whether the bill bars students from organizing gay-straight alliance clubs. During the back and forth, Leach said the bill will not allow 'gay clubs' or 'straight clubs' in schools. 'We shouldn't be sexualizing our kids in public schools, period,' Leach said. 'And we shouldn't have clubs based on sex. I believe that, and that's what the bill does.' That doesn't mean students have to hide who they are or that he believes in bullying or discrimination, Leach said. 'If a student is struggling with their sexuality or their identity, and they want to talk to their friends at school about it, or talk to a teacher or talk to a counselor, that's fine, if they have the parent's consent,' Leach said. 'But we do not need to have school sponsored and school sanctioned sex clubs. Period.' 'Wow,' Zwiener said. These clubs are the place where LGBTQ students feel safe and can build a social network where they're not bullied, Zwiener said, sharing that she came out to one friend when she was 16 and didn't tell anyone else for a decade. There's been a generational change since then, and teenagers who are LGBTQ are feeling safe enough to come out, in a way that didn't exist when she and Leach were in school, Zwiener said. Leach countered that schools were not 'hyper-sexualized' the the way they seem to be moving today. Rep. Rafael Anchia, a Dallas Democrat, called the bill 'bad policy.' Clubs for LGBTQ students are no more about sex than the 4-H club, ROTC or the basketball team, Anchia said. Anchia said his daughter served as the vice president of her school's Pride club. 'They'd get together, and they'd watch movies,' he said. 'They'd color. They'd go to musicals. It was about a kid who felt weird who found her people.' Leach later apologized for remarks offending anyone or being taken in a way that wasn't intended. Leach said he misspoke. 'I apologize for that word blunder,' Leach said. Leach said he believes strongly in the bill. Parents should have a 'seat at the head of the table,' when it comes to their child's education, he said. His daughter is in a club called PALS, which stands for peer assisted leadership, Leach said. There's an array of students who are struggling with issues teenagers face, and who think and believe different things, he said. Leach's daughter has learned 'not to separate yourself with people that you agree with,' but to learn how to reason with each other and be respectful and kind, Leach said. 'Those clubs are the clubs that we should be promoting, and those are the clubs that this bill protects,' Leach said. 'And I would hope that a student would feel eager to join those clubs. Feel eager to be free to express themselves and wrestle with the things they wrestle with, and to do life with their fellow students.' Among its various measures, the legislation outlines a ban on Diversity, Equity and Inclusion initiatives in public schools. It says school districts cannot assist with 'social transitioning,' banning the use of 'a different name, different pronouns, or other expressions of gender that deny or encourage a denial of the person's biological sex at birth.' The bill also requires school boards to let parents submit comments electronically and adopt a policy for grievances. It says a school district cannot withhold information about a child from parents, and outlines parents' right to information about their child's health, including mental health. Districts must give parents information about their rights when they first enroll their child in a district, among other required notices. Near the start of the legislation is a prohibition on the 'infringement of parental rights.' It reads: 'The fundamental rights granted to parents by their Creator and upheld by the United States Constitution, the Texas Constitution and the laws of this state, including the right to direct the moral and religious training of the parent's child, make decisions concerning the child's education, and consent to medical, psychiatric, and psychological treatment of the parent's child ... may not be infringed on by any public elementary school or secondary school or state governmental entity' unless the infringement is to 'further compelling state interest, such as providing life saving care to a child' and is 'narrowly tailored using the least restrictive means to achieve that compelling state interest.' This is a developing story. Check back for updates.
Yahoo
3 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
Protesters march at Texas Capitol calling for vetoes from Gov. Abbott
The Brief Protesters marched to the Texas Capitol on Saturday, appealing to Gov. Greg Abbott on various legislative actions as the regular session nears its end. Demonstrators highlighted new bills requiring state documents to reflect sex assigned at birth, a ban on THC products, and a mandate for the Ten Commandments in classrooms. Abbott has publicly supported the bill on sex assigned at birth and vowed to defend the Ten Commandments bill in court if it passes. AUSTIN - There are only 48 hours to go before Texas lawmakers wrap up the regular session at the Capitol. Protesters marched from the governor's mansion to the Texas Capitol on Saturday morning, calling on Gov. Greg Abbott to veto some legislation that's faced opposition from voters during the legislative session. As the 89th Texas legislative session nears its end, some state residents are concerned about proposals that now need only to be signed by Abbott to become law. This week alone, lawmakers sent a bill to Abbott that would require state documents to reflect the sex assigned at birth. Others would ban THC and require the Ten Commandments to be displayed in classrooms across the state. Only Abbott has the power to either sign or kill these and other bills, and Saturday's protesters called for him to side with their beliefs. What they're saying "We want to make the case against Greg Abbott," said Ron Reynolds, chair of the TX Legislative Black Caucus. "He's been on the wrong side of the people of the great state of Texas." "I am so proud to stand here with these people that have traveled, some traveled far to be here today," said Reynolds. "That we're sending a loud message to Governor Abbott that we're not going back." Reynolds, along with a couple of hundred others, brought a long list of grievances to the rally. "There are so many bills that are on the verge of becoming law that are going to become a problem not just in Texas but for the entire nation later," said Samantha Boucher, managing director for Turn Left. "Whether it is healthcare, whether it is immigration, whether it is the persecution of communities of color or trans communities, Texas is the incubator," said Boucher. "Texas is the front line, and testing out different attacks and approaches." That same concern also resonated with "The Handmaid's Tale" actor Lucas Neff. "I care about what happens to the people in Texas. I care about what happens to people everywhere, and so I want to be with all these great people here and show that I stand with them," said Neff. FOX 7 Austin reached out to Abbott's office on Saturday for comment, but has yet to hear back. What's next Earlier this week, Abbott said on X that he would take up a lawsuit to keep the Ten Commandments in Texas schools. He also said on X that he would sign HB 229, which would require state documents to reflect the gender assigned at birth. He said, "Texas recognizes only two sexes." The Source Information in this article came from FOX 7 coverage at Austin's demonstration and previous coverage on the Texas legislature.
