Many of the bills we are advocating for are either left pending in committee or pending a hearing. It's up to you to give legislators incentive to move them forward. Believe it or not, many legislators keep for or against score cards which they use to determine their legislative priorities. By engaging with them, you can make a big difference. 

• Status: Left pending in subcommittee.
• Recommendation: FOR
• Research Updated: Moderates Mobilize to Keep Taxpayers in the Dark 
• Comment: Increased transparency results in greater accountability.
• Call to action: Continue to contact committee members to voice your support. Every email, call, letter and personal visit makes a difference. Encourage your contacts to do the same. Let's move this bill forward! 

• Status: Left pending in subcommittee.  
• Recommendation: FOR
• Research:  Sunshine Week 
• Comment: Taxpayers have a right to know how much local gov. debt they owe.
• Call to action: Contact committee members to communicate your support. Every email, call, letter and personal visit makes a difference. Encourage your contacts to do the same. Let's move this bill forward! 

• Status: Assigned to committee. No scheduled discussion.
• Recommendation: FOR
• Research: Proposed Immigration Laws 
• Comment: Illegal immigrants cost cost Texas taxpayers billions of dollars every year
• Call to action: Continue to contact committee members to voice your support. It needs a public hearing!  

• Status: Assigned to committee. No scheduled discussion.
• Recommendation: FOR
• Research: The Texas Taxpayer Savings Grant Program 
• Comment: It's time has come. We advocated for this in the 82nd session but it never got traction. It will save money for taxpayers and improve children's education.
• Call to action: Continue to contact committee members to voice your support. It needs a public hearing!  

SJR 4 Proposing a constitutional amendment relating to a person's freedom of religion.  

• Status: Assigned to committee. No scheduled discussion.
• Recommendation: FOR
• Research Updated: Support Texas Religious Freedom Amendment 
• Comment:  Our religious freedom is our most foundational freedom, enshrined in the First Amendment of the Constitution.
• Call to action: Continue to contact committee members to voice your support. It needs a public hearing!  

• Status: Assigned to committee. No scheduled discussion. 
• Recommendation: STRONGLY FOR
• Research:  Using Zero Based Budgeting in Texas  
• Comment: It is time to start phasing it in gradually.
• Call to action: Continue to contact committee members to voice your support. It needs a public hearing!  

• Status: HB723 is left pending in committee. No hearing scheduled for HB 621. 
• Recommendation: STRONGLY AGAINST
• Research:  Setting the Record Straight on Renewable Energy Subsidies 
• Comment: Renewable energy subsidies harm the Texas energy grid and consumers.
• Call to action: Continue to contact committee members to voice your opposition.

• Status: Left pending in committee. 
• Recommendation: STRONGLY FOR
• Research Updated: Black leaders speak out against more gun controls VIDEO 
• Comment: Protection of 2nd amendment rights for Texans.
• Call to action: Continue to contact committee members telling them to move this bill out of committee. Every email, call, letter and personal visit makes a HUGE difference. Encourage your contacts to do the same. Let's move it forward. 

SB 2 Relating to charter schools and home-rule charter school districts.

• Status: Left pending in committee.
• Recommendation: FOR 
• Comment: Will lift the cap on the creation of charter schools and create more choice.
• Additional Research: Lifting the cap on charters 
• Call to action: Continue to contact committee members to voice your support. Let's move it out of committee.

HB 149 Relating to the Texas Liberty Preservation Act

• Status: Left pending in committee. Overwhelming testimony/witness FOR it. 
• Recommendation: STRONGLY FOR
• Research: National Defense Authorization Act of 2012 
• Comment: Protection of 10th amendment. Challenge constitutionality of NDAA.
• Call to action: Continue to contact committee members to voice your support. Let's move this bill out of committee.       

• Status: Assigned to committee. No hearing scheduled. 
• Recommendation: STRONGLY FOR
• Research: Protect Traditional Family Values 
• Comment: Texas must continue to promote virtue.
• Call to action: Continue to contact committee members to express your support. 

• Status: Assigned to committee. No hearing scheduled.  
• Recommendation: STRONGLY FOR
• Research: Joint bill filed by Senator Campbell 
• Comment: Good start at nullifying Obama Care  
• Call to action: Continue to contact committee members to schedule a public hearing.

• Status: Referred to committee but not scheduled for public hearing.  
• Recommendation: STRONGLY FOR
• Research: Fixing the Texas Magin Tax 
• Comment: The franchise tax is more than a business income tax it's a revenue tax that punishes Texas businesses even if they loose money. 
• Call to action: Continue to contact committee members to schedule a public hearing. 

The Patriot Briefing will be sent out once a week preparing you for legislative action in the week ahead. We do not want to over burden you with emails, so ALERTS on changes, new research, comments, opinion and new items during the week will go out through our TWITTER feed @NRNPAC and our FACEBOOK page. To follow and like, click the links on the right hand side tool bar. 

Sign up and use the tools at Texas Legislature Online so you can read and follow bills and get alerts for upcoming committee meetings. Also, we can't catch everything, so if you see something you think needs attention, please contact us.

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