Texas Catholic Voice March 17, 2025

Happy St. Patrick’s Day, everyone!

Two decisions regarding death row inmates are causes for rejoicing.

Last Tuesday, David Woods was granted a stay of execution by the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals. David was convicted in 1992 of the highly publicized murders of six young women and girls in El Paso. He has maintained his innocence, even while the courts have denied appeals for additional DNA testing. His attorneys argue that the Texas courts’ denial of DNA testing is unconstitutional, especially considering earlier testing showed David was excluded as a possible match.

Secondly, it was announced last week that the US Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit has reversed the conviction of Brittany Holberg, calling it a “showcase” of prosecutorial misconduct. Brittany was sentenced to death in 1998 when she was 23 years old for the murder of A.B. Towery, after Texas prosecutors paid a key witness to testify against her and failed to disclose this fact in the trail. “There is a reason Brittany Marlowe Holberg has been on death row for over 27 years,” Circuit Judge Patrick E. Higginbotham wrote in last week’s decision. “The State denied her right to due process by keeping from the jury evidence favorable to the Defendant, and this suppression prejudiced her case.”

Both of these cases highlight once again that the finality of capital punishment requires great caution in its use . Furthermore, as Catholics we believe in a God of merciful justice. We remind ourselves that when Cain killed Abel, God did not end Cain's life. Instead, he sent Cain into exile, not only sparing his life but protecting it by putting a mark on Cain, lest anyone should kill him at sight (Gn 4:15). Please continue to pray for an end to the use of the death penalty and for restorative justice to be offered to all affected by violence, especially for peace and healing for the victims’ families in these cases who have endured unimaginable suffering.

Parental choice

The House Public Education Committee hearing on the parental choice bill, HB 3, lasted 22.5 hours! I testified on a panel alongside Laura Colangelo, executive director of the Texas Private Schools Association, and Robert Enlow, the president and CEO of EdChoice. We each had only five minutes for prepared remarks, however committee members questioned us for about two hours. While opponents argue this bill harms public schools, we know empowering parents to choose the best educational environment for their children is a pathway to success for all Texas students.

Bill filing deadline was Friday and hundreds of bills made it in before 5 p.m. We are working nonstop to review and post the bishops’ positions.

Advocacy Day is only two weeks away! We look forward to seeing you at the Capitol on April 1.

Bills in Committee March 17-21

House Public Health, Monday, 8 a.m.

HB 163 by Phillip Cortez allows any entity in this state to adopt a policy regarding the maintenance, administration, and disposal of epinephrine auto-injectors, unless another law requires the entity to do so. The TCCB supports this bill to ensure children have access to epinephrine medications in schools.

Senate Water Agriculture & Rural Affairs, Monday, 9 a.m.

SB 1302 by Sen. Lois Kolkhorst prohibits a discharger of waste from receiving a permit for five years after the discharger has been denied a permit or had a permit suspended to discharge waste into water or adjacent to waters. The TCCB supports this bill to prevent contamination of Texas water sources.

Senate State Affairs, Monday, 9 a.m.

SB 8 by Sen. Joan Huffman mandates agreements between federal immigration law enforcement agencies and local sheriffs. The TCCB opposes this bill because it reduces the effectiveness of community policing by shifting the focus away from public safety and also because it relies on local law enforcement personnel with no expertise in immigration law to make status determinations.

House Pensions, Investments & Finances, Monday, 10 a.m.

HB 618 by Rep. Armando Walle requires health insurance for state, public school, and UT system employees provide coverage for in-vitro fertilization (IVF) to the same extent the plan provides benefits for other pregnancy-related procedures. The TCCB opposes this bill to provide health benefit coverage for in-vitro fertilization to state employees.

House Public Education, Tuesday, 8 a.m.

HB 123 by Rep. Harold Dutton requires an assessment be administered to Kindergarten students to diagnose foundational literacy skills. It requires the TEA commissioner to adopt a list of reading and math instruments for K-3 and requires early interventions for at-risk students. Parents may opt their child out of the assessments. The bill also requires TEA establish a list of programs that provide early childhood parental support. The TCCB supports this bill to improve literacy.

House Intergovernmental Affairs, Tuesday, 8 a.m.

HB 211 by Diego Bernal ensures that owners seeking applicants for affordable housing tax credits have provided air conditioning to units. The TCCB supports this bill to improve affordable housing conditions.

House Human Services, Tuesday, 8 a.m.

HB 451 by Rep. Senfronia Thompson requires screening for risk of commercial sexual exploitation for children who come into state custody. The TCCB supports this bill to protect children from sex trafficking and provide services to those who have suffered.

HB 1536 by Rep. Tom Craddick establishes a rural community-based care pilot program to implement a community-based model of child welfare services and increase community engagement in the child welfare system to improve outcomes for children and families. The TCCB supports this bill to address the critical gaps in child welfare services in rural areas.

Senate Criminal Justice, Tuesday, 8 a.m.

SB 990 by Sen. Paul Bettencourt repeals the section of the Code of Criminal Procedure that states that a person who is found guilty murder of an individual between 10-15 years of age may not be sentenced to death and the state may not seek the death penalty in such cases. The TCCB opposes this bill as an expansion of the death penalty.

SB 1120 by Sen. Chuy Hinojosa provides certain rights to victims (or to the surviving family member of the deceased victim) of family violence, stalking, sexual or assaultive offenses, or a violation of a protective order or bond. These additional rights include the right to a disclosure of information regarding collected evidence, the status of the analysis performed on evidence, the right to be informed of the case's disposition, if the state is not representing the victim, and the investigating agency's contact information. The TCCB supports this bill because it provides crime victims with rights to support their needs.

Senate Health & Human Services, Tuesday, 1 p.m.

SB 268 by Sen. Charles Perry requires a licensing entity that receives a complaint concerning a health care practitioner who holds a license issued by a different licensing entity to promptly forward a copy of the complaint to that licensing entity. A licensing entity would be prohibited from taking disciplinary action based on a complaint against a health care practitioner who holds a license issued by a different licensing entity unless that licensing entity refers the complaint back to the initial agency that received the complaint for investigation and resolution.

SB 619 by Sen. Kevin Sparks allows medical professionals to decline to participate in a healthcare service for reasons of conscience. The TCCB supports this bill for the protection of health care professionals' conscience.

House Judiciary & Civil Jurisprudence, Wednesday, 8 a.m.

HB 748 by Rep. Jeff Leach renders nondisclosure or confidentiality agreements, employment agreements, settlement agreements or any other agreement, void for alleged victims of childhood sexual abuse. Provisions limiting a party's ability to notify law enforcement will be unenforceable. Provisions prohibiting the disclosure of related investigations, prosecution, legal proceedings, dispute resolutions or case facts (including the identity of the alleged offender) would be unenforceable.

HJR 112 by Rep. James Frank proposes a constitutional amendment protecting the rights of parents to exercise care, custody and control of their children and prohibits state interference unless it is essential to further a compelling government interest and narrowly tailored to accomplish that interest. The TCCB supports this bill to recognize the natural right of parents to direct their children's upbringing.

House State Affairs, Wednesday, 8 a.m.

HB 267 by Rep. Jared Patterson amends the affirmative defense to prosecution for offenses involving material or conduct that is obscene or otherwise harmful to children if it had a bona fide judicial, law enforcement, or legislative justification. However, it would remove "scientific, educational, governmental, or other similar" justification. The TCCB supports this bill to limit the sale, distribution, or exhibition of harm materials to children.

House Land & Resource Management, Thursday, 8 a.m.

HB 24 by Rep. Angelia Orr reduces minimum lot size requirements. The TCCB supports this bill to reduce the requirements for lot size in order to increase homeownership opportunities, reduce housing costs, and reduce homelessness.

House Subcommittee on Disease & Women’s Health, Thursday, 8 a.m.

HB 38 by Rep. John Bucy requires improvements to the TX Information and Referral Network such as improving customer service, responding in a timely manner and updates to the website. The TCCB supports this bill to improve referrals for vulnerable families.