Breaking! Top Stories of 2024 (TX)
For Immediate Release
For More Information Contact:
media@txvalues.org
737-314-2450
Austin, TX – December 27, 2024: As 2024 draws to a close, it is a time of reflection for many, and Texas Values is no different. As is our custom each year, we have created a list with some of the biggest headlines around the state and nation that happened in, or directly impacted, Texas.
Jonathan Saenz, President and attorney for Texas Values and Texas Values Action released this statement:
“In Texas, you don’t mess with faith, family or freedom. And, in 2024, the issues of protecting family and freedom took center stage this year for Texans, and Texas Values was right there every step of the way to help support Texans for these timeless principles. Our “Fight for Texas” work of legal, election and policy work; and our weekly radio/podcast show — carried on two radio stations and over 200,000 social media followers – and the number of educational events held, we have continued our mission of upholding the issues of faith, family, and freedom for Judeo-Christian values in Texas.”
- Texas State Board of Education Puts the Bible Back in the Classroom: Texas Values led this effort and advocated for keeping biblical references within the English Language Arts materials that were being considered for approval at the Texas State Board of Education (SBOE), after liberal leftist groups viciously attacked this common practice and wanted to ban the Bible from public schools. The Texas Values policy team had boots on the ground throughout the entire process, testifying, holding press conferences, taking media interviews and rallying support for the materials! Texas Values, along with other legal and policy organizations, made it clear to the SBOE and the public that these materials with biblical references were protected by the First Amendment and provided educational value to students. The State Board of Education voted 8-7 to allow Texas students to be provided with classical reading and language arts materials that include bible stories and important historical references.
- Texas Supreme Court Upholds SB 14 Child Protection Law: After the Texas Legislature passed SB 14, the Ban on Child Gender Modification, the ACLU and many transgender organizations sued to stop the law from going into effect, claiming that the law violated the Constitution. Texas Values legal team worked hard to defend this new common-sense law by filing a legal brief at the Texas Supreme Court and conducted numerous media interviews on this matter, including right after the final court hearing. After several hearings at the lower courts, the lawsuit against SB 14 was heard by the Texas Supreme Court. The Texas Supreme Court ruled that the ACLU was wrong and there is no constitutional right to give children sex reassignment operations and procedures. Therefore, SB 14 was ruled constitutional and was allowed to remain in effect to save kids’ lives.
- Ted Cruz wins re-election in Texas!:Texas Values Action, the advocacy partner for Texas Values, endorsed Senator Ted Cruz early on for re-election because of his excellent record standing for faith, family and freedom. Senator Cruz beat radical leftist and member of Congress, Colin Allred, by a little over 8 percentage points after a contentious race. Texas Values Action also produced a powerful side by side information tool on this race that had a major impact on this race. Texas Values Action also is the main IVoterGuide partner – a voter education tool that is the most widely used voter guide in the state of Texas. Senator Ted Cruz made protecting women and girls sports a major issue (Texas Values Action is the state leader on the Save Women’s Sports issue) on his campaign and highlighted the fact that Colin Allred wants men to be allowed to compete in women and girls’ sports! The radical left spent millions of dollars trying to persuade Texas voters to vote for Colin Allred, but Texas voters evidently believe that women and girls’ sports should be protected!
- Odessa City Council Passes Safety /Privacy Ordinance: Odessa, Texas became one of the first cities in Texas to pass an ordinance that protects women and girls in restrooms and private spaces. Odessa City Council voted 5-2 on a policy that states a person must use the restroom according to their sex listed on their birth certificate which was entered at or near the time of birth.
- Texas Defeats Biden’s Radical Title IX Rewrite: Texas Values supported Carrol Independent School District in their lawsuit against Biden’s radical Department of Education rewrite of Title IX by including “gender identity” in the definition of “sex”. A federal judge stopped the erroneous policy from going into effect in Carroll ISD. Additionally, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton filed a lawsuit to stop the radical Title IX rewrite from going into effect in the 1,200 public school districts in Texas. The lawsuit was successful in stopping the Title IX rewrite from going into effect before the school year began.
- Donald J. Trump wins Texas and the Presidency!:Former President Donald J. Trump swept the state of Texas on November 5th as he went on to win the Electoral College, National Popular Vote, and the Presidency! While winning Texas wasn’t all that surprising, what was noteworthy were the margins he won by! Trump received 56 percent of the vote which is higher than in 2016 and he was successful in flipping multiple blue counties red in the presidential race! Texas Values Action proudly endorsed President Trump early on in his campaign and is looking forward to having a new administration that values faith, family, and freedom.
- Dade Phelan Withdraws from Texas Speaker of the House Re-election Campaign- Texas Values Action endorsed David Covey in his challenge to Dade Phelan in the Republican primary, and Covey just missed defeating Phelan. But after barely surviving – and after months of criticism from fellow Republicans, including SB 14 Children Protection Law author and Texas Values Action ally, Rep. Tom Oliverson – Rep. Dade Phelan announced he was withdrawing his effort to seek re-election as Texas Speaker of the House. This left the door open for reform candidate and House Republican Caucus highest Speaker vote recipient, Rep. David Cook. Texas Values Action has been very vocal in criticizing Dade Phelan and being supportive of David Cook.
Texas Values will continue to fiercely advocate for policies relating to faith, family, and freedom. Our staff remains available to the media to discuss these issues. Call or email us at the contact information above.
The 2025 Texas Legislative Session begins on January 14, 2025.
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About Texas Values
Texas Values is the largest statewide nonprofit organization dedicated to standing for faith, family, and freedom in Texas. More information is available at txvalues.org.