April 24, 2019: PWN Texas has been busy this legislative session! They have been leading the Texas Strike Force, a group of concerned community members ready to take action, and a rapid response team tracking both helpful and harmful legislation, educating people living with and concerned about HIV on those bills, and offering ways for advocates to take action on them. We interviewed PWN Texas Greater Houston Area co-chair Jessi Mona and member Angela about what they have been up to.
Q. PWN TX chose to monitor legislation bills in the Texas legislative session. How did the chapter come to the decision to do this? What have you observed in doing so?
A. We ultimately applied for the AIDS United Southern Impact Fund Urgent Grant and we got it! Our original goal was just to work together to create a statewide cross movement consisting of individuals and organizations ready to take action on behalf of marginalized communities thereby changing the face of politics in Texas.
We have been able to see how quickly the process is from a bill being filed, to going to committee and then voted up or down. We observed how to participate in public hearings by sending action alerts. We have also reached out to our state legislators, speaking to them on how we wanted them to vote on said bills.
Q. PWN TX formed a Rapid Response Team as well as a “Community Strike Force” to respond in real time during a contentious legislative session. Who is a part of the Rapid Response Team, and exactly what are they responding to? What was the process to become a member of the Response Team and Strike Force?
A. The Rapid Response Team (RRT) consists of members from PWN Texas Chapter which includes members from the Greater Houston Area (GHA) and Dallas/Fort Worth (DFW). The RRT serves as the smaller arm of the Texas Strike Force. The strike force is a cross movement coalition of individuals and organizations. They are the broader community unified under the title of Texas Strike Force.
The RRT is currently monitoring 32 bills. Each RRT member has 8-11 Bills to monitor and follow that relate to LGBTQ rights, citizenship, health care, reproductive justice rights, voting rights, and sex education. The RRT is also responsible for breaking the bills down in simple terms for distribution to the strike force.
To become a member of the RRT, one had to be willing to learn how to set up bill alerrts, meet three times per week throughout the legislative session, and determine whether to alert the community for broader community action. “Action” could be as simple as making phone calls, sending emails or actually traveling to the capitol to testify in favor of or against a bill.
The Texas Strike Force is the broader community. We pulled from our existing network and held a community training session in Houston which briefly educated participants on the Texas legislative process. From that meeting, we asked attendees to sign up to become part of the Texas Strike Force using several levels of involvement: 1. Respond to action alerts and calls to action; 2. Assist with developing fact sheets and talking points or email or telephone scripts; and 3. Being able to travel to Austin to provide oral testimony, meet with legislators, monitor bills, and assist with deciding whether community action is needed.
Q. In the spirit of AIDSWatch, PWN TX along with Legacy Community Health organized a Lobby Day in Austin, Texas. PWN Texas was acknowledged on the Senate floor at Advocacy Day. What were the issues that members brought to the floor? What was that experience like and how was the planning process? Who were the players and stakeholders?
A. PWN TX partnered with Legacy Community Health a local FQHC in Houston and Afyia Center, an AIDS Service Organization in the Dallas Area for Advocacy Day. We created a link asking people to sign up to attend Advocacy Day. There were several organizing call which briefed attendees on what to expect for the day.
We had 3 main goals for Advocacy Day: 1. Build Relationships; 2. Educate Lawmakers; and 3. Advocate for good public policy related to HIV treatment and prevention. In total, 65 attendees traveled by bus and cars from The Rio Grande Valley, Houston, Dallas, San Antonio, Beaumont and Austin to participate in HIV Advocacy day on March 20th. This was the first ever statewide organizing effort that PWN has participated in from planning to participation.
From the floor of the Texas Senate, State Senator Borris Miles (Houston), with his colleagues, recognized the HIV Advocacy Day attendees for the first time ever. Over 40 legislative offices were visited, and we followed up those visits with “Thank You” letters to each of the 41 Texas legislators we visited. We made it a point to introduce the PWN-TX chapter urging them to consider us as “Subject Matter Experts” and asked that they feel free to call upon any of us for information concerning the HIV community.
PWN Texas also joined Plan Parenthood on April 11th in Austin, Texas on a Paint the Capitol Pink Rally for Women’s Reproductive rights.
