Three Democratic state legislators representing Greater Houston gave Texas’ GOP-controlled 2023 legislative session a passing grade — but just barely. One of the three gave the session an F.
Speaking at Houston Ethnic Media’s latest monthly news briefing on June 27, Rep. Gene Wu — who has served for over a decade — called the session “the most hostile, partisan, outwardly wrong legislature I’ve ever been a part of.”
“We had this incredible opportunity to take an epic surplus — a gift from God — and use it to take care of God’s people. We mostly did not.”
Building Bridges
Rep. Penny Morales Shaw singled out “the fact that we elected the first two Muslim representatives, three LGBTQ members, and the greatest number of women and the highest number of Latino women in any legislature in the US.”
Rep. Suleman Lalani called the session “a proud moment for me and my community as the first elected Muslim and South Asian representative,” allowing him an opportunity to try to “build bridges and focus on commonalities.”
All three legislators cited the defeat of the alien land ownership bill as the biggest success they scored. Each highlighted the passage of individual bills they had championed — such as helping college students who are parents of minor children get more resources, expanding post-partum care to 12 months; and getting a 5% pay raise for state employees.
Engaging Ethnic Media
But that was “a miniscule amount of what was asked and urgently needed,” Wu pointed out. He warned that the failure to give teachers a pay raise will be a catastrophe next school year, especially in the Houston school district where “you already are seeing and hearing teachers leaving in mass.”
All three welcomed the opportunity to brief ethnic media and encourage greater participation in public affairs.
“Fear sells, but fear cannot engage people. Post some positive things,” Lalani urged.
All Votes Matter
“People say, ‘my one little vote won’t make a difference,’ although elections have been won and lost by a handful of votes,” Shaw noted.
“It absolutely matters that we have Black, Asian, Hispanic, Muslim, Jews, everybody,” said Wu. “It’s harder to discriminate against someone when they’re standing in front of you and shaking your hand.”
