When Standing Up Is The Only Option: Lessons From Al Green

School funding, state religion, and the need for real resistance.

Texas Democrats aren’t your run-of-the-mill, performative, tweet-and-retreat politicians. They’re built Texas tough, forged in the fires of a state where fighting for progressive values feels like riding into a hurricane on a bull. When Congressman Al Green (D-TX09) stood up during Trump’s State of the Union address, shouting, “You have no mandate to cut Medicaid,” until the sergeant at arms physically removed him from the chamber, he wasn’t just making a scene. He was delivering precisely what Democratic voters are starving for.

In a time when too many elected officials offer only polished press releases and safe soundbites, Texas Democrats show grit, determination, and a willingness to throw political punches. Texas Democrats fight back.

The Texas Democratic Party needs to communicate this message. Prove to Texas voters that they won’t be pushovers and yes-men like some of the softies from other states. Maybe they’re starting to get it:

Along with several other members of Congress, Jasmine Crockett (D-TX30) and Veronica Escobar (D-TX16) walked out of Trump’s speech. However, we only know this because they told us (or the media reported it). These are acts of resistance. But what Congressman Green did was much more impactful.

Democratic voters want to see Democrats in Congress fighting back, like Al Green did last night. Green showed courage. Green showed a spine.

On a related note, did you see what happened in the Serbian parliament yesterday?

Yes, Democrats could always be fighting harder. Thank goodness we have the likes of Al Green, Jasmine Crockett, Veronica Escobar, and Greg Casar in DC to show them how it’s done.

And while Texas Democrats were busy making us proud, Tennesean carpetbagger turned Texas Congressman Lance Gooden (R-TX05) was a total embarrassment. Last night, he was caught on camera ripping a sign out of Melanie Stansbury’s, a New Mexico Democrat, hand. 🙄

Just remember, almost none of the Republican Congresspeople from Texas are ACTUALLY from Texas. 🤷🏻‍♀️

I’ve found myself talking about the Sumner Caning a lot recently. If you’re unfamiliar with this piece of history, it was a prelude to the Civil War. In 1856, Congressman Preston Brooks beat Senator Charles Sumner with his cane, nearly to death. It was one of the most violent incidents ever to happen among Congress members.

We shouldn’t want to see violence in the halls of government, but as bad as the dysfunction is now, it wouldn’t be surprising if it happened. We live in a time when shouting down a president in the middle of a State of the Union address feels justified and necessary.

Al Green’s act wasn’t just resistance. It was a reminder that true leadership means standing up against tyranny, even when it means getting dragged out of the chamber. It’s the kind of fight that Texas Democrats should be known for. The kind that makes voters sit up and take notice. If the party wants to win, they’d better follow Green’s lead and show they’ve got the backbone to face down the bull, not just wave a red flag from the safety of the stands.

Meanwhile, in Austin, we’ve reached Day 50.

Only 90 days left of this Legislative Session, which is plenty of time for Republicans to shove bills that will make our lives harder down our throats. Like SB388 by Phil King (R-SD10), which was discussed in the Senate Committee on Business and Commerce yesterday.

Not only is this bill a backdoor subsidy for natural gas and coal, but it also:

• Is anti-free market,

• Will make higher costs for consumers,

• And undermines renewable energy.

It’s always about tipping the scales back toward fossil fuels for the climate-denying GOP, which continues to give Texans more pollution and higher costs.

Another shitty bill from the Senate Committee on Busniess and Commerce yesterday was SB925 by Kelly Hancock (R-SD09). This bill will prohibit local governments in Texas from requiring Project Labor Agreements (PLAs) on public works contracts funded by local or federal funds.

Once again, Republicans are attacking local control in Texas, or what little is left of it. This bill will strip cities and counties of their ability to set requirements that benefit their own communities.

Since PLAs often establish union-scale wages, safety standards, and training requirements, this would diminish union influence on public projects, disadvantageing contractors who use union labor. In turn, non-union contractors may be more likely to win bids, leading to lower wages and fewer worker protections.

State-mandated religion and Christian Nationalism in every Texas classroom.

Yesterday, in the Senate Education Committee, Republicans discussed Phil King’s SB10, which would impose the Ten Commandments in every classroom in Texas. This bill passed the Senate last session but failed in the House.

King said it was about bringing “moral clarity to Texas children.”

The other bill discussed was SB11 by Mayes Middleton (R-SD11), which mandates state-imposed religious prayer in school. Listen to Middleton’s argument as he laid out the bill; he said that the separation of church and state is “false doctrine.”

Every Texan opposed both of these bills, arguing that privileging one religion in Texas public schools creates unnecessary divisions among teachers and students. Jaime Puente, with Every Texan, criticized the legislature’s trend of enacting divisive policies since 2021, contributing to fear and uncertainty in classrooms. He noted that even within Christianity, displaying the Ten Commandments could conflict with parents’ teachings, underscoring the risk of privileging a specific religious sect. The testimony concluded by calling out the hypocrisy of restricting certain teachings while pushing religious content into schools.

One of the best arguments against this state-sponsored religion came from Students Engaged in Advancing Texas. They argued that promoting a specific religious text creates a double standard, especially amid ongoing school censorship. The speaker criticized the state for prioritizing religious displays over addressing real issues like budget crises, underfunded public education, and inadequate school resources. The testimony included a pointed remark suggesting that making the Ten Commandments out of bulletproof Kevlar would do more to protect students from gun violence. Check them out:

These bills will pass the Senate, but will they get through the House? That remains to be seen.

HB2 - School funding. Sort of.

The House Committee on Public Education met yesterday to discuss HB2, part of the Republicans’ “Two-step education plan.” The other part is HB3, the voucher scheme. The Committee will meet on 3/11 to take public testimony on the voucher scheme, but yesterday, it was all about HB2.

Here is what HB2 does:

• This adds $220 per student to the basic allotment, with 40% of the new funds for salary increases for teachers, nurses, counselors, and librarians. To keep up with inflation from 2019, we would have to add $1,380 to the basic allotment.

• Expands the Teacher Incentive Allotment (TIA) to reward effective teachers and retain them in the classroom. In the Senate, Brandon Creighton (R-SD04) recently said that 30,000 teachers received the TIA last year. Since there are over 300,000 teachers in Texas, that’s roughly 1%.

• Adds nearly $2 billion to special education.

The bill seems to be a step in the right direction. However, listening to the arguments, Democrats had several concerns about it, including that the basic allotment isn’t enough. Democrats also worry that HB2 creates more bureaucracy by introducing specific programs and grants instead of simply increasing the basic allotment and allowing local districts the flexibility to allocate funds as needed. There is skepticism about the priority given to charter schools, which seem to receive the most significant per-student funding increase.

Democrats support increasing teacher pay but worry that the proposed approach through the Teacher Incentive Allotment (TIA) only benefits a small percentage of teachers. They advocate for a more widespread and guaranteed pay raise for all educators through a higher basic allotment.

The fight for school funding is far from over.

While Republicans push a plan that barely scratches the surface of what our schools need, Texas Democrats must keep the pressure on.

The stakes couldn’t be higher. We need more Al Greens, leaders who aren’t afraid to make noise, who won’t settle for performative gestures while our schools remain underfunded and overburdened. Texas Democrats can show they’re not just standing on the sidelines but leading the charge, ready to take on any bull Republicans throw their way.

For the sake of Texas students, let’s hope the fight is only getting started.

• March 14: The last day Legislators can file bills.

• June 2: The 89th Legislative Session ends.

• Click here to find out what Legislative districts you’re in.

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