(Texas Scorecard) – An anti-human trafficking organization has written a letter to Gov. Greg Abbott urging him to place stronger enforcement to protect children from harmful materials on his emergency items list for the upcoming legislative session.
For the first 60 days of the legislative session, the governor’s emergency items are the only pieces of legislation that can be taken up for consideration before lawmakers.
Jaco Booyens Ministries is asking Abbott to use this power and join Oklahoma in prioritizing legislation aimed at protecting children from harmful materials in school libraries.
Oklahoma’s House Bill 3702 effectively strengthened definitions, explained what is considered harmful materials, eliminated loopholes that allow explicit content to remain under the guise of literary or artistic value, held individuals and institutions accountable when they fail to comply with the law, and established mechanisms to ensure compliance from institutions like school districts.
Although the Texas legislature passed House Bill 900—also known as the READER Act—which prohibited school libraries from housing materials that are sexually explicit, vulgar, or educationally unsuitable, it has been left up to parents to try and get school districts to enforce it.
“As members of our team testified before the Senate State Affairs Committee, Texas has a troubling pattern of passing laws that are disregarded by ISDs because of a lack of enforcement. The Committee members agreed—laws without enforcement mechanisms allow harmful content to persist, putting children at risk. This failure to act decisively has life-altering consequences,” the letter reads. “We respectfully request that you designate legislation that mirrors Oklahoma’s HB3702 as an Emergency Item of the Governor’s Office. The time to act is now. Texas has a compelling interest in protecting its children, and immediate legislative action is required to ensure their safety and well-being.”
“Governor Abbott, our children deserve more than promises; they deserve action. We trust in your leadership to prioritize this urgent matter and stand ready to support any efforts to advance this critical cause. Together, we can ensure that no child in Texas is exposed to inappropriate content or left vulnerable to exploitation,” the letter concludes.
Anti-trafficking activist Jaco Booyens told Texas Scorecard that it’s time for lawmakers to step up and protect children.
“It is every elected official’s duty to do all they can to strengthen the safety and insecurity of children, especially through the judicial system,” said Booyens. “This is arguably the most egregious war in our culture, and it’s time for leaders to step up.”
JBM is planning on sending the letter on January 3. Any Texan can sign the letter here.