State Representative Eric Johnson (D-Dallas) has filed four bills to address a wide range of issues affecting Texas communities.
Representative Johnson filed House Bill 672 to increase the ease of voting for young Texans. This bill would allow college students to use their student identification as a proper form of voter identification at the polls. “The more we get young people involved in the democratic process, the more likely they are to remain active voters for rest of their lives,” said Representative Johnson.
House Bill 674 would prohibit schools from suspending pre-kindergarten students unless the case involves a severe threat to the safety of other students. “We know that early childhood education has boundless benefits for young children, but when students are suspended, the learning process is disrupted, which effectively defeats the purpose,” said Representative Johnson.
Additionally, House Bill 671 would direct 10% of the Texas Enterprise Fund to be used for the Capital Access Program, a program designed to help small and historically underutilized businesses.
“Under Governor Abbott, Texas’ economy dropped from 3rd in the nation to 21st. The State of Texas needs to stop ignoring the economic opportunity presented by small and historically underutilized businesses, which are proven to stimulate growth and promote innovation,” said Representative Johnson.
Lastly, House Bill 673 would allow for the creation of a data portal to house all police shooting reporting data, making reporting incidents more efficient. This bill would promote transparency, by authorizing the Office of the Attorney General (OAG) to create an interactive website that will allow the public to view the data.
“We need to do everything we can to make information regarding police shootings readily available to academic researchers, policymakers, and the public so as to better inform public policy and the discussion surrounding police shootings in the future,” said Representative Johnson.
