While an influential lobby group is scrambling to modify a measure cutting into First Amendment rights, free speech advocates warn a floated adjustment would not prevent harm to Texans.
First Amendment
Texas Senators Approve Religious Freedom, Transparency Measures
A proposal to allow teachers to pray on duty sparked heated debate over the U.S. Supreme Court’s position on the separation of church and state.
Democrat Wants to Supercharge the TEC’s Harassment Machine
The legislation gives this rogue agency new tools to punish political speech, all while insulating it from meaningful accountability.
Groups Warn Texas Ethics Commission Is Chilling Citizen Speech
The Institute for Free Speech warned that Texas’ interpretation of lobbying could have ensnared the Founding Fathers themselves.
Analysis: If You Don’t Want to Register as a Lobbyist, Just Hire One
“It’s not easy, I understand. It’s certainly not intuitive,” said TEC Chairman Randy Erben, explaining the state’s lobbyist registration laws.
Senate Bill 336 Hands Leftists a Legal Bludgeon To Smash Dissent
Free speech is the foundation upon which all other freedoms rest.
Dade Phelan Doubles Down on Meme Regulation Bill Despite First Amendment Concerns
Phelan stood firm on his view of the legislation’s necessity, at one point suggesting that its penalties should be even stricter.
Dade Phelan’s Bill Would Criminalize Political Memes
Courts have routinely struck down laws that regulate political discourse based on content, citing the First Amendment’s strong protections for satire and parody.
Texas Senators Weigh Religious Protections for Public School Employees in Committee
The measures would include protections allowing public school teachers to use students’ biological pronouns and to pray in school.
State Lawmaker Files TLR-Backed Measure Limiting Texans’ Free Speech
A similar measure targeting the state’s anti-SLAPP laws was pushed last session before hitting a roadblock.