We are happy to say that HB2725, the good- bill-gone-bad, is dead. Officially dead.
Our sources in the Texas Statehouse informed us late last week that a deformed substitute HB2725 was being prepared to be heard before the House Public Health Committee on Monday or Wednesday.The good bill was defeated in that same committee earlier in the month. The amended language was not known other than it would be OBC access-restrictive along the lines of redactions or Disclosure Vetoes. TXARC issued an emergency Action Alert over the weekend requesting adoptee rights advocates to contact committee members immediately by email and phone asking them to refrain from supporting the sub bill. Bastard Nation’s letter is here.
Every Texas adoptee rights organization in and outside of the coalition agreed with TXARC. Some published their own statements. Except STAR.
As pointed out earlier in Twinkle Twinkle Little STAR, the organization, has a history of deform and secrecy. In this case, STAR neither publicly agreed to oppose the sub bill nor did anyone from STAR contact individual groups privately regarding their decision. They did, however, post on their Facebook page that they had no idea what was going on regarding a sub bill; therefore, would make no comment. Clearly, they were set to sell out.
We were not surprised, therefore, when during the televised Public Health hearings on Monday and Wednesday we spotted four STAR folks–STAR founder Connie Gray, STAR president Marci Purcell, Jolene Peters, Dawn Williamson Scott– in the hearing room waiting for the sub bill they knew nothing about. These was the last committee hearings of the session, and the last chance to move any bills. Testimony cannot be heard on non-agenda items so they, could not have been there for any other reason than to rah rah.
Each meeting lasted about five hours but seemed like 12 watching them. Committee members looked frazzled, as they closed Wednesday’s meeting without hearing Sub2527. STAR must have felt worse, especially when the gavel hit the block.
The original bill is dead; the sub bill was stillborn. No new access bill can be introduced until January 2021.
But that’s not the end of it. According to it’ FB page, STAR is recruiting sponsors for a dead bill that cannot rise from the grave.
Much thanks to those who spent time on emails and phone calls to make sure H2527 wasn’t resurrected! We did it!
.
New York Adoptee Rights Coalition
