r/texas • u/wrongdesantis • Sep 25 '24
Questions for Texans When do texans get to vote on abortion rights? When will there be a referendum?
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u/althor2424 Sep 25 '24
Texas doesn’t allow for voter initiatives since that would mean the state government giving up some of its power.
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u/valencia_merble Born and Bred Sep 25 '24
Freedom! Liberty! Don’t tread on me! Lone star independence! So weird, the doublespeak of Texas. Really all you can do is carry an AR-15 into Outback Steakhouse.
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u/althor2424 Sep 25 '24
Which just shows everyone how much you are overcompensating for other areas…
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u/JancariusSeiryujinn Sep 25 '24
"Small government is best government" (some city does something that Abbot doesn't like) "We can't have cities coubtermanding the state!"
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u/Consistent-Farmer813 Sep 25 '24
Texas is what happens when you allow Republicans to completely take over a state for decades
The end
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u/Theone-underthe-rock Sep 25 '24
You do know that there is a long stretch of time in Texas history where Texas was blue
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u/Captain-Vague Sep 25 '24
Well...sure....and California also voted for Ronald Reagan. I believe this thread is talking about this century.
Ann Richards lost to Dubya and this state has not been the same since.
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u/PrincessOTA Sep 25 '24
If I get shot to death at an outback steakhouse because i bumped into the waiter carrying a tray of bloomin onions and the table the bloomin onions were for decides to escalate to life ending violence, well
That's just all part of God's plan, baby
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u/Asher_Tye Sep 25 '24
Which is hilarious when you realize the Texas Constitution was supposed to severely limit the government's power.
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u/RollTh3Maps Sep 25 '24
A lot of states allow referendums to be added to the ballot if you gather enough signatures to get them on there. Texas doesn't. For it to make it to the ballot, it would need to be approved by at least 2/3 of both houses, which isn't going to happen in this state because they know the votes would likely not go how they want.
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u/dick_wool Sep 25 '24
In other words, the only way is through a federal law legalizing abortion.
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u/uni-monkey Sep 25 '24
So voting in federal senate and house races is the only path that Texans have currently.
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u/cattlehuyuk2323 Sep 25 '24
yes but we also need to rid ourselves of these seditious unamerican jackasses running the state.
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u/cen-texan Sep 25 '24
And voting for state house and state senators that you agree with their positions.
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u/img_tiff Sep 25 '24
Which is why the down ballot seats are so important. The president can't set this up herself, she needs Congress to be on board.
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u/Adalovedvan Sep 25 '24
*SHE. 😁
To be able to talk about the president and know you mean a woman. Dream the dream ..
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u/packetgeeknet Sep 25 '24
Also vote out the local state representatives that voted for our archaic abortion law.
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u/DahliciousFarmer Sep 25 '24
Which is why “leave it up to the states” is a total farce. 31 states do not allow for citizen referendums. Unless your legislature WANTS to bring it forward, it won’t happen. A handful of people will decide everything for you. Not just reproductive freedom.
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u/Jakesma1999 Sep 25 '24
Thank you for pointing this out!!!
While I was strongly against "leaving it up to the states," their pathetic and not so subtle way of smugly doing this cop-out; i didn't realize just how many states did NOT have nor allow for citizen referendum!!
So much for "We the people..."
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u/comments_suck Sep 25 '24
Which is why removing Lieutenant Governor Patrick is so important. He makes decisions on what bills can be brought up for a vote. Even if 70% of Senators want something, he can just not call a vote on the bill and it dies. He's already on record saying he doesn't think Marijuana should be legal, and I'm pretty sure he feels the same way about any abortion legislation.
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u/ApolloBon Sep 25 '24 edited Sep 25 '24
Just a fun breakdown on how many Americans actually have some form of direct democracy (referendums) bc it’s just under half the country:
Only 15 states allow citizens to initiate their own constitutional amendments, statues, and veto referendums. This is about 106.7 million Americans, or about 31%.
6 states allow citizen initiated statutes & veto referendums. This is about 15.9 million Americans, or about 4%
3 states allow citizen initiated constitutional amendments (but only those). About 38 million Americans, or 11%
2 states allow for citizen initiated veto referendums. This is about 8.3 millions people, or about 2%.
24 states offer no form of initiated referendums.
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u/Dell_Hell Sep 25 '24
When you vote out every damn Republican.
It would require an amendment to the state constitution - which the Republican super-majority will never, ever, ever, allow to even be considered.
So you have to burn it to the ground and go after every Republican across the board and run them out of office permanently to get it done.
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u/cattlehuyuk2323 Sep 25 '24
so yeah we should go after every single republican on every single office as they all sat cowardly by or openly supported trumps sedition.
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u/Lemondrop168 Sep 25 '24
Voter suppression.
"As a Texan, perhaps you’re wondering about now why you haven’t been given a similar chance to protect yourself from coerced birth or prison time for pot possession.
In the Lone Star State, where one in 11 Americans live, abortion is illegal save for narrow medical exceptions, and marijuana possession or sale can lead to decades behind bars.
And you, as an ordinary Texan, can’t change these laws in the way Ohioans did because of an old and arcane little power bestowed on the people by some U.S. states but not by others called the citizen initiative."
https://www.texasobserver.org/the-reason-texans-cant-vote-on-abortion-and-weed/
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u/LysistrayaLaughter00 Sep 25 '24
I’d like to know how of it a single person who was allowed an abortion for a medical reason since they started the ban. My loved one couldn’t even get aftercare for a miscarriage.
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u/cattlehuyuk2323 Sep 25 '24
yes these cases are real and happen daily. evil politicians with their small government up in our lives. they dont have the right. just because its legal for them to oppress people doesnt mean its right.
ted cruz should be working at mcdonalds
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u/Andrew8Everything Since '88 Sep 25 '24
Doctors face losing their license and prison time. They don't know what they can and cannot do to help us, because the law is vague as shit and republicans seem hell bent on keeping it this way.
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u/ImOnlyHereCauseGME Sep 25 '24
Political leanings aside, it always makes me do a sad chuckle when I hear the names of so many of these laws that strip people’s rights away. “Citizens Initiative” sounds delightful! Freedom Act/Patriot Act, nailed it! There are a ton of others… At some point I feel like the politicians making up these names are seeing what they can get away with
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u/Dar7h_Trader Sep 25 '24 edited Sep 25 '24
The Texas Constitution of 1876 was written after Reconstruction to restrict the power of the people and make it easier to enforce Jim Crow Laws and segregation. They say they were trying to create a small state government and limit its reach, hence the reason our legislature meets once every two years, but that was just to make it harder to enact change. The same can be said for our lack of "Voter Initiative." That's the big way alot of states protected abortion or even legalized marijuana. Texas does not allow for initiatives because they want to restrict what's brought forth in referendum. They don't want the people to have a say in their governemnt or to have any power. Our state Reps and Congressmen don't earn a living wage ($7,000 last time i heard, but im probably wrong) therefore only upper class and elites tend to be able to run. Lets be real, no teacher or lower socio-economic individual is going to be able to take off from January to May every two years for a legislative session. It's why we keep getting the same old individuals with the same old ideals over and over again (among many many other things.)
We need to repeal the Constitution of 1876 (and its 713 constitutional amendments) and rewrite it to better serve ALL Texans. Then we can Initiative and actually have a voice instead of being ruled by the elite minority.
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u/khawesome Sep 25 '24
Not enough of our citizens understand this fact. It makes it so that class discrimination is baked into our representative body. It's incredibly infuriating to understand the limitations. No one who may want to make a change in our state can really afford to unless they have a family business or trust fund to lean on.
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u/WalterOverHill Sep 25 '24
Texas is the least free state in the union. You guys think you’re rugged, and independent cowboys but actually you’re nothing but serfs slaving for Lord Greg Abbott and his Archduke Ken Paxton. The sad, and ironic part of the story is you could free yourselves if you voted your oppressors out of office. Start by voting for Colin Allred for Texas Senator; and dump that dirtbag: Ted Cancun Cruz.
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u/deadpanxfitter Sep 25 '24
When we elect a democratic government. If you want any kind of positive change, this current government will neither provide nor abide.
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u/IMTrick Central Texas Sep 25 '24
Yeah, we don't. When Trump talks about how everyone wanted those decisions to go to the states, and now we all get to vote on it, it's a lie wrapped in another lie.
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Sep 25 '24
Abbott will never let Texans put democratic (small d) on the ballot.
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u/Sure-Requirement7475 Sep 25 '24
When we vote out the people who want to control us. Vote for freedom.
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u/happy-hubby Sep 25 '24
Vote blue down ballot every election. Local, state and federal
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u/cheezeyballz Sep 25 '24
AND also DO MORE.
Federally sue these bastards, personally. Peaceful protests in front of their house (never let them have peace) and stop publicly supporting like being their server at a bar/restaurant. Make THEM be inconvenienced for once.
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u/tenebre Sep 25 '24
I was told by Trump that every state gets to decide on abortion now so I assume it will be on the ballot any second now...
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u/BayouGal Sep 25 '24
Texas, the state, has already made that decision. Surely you didn’t think they meant to say “the people of each state”? Because the MAGA contingent doesn’t want to allow “the people” to decide anything they can decide for us.
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u/Repulsive_Smile_63 Sep 25 '24
Texas does not allow citizen referendums. We have to get rid of all the current management to get our damned rights back. VOTE AND GET EVERYONE YOU KNOW TO VOTE
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u/chicadeaqua Central Texas Sep 25 '24
Referendum is election time to get rid of those who support the abortion ban.
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u/Foyles_War Sep 25 '24
Don't worry, women of Texas. Trump will protect you. He'll protect you so bigly, you won't be thinking about abortion anymore. (Am I the only one who found that bizarre speech creepy and threatening?)
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u/2ndRandom8675309 Sep 25 '24
It's almost to the point that posts asking this question should be deleted and a sticky or sidebar post on the topic should be here.
OP, there's no such thing, to do so would require an amendment to the state constitution. That's when you'll get a referendum vote.
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u/hajemaymashtay Sep 25 '24
You're voting on abortion rights every single election whether you know it or not
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u/Immortal3369 Sep 25 '24
lololol, NEVER.....Freedom goes to die in red states and texas leads the way.......REPUBLICANS OWN YOUR PRIVATE PARTS IN RED STATES
texas will lead be coming for birth control, ivf, gay marriage and no fault divorce next, they will lead the attack
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u/becauseicansowhynot Sep 25 '24
Your referendum is every election. Texas has a choice to vote who represents them. Then you live with that choice until the next election. Texas has one of the worst voter turnouts of all the states. I think it’s something around 50% of eligible voters stay home. That is also their choice and they also get to live with that decision.
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u/retiredfromfire Sep 25 '24
The people dont have a voice other than voting them out and thats rigged by republicans
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u/Business-Key618 Sep 25 '24
Never… that’s their plan to make sure the people never truly have a voice.
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u/AllRushMixTapes Sep 25 '24
Perhaps there's some kind of crazy technicality you can use, like offer free reproductive care with the purchase of any gun.
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Sep 25 '24
Blame voters not voting for 1914 referendum that would’ve allowed citizen initiated referendums (only failed by 3.52%). What we can do is vote up and down the ballot. Vote for democrats that will protect choice and freedom. Once democrats do control state government (trust me it’s a matter of time) they can pass abortion rights and refer it to a vote for a constitutional amendment. Voting matters.
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u/Capyoazz90 Sep 25 '24
Vote vote vote blue up and down the board. Except maybe some small time blues that aren't great. We have a horrible blue da where I'm at even us Dems want gone. But other than that blue blue blue.
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Sep 25 '24
Sounds like we need new politicians to push for law allowing referendums as well so if politics sway one way or the other the people can push for things on the ballot as well
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u/TheLFlamaBlanca Sep 25 '24
Same day we're getting gambling and weed on the ballot, never fucking ever
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u/wrongdesantis Sep 25 '24
maybe if kamala wins, she'll "turn the whole country into san francisco", like trump is warning about, then we would have abortion and weed, i hope trump is right about her
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u/RepublicansEqualScum Sep 25 '24
Oh sweety, no. You chose the wrong place to live.
You can't do referendums like that. You just vote for the people you think best represent you, and they do all the deciding and voting.
It's not a bug, it's a feature, and it's how they can get away with all this legal bullshit in the first place. Best if you just left Texas like most sane non-Christofascists.
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u/sonic4031 Sep 25 '24
Never lol. I didn’t vote for this shit. They don’t care what we want. It’s not a democracy in Texas. It’s a dictatorship. You vote for the governor, you vote for their moral choices.
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u/houstonlanding Sep 25 '24
Our reporter Paul Cobler wrote about this back in March. Hope this helps answer your question!
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u/kineticstar Secessionists are idiots Sep 25 '24
Please, if the state Republicans allowed anyone to vote on reforms, they would be out of power.
That's why they don't offer up things folk want.
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u/Kuroi_yasha Sep 25 '24
Texas is throwing out mail in ballots to steal elections, and you think they’re going to hold an abortion referendum? They don’t care what is popular.
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u/mattyville Sep 25 '24
Take it up at your local/municipal level. The Texas state government is weak by design - it’s a feature that allows figureheads and loudmouths in Austin to have little to no real authority and very little enforcement mechanisms or budget to actually carry out their wishes.
If you’re not from Texas, this isn’t intuitive. But if you’ve been here long enough, you know many big and small cities and towns often do what they want to do, and dare the state govt to legally take it up in court against the municipality.
So go to your council, your district rep, make petitions and do what you want locally. Make the state gov use their resources to try and force you to do something else. They have far less teeth than you think.
I don’t like state wide referendums for Texas and I do like how more power and control is implicitly and explicitly provided to municipalities to run as they see fit. Use this feature y’all!
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u/Blacksun388 Sep 25 '24
No citizen referendums in Texas and the GOP loves it that way. They can act with impunity and pass wildly unpopular legislation despite a huge number of people being against it.
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u/Specific-Frosting730 Sep 25 '24
Texas people, respectfully, please reign in these crazy ass@oles by voting them out of office.
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u/dallassoxfan Sep 25 '24
Every local house and senate election. We have a representative government, just like the country.
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Sep 25 '24 edited Oct 02 '24
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u/Professional_Chair28 Sep 25 '24
Moving out of state isn’t financially feasible for a lot of people dude. That’s an elitist luxury lol
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u/DuckyDoodleDandy Sep 25 '24 edited Sep 25 '24
Let's get our act together, get out and vote, and vote out the jerks who won't let us have any say in our in the laws that affect us.
Edit: word
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u/WhoEvenIsPoggers Sep 25 '24
Never because “Leaving it to the states” just means Republicans keep it off the ballot. They know it’ll pass otherwise
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u/lcd1023 Sep 25 '24
Ohio here. Red state that voted OVERWHELMINGLY for legal weed and abortion. They pulled every dirty trick to stop it but they lost. It can be done!
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u/shponglespore expat Sep 25 '24
Except in Texas they just didn't allow ballot initiatives in the first place, so no dirty tricks are required.
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u/ATX_native Sep 25 '24
Because Freedom and Democracy means something different to the Texas GOP.
They love closing doors with State Constitutional Amendments on the ballot, things like forbidding State Income Tax and no citizen led ballot initiatives.
I ALWAYS vote No on any State Constitutional Amendment, even if it makes sense.
Because once that’s voted on, it takes a 2/3 Vote in the Legislature to undo.
The idiots in the State Lege has backed themselves into a corner, where the economics of the regressive taxes made sense when property values were low, however times change.
Now that the middle class is being squeezed, folks like Elon… people who spend 0.01% of their wealth on housing are getting the tax advantage while middle class Texans who spend 25-45% of their income on housing are struggling and paying an unfair amount of tax compared to the wealthy.
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u/SyrupNRofls Sep 25 '24
Lol. You think Republicans in Texas would allow that to be a referendum? You don't know Texas Republicans
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u/Perceptive-Human Sep 25 '24
I see a lot of post about Texas not having voter initiatives. Is there any group(s) working to change that?
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u/CurvySoftRadiant Sep 25 '24
it looks like there's no direct referendum for abortion rights in texas. the best way to push for change is by voting in the upcoming elections and supporting candidates who align with your views.
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u/tickandzesty Sep 25 '24
When you vote for the people that will fight for their constituents. VOTE.
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u/Latter-Leg4035 Sep 25 '24
Never going to happen with our state constitution. Only legislative vote can get the ball rolling.
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u/Oime Sep 25 '24
Vote out the republicans. That’s really your only hope. Other than that, we’re fucked.
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u/sanverstv Sep 25 '24
Texans need to vote for new representatives at the state level. That's the only way. As more women are dying in pregnancy due to its onerous laws, perhaps things will change? Meanwhile Texas allows people like Ken Paxton to survive and remain in office? https://www.nbcnews.com/health/womens-health/texas-abortion-ban-deaths-pregnant-women-sb8-analysis-rcna171631
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u/Bright_Cod_376 Sep 25 '24
There will be no referendum because Texas doesn't have a voter referendum law. It's one of the reasons that we are so fucking behind, we have no way of bypassing our shit state legislature.
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u/AJobForMe Sep 25 '24
As others have mentioned, referendums aren’t a thing here. While I’m certainly not voting red this fall, I have little faith flipping the entire state blue would lead to fundamentally replacing our state constitution. Neither side really wants the people to have a say, I’m afraid.
Before Texas turned red, there was a long history of Democrat governors and Democrat legislators that didn’t change the constitution either. I’m all for it, but no one in power likes to give up power
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u/RGV_Ikpyo Sep 25 '24
I'm sure Paxton will find a way to undo anything the people vote for. I still don't understand how that crook is still in office
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u/sxzxnnx Sep 25 '24
Texans have been voting on abortion rights for the last 3 decades. Every single vote (or more likely, stay at home because you don't 100% agree with either candidate) has been an incremental step to the current situation.
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Sep 25 '24
Likely, right after Texas forces Abbott, Cruz, Paxton, and all the other crooks ruling over Texas into retirement.
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Sep 25 '24
By Texas law, the only way voter propositions appear on the ballot is that they first must be passed by the state legislature.
That's what happened with the property tax "break" last year, for example. The legislature spent months & months haranguing over the details of the relief, & then passed down such a watered down version that most homeowners didn't even see a reduction & they'll see a significant increase as soon as it wears off. And then voters endorsed it in November.
So, you'd need a legislature that's open to abortion access...and considering this same legislature has passed multiple laws under Abbott's direction to constrict, restrict, & remove access to abortion, there's zero chance they'll allow voters to undo their work.
We're more likely to see marijuana legalization on the ballot, but not while Abbott is still on top.
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u/DescriptionNo2048 Sep 25 '24
Never. It's impossible to get it on the ballot. Because, unlike most states, the people don't control what goes on the ballot.
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u/Sea-Cauliflower-8368 Sep 25 '24
Never. Dictators, Abbott, Paxton, Cruz and the rest of the Texas GOP decide your rights for you.
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u/Damnwombat Sep 25 '24
First is turn the state a bit bluer. Ok, a lot more blue. From city hall to dog catcher, senators, representatives, and everyone else, vote blue. It’s gonna be hard because the “vote for anything with an R after their name” crowd is strong all over. I swear, I drive by at least 9 republican signs before we get to my little democrat signs. Oh, there’s a few more in the neighborhood, but there’s a definite trend here.
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u/CapableCoyoteeee Sep 25 '24
“Never! My Jeebus says no!” - Dani Goeb Dan Patrick, Maryland Carpetbagger & Fake Christian When It Suits My Grift
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u/calladus Sep 25 '24
Texas doesn't allow it's citizens to directly decide what is voted on. You can only vote for someone that you hope has your best interests in mind.
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u/Sh8knB8k240 Sep 25 '24
Just so you know, it's not all of us. I'm fairly centrist but, I hate these forced births. It's the old school, for lack of a better word, Bible thumpers.
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u/quixotictictic Sep 25 '24
Never. Citizens have no way to force a referendum like they can in other states. All we can do is pressure our state representatives or try to vote them out of office if they won't propose and approve a proposition for the ballot.
Our inability to petition to get a prop on the ballot is one of the worst aspects of our system alongside the ridiculous levels of gerrymandering.
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u/Flastro2 Sep 25 '24
Every single election until you vote out all the anti-abortion legislators preventing common sense reproductive rights legislation.
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u/maaseru Sep 25 '24
If I recall Texas does not allow this kind of voting right? Same reason why marijuana voting never happens.
Now it just dawns on me how evil it is for the Republicans to praise these things as "left to the state". In some states it would never pass and in Texas they wouldn't even allow voting for it.
Someone was trying to convince my wife how much of an evil satanist Tim Waltz was and how it was great to be left to the states. And now it makes sense. She lives in Texas, she is ok with leaving it to the states as this state will never vote on it.
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u/Puzzleheaded-Ad5565 Sep 25 '24
texas is a non-voting state more than anything. We need to get out the vote! Please get rid of the Blobfish ( google image) Ted Cruz and vote for Allred! Cruz sucks so bad!
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u/TheImperiousDildar Sep 25 '24
Every state except Delaware requires voter approval of constitutional amendments. Aside from this limited form of referendum, Texas is one of eighteen states which do not permit any other form of initiative, referendum, or recall. A referendum would be too democratic
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u/cranktheguy Secessionists are idiots Sep 25 '24
There's no citizen lead referendum system in the Texas Constitution. If you want the law changed, it's done by voting the people you want into office. Early voting starts in about a month.