How Texas Families Protect Their Free Speech

For almost two years, Texas Home School Coalition (THSC) has been battling the Texas Ethics Commission (TEC) and its efforts to limit the political speech of associations like THSC, even though the organization’s principal purpose is not political. Last year, in response to a federal lawsuit filed in Lubbock, THSC forced the TEC to acknowledge that THSC had the right to participate in political speech regarding campaigns and candidates.

In spite of spending a great deal of time and resources to explain the legal problems with the TEC’s new definition of a Political Action Committee (PAC), the agency finalized a new definition in December that is in clear contradiction of  federal and state law. In fact, the chairman of the TEC in a hearing in which THSC’s attorney laid out these problems, said that it would just adopt the rule and let the courts sort it out.

In response to this callous disregard for the law and the first amendment rights of associations like THSC, we are moving forward in filing a suit against the TEC in state court in Travis County to hold this rogue agency accountable and to protect the free speech rights of every non-profit like THSC in the state of Texas.

What can you do?

As the TEC unfortunately chose to send this to the courts, it has prolonged and encumbered freedoms for many organizations across Texas.  As you can imagine, efforts to fight for free speech take many resources, requiring support from you:

  1. Please pray for quick and appropriate response from the courts as this issue could affect many groups in Texas. Pray for justice to be served and for free speech of Texas citizens to be protected.
  2. Remember THSC operates (on gifts) as an advocate to Keep Texas Families Free.  Please consider supporting the work of protecting home schoolers and parental rights.
  3. Sign up for email notifications to keep informed on issues such as these impacting your family.  THSC pledges to stand firm for your free speech.
  4. Share this information with your friends and family through email, Facebook, and Twitter.  Get the word out that free speech is in the judge’s hands.
[bctt tweet=” Free Speech forced to the Courts #KeepTXStrong #KeepTXFamiliesFree”]