Christian Employers Alliance

Angela Paxton

This bill imposes a series of new insurance mandates requiring automobile insurance policies offered in the state provide coverage for original equipment manufacturer (OEM) parts as opposed to less costly aftermarket parts. The bill applies to all policies covering vehicles 36 months old or newer. Additionally, the bill forbids policies from restricting the repair facility or persons performing repairs. Oppose is the CEA Position as Oppose is the CEA Position as Leviticus 25:10 - "Proclaim liberty throughout all the land to all its inhabitants. It shall be a jubilee for you; each of you is to return to your family property and to your own clan.”

Hiking Automobile Insurance Premiums by Imposing New Mandates which Require Usage of OEM Parts for Vehicle Repairs.

This bill, the Medical Freedom Act, expands on the state's Right to Try Act passed in 2015, which applied to individuals with terminal illnesses. Under this bill individuals with a severe chronic disease are also given the "right to try" an investigational drug, biological product, or device that has completed phase one of a clinical trial but is not yet approved by the FDA, if certain conditions are met. The bill also provides protections for doctors and manufacturers by providing legal immunity from any harm or injury that results from using the investigational product and ensures doctors can recommend such products without facing any disciplinary actions from the state's professional licensing board. Support is the CEA Position as Luke 8:43-48 - “And a woman was there who had been subject to bleeding for twelve years, but no one could heal her. She came up behind him and touched the edge of his cloak, and immediately her bleeding stopped.” 

Strengthening Individual Liberties and Medical Freedom by Providing the "Right to Try" Experimental Drugs to treat Severe Chronic Diseases.

This bill requires cities to provide written notification of any proposed zoning change which could cause a non-conforming use for a property owner or business. If the owner is required to close or cease operations, they would be entitled to compensation, such as the loss in market value of the property. The bill is, in part, in response to a case where a shingle factory operating for 80 years was forced to shut down without any compensation. Support is the CEA Position as Proverbs 29:2 - "When the righteous thrive, the people rejoice; when the wicked rule, the people groan."

Strengthening Property Rights by Protecting Businesses from Local Zoning Changes.

This bill places certain limitations on the ability of cities to limit the height of buildings. The bill applies to highly populated cities such as Houston, San Antonio, Dallas, Austin and Forth Worth and only in cases where buildings are at least 50 feet from a lot line. Support is the CEA Position as Leviticus 25:10 - "Proclaim liberty throughout all the land to all its inhabitants. It shall be a jubilee for you; each of you is to return to your family property and to your own clan.”

Strengthening Property Rights by Limiting Certain Overreaching Building Height Restrictions Imposed in Densely Populated Areas.

This bill, the Fiscal Years 2024-2025 Operating Budget, represents a 21.3% increase over the prior budget, and the largest in state history. Some of the major new and increased spending initiatives within the bill include $1 billion for land acquisition for parks (3603.7% increase over the $27 million appropriated in the previous budget), an additional $100 million for the Texas Water Development Board Economically Distressed Areas Program, and $45.9 billion for business and economic development (25.8% increase). Oppose is the CEA Position as 1 Samuel 8:10-18 - "He will take the best of your fields and vineyards and olive groves and give them to his attendants. He will take a tenth of your grain and of your vintage and give it to his officials and attendants... You will cry out for relief from the king you have chosen, but the Lord will not answer you in that day."

Fueling Out-of-Control Spending Through a $321.3 Billion Budget (21.3% Increase) with Countless Provisions that Further Grow the Size and Scope of Government.

This bill provides that a person who sells or leases a vehicle weighing at least 6,000 lbs. is not liable for not retrofitting the vehicle with equipment, or selecting certain equipment, that was not required under federal regulations when the vehicle was manufactured or sold. Support is the CEA Position as Proverbs 25:8 - “Do not bring hastily to court, for what will you do in the end if your neighbor puts you to shame?”

Protecting Truck Rental Companies from Frivolous Litigation for Not Retrofitting Trucks with Safety Equipment Upon their Sale.

This bill establishes a specialized "Business Court" to hear cases involving certain business transaction and governance matters, with the judges appointed by the Governor. Judges are required to have at least 10 years of experience practicing complex civil business litigation or business transaction law, or as a judge of a court with civil jurisdiction. Support is the CEA Position as Proverbs 25:8 - “Do not bring hastily to court, for what will you do in the end if your neighbor puts you to shame?”

Improving the State's Business Climate by Creating a Specialized Business Court to Hear Cases and Expedite Legal Proceedings.

This bill allows cities which have a municipal street sales tax to call an election to authorize the tax for a period of 8 to 10 years if a majority of voters approved the tax in the last 2 elections. In most cities, the duration of the tax is limited to 4 years. Additionally, the bill expands the permitted uses of the tax to include not only maintenance and repair of streets and sidewalks, but now also water, wastewater, or stormwater systems located under a city street. Oppose is the CEA Position as Luke 16:10-11 - "Whoever can be trusted with very little can also be trusted with much, and whoever is dishonest with very little will also be dishonest with much. So if you have not been trustworthy in handling worldly wealth, who will trust you with true riches?"

Reducing Government and Fiscal Accountability by Allowing Municipal Tax Levies to Continue for up to 10 Years (Previously 4 Years) without Voter Approval.

This bill requires an aspiring dietician to now obtain a master's degree, register with a national commission, complete an internship or other accepted training program, and undergo examination to work in the profession. Oppose is the CEA Position as Galatians 5:1 - "It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery." 

Increasing Employment Barriers and Enriching Certain Educational Institutions by Forcing Dieticians to Obtain Masters Degrees.

This bill provides that businesses with revenue up to $2.47 million are not required to pay any franchise tax (previously $1 million). Additionally, those businesses are no longer required to file a tax information report. Support is the CEA Position as 1 Samuel 8:10-18 - "He will take the best of your fields and vineyards and olive groves and give them to his attendants. He will take a tenth of your grain and of your vintage and give it to his officials and attendants... You will cry out for relief from the king you have chosen, but the Lord will not answer you in that day."

Expanding Economic Growth by Increasing the Franchisee Tax Exemption from $1 Million to $2.47 Million.

This bill prohibits local governments across the state from imposing any ordinances which directly regulate greenhouse gas emissions, with the state given exclusive regulatory authority. As a result, the bill would preempt local regulations that restrict greenhouse gas emissions. Support is the CEA Position as Isaiah 10:1-2 - "Woe to those who make unjust laws, to those who issue oppressive decrees, to deprive the poor of their rights and withhold justice from the oppressed of my people.

Protecting Against Local Government Overreach by Ensuring Only the State Can Regulate Greenhouse Gas Emissions.

This bill prohibits local governments from enacting any ordinances which bans or restricts the sale or use of an engine based on the type of fuel used. Additionally, the bill prevents localities from banning any energy source infrastructure (such as gas stations). Support is the CEA Position as Proverbs 29:2 - "When the righteous thrive, the people rejoice; when the wicked rule, the people groan."

Protecting Consumer Choice by Preventing Localities from Imposing any Ordinance which Restricts or Bans Gas-Powered Engines or a Source of Energy.

This bill earmarks $1.54 billion in state funds to continue construction of barriers along the Mexico border. Additionally, the bill provides $40 million for State Troopers to patrol Colony Ridge which has high levels of illegal immigrants. Support is the CEA Position as Romans 13:1-4 - “Let everyone be subject to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God. Consequently, whoever rebels against the authority is rebelling against what God has instituted, and those who do so will bring judgment on themselves.”

Restoring Law and Order by Earmarking $1.54 Billion in State Funds to Construct Barriers Securing the Mexico Border.

This bill prohibits localities from issuing bonds (debt) to purchase or lease tangible personal property if the property will no longer be useful before the debt matures. According to the bill's sponsor, local debt reached $417 billion in fiscal year 2022. Support is the CEA Position as Haggai 1:6 - "You have planted much, but harvested little. You eat, but never have enough. You drink, but never have your fill. You put on clothes, but are not warm. You earn wages, only to put them in a purse with holes in it."

Protecting Taxpayers by Prohibiting Localities from Issuing Bonds (Debt) to Purchase Personal Property that has a Lifecycle Expected to Expire Before the Bond Matures.

This bill prohibits state and local governments from imposing COVID-19 vaccine or mask mandates or from ordering private businesses or public or private schools to close for the purpose of stopping the spread of COVID-19. The bill does contain some exceptions for jails, hospitals, and other facilities where other rules conflict. Support is the CEA Position as Romans 14:3-4  - “The one who eats everything must not treat with contempt the one who does not, and the one who does not eat everything must not judge the one who does, for God has accepted them. Who are you to judge someone else’s servant? To their own master, servants stand or fall.”

Protecting Individual Liberties by Prohibiting Government-Imposed COVID-19 Vaccine or Mask Mandates.

This bill establishes a new health insurance mandate which requires most Life policies offered in the state, including Medicaid (government-provided welfare), that cover prescription contraceptive drugs to cover a 3-month initial supply and subsequent 12-month supplies of the drugs. Each and every health insurance mandate or price control on co-payments prevents an individual from selecting a plan with just basic or customized coverages to fit their specific needs. As a result, health insurers are forced to only offer costly plans loaded with coverages that most individuals do not need. This can result in lower-income or younger individuals choosing to purchase no insurance plan at all due to the high cost. Oppose is the CEA Position as 2 Corinthians 9:7 - “Each of you should give what you have decided in your heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.”

Hiking Health Insurance Premiums by Mandating Insurance Companies Cover a 12-Month Supply of Contraceptive Drugs.

This bill allows the state's attorney general to prosecute certain crimes, including election, bribery, abuse of office, human trafficking, and abortion-related offenses, if a local prosecutor refuses to prosecute the case. Under the bill, when law enforcement agencies report probable cause to a local prosecutor for these offenses, they must also provide the information to the attorney general, who may prosecute the case if the local prosecutor does not prosecute the case within six months. The bill is largely in response to localities across the nations whose prosecutors (typically receiving financial support from George Soros) refuse to enforce or prosecute certain categories of crime. Support is the CEA Position as Psalm 82:3-4 - “Defend the weak and the fatherless; uphold the cause of the poor and the oppressed. Rescue the weak and the needy; deliver them from the hand of the wicked.”

Strengthening Law and Order by Permitting the State Attorney General to Prosecute Certain Crimes if Local Prosecutors Refuse.

This bill prevents public colleges and universities within the state from taking certain actions against student organizations due to their membership policies surrounding sincerely held beliefs. Support is the CEA Position as Acts 4:19-20 - “But Peter and John replied, ‘Which is right in God’s eyes: to listen to you, or to Him? You be the judges! As for us, we cannot help speaking about what we have seen and heard.’”

Protecting Free Speech and Assembly on Public College Campuses by Ensuring Student Organizations Can Set Membership Policies Based on their Sincerely Held Beliefs.

This bill establishes a new health insurance mandate relating to "biomarker testing" which is applicable to all private policies offered in the state and Medicaid. Specifically, the bill requires all policies to cover biomarker testing to diagnose, treat, manage, or monitor a person's disease or condition if the test is supported by "medical and scientific evidence." Oppose is the CEA Position as 2 Corinthians 9:7 - “Each of you should give what you have decided in your heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.”

Increasing Health Insurance Premiums by Mandating All Policies Provide Coverage for Biomarker Testing.

This bill is largely targeted towards online providers of clear orthodontic aligners such as SmileDirectClub. Under the bill, clear aligners (which are similar to braces) are now classified as a "medical device" and can't be provided to an individual unless they undergo an in-person examination by a dentist, receive dental x-rays, and are provided a prescription for their usage by a dentist. This protectionism merely enriches orthodontists and dentists and prevents the free market from expanding competition and lowering costs for consumers. Unfortunately, perhaps due to similar attacks in other states, SmileDirectClub was forced into bankruptcy and shutdown on December 21, 2023. Oppose is the CEA Position as Isaiah 10:1-2 - "Woe to those who make unjust laws, to those who issue oppressive decrees, to deprive the poor of their rights and withhold justice from the oppressed of my people.

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