El Paso's state lawmakers say abortion, guns among key issues at next legislative session

El Paso's Democratic lawmakers state Sen. César J. Blanco and state Reps. Claudia Ordaz Perez and Joe Moody said they hope to protect the area's interests next session despite a Republican dominated Texas Legislature.

The next regular legislative session is set to begin in January.

Texas Tribune CEO Evan Smith hosted a panel discussion with the lawmakers Tuesday at the University of Texas at El Paso's Undergraduate Learning Center.

Facing an overwhelming Republican majority in the state Legislature, Ordaz Perez said one of local lawmakers' tactics this session is to use Moody's political influence to ensure that El Paso's representatives are at the table when it comes time to discuss issues related to firearms, abortion, voting, the electrical grid, higher education and health care, among other issues.

Moody was stripped of his speaker pro tempore title last summer following House Democrats' walkout in protest of House Republicans crafting legislation to curb voter and abortion rights.

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Smith said Moody is well connected politically, from his experience as speaker pro tem, and he can help the El Paso delegation have a voice in the process.

"The thing about these folks, not just Moody, but all of them, is they obviously care enormously about El Paso," Smith said.

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'Legislature failed to take action' on limiting access to firearms

When on the issue related to the bipartisan gun bill that President Joe Biden signed into law on June 25, Blanco called on politicians who are making public statements against the bill "to sit down with the families of the folks in Santa Fe (Texas) and El Paso" who lost someone in a mass shooting.

"We've done a lot of discussion about mental health and we've made those investments," Blanco said. "We've made investments in school hardening; we've made investments in police training. The only thing that we have not done is (limit) the access to these weapons that are manufactured to kill people."

Blanco said it's "telling" when elected officials will only do the bare minimum after 19 children are massacred in school.

Blanco cited the Texas Safety Action report, which provided studies and suggestions to the Texas Legislature after the El Paso Walmart mass shooting in 2019.

"We don't have to study and study and study this issue," Blanco said. "There are solutions in a report that the Legislature has failed to take action (on)."

Moody said their colleagues are looking at more mental health and substance abuse resources as solutions instead of limiting access to firearms.

"We can walk and chew gum at the same time; we have to cover all these bases," Moody said.

Texas Democrats discuss strategy in fight to protect abortion

Smith asked Ordaz Perez what the strategy is to fight a trigger law that will ban abortion in Texas, following the U.S. Supreme Court's decision to overturn Roe v. Wade, within 30 days.

There is no exception in the trigger law for a woman to receive an abortion in case of rape or incest.

"I mean, there has to be at least something to help working women ...," Ordaz Perez said.

Blanco called for a stricter separation of church and state.

"What if you're a mother of two children that is pregnant and the pregnancy is not viable, and your life is in danger?" Blanco asked. "Shouldn't that mother make that decision with a physician instead of a bunch of suits at the Capitol making that decision for her?"

Moody said he expects House Democrats to "drop a couple seats" due to redistricting, but he doesn't expect a smaller political minority to cause a "great, grand shift" during the legislative session.

"We've worked in the minority our whole career; that's nothing new for us," Moody said. "And for us to get something done for our community, we have to understand how to exist and win in that environment. So, that's what we're gonna have to do again."

Moody said he anticipates Republican candidates in upcoming elections to heavily court Hispanic voters, which also could lead to a drop in Democratic representation in the House.

"There is going to be an intense focus on Hispanic voters in Texas, on both parties, and we're going to have to take that seriously," Moody said. "If we don't, then you're going to continue to see an erosion of that voting bloc."

Blanco said people are starting to realize how "fragile our democracy is" as mass shootings continue to happen on a near daily basis and federal lawmakers hold hearings on the Jan. 6 insurrection.

"Economies bounce back," Blanco said. "Human rights, women's rights, those are taken away and it takes a long time (to get back)."

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Anthony Jackson may be reached at ADJackson@elpasotimes.com and @TonyAnjackson on Twitter.

This article originally appeared on El Paso Times: Texas Tribune hosts El Paso delegation to Statehouse discussion