Today at CTD
A daily update of CTD's advocacy activity.
2025
Mar. 14, our Policy Fellows are attending a regular meeting of the Hogg Policy Academy.
Mar. 14, our team is watching the rush of bills filed before today's filing deadline
Mar. 13, Communications Director Laura Perna attended the Federal Medicaid Dental Hub.
Mar. 12, Policy Fellow Cole Glosser testified in the House Judiciary and Civil Jurisprudence Committee regarding protections for renters with disabilities. View the recording (02:02:20 to 02:04:30)
Mar. 12, Executive Director Chase Bearden attended a Senate Finance hearing and two coalition meetings on access to medications.
Mar. 11, CTD participated in a national call-in day to protect Medicaid from federal funding cuts.
Mar. 11, our advocacy team was in the Capitol today for hearings in the Senate Education committee and House Public Education committee. We stopped by several legislative offices while we were over there.
Mar. 11, we signed on to Families USA's letter urging Senate leadership to protect Medicaid.
Mar. 10, our advocacy team held a Raise Your Voice! call Learn more about this series and register
Mar. 7, applications closed today for our Advocacy Corps program
Mar. 6, our advocacy team was in the Capitol all day to attend hearings on elections and public education.
Mar. 4, our advocacy team attended the Don't Mess with 504 rally & press conference (organized by ADAPT of Texas). Learn more
Mar. 4, Executive Director Chase Bearden attended Texans for Health Access' advocacy day.
Mar. 3, our advocacy team held a Raise Your Voice! call Learn more about this series and register
Mar. 3, Executive Director Chase Bearden attended a Senate State Affairs committee hearing on Texas' Compassionate Use Program (TCUP). View the recording
Feb. 28, our team is attending meetings with the Texas Coalition for Healthy Minds, national Medicaid organizers, and Texas Health and Biosciences Institute.
Feb. 27, Communications Director Laura Perna is attending a coalition meeting of Cover Texas Now.
Feb. 26, the advocay team made office visits and attended events with partners the Texas Civil Rights Project and Texans for Health Access.
Feb. 26, Executive Director Chase Bearden and Policy Fellow Cole Glosser testified at a House Appropriations committee hearing on HB 1, Article II (HB 1 is the House's draft of the state budget, and Article II is where the Health & Human Services Commission lives). View the recording of the hearing
Feb. 25, Spectrum News interviewed Advocacy Director Jolene Sanders on school vouchers. Read or view the story
Feb. 25, Executive Directo Chase Bearden attended a House Appropriations committee hearing on HB 1, Article II (HB 1 is the House's draft of the state budget, and Article II is where the Health & Human Services Commission lives). View the recording of the hearing
Feb. 24, Advocacy Director Jolene Sanders testified at a House Appropriations committee hearing on HB 1, Article III (HB 1 is the House's draft of the state budget, and Article III is where the Texas Education Agency lives). View the recording of the hearing (04:00:00 to 04:02:40)
Feb. 24, our advocacy team held a Raise Your Voice! call this afternoon, with guest speaker Larry Johnson on his work on Seniors Keys to Independence Program (SKIP). Learn more and register for future calls
Feb. 21, our team is attending multiple meetings with partners, coalitions, and policymakers.
Feb. 20, Executive Director Chase Bearden is speaking to college students on disability policy issues.
Feb. 19, Executive Director Chase Bearden attended a coalition meeting with Texans for Health Access.
Feb. 18, the Daily Texan quoted Policy Fellow Cole Glosser on emergency evacuation chairs for students with disabilities on college campuses. Read the article
Feb. 18, the CTD advocacy team met with the Attendant Wage Coalition and REV UP Texas.
Feb. 18, our advocacy team attended NAMI Texas' presentation on their 89th Lege priorities.
Feb. 17, Executive Director Chase Bearden met with an immunization workgroup.
Feb. 13, Policy Fellow Cole Glosser attended TCDD's Disability Advocates Weekly Check In.
Feb. 13, Executive Director Chase Bearden made office visits to educate legislators about medication switching.
Feb. 11 & 12, rare quiet days, our advocacy team was plugging away on bill tracking and analysis and catching up on various things.
Feb. 10, our advocacy team held a Raise Your Voice! call, with guest speakers Jordan Smelley (Medicaid and peer support self-advocate) and NAMI Texas (mental health priorities). Learn more and register for future calls
Feb. 10, Advocacy Director Jolene Sanders attended a Senate Finance committee hearing on SB 1, Article III (SB 1 is the Senate's draft of the state budget, and Article III is where the Texas Education Agency lives). View the recording
Feb. 7, Policy Director Jolene Sanders met with the Autism Consortium of Texas Leadership Education in Neurodevelopmental and Related Disabilities (ACT LEND) program at UT Austin.
Feb. 7, Policy Fellow Cole Glosser supported self-advocates at legislative office visits.
Feb. 6, Policy Fellow Cole Glosser attended TCDD's Disability Advocates Weekly Check In, which included discussion of attendant wages and special education.
Feb. 6, CTD joined a national Medicaid Day of Action to defend federal funding from billions in proposed cuts. Learn more and take action
Feb. 5, our advocacy team attended a full Senate hearing on SB 2, this year's school voucher bill. View the recording
Feb. 5, Executive Director Chase Bearden attended a coalition meeting with Texans for Health Access.
Feb, 4, our advocacy team attended day 2 of the Senate Finance hearing, where we testified on attendant wages and dental access. View recording (Cole Glosser on attendant wages 03:49:15 to 03:51:45; Chase Bearden on complex rehab technologies, dental access, and attendant wages 04:49:00 to 04:51:05)
Feb. 3, our whole advocacy team attended Senate Finance hearings for the next two days, on SB 1, Article II (SB 1 is the Senate's draft of the state budget, and Article II is where funding for the Health and Human Services Commission lives, including attendant wages). View recording
Feb. 3, Executive Director Chase Bearden and Policy Fellows Yulissa Chávez and Cole Glosser made some legislative office visits while they were at the Capitol for hearings.
Jan. 30, the CTD advocacy team prepped for next week's Senate Finance hearings on SB 1, Article II (SB 1 is the Senate's draft of the state budget, and Article II is where funding for the Health and Human Services Commission lives, including attendant wages).
Jan. 29, the CTD advocacy team met with the Attendant Wage Coalition as well as a Medicaid self-advocate.
Jan. 29, Waxahachie Daily Light published an op-ed by Executive Director Chase Bearden on the nomination of RFK Jr. to lead the federal Health and Human Services Department. Read the article (note there is a paywall but you can still read the article by signing up for free limited acess)
Jan. 28, we met with our partners from the Texas Medicaid Association to discuss healthcare priorities for the 89th session.
Jan. 28, Policy Fellow Yulissa Chávez testified at the Senate Education committee on school vouchers. View recording (07:27:00 to 07:29:00)
Jan. 28, CTD co-hosted a webinar on Medicaid block grants (federal policy). Learn more and RSVP
Jan. 27, the CTD advocacy team launched our Raise Your Voice! advocacy calls for 2025. Learn more and register
Jan. 24, Advocacy Director Jolene Sanders met with the IDD Peer Support workgroup to discuss this session's peer support bill.
Jan. 24, Communications Director Laura Perna attended a national meeting on supporting Mediciaid at the federal level.
Jan. 23, Executive Director Chase Bearden and Disability Rights Texas met with the Moody Center to help improve access.
Jan. 23, Policy Fellows Yulissa Chavez and Cole Glosser made office visits to 11 freshmen legislators.
Jan. 16, Policy Fellow Yulissa Chavez presented in Spanish on advocacy essentials at the Texas Legislature, with the Autism Society of Texas. View the recording (1 hour)
Jan. 15, the CTD advocacy team continued making office visits (10 before lunch!).
Jan. 14, the CTD advocacy team was at the Capitol for the first day of the 89th Texas Legislative session. They made 4 office visits and met with many CTD advocacy partners.
Jan. 13, the Texas Standard interviewed Advocacy Director Jolene Sanders about our legislative priorities. Listen to the story (12 min)
Jan. 13, Registration opened for our our Raise Your Voice! advocacy calls. Learn more and register
Jan. 9, Executive Director Chase Bearden signaled a legislative path forward for electronic mail-in ballots in the Texas Tribune. Read the article
Jan. 3, Families USA sent a letter to Congressional leadership, urging them to protect and strengthen Medicaid. CTD is signed on. Read the letter
2024
Dec. 18, CTD signed on to Texans Care for Children's letter urging legisaltive leadership to overhaul outdated Medicaid enrollment technology. Read the letter
Dec. 18, Community Impact quoted Advocacy Directed Jolene Sanders regarding special education enrollment in Houston-area districts. Read the article
Dec. 12, Community Impact quoted Advocacy Director Jolene Sanders regarding special education enrollment in Texas. Read the article
Nov. 14, Advocacy Director Jolene Sanders testified at the Senate Committee on Natural Resources and Economic Development, on inclusive child care. View recording (3:43:43 to 3:47:30)
Oct. 16, The Daily Texan quoted Policy Fellow Cole Glosser's testimony on unmasking protestors. Read the article
Oct. 16, Policy Fellow Cole Glosser testified at the Senate Committee on State Affairs, on unmasking protestors. View recording (00:39:12 to 00:41:00)
Oct. 15, Policy Fellow Cole Glosser testified at the Senate Committee on State Affairs, on chronic homelessness and disability. View recording (5:08:07 to 5:10:15)
Oct. 9, CTD signed on to Texans Care for Children's statement urging legislators to make child care a priority in the 89th Legislature. View the statement
Sept. 30, Policy Fellow Cole Glosser testified at a Joint Budget Hearing with the Health and Human Services Commission & Texas Civil Commitment Office, on community attendant wages. View recording (01:08:18 to 01:11:05)
