Our Agenda bills continue to progress well.  There are filed bills for each of the priorities on our Agenda.  Click here and take a look at this updated summary which includes all of the bill numbers and authors.  As I have mentioned before, you can follow all of the bills yourself and even watch live and archived video recordings of the hearings — just click here to get started.  Also, if you want a quick visual summary of the status of the Agenda, click here to take a look at a powerpoint presentation.
 
The House County Affairs Committee hearing on HB 3303 (increased confidentiality for domestic violence fatality review teams), will be held on Monday at 2:00 p.m.

by Chloe Albanesius

Verizon Wireless on Wednesday announced that it has settled a lawsuit against a telemarketing firm for $25,000.

Verizon sued Utah-based Feature Films for Families last month after it allegedly used an auto-dialer to call Verizon customers and encourage them to see the upcoming movie The Velveteen Rabbit.

The company has agreed to cease all future calls and pay a $25,000 cash settlement, which Verizon said it will donate to the National Domestic Violence Hotline (NDVH).

PCMag.com

By Laura Tillman

Texas received the second most positive rating in an annual report released on Tuesday by a national teen-violence prevention organization.

“Break the Cycle” grades each state’s laws protecting teenage victims of dating and domestic violence on an “A” through “F” scale. Texas’ “B” grade did not change from the state’s 2008 report card.

Texas scored a “B” because in this state victims of teen dating violence under the age of 18 are allowed to apply for a protective order if an adult accompanies them before a judge. The adult doesn’t have to be a parent or family member. In states with “A” grades, like Oklahoma, teenagers 16 or older can seek a protective order without an adult.

Brownsvilleherald.com

Women experiencing physical abuse from intimate partners spent 42 percent more on health care per year than non-abused women, according to a long-term study of more than 3,000 women.

And the costs don’t end when the abuse does. The study revealed that women who suffered physical abuse five or more years earlier still spent 19 percent more per year on health care than women who were never abused.

“Along with all the physical and emotional pain it causes, domestic violence also comes with a substantial financial price,” said Amy Bonomi, co-author of the study and associate professor of human development and family science at Ohio State University.

News-medical.net

By the Associated Press

NEW YORK — Only a handful of states have responded to teen dating violence with laws enabling the youthful victims to obtain protection orders on equal terms with adults, an advocacy group says in a new national survey.

The report on state laws by Break the Cycle, a teen-violence prevention organization that has worked with the Justice Department, gave A grades to only five states. Twelve states got D’s and 11 failed.

Grades were based on various comparisons between the legal treatment of adult victims of domestic violence and teen victims of dating violence. Failure was automatic for states where protective orders are unavailable for minors, or where dating relationships are not explicitly recognized as valid for obtaining such orders.

Bpdokc.blogspot.com

By Gal Tziperman Lotan

PLYMOUTH — She is walking on air, she is fairest of the fair, she is Mrs. Massachusetts International – and she’s from Plymouth.

Theresa Weaver, a 46-year-old visiting nurse, won the state title earlier this month and will go on to compete in the Mrs. International pageant in Chicago on July 17 and 18.

The Mrs. International competition is open to married women from the United States and its territories and 19 countries who are between the ages of 21 and 56.

Pageants are composed of three parts: interview, evening gown and fitness wear.

Weaver, who competed in her first pageant when she was 18, took a hiatus until 2006 and returned to pageants to promote domestic violence awareness.

Enterprisenews.com

AUSTIN –  The Senate Committee on Jurisprudence today approved two pieces of legislation authored by State Senator Jane Nelson, R-Flower Mound — SB 82, requiring offenders to pay a fee to support local shelters, and SB 83, making it easier for victims to terminate a lease contract.  The bills now move to the full Senate for consideration on the local & uncontested calendar.

“When someone makes the brave choice to break the cycle of abuse, we need to support that decision by helping survivors rebuild their lives in a safe, supportive environment,” Senator Nelson said.  “That often requires relocating to an address away from the offender, which is why we are seeking a hold-harmless provision for early lease termination and additional funding for shelters.”

Specifically, SB 82 requires domestic violence offenders, as a condition of probation, to pay a fee of up to $100 to support local services for victims.  This will generate an additional $2 to $5 million in funding, which is needed to offset a $4.3 million reduction of federal funding under the Victims of Crime Act.

Texasinsider.org

The Urban Institute, based in Washington, D.C., reported in 2006 that Texas had 67,000 nonprofit organizations classified as 501 c (3) public charities or foundations. All of these entities do outstanding work on a statewide and local level assisting special populations in need of help, support, and assistance. Texas nonprofits face unique and sometimes formidable challenges every day in their effort to make a significant difference in the lives of those they serve.

Among the many challenges confronted by nonprofits are fundraising efforts, providing adequate service to clients and effectively delivering their message to important stakeholders. While all of these endeavors are important, the development and delivery of crucial organizational public messages is paramount, and can potentially be misunderstood, misinterpreted, and distorted.

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