After the untimely death of HB 3219 during the 89th Regular Legislative Session, Team TFVC immediately went to work to keep the fight for OTC Ivermectin alive in the minds of Texans. We quickly launched a petition urging Governor Abbott to add the issue to the First Special Session call, and more than 7,000 of you signed on!
Despite hand-delivering these signatures to the Governor’s office, and despite Rep. Joanne Shofner swiftly refiling her bill and working tirelessly to gather majority support from her colleagues, the issue was not added to the call. Then, thanks to Democrat legislators intentionally breaking quorum, the First Special Session ended almost as quickly as it began. Governor Abbott immediately called a Second Special Session, which gaveled in at noon Friday. In a powerful moment, House Speaker Dustin Burrows publicly recognized Rep. Shofner’s persistence and announced that he would be giving the Ivermectin bill a low bill number—a clear signal that this legislation is a priority!
This is proof positive that your voices were heard. Thousands of grassroots medical liberty supporters made it impossible for leadership to ignore this issue. The importance of making Ivermectin available without a prescription has now been acknowledged at the highest levels, and the Texas Legislature has a historic opportunity to make Texas the fifth state in the nation to enshrine this policy into law.
Update: On August 20, Governor Abbott made this priority official by adding to his list of additional agenda items for this second Special Session. With both HB 25 and its companion SB 29 filed by Sen. Hall having a majority of authors, TFVC remains hopeful that OTC Ivermectin will soon be a reality in Texas!
Update: On August 22, HB 25 was heard in the House Committee on Public Health. On August 25, HB 25 was voted favorably out of committee.
Update: On August 27, HB 25 was voted out of the Texas House. Chairwoman Lois Kolkhorst then wasted no time in calling a hearing and voting HB 25 out of the Senate HHS Committee. It was then almost immediately voted on and passed out of the full Senate!
HB 25 IS NOW HEADED TO GOV. ABBOTT’S DESK!
Your support allows us to make wins like OTC Ivermectin possible. Chip in today to keep the wins coming!
