Abolish Confederate Heroes Day

Watch Abolish Confederate Heroes Day Press Conference HERE https://www.facebook.com/watch/live/?v=855601355228464&ref=watch_permalink ‌ State Representative Jarvis Johnson's Weekly Newsletter Friends, I hope you have had a wonderful week. I've been busy working in Austin on behalf of my constituents. We are officially 3 weeks into the 87th Legislative Session, and things are slowly getting underway. My staff and I are currently meetin

g with stakeholders, constituents and advocates to hear about their legislative priorities. There will be many important issues we must tackle over the next few months, and my door is open and I'd love to hear directly from you about issues important to you and in your community. Below is some important information on vaccine sign-up in Houston and Harris County, along with some highlights on work I've been doing. In service, Jarvis Johnson State Representative, District 139 Visit my Website Updates from the Legislative Session ‌ This week at the Capitol Representative Johnson worked with his team to review potential bills, and met with community groups to hear about their legislative priorities. We are currently awaiting committee assignments, something of great importance to District 139. Representative Johnson's committee assignments will ensure District 139 is being protected and improved during this legislative session. In case you missed it...Press Conference announcing Bill to Abolish Confederate Heroes Day On January 19th, also known as Confederate Heroes Day in Texas, Representative Johnson announced HB 36. This bill will abolish Confederate Heroes Day as an official state holiday. This holiday was created in 1973, and often falls on Martin Luther King Jr. Day. Representative Johnson was joined by many of his colleagues who have pledged their support of his bill. Check out the press conference here. In the News After a year of racial reckoning, Black lawmakers believe they can finally eliminate Confederate Heroes Day in Texas State Rep. Jarvis Johnson, D-Houston, filed one of two bills for this session attempting to remove the holiday from the state’s calendar. “This is an opportunity for us to bring and shine light on social injustice, how Black people across this country have been demonized and have been treated unfairly by the judicial system, the criminal justice system,” Johnson said. “I think this is another way that we have to wipe away and erase harmful, hurtful imagery that continues to remind us of our horrible past.” Read More Here! Vaccine Updates Who Currently Qualifies for the Vaccine? Texas is currently vaccinating individuals who fall into categories 1A and 1B. Phase 1A includes front-line healthcare workers and residents at long-term care facilities. Phase 1B includes people 65 of age and older, and people over 16 with a chronic medical condition that puts them at increased risk for severe illness from COVID-19. More information on eligibility can be found here. How to Join the Harris County Vaccine Registration Waitlist Harris County has opened a portal to register for their COVID-19 Vaccine Waitlist. Once on the waitlist, residents will be selected through a randomized process to sign up for available vaccine appointments. At this time, the only residents on the waitlist that will be selected for appointments are those who qualify under Phase 1A and 1B. More information can be found at readyharris.org How to get an Vaccine Appointment with Houston Health Department Houston is handling their vaccine appointment system differently than the County. Houston will open their appointment portal once they receive new allocations of the vaccine from the state. Their registration system is first come first served, and all appointments are currently full. It is recommended you sign up to be alerted about new appointment opportunities through email, text, message, voice call by registering for AlertHouston. Info on how to sign up for the alerts can be found here. How to Contact Me My staff and I are always here to serve you. Please don't hesitate to reach out to us with comments, concerns, or to say hi! We can be reached by phone at (512) 463-0554 or (713) 699-3043 We can be reached by email at District139.Johnson@house.texas.gov