Leaders from the Hill Country League of Women Voters spoke to the Bandera County Democratic Club on June 14, offering a wide-ranging presentation on the League’s history, purpose, and the latest legislative efforts impacting voter access and election administration in Texas.
Speaking to an audience of about 20 people, League President Bunny Bond and Legislative Contact Heather Farmer highlighted the organization’s mission and ongoing work across the region. The Hill Country chapter currently includes 85 members—both women and men—serving Bandera, Blanco, Kerr, Kendall, Llano, and Gillespie counties. The League is part of a statewide network of 32 chapters in 52 counties, and nationally, the League of Women Voters operates 700 local chapters.
Bond emphasized the League’s focus on providing nonpartisan voter information and registering voters throughout the Hill Country. The League’s widely distributed Voters Guide and its organization of local candidate forums help ensure residents have direct access to those running for office.
Founded in 1920 as part of the women’s suffrage movement, the League has expanded its efforts over the decades to include advocacy for campaign finance reform, women’s rights, healthcare access, and gun control, often partnering with like-minded organizations.
Farmer, who chairs the Civics Information and Education committee, spoke in detail about the 89th legislative session and its potential impacts on Texas elections. She reviewed 25 bills, categorizing them as either beneficial or harmful to voters. Of the six laws already signed by the governor and scheduled to take effect in September, she identified only one—Senate Bill 1025—as having a notably negative impact. The bill requires the phrase “This is a tax increase” to be included in the ballot language of any proposition that would raise taxes.
Farmer also pointed to several bills awaiting the governor’s signature that she said could hinder the voting process. These include House Bill 493, which would prohibit anyone with any felony conviction from serving as a poll worker; House Bill 521, which updates rules related to loitering or electioneering near polling places and changes regulations for curbside voting; and Senate Bill 510, which allows the Secretary of State to withhold funding from election administrators who fail to timely approve voter registrations.
Farmer noted that many of the new measures formalize procedures previously handled informally and appear to be in response to issues that arose in Houston-area elections.
During the meeting, the club approved the minutes from May 10, the May treasurer’s report, and a membership report. Membership Chair Patty Pyle welcomed new member Robert Hildt. The club also approved a $29.72 expenditure to secure the domain name banderademocrats. org for the year.
President Anna Montague praised David Black for his work maintaining the club’s website. Activities Chair Robert Rios gave an update on the “No Kings” national protest scheduled for Saturday, June 14, in Kerrville. Bandera participants plan to depart from the Bandera County Courthouse at 9 a.m. and meet for lunch afterward in Kerrville.
Montague also encouraged members to attend the Nagel Clinic Scholarship Luncheon on June 18, where Dr. Saleh Jaafar will serve as the guest speaker. She noted the upcoming 29th Annual July 4 Pet Parade as another opportunity for members to engage with the broader community.
Additionally, Bond encouraged members to visit the Smithsonian Institution’s traveling “Crossroads: Change in Rural America”
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