Nonprofit looks to build bipartisan policies in Texas
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A nonprofit that helped pass a gun safety education law in Tennessee is headed to Texas, with the goal of bridging political divides and creating bipartisan legislation.
Why it matters: Republicans have a tight grip on the state House and Senate, and Texas is not known for bipartisan policymaking.
- But the state's strong population growth and diverse communities continue to help it command political interest.
How it works: Builders, the nonpartisan nonprofit, is bringing its Citizen Solutions initiative to Texas this fall. The nonprofit was co-founded by Daniel Lubetzky, who also founded KIND Snacks and attended school in San Antonio.
- It will assemble a group of residents from across the state and political spectrum to discuss health care policy.
- The aim is to come up with practical policy proposals for the Texas Legislature. They will seek feedback statewide to inform the proposals.
What they're saying: "A lot of the issues that our country is dealing with, Texas is dealing with," Lubetzky tells Axios.
- Builders hopes Texas will help prove its Citizen Solutions model so it can expand nationally, Lubetzky says.
- He sees particular urgency in addressing the political divide while lawmakers across the country seek to redraw congressional district boundaries in their party's favor, spurred on by President Trump's push to do so in Texas.
The latest: Builders this week released polling that highlighted areas in which Democratic, Republican and independent Texans agree.
- Baselice & Associates conducted two separate statewide polls, May 2-7 and June 25-29. Each included 1,001 Texas voters with a margin of error of +/- 3.1%.
Zoom in: 77% of Texas voters polled supported allowing pharmacists to test and treat common illnesses like the flu.
- 82% supported employers contributing to employees' child care costs.
- And 84% supported paying homeowners for extra solar energy they produce, and sending it back to the power grid.
Flashback: Builders formed a group called the Tennessee 11 that drafted five proposals around gun safety and education in 2023, following The Covenant School shooting.
- In 2024, the Tennessee General Assembly passed a bipartisan bill that required local schools to provide age-appropriate gun safety information.
What's next: To get involved, visit builderstx.org.
Editor's note: This story has been corrected to reflect that Daniel Lubetzky is the founder of KIND Snacks (not its CEO).